text:
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday Files: Hamilton's commentary on Romans 9
Hamilton starts out with the introductory context of Romans 9, by explaining that the question in Romans 3:3 is essentially the same one in Romans 9:6. He also explains Romans 8:29-30 as corporate rather than individual election; an election that establishes the grounds on which the Body will be comprised in relation to the Head and the individual is considered as elect only insofar as they are considered united to Christ.
In considering Romans 9:6 and 9:7, Hamilton makes three key distinctions: 1) the spiritual descendents of Abraham (i.e. believers), 2) the physical descendents of Abraham in accordance with God's promise (i.e. the Nation of Israel, excluding Ishmael, Esau and their descendents) and 3) all the physical decedents of Abraham. He considers "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel" to be a reference to #1 and "neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants" to be a reference to #2. Thus Romans 9:6 is a brief (but to be revisited) response to the objection that God's word failed if the Jews are rejected, and Romans 9:7-21 discuss God's favoring the Nation of Israel with particular prevenient grace. Hamilton strengthens his position based on the many OT quotes that were about Nations, not individual salvation (i.e. the choice of Jacob in the womb, Jacob have I loved, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy).
Hamilton sees hardening as a withdrawing of general previnient grace as a punishment for sins. From sinners, God is free to either harden or bestow particular prevenient grace. The objection is why does God still blame the hardened and the answer is God is sovereign. Verse 22 starts a transition from discussion national election to discussion corporate election to salvation. Hamilton explains that Paul uses the parallels between physical and spiritual Israel to explain the Jew's current rejection. Hamilton leverages Romans 11 to explain that hardening isn't irreversible and election is corporate and conditional.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
More on Choice and Determinism
Steve provided another post in our exchange on choice and determinism.
Steve: a) A Calvinist doesn't define the meaning of the word "choice" in terms "You can choose X if it's your strongest desire."b) For that matter, a Calvinist doesn't even have to define the concept of choice in terms of "You can choose X if it's your strongest desire."The basic idea of choosing is simply to make a decision.
I didn't say Calvinists define choose as "You can choose X if it's your strongest desire", I said they avoid the common sense definitions and use exotic, philosophical counter-definitions; like the ones Paul provided. But Calvinists seem to have at least three options: 1) inconsistently hold to common sense definitions, 2) exotic, philosophical counter-definitions, or 3) use boiled down definitions that are missing some (or all) of the essential ingredients in the common sense definitions. If one removes enough essential elements of a definition, they end up with a tautology (choose = choose). Take for example the Wiktionary. Choose means decide and decide means choose. Hence choose means choose. Unhelpful. Paths two and three end up with the same problem; they deliver a deathblow to the clarity of scripture.
Steve, could you please A) define "choose" and B) explain it.
Me: "Steve correctly points out that the dictionary doesn't engage in metaphysical analysis, but it does provide what would be the conclusion of such analysis by reporting common usage."
Steve: It does nothing of the kind. In the nature of the case, "common usage" ordinarily is preanalytic. Most language users aren't metaphysicians. They don't use a word like "choice" with a lot of conscious, metaphysical baggage. Most folks aren't conversant with modal metaphysics or Frankfurt examples.
Sure it does. The dictionary provides what common usage is; it doesn't get into why it's that way. It doesn't matter if it's the result of metaphysical analysis, it's preanalytic or it comes out of a fortune cookie. If that's common usage, the dictionary reports it. And rather than reporting exotic philosophical determinist definitions of choose, it reports a definition that leaves the determinist saying we never actually choose.
Me: based on the dictionary's definition (selecting between possible alternatives), we can rightly say that man never actually chooses; because the alternatives are never actually possible.
Steve: i) Of course, this fails to draw an elementary distinction between the mental act of deliberation, and the extramental configuration of the world.The fact that in deliberating over a course of action, I may mentally review some hypothetical alternatives doesn't begin go prove the extramental existence of alternate possibilities—much less their availability, even if they did exist.Rather, all this bears witness to is a psychological process. Our imagination.ii) And, at the risk of stating the obvious, I can imagine many "possibilities" which are impossible for me to realize.
Steve seems to be trying to switch actual possibility for hypothetical possibility, but it doesn't work because you can't talk about an actual and a hypothetical at the same time. Also, Steve seems to be granting that, given determinism, we don't actually choose (understanding choose as defined by the dictionary).
Steve: we often make choices on the basis of what we thought were possible outcomes which, in hindsight, turn out to be beyond our reach. I may decide to become a med student. At the time I think I can afford med school. But due to an economic crisis after I enroll, I'm forced to drop out of med school before I graduate.I though that alternative was a live possibility. I was wrong.
The med students restrictions are post-choice, and don't interfere with volition.
Steve: it's counterintuitive to claim the future is indeterminate if the future is foreknown. The Calvinist, Thomist, and open theist all appreciate the force of that intuition. They relieve the tension by dropping one or another of the two propositions generating the tension. If intuition were Dan's criterion, then he'd either be a determinist (e.g. Calvinist, Thomist) or an open theist.
On the contrary, I think it's intuitive to think something is wrong with the argument that foreknowledge rules out freewill, even if people can't quite put their finger on why. While some questioning on the subject of foreknowledge and freewill is natural, most Christians don't drop either foreknowledge or freewill. So I think saying common sense says they are irreconcilable is a bit of a stretch. Only a small minority of Christians (Calvinists, Thomast and Open Theists) think that, and in my experience those that do tend to favor philosophy.
Steve: For the common man, knowing the future is synonymous with knowing what will happen.
Same here.
Steve: So, Dan, access the strawberry scenario, then access the alternate (chocolate) scenario. Repeat the same timeframe, but alternate the outcome.
As for Steve's time-traveling counterfactual ice cream challenge, it seems to amount to nothing more than pointing out we don't have empirical proof of freewill. As Christians, of course we believe in many things we don't have empirical proof for. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Since the will is part of our immaterial soul, and we don't have empirical evidence of the soul, why should we be surprised that we don't have empirical evidence of the will?
But Steve did make one attempt to leverage lack of empirical proof of LFW into showing LFW is counterintuitive by saying: Well, it would be very counterintuitive to have an ability you're unable to exercise. To say you can do something you can't do. I cannot today choose otherwise for choices I made yesterday, even though I could have yesterday. If this is the whole of Steve's point, it fails to show the counter-intuitiveness of LFW, since it's a strawman regarding "when". But perhaps there is a bit more to Steve's claim here.
Today is February 22nd. I can't live to see tomorrow. God willing, I will live to see February 23rd, but by that point the 24th will be "tomorrow". The restriction is definitional, not causal. So even though I can live till tomorrow, I can't live to it and have it be tomorrow. This is the type of restriction we have on being able to choose otherwise.
I can choose the chocolate and I can choose the strawberry. But if I choose the chocolate, the strawberry is "otherwise" and if I choose the strawberry, the chocolate is "otherwise". So while I can choose otherwise, I can never choose otherwise and have it be otherwise. This is not impossibility, it's incompossibility. So Steve's statement that it's something I can't do (impossibility not incompossibility) is false.
Steve: There is more to his position than "ought implies can."Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that this slogan is true. According to the formula, I'm not responsible unless I can do it. And let's grant that contention, for the sake of argument.But there's more to libertarian freedom then that. What's the real principle?Not:i) I'm not responsible unless I can do it, But:ii) I'm not responsible unless I can either do it or refrain from doing it.
While it's true there's more to my position than ought implies can, that's not immediately relevant because I am not currently defending my position. Steve asked why the switcheroo isn't common sense and I am responding by pointing out that A) ought implies can is common sense and B) ought implies can rules out determinism (and indirectly the switcheroo).
Steve: But the plausibility of that slogan depends on the specific illustration. Take two examples:i) I'm not obligated to love my wife unless I can love my wife.ii) I'm not obligated to love my wife unless I can hate my wife.Now, even if you think that (i) is plausible, (ii) is not. Yet libertarian freedom doesn't stop with (i). To be free in the libertarian sense, we must be free to do otherwise. iii) Moreover, the plausibility of (i) turns on the details. Suppose we elaborate (i) as follows:I'm not obligated to love my wife because I can't love my wife. The reason I can't love my wife is because I've fallen in love with a prostitute. As long as I'm smitten by this prostitute, I can't feel the way I used to about my wife. And I can't control my feelings. I just feel what I feel. Since I can't feel the same way about my wife, I'm not obligated to love my wife.
This example is questionable, but even if it's granted, I am not sure it matters because I don't think most folks first response to "ought implies can" is to think of this or similar examples. The scriptural obligation seems counter-intuitive; that we are to love them as Christ loved the church. The movie Fireproof shows how counter-intuitive it is.
Steve: Did he consult Greek and Hebrew lexicons?
All translators who had access to English dictionaries translated the words bâcha and eklegomai as choose.
Steve: Moreover, Calvinism doesn't reject the existence of alternate possibilities. The real question is whether we index alternate possibilities to the will of God or the will of man.
Hm... I am not quite sure this is accurate. At least some of Calvinism's stronger theologians have called into question the coherence of LFW, which implies God does not have LFW. Turretin states God's decrees do not differ from God Himself. (Institutes of Elenctic Theology. V1 p 193 para 10.) Edwards states God's will is necessarily determined by the fitness of things. (Inquiry into the Will Part IV.VII)
But if a Calvinist holds God's decrees were a choice (understood in and LFW sense), then God did truly have alternative possibilities. However, since the decree is done and immutable, it is fair to say all counterfactuals are no longer possible, given the decree. So Calvinism seems unable to maintain the existance of alternative possibilities.
Steve: If interpretation is determined, "not by what it says," but by other Biblical truths as well as philosophical considerations, then, in principle, we could even grant, for the same of argument, that Biblical usage means exactly what the Arminian takes it to mean, but still interpret the passage Calvinistically in light of other Biblical truths as well as philosophical considerations.
Since interpretation is simply picking from the range of meanings left open by "what it says", clearly the interpretation cannot contradict what it says.
Steve: Given the way in which Dan divorces the "what it says" level from the interpretive level, he leaves the interpretation of Scripture wide open.
Open to be interpreted via context (if what it says isn't specific and is open to interpretation). Context gets bigger and bigger. We should start from the immediate context and move outward (a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, a book, an author….) rather than starting on the fringes and moving inward.
Steve: Dan isn't using the grammatico-historical method. That would involve Biblical word-studies. An analysis of biblical usage based on comparative Greek and Hebrew usage in Scripture, as well as secular Greek and Hebrew or cognate languages (e.g. Ugaritic).
Please see Paul Manata's quotes regarding the Jewish understanding of choice and freedom. Also, here's evidence from and extra-biblical Jewish source:
Sirach 15:13-20 The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not. He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel; If thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him. For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things: And his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.
Also, please see my comment about lexicons above.
Steve: Scripture sometimes challenges the "common sense" assumptions of the ancient reader, e.g. Rom 9:19.
This is somewhat tangential because I agree sometimes scriptures challenges common sense. But since this passage is sometimes cited in support of determinism, I thought I would address it. I don't find the objector's argument common sense; I find it absurd to think we can challenge God's authority.
The objection is why does God blame us since He set the rules and doesn't have to listen to our input. The issue is God's authority, not His power. To read "who resists His will" as predeterminism is incorrect. The term in Greek for "resisted" is anthistemi means talking back or opposing. Further, if we read "who resists His will" as predeterminism, the objection becomes self-contradictory. It would become Calminian. This is how it would look:
Why does He yet find fault – under Arminian assumptions of the incompatibility of prederminism and moral responsibility
For who has resisted His will –under Calvinist assumptions of the actuality of predeterminism.
These two propositions don't fit together under one system. But this does:
Why does He yet find fault – Why blame us
For who has resisted His will – since we are stuck with your plan of salvation and can't come up with our own
Steve: Let's now apply Dan's (allegedly) "intuitive," "commonsensical," "what it says" standard to a number of Bible verses:
Before I start, just a quick reminder that I am not opposed to all philosophy nor do I blindly accept common sense; I only opposed the practice of reading technical, philosophical definitions into scripture.
Steve: Genesis 6:6And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. - By Dan's yardstick, God had second thoughts about what he made. If, with the benefit of hindsight, he could do it all over again, God would not have made mankind in the first place.
Given the wording, the question isn't if God repents or not. The passage makes it plain that He does. Rather the question is, is God's repentance the same as man's repentance. The passage doesn't say it is, but other passages indicate that there are some similarities and some dissimilarities. While "if, with the benefit of hindsight, he could do it all over again, God would not have made mankind in the first place", holds good of man's repentance, I don't think it does of God's repentance. God did truly hate man's sin; it was against His will, and His dealings with men did change course on account of their sins.
The repentance in this case seems to be that up until that time God wished His creation to exist and flourish, but based on their sinful state, He decided they should not exist but rather should be destroyed (Noah and family excepted). This does not entail that God would have redone things differently, only that from that moment on He willed things to be different.
Though God has an overall plan for all time, that does not mean He cannot will X from T1 to T3 and then nonX from T4 to T6. Rather, His will from T1 to T3 and T4 to T6 is included within His overall plan. So the overall plan does not change. Please note this is not an explination of Gen 6, rather it's reconcilation of Gen 6 with other truths.
The grief relates to man's sins, not over His prior choice to create. The grief is not a physical emotion, since God is a Spirit, and does not have a body. Rather it tells us that God wills for us not to sin and hates our sins.
Steve: Genesis 22:12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." - By Dan's yardstick, God was in the dark about Abraham's future actions. God is on a learning curve. He learns through observation.
The passage does not deny God foreknew the event, but it does seem to indicate that the basis of God's knowledge was the event. So likewise, the basis of His foreknowledge was the future event.
Steve: Exodus 32:10,14 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."…14And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. - By Dan's yardstick, God changed his mind. Moses talked him out of his original plan.
Similar to Gen 6, before Moses' intercession, God willed to destroy Israel. After, He willed to spare them.
Steve: Numbers 14:12,20 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."… 20Then the LORD said, "I have pardoned, according to your word.By Dan's yardstick, God once again changed his mind. - Once again, Moses talked him out of his original plan.
Same as Exodus 32.
Steve: Deuteronomy 8:22And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. - By Dan's yardstick, this is another instance in which God is ignorant of the future.
See comments on Gen 22.
Steve: 1 Samuel 15:10-35 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments."… 35 …And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. By Dan's yardstick, God had second thoughts about elevating Saul to the throne. If, with the benefit of hindsight, he could do it all over again, God would not have made him king.
See comments on Gen 6.
Steve: 2 Kings 20:1-7 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.'" 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3"Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5"Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, 6and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake." 7And Isaiah said, "Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover. - By Dan's yardstick, this is another instance in which God changed his mind because someone talked him out of his original plan.
This one is different and admittedly more challenging. No conditions were given, but apparently there was an implicit condition. Implicit conditions (especially ones made explicit elsewhere- Jer 18 & Ez 18) are normal. By not stating the condition, we can see that Hezekiah's motives were pure (i.e. he didn't express remorse just to avoid death).
Also, sometimes we talk about the future, but we are really talking about causal relations. If I say to a smoker "that gas can will explode", I might not be making a prediction so much as giving a warning. Perhaps God was only saying that the disease was deadly.
So the statement "you shall die" means the disease is such that it will kill you, with an implicit if you repent I may supra-naturally interrupt the disease's normal cause and effect relationship and spare you.
Steve: 1 Chronicles 21:15 And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he relented from the calamity. - By Dan's yardstick, God changed his mind at the last minute.
See comments on Gen 6.
Steve: 2 Chronicles 32:31And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart. - By Dan's yardstick, this is another case of divine ignorance. God doesn't know what people will do until they do it.
See comments on Gen 22.
Steve: Jeremiah 3:6-7 The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? 7And I thought, 'After she has done all this she will return to me,' but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. - By Dan's yardstick, God was not merely ignorant of the outcome, but mistaken. God entertained a false expectation about the future. The outcome came as a surprise. Caught him offguard.
This statement seems stronger than divine repentance. Perhaps it could be taken as a command (i.e. I said "return unto me." so the KJV and Vulgate). But if it is "thought" and "will return to me", the we could look at this statement as a metaphor (part of the overall metaphor) representing God as a husband seeking to bring back his unfaithful wife.
Steve: Jeremiah 7:31And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. - By Dan's yardstick, not only did God utterly fail to anticipate the actual outcome, but he even failed to anticipate the possible outcome. God is not only ignorant of the future, but he's ignorant of future possibilities.
"Nor did it come into my mind" refers to God's command, not their sinful act. God did not think of Himself commanding them to burn their sons, but He did know that they could and would.
Steve: Jonah 3:10 10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. - By Dan's yardstick, God had a change of heart.
It seems that Jonah and the Ninevehites understood there to be an implicit condition in the prophecy (Jonah 3:9, 4:2). As for the repentance, see comments on Gen 6.
Steve: Arminian Philosophical Theology
Again, I opposed reading philosophical definitions into scripture, not all philosophy.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday Files: Arminius on Romans 9
Paul deals with the charge of injustice by pointing out that God's choice was merciful (which presupposes sin), so it's not a question of justice. When men will and run to obtain justification through the law, they are rejected, and do not obtain mercy through the Gospel. If God is free to declare His glory by punishing and hardening Pharaoh, He is free to punish those who seek salvation through the law. The hardening of Pharaoh (and the implication that the Jews were being hardened) gives rise to the object "why does He yet find fault, for who has resisted His will?" Arminius explains that hardening is a punishment for prior sins, and even though the person at that moment cannot avoid sinning, they are still responsible, because they deserved the hardening of freewill. Paul first reproves the objector for insolence and then explains that God forms sinners who reject His grace into vessels of wrath, and through grace forms people into believers and vessels of honor.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Scripture and Philosophy
Steve says: Dan fails to distinguish between semantic equivocation and conceptual equivocation. Between the meaning of words and the meaning of ideas.The compatibilist/incompatibilist debate is fundamentally a debate over the concept of freedom, not the meaning of words in a dictionary.
This seems like a key issue, because it moves the debate away from exegesis to philosophy. The question is not if philosophy is permissible and useful in theology. I am not opposing all philosophy; only the practice of reading technical philosophical definitions into scripture.
Nor is the question if setting up technical definitions is normal philosophical behavior. But philosophy can be discussed in ordinary language by "tight wording" and specificity. Indeed scripture discusses philosophy in common language. To show that I have no hard feelings towards setting up special definitions in philosophical discussions, I will call the practice of exchanging "You can choose X" for "You can choose X if it's your strongest desire" "the switcheroo" (since Steve doesn't like the term "equivocation").
Nor is the question if the dictionary decides theology. Steve correctly points out that the dictionary doesn't engage in metaphysical analysis, but it does provide what would be the conclusion of such analysis by reporting common usage. The only weight I am asking the dictionary to carry is to provide the common sense meaning of the term "choose". Steve granted that determinists make use of the switcheroo. But the dictionary doesn't state "if it's my strongest desire", nor does it give Paul's technical counter-definition. In fact, based on the dictionary's definition (selecting between possible alternatives), we can rightly say that man never actually chooses; because the alternatives are never actually possible.
Nor is the question if common senses decides theology. Common sense tends to underestimate the devastating impact of sin, thus original sin and total depravity are ignored far more often then they should be. Steve asks why isn't the switcheroo common sense, especially in light of the lack of empirical evidence of counterfactual choices. I reject the switcheroo as common sense, since it seems to be motivated by deterministic assumptions and it rules out some intuitive underpinnings of LFW. It may well be true that we don't have imperial proof of libertarian freewill, but that doesn't mean LFW isn't intuitive. Normally we think we can choose the options we contemplate. Perhaps we are deceived and it's an illusion, but believing so seems counter-intuitive. Further, it's intuitive to think that ought implies can (i.e. we shouldn't be held morally responsible for things predetermined before we were born). Since these are common sense notions, and the switcheroo rules them out, the switcheroo contradicts common sense. I didn't provide the common sense arguments to prove LFW, only that to demonstrate that the common sense notion of choice rules out determinism. I believe we have LFW based on scripture; I take it on faith. But that's not "common sense", not everyone goes down that road.
Nor is the question if there is a relationship between desire and choice. I don't reject the phrase "choosing according to our strongest desire", though I don't use it because it's gained a deterministic meaning. As we contemplate our options our strongest desire seems to shift. If we think about strawberry ice cream, it may become our strongest desire at that time, but the same happens when our thoughts shift to chocolate. Choice resolves indecision. So as oppose to a determinative causal relationship between desire and choice, I see a definitional one, the choice defines the strongest desire just before the choice as "just before the choice".
Nor is the question if scripture talks about philosophy. When our Lord, using common language, taught the philosophy that "no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him", he received the common sense response: "this is an hard saying; who can hear it?" (John 6) But while total depravity provides some practical exceptions to the common sense "ought implies can"; I don't think we should throw it out all together. After all, inability seems to be the results of sins by the able (either Adam or our own in the case of hardening).
Nor is the question if scripture uses anthropomorphisms or accommodated language. Steve brought up the fact that Mormons and Open Theists would find my approach to scripture too philosophical, since they take some statements literally, that I take as either anthropomorphic or "accommodated language" (i.e. "the hand of God" or divine repentance). But this is not an example of using philosophy to define scriptural terms; it's an example of using philosophy to interpret scripture. The scripture is using ordinary language to describe something extraordinary: God. Literal interpretations are closed off by other truths found in other passages.
Rather the question is "is it OK to read technical philosophical definitions into the words of scripture, or should we stick to the common sense meaning of terms?" To even ask the question is to answer it.
When I approach scripture, I typically think in terms of at least two levels: "what it says" and "interpretation". Once I figure out what a text says, it still may be open to multiple interpretations; depending on the tightness of the wording and the specificity. Interpretation is selecting one of those meanings based on the context and truths discovered in other passages. Interpretation may make use of philosophy; especially to make distinctions and reconcile apparent discrepancies. For example, I typically use Occham's razor to reconcile apparent discrepancies.
But while I may use philosophy at the interpretation level, I don't use it at the "what it says" level; more to the point, I don't use philosophy to define biblical terms. Doing so seems to leave the scripture open to almost an unlimited amount of interpretations (as opposed to just a few). This seems to deliver a deathblow to the clarity of scripture. Further, it seems like a departure from the grammatical/historical analysis of scripture and philosophy informs scripture rather than the other way around.
So to restate my argument, the common notion of choose is specific enough to rule out deterministic interpretations and the bible uses the common notion of choose.
Friday Files: Moore's Commentary on Romans 9
Moore sees the blessings in Romans 9:4 as conditional, Piper sees them as unconditional, but non-salving. Moore sees the choice of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as providing blessings but not salvation, but they illustrate that God saves through faith not works; Piper sees the election of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as unconditional individual election. Both Moore and Piper see "it" in Romans 9:16 as God's bestowal of mercy, but Piper sees faith as part of "willing" and "running" because he thinks of faith as a kind of work, but Moore contrasts faith and works based on passages like Eph 2:8-9. Moore sees the case of Pharaoh as demonstrating God will be honored even if man refuses to submit to God's design, but Piper sees it as a case of reprobation. Moore sees the objection in Romans 9:19-20 as "I might as well be excused, because God is being glorified by my sins"; Piper sees it as a denial of man's having a part with regard to who becomes a believer. Moore sees hardening as a punishment for sin; Piper sees it as unconditional. Piper sees the potter/clay analogy as unconditional election/reprobation, but Moore sees it as God using unbelief to bring about a belief in others that will compound His honor.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Capstone on "Choice" debate with Paul Manata
Determinists require equivocation to survive. Since they don't hold to common-sense meanings to terms like "choose", "alternative" and "possible", they develop slightly varied definitions to the terms, as opposed to getting rid of the words altogether.
Here's a few examples of how this works. They might say "you can choose to eat the ice cream", but what they mean is only "you can choose to eat the ice cream, if it's your strongest desire." More interestingly, they say "you could have chosen to eat the ice cream", meaning "you could have chosen to eat the ice cream, if it had been your strongest desire", when in fact it wasn't your strongest desire. This example is inbound to the choice (i.e. the normal model is desire leads to choice, which leads to action and this example deals with desire leading to choice rather than choice leading to action). But they do the same thing on the outbound side of the choice. For example, they will say "you can eat the ice cream", meaning "you can eat the ice cream if you choose to", even though you can't in fact choose to.
Paul Manata has provided some additional examples of how this equivocation works. For example: Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro in their book Naturalism say choice is an undetermined mental action, yet Paul seems comfortable understanding it as determined. 1
So what's really going on with this equivocation? For a determinist to speak of the possibility of events that are not determined, they must get rid of the determining factors. Here's an example: I argued that if determinism is true, given the causal forces at play, I cannot choose or do counterfactuals, and Paul argues that "compatibilists would agree that a different past, or decree, renders those alternatives the possible ones chosen". The past and decree are the causal forces at play. I stated "given the causal forces at play, but Paul must remove them and input different ones to talk about the possibility of counterfactuals.
Why is hypothetically getting rid of determinism a problem for determinists? Consider the compatibility thesis that the ideas of determinism and freewill are compatible. Clearly they are not, if you must get rid of the determining factors to speak of freedom to choose the undetermined event. Again, given the determining factors, choosing the undetermined event is impossible. The two concepts of being determined to do X and the ability to choose non-X are incompatible. Thus the determinist must develop his notion of freewill without the ability to choose non-X.
My primary argument to Paul was that the common sense notion of "choose" includes the ability to choose non-X, so determinists can't consistently use the common sense notion of choose. I supported this based on several dictionaries. So the notion that the determinists must develop in response to the problems above isn't the common notion of choice. Paul responded in two ways, first by arguing that the compatiblist could accept dictionary definitions of "choose" and second by providing exotic, philosophical, counter-definitions of choice. I responded that the compatibilist can't really accept the dictionary definition of choice; they must hold the exotic counter-definition and simply equivocate. I also pointed out that the bible was written in common language, so using the exotic counter-definition was unbiblical. 2
Of the nine dictionaries we examined, all but one used the words "possibilities" or "alternatives" to define choose.3 Alternatives are things that can be chosen (something a determinist can't accept) and given the determining factors nothing but the predetermined events are possible. Only by removing the determining factors via hypothesis may the determinist speak of alternatives or possibilities.
Paul argues that Jews, Muslims and modern biblical scholars all hold to determinism and use the word choose, even though he doesn't give an explanation of how that works. That's true, but not relevant. How does their using the term prove they are not either unaware of their inconsistency or equivocating the exotic definition for the common one. Worse, Paul's own quotes state the Jews held the common notion of choice – the very point I made and Paul questioned.
Paul argued that libertarian free will (LFW) is incoherent and choices amount to luck, which undermines responsibility. I responded that the bible teaches God has LFW, based on Genesis 1:1. God is the first cause, so the first cause wasn't predetermined by preceding causes. This brings us to Paul's latest response. All one simply needs to say is that God's choice wasn't indeterminite either. I'd even agree with Kane here. God doesn't have libertarian freedom. I don't think he has compatibilistic either. I believe his freedom is sui generous. Determinate and indeterminate are mutually exclusive and exhaustive catigories. Even if God's freedom is absolutely unique (and no question in some ways it is), it's either determinate or indeterminate. So saying God's freedom is sui generous is no evasion of the force of my argument. The bible teaches God has LFW, therefore Christians cannot argue LFW is illogical.
1 Here's Paul's actual comment the only argument given against determinism was against physicalist determination. So, I could have left "undetermined" in the quote and added "physically" and not undermined divine-determination in the least. The result is simple, they say undetermined, Paul thinks determined. But Paul's analysis is somewhat complex. They say undetermined, but argue against physical determinism. Why not read them as saying physically undetermined? Then distinguish between physical and divine determinism and assume they are OK with divine determinism. If they argue against that too, we can always fall back to determinism via fate or the stars. Of course the problem with Paul's analysis is that "undetermined" is a statement about "what", not "why". It's simply undetermined; no need to go into what's not determining it.
2 Paul, being reformed, likely holds to the perspicuity (clarity) of scriptures, which entails scripture being written to the common man. Further, scripture is consistently addressed to the people of Israel and the Church.
3The one dictionary that didn't use alternative or possibility was the Wiktionary that defines choose as simply elect, pick or decide; which are really synonyms rather than a definition. Paul call this situation a Mexican standoff, but if it's that or the Alamo, I will let the reader judge.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday Files: Clarke's commentary on Romans 9
Clarke argues that we must understand the whole Old Testament context of the quotes Paul makes, based on Paul's making use of Esau's running and the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, even though Paul's OT quotations regarding Esau and Pharaoh don't include running or hardening. Then Clarke argues that Israel's blessings in verses 4-5 are national, not individual, the election of Jacob over Esau in Genesis 25:22 was national, not individual, the loving of Jacob over Esau in Malachi 1:2-3 was national, not individual, the work of the Potter in Jeremiah 18 is national, not individual and the election discussed in Romans 11 is national, not individual. Thus he concludes the election discussed in Romans 9 is national, not individual.
1 Other non-Calvinist interpretation of Romans 9 include 1) election based on foreknowledge which some of the church fathers held, 2) corporate election and its close cousin and my own view 3) God's choice of faith as the instrument of justification.


text:
Garden Glass Rooms
All year round protection with an almost frameless view of your garden- spend hours of enjoyment in your garden glass room and let a place filled with light and transparency work its magic on you. The various glass elements available in our glass rooms allow this outdoor room to be as varied as your imagination. Samson Awnings specialise in the supply and installation of custom built garden glass rooms and verandas to your exact requirement, size, colour and shape.
A glass garden room should be ideally offering sheltered protection all year round yet remain fully interactive with the outdoors thanks to its innovative clear glass elements, doors and blinds.
For more information on Glassroom why not visit our Glassroom site.
Our Transparent Guide to Glass Room living
|Click images to enlarge
This can be assisted with the fantastically clear glass elements which offer a spectacular panoramic view of your garden providing your room with a fresh, vibrant and natural feel. A garden glass room is the perfect way to fully enjoy a natural unobstructed view of your garden whilst enjoying the comfort of your home.
And to ensure that your view is always unobstructed when the front glazed panels are closed, we fit our garden glass rooms with frameless glass panel elements as standard. With no profiles needed to support them, the glass panels stand edge to edge allowing you to enjoy an uninterrupted panoramic view of your surroundings. When the weather warms up, simply slide the glass fronts to one side and allow the natural fresh air inside.
The choice of fixed, sliding or bi-folding glass sides gives total flexibility to how you build your glass room with manual or electric blinds for the roof and sides also available.
Download the latest PDF Brochure (4Mb)
Quick & Easy Installation
Whether installed on a house, old or new, a garden glass room from Samson Awnings & Terrace Covers will become both an architectural highlight and a frequently used extension of your home. Unlike your average conservatory, the construction work required in a garden glass room installation is minimal meaning a faster installation time. No foundation work is required and no alterations to your home is usually required either. Most of the time, you won't even need to apply for planning permission!
For true protection from the very changeable British weather the garden glass room option is the most flexible.The combination of a glass roof with optional blind systems to protect from the glare and heat of the sun and frame-less glass side elements for total control of air movement and protection from rain you will have a truly functional all year round outdoor room for entertaining or relaxing.
Improve your outdoor space even further with Millboard Decking
During the colder winter months, Samson Awnings garden glass room's sophisticated design provides maximum safety and a long life. Particular focus was placed on the stresses caused by weather conditions, such as the forces placed on them by wind and snow. All components are produced industrially as series products – this ensures each garden glass room we produce is manufactured to the highest quality. With appropriate specification you can use your glass room all year round in comfort.
The entire structure is manufactured in Germany to the very highest standards and each room is purpose made to your requirements. See a short video from Weinor below:
Shapes & Designs
Several different shapes and designs are available as standard but the size is always made to order, however we also specialise in bespoke designs which are available on request.
Constructed to suit each individual customer, our garden glass rooms are made to suit both the shape and look of your house. Even if there are protruding walls, corners or balconies, our rooms are able to cope with us. We will be happy to help and advice you in detail and help you determine which roof shape is the best alternative for your house.
On request, we can supply you with various styles of glass elements complete with aluminium frame to make your glass garden room suit your needs. These glass elements can be:
|Tilting – bi-folding
Enjoy Your Garden Glass Room Into The Night
With a range of high quality heating and lighting systems, it is now possible to enjoy your garden glass room long into the night. These systems, described below, can be viewed here.
The Lux Design light bar provides an atmospheric lighting effect which offers a warm ambience. The latest LED lighting added to the roof bars will provide enough light for any occasion and is also dimmable at the touch of a button on a remote control handset.
When things get cooler outdoors, the Tempura patio heating system radiates a senuous warmth to offer comfort.
Glass Room Accessories
The combination of patio roof, glass side elements, awning and ventilation is built to last. Our range of glass garden rooms can be used from spring until deep into autumn.
Thanks to sliding skylights and roof vents, a healthy climate is achieved all the time. The ongoing air circulation creates a calm, peaceful atmosphere – and by adding a roof vent and sliding skylight, heat build-up within the glass garden room can be avoided.
Awnings can be used in conjunction with our garden glass rooms to create the atmosphere you desire.
Weinor manufacture the following products which can be used in conjunction with a luxury glass room:
The WGM externally fitted roof awning is available for external overhead protection against the sun. This is recommended when air circulation is poor. It is ideal for keeping temperatures low and reflecting heat and should be a standard request for a South facing garden heavily exposed to sunlight.
The Sottezza awning is fitted underneath your patio roof. This overhead awning provides an effective level of shade to help you relax, entertain guests, take part in recreational activities and more in the cool temperatures of your garden glass room. It's design fully complements your patio roof and is discreet when closed internally.
The VertiTex vertical blind is the perfect sight and anti-glare screen. When used with a fabric from our Soltis collection, you can see everything from the inside but are totally hidden when viewed from the outside.
The Paravento is a side screen which helps protect side windows from both the sun and nosey neighbours. This system is available colour coded to match your garden glass room.
The Aruba awning is a simple vertical awning which, on the small movement of a hand, can block out the suns annoying rays and protect your garden room against the glare and the heat.
Our Transparent Guide to Glass Room Living

subset: commoncrawl


text:
March 2, 2011
The Baylor soccer team opened the spring season in fine fashion, with wins over Houston (2-1) and Sam Houston State (4-0). Baylor will wrap up the spring season with four more games over the next two months.
In the win over Houston, Baylor got goals from Selby Polley and Alex Klein via set pieces for the win. Later that day, the Bears knocked off Sam Houston State with two goals from Christine Clark and one each from Klein and Hanna Gilmore.
Baylor will finish up its spring schedule with games on March 19 at Rice at 2:00 p.m., March 26 at Betty Lou Mays Field against SMU at 7:00 p.m., at TCU on April 2 at 1:00 p.m. and at Texas State at 1:00 p.m. on April 9.


text: Ok FIrst off im on my home its like 11:30 pm. In front of me is a psm 04 rex and a 90's gti. We all turn onto a two lane road. I pull up next to the rex and boost then slow down to try to get him to go,he shook his head no(baby) so i took off and what ends up takin of with me is the gti. We go from 20 and i spank him by at least 2 1/2 cars. Then the next night i race my buddys rsx-s from a 20 and from a dig. I won by at least 3 car both times. My cars only stock I love my rex.


text:
Sonax CutMax
This product qualifies for $4.99 Shipping with coupon DI499
Available Sizes
1000 ml
($0.05 / ml)
250 ml
($0.07 / ml)
Product Information
- Remove heavy imperfections while leaving behind a great deal of gloss!
- Capable of removing 1500 sanding marks
- Dust free formula for easy clean up
- Water-based body shop safe formula
- Product Codes: 246300, 246141
- Read full description
Customer Reviews100% of customers said that they would buy this item again
Based upon 5 ratings
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Product DescriptionThe Sonax CutMax was designed to remove heavy imperfections while finishing down extremely well! The highly corrective paste formula helps remove up to 1500 sanding marks and other heavy imperfections from severely weathered paint with ease. CutMax is water-based which allows for a long working time and it will not dry out like other compounds. This means dust free polishing so you don't have to clean up that annoying dust! After application, simply wipe off the polished area with a clean microfiber towel and you're done. Even though you will have a great deal of gloss left behind, you still may need to follow up with a lighter polish. If this is the case, the Sonax EX 04-06 is a perfect follow up to remove the haze and finish the paint down. This unique polishing formula is solvent, silicone, and petroleum free, making it body shop safe. If you are looking for a great heavy cutting polish, the Sonax CutMax is a great choice!
Professional Detailer Reviews
Sonax CutMax is definitely a great product that I see us using regularly. On medium to soft paint such as this one, it will perform very well at correcting the paint and leaving a finish that's easily refined with a quick pass with any finishing polish. I believe when used with foam pads it will leave a great finish and on some harder paints may even be considered as a 1-stage polish to both correct and leave a great finish.
From The Label
Product Description
- Cutmax
- Cutting Compound
- Sand to P1000 or finer then wipe clean.
- Apply a small amount of polish to each area. Polish with a SONAX Polishing Pad (493 100) for approx. 10 seconds at low rotational speed and exerting increased pressure, slightly tilting the machine.
- Afterwards, exerting slight pressure, polish with flat pad for 20 seconds.
- Remove polish residues with SONAX Microfibre Cloth ultrafine (450 700). Use SONAX ProfiLine Perfect Finish (224 300) or SONAX ProfiLine EX 04-06 (242 300) to achieve perfect, high gloss results.
Customer Reviews
Reviewed by Eric W. on 3/12/2017
Would they buy this item again? Yes
Perfect buffing cycle for me. Four passes and wipes off like a dream. Follow up with 04-06 and I get as close to perfection as possible within a reasonable time frame.
Reviewed by Tim J. on 7/21/2015
Would they buy this item again? Yes
Works quickly to remove heavy scratches, while still finishing down quite nicely.
Reviewed by George D. on 7/12/2015
Would they buy this item again? Yes
Worked very well with Meguiar's MF cutting pads. Melted away swirls and moderate scratches on a Griot's buffer with a single application and no hazing or need for a follow up step as Doug C. mentioned.
Read all customer reviews of Sonax CutMax


text:
2009-12-11 / School News
SFDS Donates Food For Thanksgiving
The school at Saint Francis de Sales Church continued a long standing tradition of donating food and other necessities to the Little Sisters of the Poor. The donated items are collected during the weeks prior to Thanksgiving by the students so that the Sisters can distribute them to the elderly under their care. Following the visit to the school by the Sisters and the loading of the donations by the students a Thanksgiving Mass is celebrated by the entire school body. This year's Mass honored the veterans of all wars past and present.


text:
Suite 700
Washington, District Of Columbia 20005
United States
|Areas of Practice
|1) Environment/
|Law School
|Georgetown University Law Center
|Most recent firm
|Beveridge & Diamond P.C.
|Relevant Jobs
Environmental Case Manager Paralegal
USA-LA-New Orleans
Curry & Friend, PLC, an established boutique defense firm is currently accepting resumes for Environmental Case Manager Paralegal. Curry & Friend, PLC takes pride in the high engagement level of our m...
Apply now
We are looking for attorney who has good pleading and briefing skills. We prefer someone who is fluent in Spanish or other languages but it is not necessary. We appreciate any one with past experi...
Apply now
Litigation Counsel
Litigation Counsel The candidate will be working closely with the Deputy General Counsel and will be managing litigation, making strategic litigation decisions and reviewing pleadings, motions, disc...
Apply now
|+ View more jobs
Daniel E. Chefitz is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Mr. Chefitz concentrates his practice on policyholder insurance recovery counseling and litigation.
David W. Marston, Jr. is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Intellectual Property and Litigation practices and is a member of the firm's Class Action Working Group. He handles all aspects of litigation from inception through trial and post-trial appeals.


text: Greetings to everyone, I'm more then happy to announce that one of the greatest tool for English pronunciation teaching is now available in iPad store. See here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saundz/id633979518?ls=1&mt=8 Now, ESL (English as a second language) learners can much more easier to learn via their IPads. Please review this great app and post here your impressions.. Thanks and best regards


text:
Home > National News > Article
The PM's decision is based on one equation: losing money so as not to lose votes, writes Michael Gordon.
The day after Mark Latham gazumped John Howard's free trade agreement with his plan to scrap the MPs' generous super scheme, Treasurer Peter Costello went on national radio to defend the salary package paid to federal politicians.
"By changing the super scheme, do you think you will get better MPs?" the Treasurer asked. "I am not sure that it will give you better MPs."
But within hours, John Howard called his leadership group together to consider implementing the very thing Latham proposed - and facing the inevitable charge that he was playing catch-up on the new Labor leader.
The Prime Minister's motivation was simple: he knew Latham's populist pitch was going down well with the punters - and denting the Government's attempts to sell what it considers the big story of the year, its free trade agreement with the United States.
It did not matter that Howard believed the overall package paid to MPs is not overly generous. Nor that the move would expose Costello and others, such as Tony Abbott, as being out of the loop. Nor that it would be seen as a panicked response to Latham's surge in the polls.
The PM's conviction was that however badly the move was received initially, it would soon be off the agenda.
But, before he made up his mind, Howard began ringing round a cross-section of MPs in marginal seats. One of the first he called was Trish Worth, whose margin in Adelaide is just 0.6 per cent.
Worth confirmed Howard's fears. Latham's idea, she said, was making it harder to sell the benefits of the free trade agreement for South Australia's car and tuna industries.
She told the Prime Minister that when she explained the MPs' super scheme to constituents, including that they paid an after-tax contribution of 11.5 per cent, they had a far better understanding. "But how can you explain individually to 95,000 people in your electorate?" she asked.
Worth said she had no great respect for Latham, but the bottom line of super was clear: "I don't think the public likes it much if they think we're getting more than they are."
Another MP Howard called was Victorian Phil Barresi, whose margin in Deakin is 1.6 per cent. "My advice to the Prime Minister was you can't tinker at the edges on this issue: we go in there and overhaul the whole thing. And that's what he's done," Barresi said last night.
No matter how strong was the case that MPs were poorly paid, Barresi said the public had made up their minds that their super was excessively generous.
"It's a debate, frankly, that I don't think we are ever going to win," he said. "There are far more important issues and we need to get on to those - and unless we resolved this issue it becomes a distraction."
Others who gave the PM their assessment included Joanna Gash (Gilmore, NSW), Stewart McArthur (Corangamite, Victoria), Jim Lloyd (Robertson, NSW) and John Forrest (Mallee, Victoria).
The Howard cabinet took the decision to close down the MPs' super scheme yesterday morning after Howard's home town broadsheet, The Sydney Morning Herald, declared on its front page that the NSW Liberal leader had backed Latham's idea. The cabinet decision locked the party room in to do the same.
The meeting spanned two hours, and it is fair to say that MPs were unimpressed, not least because they had been presented with a fait accompli. Many see the move as bad policy, unnecessary and a sign that Howard would panic "at the first whiff of grapeshot".
But in the end it agreed.
|Print this article Email to a friend
|Latest news by email
Get free news emails from The Age
|text | handheld (how to)
membership |
conditions |
Copyright © 2004. The Age Company Ltd
|advertise | contact us


text:
Now Search Engine Google in iPhone app
Google has updated its mobile search engine so that people who run a search from their iPhone will be provided with a list of matching apps.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
HTC EVO 4G for $199.99 with a two-year contract
Walmart is now imitating with Best Buy and Radio Shack retail house in offering the HTC EVO 4G for $199.99 with a two-year contract without any mail-in-rebates, starting with Friday's launch.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
myTouch 3G Slide Available at $180 from T-Mobile
Another android powered handset for T-Mobile custimers. myTouch 3G Slide is now made available from T-Mobile and will be priced at $179.99 with 2 years contract after a $50 mail-in rebate as reported earlier. The price seems to be on higher side.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
Games are the most Downloaded Apps on Mobile Devices
As if there was ever any doubt! Yes, a recent survey published by Nielsen confirms what we already suspected: games are the most downloaded apps on mobile devices.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
Hacksugar: Bringing back the on-screen keyboard
You've got an iPad. You've got a Bluetooth keyboard that you love. Now imagine this: You're in bed. Your keyboard is somewhere downstairs. And yet, it's still in range and paired to your device. You can tap, tap, tap in the iPad Spotlight text entry field, but there's no keyboard for you to use.
AT&T axes unlimited data, unveils tethering price
To the wailing and gnashing of teeth, AT&T has given the ax to the unlimited data plans for iPad and iPhone customers. AT&T announced two new data plans — priced at $15 and $25 each — with the cap on the higher-end plan set at 2GB per month.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
How to steps-Android 2.2 Froyo on iPhone 3G
Android 2.2. Froyo is the latest version of Android OS. Fortunately there are leaked steps to install Android 2.2 Froyo on iPhone 3G.
CueCat barcode scanner on the iPad
The Mac Museum put together an iPad, a camera connection kit, and a USB CueCat barcode reader, which reads the codes via the CueCat and then creates keyboard events to type out the codes as they are read.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
Asus's New Motherboard Powered By LucidLogix's Hydra 200 SoC
Now you can have the best of both of Nvidia and ATI worlds – on one kick-ass Asus motherboard powered by LucidLogix's Hydra 200 SoC.
ASUS-Lamborghini VX6 with dual-core D525 Atom and ION 2
Asus has announced one of the most desirable 12.1-inch netbooks.The ASUS-Lamborghini VX6 certainly won't be cheap.They've also managed to pack in some leading edge components. First off the VX6 will come with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) display and will be powered by the upcoming 1.8GHz dual-core D525 Atom processor that is DDR3 enabled.
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist
Mvix's HDHome S2 and S4 media servers
MvixUSA has created an attractive, mini-monster entertainment PC for your living room and thr versions are S2 and S4.The HDHome essentially is a Windows 7 Media Center PC with a slot loading Blu-ray drive…. You know, HTPCs never did anything to deserve the worldwide shunning that they're dealing with right about now, and Mvix apparently […]
Add To Bookmark Add To Readlist


text:
Monday, 29 May 2017
Helping consumers get a fair settlement. From start to finish!
Enlist our National Network of over 2000 Local Appraisers
Oregon Diminished Value Appraisal: 503-655-1661
Diminished Value
Auto Appraisals
Total Loss
State DV Laws
Consumer Advocacy
Consumer Advocacy Links
Helpful Web Sites
Display #
Allstate Accused of Cheating Claimants
Allstate Accused of Cheating Claimants. This article from the Lexington Herald-Leader discusses a class-action lawsuit challenging Allstate's claims-handling process.
International Risk Management Institute
Article with legal background and description of "perceptual diminished value."
Claims Magazine
Claims Magazine discusses the insurance issues from an insurance company point of view.
Manufacturer's Certified Pre-Owned Inspection Checklists
The Cars.com site has information about CPO inspections that helps show how a damaged vehicle may not qualify. Rejection by Certified Pre-Owned programs makes a vehicle harder to sell and diminishes its value.
KOMO Getting 'Diminished Value' Compensation After A Car Crash
A Seattle television station's report on diminished value.
Office of the Insurance Commissioner - Consumer Factsheet - Automobile Insurance Total Loss
This piece from the Washington State Insurance Commissioner covers your rights when the insurance company "totals" your car. The Washington State site has a good selection of articles about automobile insurance.
Allstate Insurance Sucks
The name speaks for itself. Forbes magazine rated this as the number one corporate complaint site.
Fight Bad-Faith Insurance Companies
Fight Bad-Faith Insurance Companies ranks the best and the worst insurers. This site fights the practice of some insurance companies wrongfully denying claims. "Insurance companies are required by law to willingly pay claims promptly and properly in good faith … And not delay, deny or discount claims in bad faith" Every insurance consumer should check their list of the 100 worst insurance companies with bad-faith practices and 100 best companies with good-faith claims payment practices.
FindLaw provides a comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, businesses, students and individuals. Try out the search feature with a phrase like Diminished Value.
Attorney Lawrence E. Sherris
Attorney Lawrence E. Sherris represents clients throughout the Portland metropolitan area. His law practice includes personal injury, diminished value, probate and wills, bankruptcy and collections.
Oregon at OyMap.com
A world directory.
Auto Parts and Accessories - DriveWire.com
DriveWire.com is the best place to shop for discount auto parts & performance accessories for cars and trucks.
Luxury Car Lease-Equipment Lease-Classic & Exotic Car Financing
Car Lease, Loan Refinance, Luxury auto leasing, imports, exotic car leasing, SUV and truck, commercial equipment Leases, good lease deals, used car lease specialist. Nationwide delivery.
Arkadia: Homes for sale by owner & vacation rentals
International real estate classified ads from homeowners or brokers to buy, sell or rent your property, house, apartment, business, land. Worldwide directory of vacation rentals by owner!
The Comprehensive Appraisal Directory.
Free Property Damage Claims Assistance
Docu-Damage.com is a free, Non-Profit Organizational site and information resource designed by a team of Florida Public Insurance Adjusters who have donated their time & effort to help educate those who have sustained damage to their homes or businesses and are now negotiating their way through the insurance claims process.
Texas defensive driving course
Online Texas Defensive Driving and Seat Belt courses are built around your needs. IDRIVESAFELY offers TEA approved Defensive Driving courses for Ticket Dismissal, Insurance Discount and Seat Belt Safety in Texas.
Ford Thunderbird SC and Ford Lightning
Magnum Powers, LLC specializes in aftermarket Induction systems for cars and trucks, supercharger kits and upgrades including intercoolers, throttle bodies, intake plenums and Cold Air Intakes.
Insurance Quotes in Vancouver, WA
Insurance quotes are available through farmers insurance in Vancouver, WA. Located in the Fishers landing area, our agents can help you with Business, Life, Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Boat insurance.
Delaware Defensive Driving
Delaware defensive driving is DMV approved & 100% Online. If you are convicted of a moving violation or traffic ticket or speeding ticket and need to receive an auto insurance reduction and/or attend a defensive driving course in Delaware State, this course qualifies to meet this requirement.
Terry M. Fisher
Autoloss.com Founder
Start Your Appraisal
Name (*)
Please enter your name.
E-mail (*)
Please enter your valid e-mail address.
Phone # (*)
Please enter your phone number.
Year/Make/Model of Vehicle (*)
Please enter the year/make/model of the vehicle.
Type of Appraisal (*)
Total Loss
Diminished Value
Bank Loan/Stated Value Lease Termination
Other/Don't know
Please select an appraisal type.
Amount of Damage (*)
Less than $1000
$1000 to $5000
More than $5000
Please select a range of damage.
Details / Comments (*)
Please provide details about your appraisal needs.
Re-type Number
The numeric code you typed was incorrect.
Share Autoloss
Latest Testimonials
Thank You So Much Auto Loss!
Diminished Value - Mercedes Cliam
State Farm gave me 4,000.00 for Diminished Value
Thank you for all the support provided
Portland, Oregon: Nice Work
Consumer Links
Insurance Company Telephone Numbers
Directory of State Insurance Agencies
Links for Consumers
See Our Reviews!
OregonLive - The Oregonian
Ask about our discounts for the military, seniors & students. Call today.
Diminished Value
Auto Appraisals
Online Auto Appraisals
Appraisal Request Form
Diminished Value Appraisals
Total Loss Appraisals
Vehicle Donation & Tax Write-Off
Bank Loan/Stated Value Appraisal
Luxury & Exotic Sports Cars
Lease Termination Appraisal
Loss of Use
Diminished Value
What is Diminished Value?
Diminshed Value Articles
Diminshed Value Questions
Diminished Value State Laws
Unique State Laws
Claims in Florida
Claims in Oregon
Claims in Texas
Claims in Washington
Georgia, Kansas & North Carolina
Diminished Value Claim Calculators
Diminished Value Success Stories
Client Testimonials
Total Loss Settlements
Total Loss
Oregon Total Loss Claims
Legal Services
Consumer Advocacy
First vs. Third Party DV
Consumer Advocacy Links
Insurance and Auto Appraisal News
State Insurance Agencies
Insurance Company Phone Numbers
About Autoloss
Professional Biography
Our National Team
Legal Disclaimer
Past Clients
Diminished Value Articles
Essentials of an Effective Diminished Value Report
States With the Highest (and Lowest) Car Insurance Rates
Diminished Value Claims for Toyota
How Frame Damage Ruins Vehicle Resale Value
Best Insurance Companies for Diminished Value Claims
Contact Autoloss
Apply for an Auto Appraisal
Privacy Policy
Terry Fisher
on Google+


text:
Juventus Eyes Hernandez as Alternative to Suarez: Soccer RoundupDan Baynes
The following is a roundup of soccer stories from U.K. newspapers, with clickable Internet links.
Juve Targets Hernandez
Juventus may bid for Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez if it fails to sign Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, the Daily Mail reported.
The Italian league leader is seeking a strike partner for Fernando Llorente, who's joining on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao, the Mail added.
De Gea Vow
United's Spanish international goalkeeper David De Gea said he would snub the chance to replace Victor Valdes at Barcelona to remain with the Premier League leader, the Sun reported.
"I know things have been said and written but I have a contract," the Sun cited De Gea as saying. "It is not just my name that appears. At Barca, Valdes is still the keeper and Madrid is my city, one day I'd like to return. But now I hope to stay in Manchester for a long time and win a lot of titles."
Lindegaard Hint
Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard hinted that he may leave United after becoming frustrated at his lack of playing opportunities behind De Gea, the Daily Mirror reported.
"For me at the moment it's not easy to deal with being on the bench when the team is performing as well as we do," the newspaper cited Lindegaard, who's played one game for the Red Devils since Dec. 1, as saying. "Everybody wants to play and I'm not different from anyone else."
Poyet Rejects Reading
Brighton manager Gus Poyet rejected the chance to become manager of Reading and a 1.5 million-pound ($2.2 million) bonus if he kept the relegation-threatened Royals in the Premier League, the Independent reported.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Poyet decided to stay with the second-tier Championship club and push for promotion after analyzing the two squads' relative merits, the newspaper added.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Ace Cash ExpressNationwide USA
Ace Cash Express Beware of Online Scam!!! Ace Cash Express Nationwide
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
ACE Cash Express
On June 23, 2014 we received a generic email from Ace Cash Express with an approval code and a telephone number. My husband contacted this company on 08/02/14 to question the $5,000.00 loan approval that this company was offering. First, the heavy accented hard to understand foreigner advised us his name was "Daniel" and that we were approved for a loan. However, we were told since my husband's credit score was low that the only way they would "guarantee" the loan is to have us secure the first month's payment through a credit voucher or Green Dot Money Pak Card for the amount of $223.00. We had a lot of questions and it seemed the representative was getting frustrated with us asking a lot. He stated he would transfer us over to the finance department who would finalize our loan. After a short transfer, the same voiced male identified himself as "Richard".
He continued to answer the same scripted message every time we would ask questions. He said go get a Green Dot Money Pak, add the $223.00 and within 15 minutes the transfer would be complete in our account. While talking with him, my husband researched "Ace Cash Express Scams" — What we found from other victims was so extremely helpful. Even though I felt sorry for the folks that have been scammed by this company, our family is grateful for those people that posted their experiences.
Then, my husband advised him prior to us giving any of our money, that he had to think about this loan. The Ace Cash Express man became very hostile and defensive. He started screaming at both of us over the phone that the loan was already completed and ready for deposit into our account. My husband said no documents have been signed and that we do not want the loan. The man was not rational by this time and demanded either we send him the $223.00 or that he would either lose his job or take a termination fee from our account of $75.00. We continued to tell him he had no legal right to withdraw unauthorized transactions from our account.
Richard, if that is his real name, continued to talk over us and demand us to send the money. We refused and eventually hung up on him. Within a second, this man was calling us back. We told him he was harassing us and to not call us again. We hung up. He called again.. This continued.. Until the last call the man started cursing and telling us to suck his............ We kept him on the phone cursing and stalling while we went directly to the police station while he was on speaker phone. When we walked in, I guess he heard us talking to the officer and hung up. He didn't call after that. After my husband and I were talking, we think this is the same guy that called my husband about two weeks ago demanding him to pay money or he would be issuing a warrant for his arrest from the Florida Law Enforcement. Beware! The police officer told us to contact the Better Business Bureau. In addition to this, I would recommend that anyone experiencing this should also put an Alert with all three credit companies and do what you can to get this guy from preying on us American Citizens who work hard for our money!
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/02/2014 12:45 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ace-cash-express/nationwide/ace-cash-express-beware-of-online-scam-ace-cash-express-nationwide-1166921. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Ace Cash Express
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
Pet adoption saves lives. Adopt a pet and you'll have a friend for life! Contact us, or contact another local humane society, animal shelter or SPCA.
Our founder, Michelle Kelly, PhD, has helped establish successful adoption programs for rabbits in public animal shelters. She is also a licensed educator for House Rabbit Society.
Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies (inside the store)
3860 S. Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Every Saturday from 12:30 - 3:30
Why should you adopt?
rabbits can make wonderful pets, and rather than buying a rabbit for sale or finding a rabbit breeder, adopting a rabbit from an animal shelter or rescue organization is the perfect way to add a rabbit to your family. Keep in mind, there is a lot you will need to know when you provide a home for a rabbit. You will need to learn what to feed them, how much exercise or attention your rabbit needs, and many other important things about how to house and care for a rabbit. There are different types of rabbits including American; American Fuzzy Lop; American Sable; Angora, English; Angora, French; Angora, Giant; Angora, Satin; Belgian Hare; Beveren; Blanc de Hotot; Britannia Petite; Californian; Champagne D'Argent; Checkered Giant; Chinchilla, American; Chinchilla, Giant; Chinchilla, Standard; Cinnamon; Creme D'Argent; Dutch; Dwarf; Dwarf Hotot; English Spot; Flemish Giant; Florida White; Harlequin; Havana; Himalayan; Jersey Wooly; Lilac; Lionhead; Lop-Eared; Lop, English; Lop, French; Lop, Holland; Mini Lop; Mini Rex; Mini Satin; Netherland Dwarf; New Zealand; Palomino; Polish; Rex; Rhinelander; Satin; Silver; Silver Fox; Silver Marten; Tan; and Thrianta.
Pet adoption saves lives. Adopt a pet and you'll have a friend for life! Please consider a rescue pet before you buy a pet from a breeder or pet store. Contact us, or contact another local humane society, animal shelter or SPCA.


text:
music / News
Kid Cudi Slams Label Again
Billboard reports that Kid Cudi has once again slammed Republic on Twitter, nearly a year after he did for shipping what he thought was a low number of physical copies of his psych-rock WZRD (it was called Universal Republic then).
He complained that "Just What I Am" and "King Wizard", two songs from his upcoming album Indicud, haven't been on radio much since their releases in August and Nvoember. He added: "King Wizard 3.4 million views on Vevo, Just What I Am has 4.3 million and my shit is not on regular rotation on radio. Hmmm,"
He then compared the two to Def Jam's Trinidad James' song "All Gold Everything". He wrote: "Trinidad James got 4.1 million views on his hit (rightfully so), and I hear that jam EVERYWHERE. Wheres my fuckin spins???"
Both of Cudi's songs hit the Hot 100 at #74 ("Just What I Am", featuring King Chip) and #91 ("King Wizard"). "Just" peaked at #17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and has sold 155,000 downloads so far. "King Wizard" is up to #28 and has sold 89,000 downloads. Trinidad's "All Gold Everything" has sold 97,000 downloads in a shorter amount of time as it was released on December 20. It peaked at #23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Cudi continued: "To my label, I swear to all that is fuckin holy in this world, if things dont change soon, theres gonna be some problems. I worked too hard on all this shit. Producing, writing, directing AND executing the shit proper. I did my part, I put in work. Wtf… Yall kno I cuts no slack. Not w my music. Every song is my life. A piece of my fuckin tormented soul. It matters to me. I give a fuck."
He previously called them a "weak ass label" for shipping only 55,000 physical copies of WZRD, which he made with producer Dot Da Genius, in its first week. It debuted on the Billboard 200 with 66,000 copies sold. He told Billboard at the time: "The numbers kind of speak for themselves. It lets people know that I'm not out here taking crazy pills. When I get passionate about something, and people hear me kind of outraged, it's not coming from a place of me being irrational, or being difficult to work with. I believe in something I've created."
His biggest radio success is still "Day 'n' Nite", which was released in 2008. It peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 and was on his 2009 album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. While he said he planned to release another WZRD album before Indicud, Indicud will be the next.


text:
Fantasy Cheat Sheet: Two Bells ready to toll in Week 4
I don't have any empirical evidence for this, but I believe the most exciting fantasy weeks occur when there are a number of compelling real-life matchups. If my completely unscientific research is correct, this should be one helluva week.
Chicago-Detroit, Seattle-Houston, and Philly-Denver are all juicy matchups during the day. That's followed up with perhaps our best prime-time slate of the week, starting with New England-Atlanta and capped by Miami-New Orleans. Basically, Sunday afternoon (or morning for you West Coasters) can't get here soon enough.
We'll be updating here all Sunday morning with important news as it breaks.Meanwhile, Alessandro Miglio and Eric Edholm will be taking your start/sit questions in The MMQB's live chat from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
10:33 a.m. -- There were conflicting reports coming out of Oakland this morning, but Matt Flynn will start for the Raiders, as first reported by Jay Glazer. It's unfortunate for Terrelle Pryor owners, as he would have been a slam-dunk QB2 this week. Flynn is a fringe second quarterback in two-QB leagues. You have to love the matchup against Washington, the league's worst pass defense through three weeks.
10:48 a.m. -- It's awfully hard to trust Vincent Jackson today. Word from the Bucs is that his rib injury usually comes with a five-week recovery period. Add to that the fact that rookie Mike Glennon is starting against a solid Arizona defense, and I just don't see Jackson doing all that much today if he plays. Stay away unless you're desperate.
11:05 a.m. -- Seeing lots of questions about C.J. Spiller this week. I know he hasn't quite lived up to expectations, but I'm starting him with confidence today. Houston ran the ball rather effectively against Baltimore last week, but had to abandon the run after falling into a huge deficit. Even with Fred Jackson getting somewhere around 10 touches, I like Spiller for 100-plus total yards and a score today.
11:17 a.m. -- Le'Veon Bell has officially been named the starter for the Steelers today. I think he's a fringe flex option and could be an RB3 this week. However, I love him for the rest of the season. He has a real chance to be a workhorse for Pittsburgh. If he grabs a hold of this role, we could be looking at a guy who gets somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 touches every week.
11:25 a.m. -- Big news out of Cleveland, where the Bengals will be rolling with a completely decimated secondary. Corners Leon Hall and Dre Kirkpatrick and safety Reggie Nelson are all inactive. What does that mean? If you own Josh Gordon, you start him. No matter what.
11:39: a.m. -- Ray Rice and Vincent Jackson are both active. I'm rolling with Rice, but staying away from Jackson. Reggie Bush is officially active and is a must-start, as he is every week.
Noon -- One deep player worth starting today: Denarius Moore. Regardless of who starts at QB for the Raiders, Moore should be in your lineup. Washington has been absolutely dreadful against the pass this year, and that game could feature a ton of scoring. On a similar note, you'll for sure want to start Darren McFadden. He'll be a top-10 running back this week.
12:15 p.m. -- Andre Johnson is active and will start today. He may have a tough matchup with the Seahawks, but you just don't bench Andre Johnson. Make sure he's in your lineup.
12:45 -- Time for our weekly Roddy White update. He will play tonight, and the matchup is good, but can you really trust him? I say no. Until he actually proves he is himself on the field, I don't see him being anything more than an expensive decoy. If you're totally desperate you can go with him, but I don't think he finishes the week inside the top 40 at the position.
Final thought of the morning (or afternoon for those of you in the Eastern time zone). If you're scrambling for a last-minute defense, look no further than the Cardinals. Mike Glennon is under center, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are banged up, and the Bucs are in total disarray. Arizona is my favorite stream defense of the week.
A Bell shall toll in London
Le'Veon Bell is set to make his NFL debut when Steelers take on the Vikings across the pond. He missed the first three games of the year because of a foot injury, but he was a full participant in Friday's practice. Even if he isn't the nominal starter, he should get the majority of the touches out of the backfield. There's a reason the Steelers went after Bell in the second round of last April's draft, and we've seen it on display this season. They've had arguably the worst run game in the league this season, so it's hard to imagine them not immediately turning to Bell now that he's healthy. I'm betting he gets somewhere between 16 and 20 touches.
On top of that, the Vikings have been one of the friendliest defenses to running backs in 2013. Reggie Bush and Matt Forte had huge games against Minnesota, and even though Bell isn't the same dual threat that those two are, he'll be able to find plenty of running room. If the Steelers can build a lead, which I expect they will, they'll turn to Bell all the more. He could push up toward 100 total yards with a score.
GONOS: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Navigating early bye weeks
And what about the other Bell that has tolled all year?
Through three weeks, Joique Bell is the fourth-ranked running back in standard-scoring leagues. He has 296 total yards and three touchdowns and did his best Reggie Bush impression with Bush out against the Redskins a week ago. Unfortunately for Bell owners, Bush is expected to return against the Bears on Sunday. Bush should be started confidently in all formats. Even though he's likely still dealing with the effects of a knee injury, he'll get right back into his role as the primary weapon out of the Detroit backfield. The question, however, is can Bell owners roll with him this week?
The usual caveats about league and roster parameters apply, but I think Bell is a fringe flex option this week. While I do expect Bush to get more touches, I think the Lions will play it a bit safer with him than usual. They need him healthy for the long haul if they're going to compete for a playoff spot, and won't want to tax him too much after sitting out last week. Combine that with the fact that Bell remains the goal-line back, and it adds up to a flex guy in most leagues. He should get somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 to 15 touches. If I own him, I'm comfortable plugging him into my lineup.
The Buccaneers may be a mess, but don't worry about Doug Martin
Lost amid the tumult in Tampa is the fact that Martin is second in the NFL with 297 rushing yards this year, trailing only LeSean McCoy's 395. He also has 12 targets, though he's caught just four of them. Mike Glennon doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of men, but it's not like Josh Freeman was setting the league on fire, either. You shouldn't downgrade Martin based on the change at quarterback.
With Glennon making his first career start on Sunday, expect to see even more of Martin than usual. Not only will the Bucs build that into the game plan, but Glennon is likely to look to check it down to Martin more often than Freeman did. The Cardinals have been one of the best run defenses in the league this year, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry, tied for third with the Jets. Still, Martin could realistically approach 30 touches in this game. You're starting him every single week, but I think you'll be very happy with his output on Sunday.
No clarity in the Baltimore backfield
Ray Rice was limited in practice all week by his hip injury, and is officially listed as questionable. He's a game-time decision, but right now the little information coming from the Ravens suggests he'll play. We know Bernard Pierce will be out there regardless of Rice's status, but that doesn't necessarily mean you'll want to play him. He subsisted largely on volume last week, gaining just 65 yards on 24 carries. He did find the end zone, but Rice would likely cut at least 50 percent out of his workload. Even against a Buffalo defense that has surrendered 4.3 yards per carry, you'll likely want to avoid Pierce if Rice plays.
BELLER: Fantasy football Stat Focus: Jamaal Charles capitalizing on targets
This game kicks off early, so that'll make your decision a bit easier. I'm starting Rice if he plays, and riding with Pierce only if I don't have any other options. I'd consider the former an RB2 and the latter a fringe flex play this week, assuming Rice is in there.
Ryan Broyles getting his chance
Thanks to a pizza mishap, Nate Burleson is out with a broken arm, opening the door for Broyles. The second-year player out of Oklahoma has tempted fantasy owners with his talent since entering the league, but he has mainly vacillated between "injured" and "afterthought." He'll get his first real opportunity to play a large role in the offense against the Bears on Sunday, and I've got him as a WR3/4. Despite the reputation, opposing teams can throw against this Bears defense. It has given up a shocking 8.8 yards per attempt on the season. Christian Ponder looked like an All-Pro in the second half two weeks ago, and Ben Roethlisberger threw for more than 400 yards against the Bears last week. I expect Matthew Stafford to have a big day, and the plain fact is that not every ball can go to Calvin Johnson or Reggie Bush. Love the opportunity, love the matchup, and six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown feels well within reach for Broyles.
The Gronk watch continues for another week
News broke from ESPN Boston on Saturday that Rob Gronkowski will not play against the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday night. He was going to be hard to trust this week anyway, especially after rumblings on Friday that he felt he wasn't quite ready to get back on the field as he continues to recover from five combined surgeries on his arm and back. The fact that he isn't playing is just another bizarre twist in his return. He has been practicing normally for two weeks, and reportedly dominated the live portions of practice this week. After he missed last week, it certainly sounded like the Patriots expected him to be a go for the big inter-conference matchup in Atlanta. He's still a huge weapon for both New England and his fantasy owners, though there could be some discord between him and the team. No matter that, though, you'll want him in your lineup when he returns to the field. It's also worth checking with his owner to see if his price has dipped because of glacial pace of his recovery.
Injury news lightning round
Danny Amendola (groin) did not make the trip to Atlanta. We'll revisit his status next week.
Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring) was a full participant all week. He hasn't done much the last two weeks, but it appears he has put the injury in his rear-view mirror.
Vincent Jackson (ribs) and Mike Williams (hamstring) were both limited participants in practice on Friday. They're officially listed as questionable and expected to play, but keep your expectations low. Mike Glennon is getting his first career start, as we discussed earlier, and they got precious little practice time with the rookie this week. The Bucs will likely lean on Doug Martin on Sunday. If you have Jackson you're starting him, but you likely want to avoid Williams.
Rashard Mendenhall (toe) was a full participant on Thursday and Friday. Use him as normal.
Roddy White (ankle) remains questionable and is still sounding notes of uncertainty with the injury that has bothered him all year. I feel decent about playing him if he suits up with a solid matchup against the Patriots, though.
Brandon Bolden had a big game last week, but he's questionable with a knee injury. Given that Bill Belichick is liable to vary playing time among his running backs wildly from week to week, Bolden's injury and the fact that this is a Sunday night game, I recommend looking elsewhere.
Miles Austin is not an option this week, as he's out due to a hamstring injury.
Andre Johnson (shin) was limited in practice on Friday and is listed as questionable. As long as he plays, you want him in your lineup, no matter if Richard Sherman shadows him all day or not.
Maurice Jones-Drew (ankle) was a limited participant in Friday's practice, but he's listed as probable and will play. The only risk here is that the Jaguars fall behind early and are forced to abandon the run game. Otherwise, MJD should have a nice game against the Colts.


text:
This is love
- Size: 360px
- Quality: High
- Size: 3.79 MB 0 bytes
This Gif entitled This is love was created from the youtube video 3 years ago. It uses 18 frames per second and is displayed at 360px resolution. This animated image plays for 4 seconds, was built with high quality and an estimated weight of 3.79 MB for download. This animation was originally created from the will.i.am - This Is Love ft. Eva Simons video from 01:05 to 01:09.
Flag This GifSend


text:
Forgot Password? | Not a User? Sign up
Your browser does not support iframes.
It was a meeting that began with a bang and ended quietly after Williston City Council chose a new council member and elected a new president.
Elihu Ross was chosen to fill the vacancy left by Marc Nussel's resignation last month.
Ross was chosen unanimously from among other applicants, Charles Goodman and Jack Screws. He was nominated by Jerry Robinson and Brooks Holloway.
Michael Shoemaker said any one of the men would have been an excellent choice.
ST LOUIS – Robert Philpot of Williston, . is one of only six individuals nationwide who received the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Lifetime Achievement Award on November 18 at the NAAE annual convention in St. Louis.
Actor Brad Garrett of Everybody Loves Raymond fame is acting as master of ceremony for the inaugural Passing of the Leash Ceremony of the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. on Saturday at the Holy Family Catholic Church parish hall in WIlliston.
A dessert party and photo opportunity with Garrett will begin at 7 p.m., with the ceremony starting at 8 p.m. The ceremony is held to symbolically mark the occasion of turning over the medical service dogs from the Guardian Angels trainers to their new owners.
The state Senate reapportionment committee has released its proposed reapportionment maps for Congressional and Florida Senate districts and the news for Levy is that it will no longer be divided into two congressional districts.
Family of the Year, to the Bergdolls: The Jason and Dara Bergdoll family, that includes Travis, Brett and Steven Suharja, has been named Family of the Year by the GFWC Williston Junior Woman's Club.
The drawn-out 2010 audit for the city of Williston included several concerns to the city by its auditor back in October, and last week the council set a special meeting in January to deal with those issues.
On Jan. 12 at 4 p.m., the city council will meet to pore over the letter and discuss how to find solutions to the problems the auditing firm of Purvis Gray & Company outlined.
Some of those issues include utility billing, bulk power cost adjustment, gross receipts and sales tax payable and the airport fund.
Growing up in an orphanage in Pennsylvania, Robert Mitchell longed for adventure. On his 18th birthday, he thought he might have a way to satisfy the urge–he joined the Army.
At the peak of the Vietnam War, he knew he would be sent overseas.
And he was.
To Italy.
Instead of tearing through the jungles of Southeast Asia, Mitchell found himself tearing up the rifle range as part of the Rifle and Pistol Team.
Instead of jumping into foxholes, he instead jumped hurdles, competing against legendary track stars like Willie Davenport.
At least three men have thrown their hat in the ring to fill the city council post that is expected to be vacated Nov. 22 when Council President Marc Nussel resigns.
In a letter to the council Nov. 8, Nussell announced his intent to void his post at Tuesday's meeting. Council agreed then to accept applications through Nov. 28 and possibly fill the position Dec. 6.
At press time Tuesday afternoon, the following had submitted applications:
• Charles Goodman, a construction company owner who has lived in Williston four years.
Attendance may have been slightly off this year, but the enthusiasm and appreciation for this nation's veterans did not wane, as the city of Williston paid tribute to the people who protect our freedoms.
The evening began with the posting of the colors by the Williston JROTC, followed by the high school band performing a medley tribute to various branches of the military.
Copyright © 2017
The Williston Pioneer is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Levy County and Williston, Fl, and the surrounding area.


text:
Revamped Challenger looking just champion
Page Tools
Challenger Financial Services Group has started to see the benefits of its extensive restructuring, reporting improvements across its three core businesses yesterday.
The group posted net earnings of $64.4 million on revenue of $494.6 million for the December half.
The company only listed in December 2003, so there was no comparable first-half figure.
In a statement, Challenger said it was beginning to reap the synergies of its business model.
"Underlying business performance was sound for the six months to December 31, 2004, reinforced by margin improvements due to cost management and changes in the business mix," it said.
The reported $64.4 million net profit is a statutory figure taking into account revaluations of Challenger's Life business.
On a historical cost basis, taking account only of cash and accruals, Challenger's net profit for the half was $41 million.
During the period Challenger sold off non-core overseas properties from the Challenger Life annuity portfolio and increased its exposure to infrastructure assets in Britain like gas networks and radio towers.
"A number of attractive characteristics make these gas and broadcast assets well suited to Challenger Life's asset portfolio, including operating in mature regulated environments, providing essentially community services and generating long-term, contracted, predictable cash flows," Challenger said.
The company, which has Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings as a major shareholder, also produced an improvement in its Wholesale Finance mortgage origination and asset management business, where its mortgage loan book grew to $17.5 billion in the half.
"Challenger Wholesale Finance has improved its margins and continues to spend on technology enhancements aimed at increasing margins and service levels," it said.
Challenger said it was beginning to reap the synergies of its business model.
No dividend was paid but the company said it hoped to start making dividend payments at the end of the 2005 financial year.
Challenger shares yesterday fell 6 ¢ to $3.29.
Page Tools
Our Advertisers
3 months FREE Dial-up access. Click here
Flying to Brisbane? FREE city transfers on Airtrain


text:
Playfire is the global community for gamers. Get a killer profile, track news & discussion for your favorite games, and follow your friends' progress in games.
© 2007-2017 Playfire Ltd.
That was not a fun first boss fight
Probably late to teh game, but who cares. STAR OCEAN 5 ANNOUNCED BABY! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Its going to be set between first departure and second evolution.
Back to this and I can't beat Gabriel. This is getting annoying.
The grinding is coming -.-'
If you play star ocean the last hope before mass effect or vice versa then the other game won't seem as good
LoseyGosey69 said 3 years agoReport
Kyo_Kagami said 3 years agoReport
Reimi-010: Win with the Rush Gauge maxed out. I've done it several times (pressing the jump button to fill the gauge) but the trophy does not pop. What am I doing wrong?
Rromir said 3 years agoReport
hamthrower said 3 years agoReport
*expletive deleted* finally beat the clowns who was ranked around 20. -_- 8 levels later, 3 floors into the seven star cave, and a hard hitting merecle to replace myuria.
Managed to beat the final boss and unlocked all but mericles and crowes ending.
so how's everyone doing on this game ?
XxSt0ny42xX said 3 years agoReport
>:( oh Gabriel Celeste how i hate you :'(
Alexgranja said 3 years agoReport
XxSt0ny42xX said 3 years agoReport
In the End did Edge Maverick really dies ? i mean i beat the game just now and I'm sure he fell in the black pitch space thingy with Fraize what saved him ? he said Fraize did but how ? Select ...
In the End did Edge Maverick really dies ? i mean i beat the game just now and I'm sure he fell in the black pitch space thingy with Fraize what saved him ? he said Fraize did but how ? Select text to reveal spoiler
To use: [spoiler]Hide spoilers[/spoiler] ust beat the games just now ^_^ finally i got this over with Character Lv 50-54