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Eminem is an award-winning multi-platinum American rapper who has dominated his music genre for close to two decades. He is also an actor, singer, songwriter and an accomplished record producer.
Eminem stands out from other rap artists due to his unique way of rhyming words and phrases. He is among the very few well-established and famed white rappers of all times. Beastie Boys was the other rap group consisting of whites that took the world of rap and hip-hop by storm back in the days. However, Eminem soon ventured into the scene and stood out as not only the best but also the richest.
Early Life
Eminem was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a black-dominated middle-class neighborhood with his mum who worked very odd jobs to make a living. His surroundings exposed him to rap and hip hop at a very tender age and this influenced him to become a hip-hop artist as he constantly listened to tracks from Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Naz, AZ and other rap artists.
Being white and growing up in a black community that viewed rap as black-oriented, Eminem found it quite difficult to penetrate the market. In fact, he was beaten quite severally by other artists who couldn't imagine a white boy doing rap music. Also, many record producers turned him down without even listening to his tracks.
This, however, did not kill his dream to one day make it into the limelight. And to nurture his talent, Eminem frequently took part in freestyle rap battles, open-mic sessions, and created his unique style of rap while still a teenager. Poor grades in High School saw him spend three years in the ninth grade which eventually prompted him to drop out at seventeen years of age.
In addition to being a solo artist, Eminem is a notable member of two hip-hop groups; D12 and Bad Meets Evil.
D12, an initialism for The Dirty Dozen, comprised of six Detriot rappers and their alter egos which made it a dozen. Members of the group included Eminem, Bizarre, Kuniva, Mr. Porter, Swifty, and Proof. Eminem's other group, Bad Meets Evil, comprised of him and another fellow Detriot rapper, Royce Da 5'9.
His Music Career And The Successes He Achieved
Eminem later signed up with Soul Intent (formerly known as Bassmint Productions) while still working as a dishwasher and cook at the local eatery. At this stage, Eminem's net worth was probably nil as he struggled to take care of not only himself but his mum as well. He, later on, moved onto FBT productions and Mashin Duck Records but still, nothing looked promising.
In 1996, he released his debut album titled "Infinite" under FBT productions' independent label, Under Web Entertainment. The album was a commercial failure as Eminem continued to struggle in his personal life, culminating in a suicide attempt.
His major breakthrough came the following year in 1997 after he released "The Slim Shady EP" which caught the attention of famous Hip-Hop producer and NWA member, Dr. Dre. Working with Dr. Dre enabled him to release "The Slim Shady LP" which took the industry by storm.
The Album brought Eminem his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the Year.
See Also: Jay Z Net Worth, Albums, Songs, Discography, Son, House
In the year 2000, Eminem looked to have begun to master his craft by releasing "The Marshall Mathers LP" which holds the record for being the fastest-selling hip-hop album ever.
In 2002, he followed it up with another critically and commercially acclaimed album, "The Eminem Show".
Eminem was the best-selling artist in the U.S. during the 2000's era. Album sales exceeding 172 million copies also made him one of the best-selling artists in the world. He ranks second when it comes to being the bestselling male artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era.
Eminem has won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. He has had at least 12 singles top the charts worldwide, and 8 albums top the Billboard 200. Billboard Magazine named him the Artist of the Year in 2009.
In addition to declaring him as King of Hip Hop, Rolling Stone also ranked him at position 83 among the greatest 100 artists ever.
To date, Eminem has released four compilation albums and nine studio albums.
Eminem's Net Worth and Mansion
The hip-hop artist who has made a name for himself as one of the world's best-selling artists has a net worth of $190 million.
Eminem lives in Rochester Hills on the northern outskirts of the Detroit suburbs.
He bought the mansion 14 years ago for a whopping $4.75 million. It includes six bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms and stretches 17,000 square feet on nearly six acres of land.
The mansion's grounds also include a tennis court, a waterfall pool, and spa, an entertainment cabana, a guest house with its own game room and a guard house.
Who Is Eminem's Mom and Is He Gay Or Does He Have A Wife?
Eminem and his mother, Deborah Rae "Debbie" Nelson, have had a torrid relationship most especially after he gained success in his music. Despite having been the only parent in his life after she and his father, Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr separated, the two have not seen eye to eye with Eminem publicly slandering her, implying that she was an unstable drug user.
In 1999, she sued him for about $10 million for slandering her on "The Slim Shady LP".
Eminem has been married twice to Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott who he met while in high school. She and her twin sister Dawn ran away from home at the age of 13 and started living with Eminem and his family. The pair soon after began an on-again-off-again relationship.
The couple welcomed their first and only child, a daughter Hailie on Christmas Day 1995. Kim was 20-years-old and Eminem, 23. In 1999, they tied the knot but divorced two years later.
The couple later got back together and remarried in January 2006 following years of turmoil. Just three months later, the rapper filed for divorce again.
Eminem in a recent interview said that he uses dating apps such as Tinder to meet people who to go on dates with. The rapper who is well known for his use of homophobic lyrics in his music then shocked the interviewer when he revealed that he is also on Grindr, a popular dating app used among gay and bisexual men.
Eminem, however, failed to confirm if indeed he was gay or whether it was just a joke.
His Age, Height, And Body Measurements
Full Name: Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Profession: Rapper, actor, songwriter and record producer.
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 68kg
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: October 17, 1972


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New York & Company has just started their online Black Friday sale!
Calling it their "Biggest Sale of the Year," New York and Company is offering 50% to 70% off everything with very few exclusions!
Plus, everyone can enjoy free shipping on any order with no minimum purchase and no code needed!
Thanks for Visiting and Happy Shopping!
Posted by David Varble link

subset: commoncrawl


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Tristan Tuokko is your average four-year-old boy in almost every respect.
He loves to do active things like riding his bicycle and playing baseball, plays video games and tries to do everything for himself without getting any help from mom.
But the difference is apparent when Tristan starts talking. Some of the words are recognizable; others not.
"Sometimes it's just complete jargon, it's babble," said Dawn Tuokko, Tristan's mom.
At age two, Tristan was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, a motor speech disorder in which the child has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently.
Childhood apraxia of speech is present from birth – at 18 months, a public health nurse encouraged Tuokko to take her son to a speech language pathologist because Tristan was not making any sounds she could recognize – and the cause or causes are unknown.
The problem is not weak muscles in the mouth; the brain has difficulty planning and producing the series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech.
"His brain knows everything – his mouth can't say it," said Tuokko.
As a result, Tristan has problems with sounds, syllables and general words. His words sometimes come out garbled – "yoking" instead of "joking" – or completely unintelligible.
Intensive intervention is required and Tristan sees a speech-language pathologist with the Vancouver Island Health Authority once a week, who assigns work for Tuokko to do with her son at home every day.
But she struggled to get her son interested in the work and the family cannot afford to get him any extra help.
Last year, Tuokko came across the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America's iPads for Apraxia project, which gave out 75 iPads last fall. The family was one of the program's successful applicants and Tristan received his iPad just before Christmas.
Since Tristan started using the device, which has about 10 different speech development programs on it, she's noticed an improvement in his communication skills, largely because he has been more willing to sit down with her and do an hour of work each day.
She also worries less about sending him to kindergarten next year because the iPad has a program that will help him communicate with others when he is struggling.
To show thanks and help bring the iPad program to other families, Tuokko wants to organize a fundraising walk in July for the non-profit, U.S.-based association and she is looking for other families dealing with apraxia in the community, individuals willing to help organize the walk and corporate sponsorships and donations.
Anyone interested in helping out or simply connecting with Tuokko can e-mail her at email@example.com.
Kathy Armstrong, speech and language therapy department leader at the Nanaimo Child Development Centre, said children never outgrow apraxia of speech, but it does improve as they get older with treatment and anything that motivates them to work on their speech is positive.
"Anything that helps motivate a child to practise speech sounds is great," she said.


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Apple iPhone 4 vs HTC Desire S ( Specs and Features)
Comparison between Apple iPhone 4 and HTC Desire S:
Apple has been on top of its game for the longest time now, ever since the release of the first iPhone, Apple has managed to take innovative strides in the field of smart phones. However HTC too has shown that its uniqueness and versatility is a force to be reckoned with. Yet how does HTC intend to stand up against the smart phone giant Apple. Let's take a look between two of their great releases the iPhone 4 and the HTC Desire S!
Processor and RAM:
The iPhone 4 boasts 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, which is supported by the Apple A4 chipset, its gpu is the PowerVR SGX535GPU. Processing power is key to every smart phone; the iPhone 4's processor is certainly a powerhouse. How does the HTC Desire S's processor fair against the iPhones 4's, let's take a look. The HTC Desire S wields a 1 GHz Scorpion processor that works with the Adreno 205 GPU, and is coupled with the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset. Both processors are equal in terms of power and processing speed. So far none holds a clear advantage. In regard to RAM allocation the iPhone 4 has a total of 512 MB of RAM. The HTC Desire S has a total of 768 MB worth of RAM. The HTC Desire S having more RAM means that it synchronizes better with its processor, thus even though by a very small lead, the HTC Desire S wins in this category.
Storage Capacity:
The iPhone 4 comes with Apples age-old formula of not allowing external memory allocation. The iPhone 4 is released in either a 16 GB or 32 GB format. The HTC Desire S however allows for external memory allocation through microSD cards for up to 32 GB. The winner in this category is the HTC Desire S, simply because it allows for an external medium of storage, which allows for easier transfer of data between different devices.
Dimensions and Display:
The iPhone 4's dimensions measure in at 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm and the phone weighs at 137 grams. The HTC Desire S on the other hand measures in at 115 x 59.8 x 11.6 mm and it weighs in at a total of 130 grams.
The iPhone 4 wields a LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive touch screen that works with 16M colors. Its resolution maxes at 640 x 960 pixels and its screen measures at 3.5 inches. The HTC Desire S however has an S-LCD capacitive touch screen, also working on 16M colors. Its resolution peaks out at 480 x 800 pixels, and its screen measures at a slightly larger 3.7 inches.
In this regard the iPhone 4 wins with its higher resolution and overall crisp appearance of the screen.
The HTC Desire boasts a 5 MP camera that works with 2592 x 1944 pixels, and is supported by an LED flash. The iPhone 4 has the same exact camera and flash allocation as that of the HTC Desire S! In terms of video recording, the iPhone 4 allows for recording at 720p at 30 fps, the HTC Desire allows for the same type of recording at 720p at 30 fps. Both the iPhone 4 and the HTC Desire S have a secondary camera working at VGA performance. In this field, both phones are exactly the same thus this section has to end with a draw.
The HTC Desire S has a standard battery, Li-Ion 1450 mAh which allows for up to 7hrs of talk time. The iPhone 4 has a standard battery, Li-Po 1420mAh which also allows the same amount of talk time. Both phones are the same in regards of battery power.
Final Winner:
The iPhone 4 wins due to its versatility and overall synchronization of hardware. Though the differences between the two smart phones are very marginal, the iPhone 4 certainly has the edge over the HTC Desire S!
Apple iPhone 4 vs HTC Desire S:
Apple iPhone 4
HTC Desire S
|1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX535GPU, Apple A4 chipset
|1 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon
|16GB/32GB storage as internal and no external memory included.
|1.1 GB storage as internal and microSD card, up to 32GB as external.
|5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash.
|5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash.
|LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors and 640 x 960 pixels, 3.5 inches (~330 ppi pixel density).
|S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors and 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches (~252 ppi pixel density).
iOS 4
Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
|115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm of Dimensions and 137 g of weight.
|115 x 59.8 x 11.6 mm of Dimensions and 130 g of weight.
|Standard battery, Li-Po 1420mAh have talktime of 14 hrs max.
|Standard battery, Li-Ion 1450 mAh have talktime of 10 hrs max.
|GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 on 2G and HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 on 3G.
|GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 on 2G and HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 on 3G.


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Batts powers Central past William Penn
Miss any of the action around GameTimePA last week? Check out the top 5 plays here.
Courtney Batts scored a team-high 16 points to help the Central York boys' basketball team beat William Penn, 63-54, on Tuesday night.
It was a key win in a tight YAIAA Division I race. Central took sole possession of third place in the division with Tuesday's win coupled with Dallastown's loss to New Oxford. The Panthers (12-7, 7-4) and Wildcats (11-6, 6-5) had entered the night with 6-4 divisional records.
Central York scored 40 points in the second half to slowly but surely pull away from the Bearcats (6-11, 4-7). Batts was one of four Central players who registered more than 10 points.
"Our guys did a great job of executing (the) game plan," Panthers head coach Kevin Schieler said.
William Penn's Jacquez Casiano scored a game-high 22 points in the loss.


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Trump Administration Withdraws Nomination of Jessica Rosenworcel to the FCC
President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Jessica Rosenworcel for another term on the Federal Communications Commission, leading to some speculation over how the White House plans to fill two vacancies on the commission.
The commission is split 2-1, with two Republicans and one Democrat. Rosenworcel, a Democrat, left the FCC at the end of 2016 after her tenure expired. President Barack Obama renominated her just weeks before he left office. The apparent expectation was that once President Trump took office, he would pair her nomination with a Republican choice and they would jointly go through the confirmation process. But Trump's decision to pull her nomination has led to speculation that he would put forward another Republican and perhaps an independent or other Democrat more favorable to administration policy. In the past, the White House has deferred to Senate leadership in the selection of nominees from the opposing party. Democrats have already been vowing to push back if the administration tries to buck that tradition.
Trump Administration Withdraws Nomination of Jessica Rosenworcel to the FCC


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#DataDiscussions with Kent Marten
In this week's #DataDiscussions we had the pleasure to host Kent Marten.
Kent Marten is the Lead Product Manager for Maps and Spatial at Tableau. Kent has worked on mapping software for the last 12 years and he's confident the next few years are going to be the most exciting.
You will find Kent actively engaged with the Tableau community through the Tableau forums and Twitter.
Question 1 - What is your job? How do you use Tableau as part of it?
Kent Marten: Product Manager, Maps and Spatial Analysis. When authoring in Tableau, I'm primarily making demos to highlight new capabilities or new ways to show-off existing capabilities. I use Tableau most frequently for non-mapping uses though, looking at data related to feature work, development plans, timelines, and relevant operational data.
Question 2 - If you could give one piece of advice to a new Tableau starter what would it be?
Kent Marten: When you run into your first roadblock. The first time you're not sure how to do something. Don't fret. Reach out to the Tableau Community. The Community - forums, twitter, Tableau User Groups - is amazing.
Question 3 - If you could add a new feature to Tableau, what would it be?
Kent Marten: Ha. Just one you say. I will pick "Layers - support for independent spatial datasources on the same viz." We talked about it at TC16 in the vision keynote, but it's not ready yet.
Question 5 - What's the best data book you've read recently?
Kent Marten: Perhaps not what you're asking for, but the most interesting book I read recently is called "Prisoner's of Geography" and you will likely not look at a map the same way again. It's really a "Geopolitics 101" book but might change the way you contextualize a geographic dataset/story the next time you make a map/viz.


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Mad Maqsud: Jihad Road
The Syrian conflict began a new chapter in military history. The opposing sides use both the last century's arsenal and the most advanced technology simultaneously. This is a real war of great ingenuity and creative minds as well. The creation of self-made weapons from everyday and household objects is to be found everywhere, and became a hallmark of this war.
At the beginning of the war, before the army lost control of the border, the flow of weapons to militants was small. Therefore, the militants began to create self-made rifles. Their range wasn't far, they were inaccurate and slow, but looked really threatening. The militants have used them to attack Syrian roadblocks and groups of vehicles. But self-made rifles were a threat not only to the enemy, but also to the shooters. In addition to these bulky rifles, the rebels welded pipes to make grenade launchers and shotguns. Such weapons were well suited for a strike and raids in accordance with traditional tactics for this area: "hit-and-run". After a few shots the self-made weapon begins to fall apart.
The rebels used classic weapons in urban combat: trebuchets and catapults. This pinnacle of ancient military ingenuity threatens the Arab city, as its was two thousand years ago.
The advantages these devices are the fact that they are quiet and easy to be manufactured. It's a good bargain. The militants launch grenades, pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails and even bowling balls. After catapults, they moved to larger projects: the 'hellguns', the self-made artillery of the terrorists. The lack of targeting and adjustments is compensated by caliber. The militants usually attack peaceful districts with it for more damage. Gas cylinders are used as charge. They are stuffed with explosives to destroy whatever they hit, explosives and chopped nails for a more lethal effect, or, for example, toxic gases. The militants use these guns for various provocations, as these weapons don't leave evidence: it is impossible to trace who made them and who used them. The Syrian militants use tablets and smartphones to guide the self-made bombs. The Apple Store has a special mobile application: The Mobile Ballistic Calculator. There are also unique examples of old school self-made weapons without modern gadgets. The jihadist brigade teachers in Aleppo use self-made guns, created from everything that can be found in the teacher's common room and work room.
The most popular vehicle in the Syrian war was a truck equipped with weapons and protection. The well-known classics are the Japanese pick-ups, proven as the most reliable machines, on which anything can be installed, even armored troop-carrier top.
In fact, now any vehicle, from car to truck, is equipped with steel plates or is equipped with arms and is used to storm fortifications, or is filled with explosives and is sent on a suicide mission. However, these vehicles are clumsy and break down more often than the enemies destroy them, but it is still popular to own such an armored monster. The terrorists use their wild imagination to create these death machines. For example, some models have machine guns, which can be controlled via a joystick. Recently, the Free Syrian Army forces, operating in the north of Aleppo, presented a self-made tank with anti-mine equipment.
It looks like the screenshots of the recent Hollywood post-apocalyptic movie: Mad Max: Fury Road. But instead, this is Mad Maqsud: Jihad Road. Some Syrians make jokes about it, and shoot funny videos documenting this phenomenon, referencing this film. The real masters create both the video for YouTube and the shotguns for pick-ups - although nothing can stop the onslaught of the Syrian army.


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The University of Pittsburgh College of Education is publishing a quarterly on-line magazine, PittEd , to maintain up on research that is being carried out, essential news, system modifications, alumni updates, new faculty and employees, and what's taking place overall at the college. What I have posted are my lessons from my final year teaching 8th grade history. Jump Rope For Heart encourages kids to take portion in physical activity. The latter is frequently called dual system" or apprenticeship. Excellent lens… I know I will be making use of some of your clip art in the future! Divorced or separated parents frequently have youngster custody disagreements. I keep in mind attending 1st grade and becoming shocked and appalled by other children's behavior— they have been becoming mean for no reason, making use of profanity, flipping every other off and getting normally obnoxious.
The much more time young children have out of school just increases the amount of poor factors that could come about. Teachers can use them for worksheets, Lesson Plans, Quizzes, Net internet sites, and other classroom demands. While getting outdoors they will witness the rhythmic adjust of seasons and nuance of change within every season as well. When the youngster paints the colour is fluid, therefore allowing the youngster to experience" the colour and the movement. Your lesson plans and your class procedures and grading system is superb.
Enjoyed this lens quite considerably…..learned a lot….thank you for posting it ! Have a content and fantastic holiday season and added unique 2013. Any list of such educational institutions would incorporate for-profit and not-for-profit church schools, trade Schools, boarding schools, Homeschooling, Montessori and related specialty schools, academies, on-line schools or other distance learning" methods such as engaging with recorded or broadcast lectures or participating in correspondence courses. I have heard opinions that range from broken houses to functioning mothers getting the problem I have heard that these youngsters were outcasts in search of revenge as you mentioned, violence on tv/games to abusive parents have been blamed and of course the whole gun handle concern.
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This is excellent info to have for 2016 though… 🙂 Thanks. Only distinction from a touchscreen laptop would be the size and the comfort of a sturdy keyboard. In Physique Components , from e-Understanding for Youngsters, children get a tour of the human body with a guide who shows them the functions of each program. I totally agree that we must study financial literacy from childhood. George Burgess left college at age 14, c1843 which for the 19th century was exceptional. However he opposed the idea of report cards, saying No child is to compare himself with other people." He accepted youngsters from all backgrounds, such as those with emotional difficulties, and even opened a college for hearing impaired kids.


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Is there anyone who can tell me exactly was is the most powerfull processor that i can replace my T3200 with?
I have read all the other topics about the T3200 processor but thet do not apply to me.
I am limited by my processor in my day to day work and i do not have the money to buy a newer and more powerful laptop.
It would be ideal if someone could help me with a list of higher-end processors that i can replace my T3200 with. Something like a T7xxx, T8xxx or T9xxx series.
From my understanding, i belive the replacement processor should also have the FSB at 667 mhz as the T3200 in order to use it at full capacity, because if i get a processor that can handle fsb 1033 it will be limited at 667 so it's operating speed will alsi be limite. Am right? I need something with a high Bus/Core Ratio...
If anyone could help, i would be very grateful. Thank you!
No one can tell you this without the make and model of your laptop.
You can go to the manufacturer's site and search this information yourself also.
What programs are you running, if they are graphics intensive, the processor may improve performance by only a small amount since it is they graphics you need to improve, but this is not possible on nearly all laptops.
If portability is not essential, you can get much better performance from a desktop for a lot less money and if you choose carefully, upgrades are possible and much easier.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
Hi thank you for your answer.
My laptop model is Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Li3910. It has a T3200 processor on a socket P.
I am not running graphics intensive applications, that is why i said i am limited by my processor. I am running multiple programs at once and multiple browsers at once and i know for sure i am limited by the proceesor because i am monitoring resource consumption. I have never run a game on my laptop (i don't want to play on it) so i don't need graphics performace.
Regarding the desktop, it's not an option for me because i travel often and i need to carry the laptop with me. I don't care about battery lifetime because i use it plugged in.
Thank you very much
I find that your system was also shipped with the T3400 processor, but that is not much of an improvement and probably not worth the money. I cannot find reference to other processors you can use, but from the specs, I doubt that any others that would make a significant difference would work on your system.
Here are some other things you can try to maximize what you have:
If you still have Norton (or McAfee) get rid of the system hog, try Avast free version or MS Security Essentials.
Open msconfig and go to start tab and remove most processes from starting with windows, just leave MS and antivirus prog.
Do disk clean up and then disk defrag.
Uninstall programs you never use.
Turn off Windows features you do not need.
Keep your browser(s) clean (history, cookies, files, etc.) and keep down add-ons to just what you need.
Off load files you do not immediately need, but keep a back up of everything.
If you keep your system lean, you will get the most out of it. The extreme of this is to wipe the hard drive and install Windows 7 on a clean drive, install your drivers and your essential programs, and then put your files back that you need. This is not for everyone, but it can help you get the most out of what you have. If you use the upgrade disk that you used to upgrade to Windows 7, it can be used to delete the existing partition and recreate the new one which you would then install it on, without needing to purchase a full version since it will 'see' your original installation when you start it up.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
"I am running multiple programs at once and multiple browsers at once and i know for sure i am limited by the proceesor because i am monitoring resource consumption"
So if you bring up Task Manager, the CPU usage is approaching 100%? It would help to know which programs you're running along with the browsers, but I suspect lack of RAM rather than an inadequate CPU. Generally, it's not cost-effective to upgrade the processor in a laptop. Have a look at the prices of these socket P CPUs & I think you'll understand why:
Other than that, Fingers has provided some excellent advice on running leaner.
I just bought a T8100. I'm waiting for it to arrive :) I'm running Adobe Dreamweaver, FIreworks, Photoshop, Filezilla and Chrome + Firefox at the same time. This is why i need more processing power. I researched the net and the performace gain is not that big, but the T8100 will help me move easier between programs and run them better because it's running on 800 FSB (667 the T3200) and it has 3MB cache (1MB cache T3200). I hope i can clock the RAM also at 800, if not i will have to change it, so it can help the general perfomance of the laptop.
What is your opinion on this upgrade?
Your motherboard may not support the processor or even the FSB speed you expect it to run at.
Understand that the processor is sitting idle while many programs are open unless they are actually doing something. Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks are MEMORY and GRAPHICS intensive programs more than even how much CPU they use, so they will only benefit some if the faster processor actually works. You unfortunately can only use up to 4GB memory and Windows 32bit can only use somewhere between 3.2 and 3.5 GB memory, BUT the rest can be used for your onboard graphics if you make the right setting adjustments. Right now you have 3GB memory and probably between 2GB and 2.5GB available for Windows. THIS would help you at least as much as the new processor potentially can since it will increase your available memory and your available graphics memory. If you have 5 or 6 programs open and you are only PROCESSING one operation at a time, then the others are moved from your RAM to your virtual memory (your paging file) so make sure that your paging file is at about twice the size of your installed memory or 6000MB to make sure that you can do this easily. Your paging file is slower than your RAM, but it will help. Photoshop has a feature (I forger what they call it) that makes it's own virtual memory space for a working memory, so look into those settings since they may also help.
In the future, to run these programs optimally, you should look for a laptop with the best graphics you can afford with 64bit Windows, at least 8GB of memory, and a reasonable fast Dual core or Quad core processor (2nd gen i5 or i7 if possible).
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
Thank you Finger. I've already been doing most of the stuff you mentioned, but thank you for you time and your detailed reply. I am also considering removing my optical drive, replace it with the HDD and put an SSD to replace the HDD.
@mickliq I bought a SH processor for $60 :)
I'll let you know if this was worth the effort
If it works at all, it will not run at the correct speed. Most likely it will run at 1.75GHz (10.5 x 166MHz @ 667MHz FSB). You will have downgraded rather than upgraded.
Considering all these upgrades you have in mind (CPU, RAM, SSD, etc), it would make more sense to just buy a new laptop
If you remove the internal optical drive you will also probably need (eventually) an external optical drive so add that to the upgrade cost. mickliq is correct, you will be adding so much to your slow system and will not realize any significant improvement even it everything works and as he pointed out your CPU will probably underclock if it works at all. You are severely limited by your motherboard, it's bus speed, your graphics, and other things you cannot change. I would say save it all for a new laptop and make sure that the things you cannot upgrade are as good as possible when you do a real upgrade to a new system.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
Thank you all for the time you took to answer. I am using a swap partition for windows which is used for the paging file and it's 20GB large. My "Program files" and "Users" directory are stored on another partition, designed just for the purpose of storing programs and other stuff programs fill the HDD with, so that the Windows partition stays as clean as possible. I first did some research before thinking of these upgrades. My mobo supports 800 fsb and a max of 8gb DDR2 800mhz (so says SiSoft Sandra). The only "upgrade" i am making right now is the processor, which i have already bought for 60$. Another "update" will be 64 bit windows. That's it for now. And for the rest of things i will make some calculations and decide whether to buy them or not. Please keep in mind that i could get 800mhz memory if i give my 667mhz memory and some money (10-20$) (make an exchange with users selling laptop parts) This kind of exchanges are very common here in Romania, where i live. Romania is also the reason i don't have money to buy a more powerful laptop :(. Regarding the SSD, it should be the last component to think about because it is expensive and i don't want to buy a SH one. Let's say that i do find a good/cheap SSD, i don't worry about the missing DVD drive (replaced by the current HDD) because i use it 1/365 days, and that is when i install windows, so i can live without it (and if needed, i will pull out the HDD on the optical bay and replace it with the DVD-RW drive).
So a total cost for CPU+RAM upgrade will be around $80 :) I think this is more like it :)
Just found out... my memory can handle fsb800 so it's just the cpu upgrade for the moment :)
Going with the 64bit W7 will only pay if you plan on going to the full 8GB of memory (a good thing with the programs you are using), but wait until at least you see how this upgrade works. Good luck, and post back your results so others can learn and understand.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
Sorry, I posted in the wrong thread.
Hi! I'm back writing this response on a 800mhz fsb running latop :) I received my T8100 proc, installed it and it all went like a charm. Windows feels like on steroids now, it's very very fast compared to how it was "crawling" with the T3200. Performance index rocketed from 3.7 to 5.5 for the proc and from 4.5 to 5.5 for the RAM.
I have only one thing i am disappointed about: my chipset won't let the RAM run at full speed, it's keeping it back at 667mhz ?!? CPU fsb is 800 and ram is 667 (drives me crazy). I've read on different forums that there are 2 bus "connections": CPU-chipset which supports 800mhz fsb and RAM-chipset which supports 667mhz fsb. But i cannot accept this :( I've been on intel's description page for the GL40 chipset and it says that it supports DDR2-6400 800mhz RAM ?!? http://www.intel.com/Products/Noteb...
Anyone has an ideea on how to trick the chipset to let my RAM run at full speed? I'm now playing with SPDTOOL to try and trick the chipset to set the RAM/fsb ratio at 1:1. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
As a conclusion: I upgraded my T3200 cpu on a GL40 chipset to a T8100 with absolutely no problem! GL40 FULLY SUPPORTS PENRYN PROCS!
Feedback 1: BIG perfomance increase
Feedback 2: Tjhe Penryn is runnig so cool that my CPU fan barely even starts :)
Intel states here that GL40 supports 800fsb RAM : http://www.intel.com/Assets/PDF/dat...
I don't understand why mine is limited at 667. And, if you were wondering, my RAM is PC6400 (800mhz)
Any ideeas?
800MHz FSB CPUs run at 200MHz frequency.
667MHz RAM runs at 333MHz frequency.
Your CPU:DRAM frequency ratio is 200:333 or 3:5. Ideally, it should be 1:1 or 1:2.
I know what my CPU/DRAM ratio is. I was asking if anyone knows why the DRAM isn't running at 400mhz frequency, and if i can do anything to make it run at 400 (800 DDR)
On a custom built desktop you would have the adjustments in your BIOS set up, but with most factory built units, especially with laptops, they lock down and hide most of the settings so you cannot do damage to your system. You can look in your BIOS set up, but I doubt that you will have much to set (though the RAM MIGHT have some option). AND in answer to your next question, no you cannot modify your BIOS and no you cannot use a different BIOS on your system, trying would only leave you with a 99.9% probability of a completely inoperable computer (a good excuse if you really wanted one to purchase a new one though) and no way to reverse it.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
I had a MAJOR perfomance boost doing this thing. My computer had 3GB of RAM (a 1gb stick and a 2gb one). The RAM was operating in asynchronus mode and the total bandwith of the RAM was 5.2gps. I removed the 1gb stick and replaced it with a 2gb one. The RAM is now operating in SYNCHRONUS mode and the max bandwith doubled, it's 10.4gps.
After this upgrade the computer feels like a completly new computer. EVERYTHING is just loading so fast and waiting times are minimum. I LOVE my laptop now
So, my advice, if you have 2 sticks of ram of different sizes, do everything you can to replace one of them (preferably the smaller one) and have 2 sticks of the same size. The system will operate in synchronus mode and it will be FAR MORE nifty and responsive than when operating in asynchronus mode with 2 different size sticks of ram.
I did a test on a friends laptop. He had a CeleronM and 1 stick of 2GB RAM, Win7. It was very slow. I removed the 2GB stick and put in 2 sticks of 512MB each (totals 1GB which is 1GB less than what he had before). The result? The system is way more faster than before even if the total memory dropped from 2GB to 1GB. The limitation of this lack of RAM occurs when runnig programs that need a big ammount of RAM. But this was not the point, the point was that if you put 2 sticks of RAM of the same size, your system will way faster.
Regarding my problem, i didn't manage to get my RAM to run at 800mhz, but i am VERY satisfied with my 80$ upgrade (T8100 + 1 stick of 2GB RAM) Best 80$ i have ever spent!
That's really great! You are now in Dual Channel mode which doubles your memory bandwidth so yes, your memory is double the effective speed since they are working together. Also your internal graphics is probably also getting use of some of the extra RAM available, which is definitely a good thing. as well. Like you said, they should have included either 2GB or 4GB of RAM in dual channel (synchronous) mode but they do not think past the advertising and pricing of the system.
You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.
While I don't doubt you had a performance increase, your explanation as to why is flawed. Sync/async has to do with the CPU:DRAM ratio. Sync = 1:1 ratio, async = anything else. What I think you were referring to is running the memory in single channel vs dual channel mode. Although running RAM in dual channel mode theoretically doubles the available memory bandwidth, the actual performance boost is minimal. Dual channel / double bandwidth does NOT equate to double memory performance, in fact, the percentage increase is in the single digits. See the following:
Also, there is no way that reducing your friend's RAM amount from 2GB single channel to 1GB dual channel boosted performance.


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Opaque contact lenses are lenses designed with darker tints to change the coloring for people with naturally dark eyes. Since the color on them is denser than other lenses, it can fully change your eye color.
Opaque color contacts have solid (non-transparent) tints that change the depth your eye color for dark eyes. When applied to dark eyes, the color is completely altered resulting in an almost flawless new eye color.
The theatrical contact lenses that create a supernatural glance (ghosts, demons, or vampires) are considered a subcategory of this Type of Colored Contacts. They are usually used in various plays at the theatre but you can try a pair too at a Halloween party, for example.
There variety of colors for opaque colored contacts is large. Choose from colors like dark brown, hazel, violet, dark blue, deep green, gray, amethyst, and others. If you have dark eyes and…
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Last month, an Arizona woman admitted to stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from an Aspen sporting goods store, and is scheduled to receive a sentence involving probation.
But for Kimberly Ann Gardner, 27, the sentence didn't go as planned. Gardner's plea agreement was rescinded after authorities learned she had been arrested on suspicion of stealing twice on the same December day in California from an REI sporting-goods store. Pitkin County District Judge Gail Nichols allowed the local prosecution's motion to withdraw the plea agreement and had sheriff's deputies take Gardener into custody. Her bond was set at $1,000 on felony charges of violating previous bond conditions.
Nichols suggested that Gardner's big mistake, in regards to her dealings in Pitkin County, was her inability to inform law enforcement of her two arrests on Dec. 7th in Manhattan Beach and Arcadia. According to court records, Gardner had no previous criminal history up until her felony arrest in Aspen on Sept. 21st. Her defense was unsuccessful in getting Gardner released, even after arguing that Gardner was a victim of a man she had recently married. Gardner stated she was unaware of her husband's four previous felony convictions.
The husband was also connected to the California thefts. Gardner left him soon after and moved to Arizona where she actively sought an annulment. "She's a young lady who's scared to death that she got involved with such a horrific individual," her defense attorney said. Gardner has her degree in physical therapy where she practices in Arizona. Her defense attorney has been trying to get her released from Colorado so she can return to Arizona. Gardner was denied her request for a personal-recognizance bond, but granted her release.
The rescinded plea agreement included a commendation for a two-year deferred judgment on a felony theft charge. Gardner is responsible for stealing roughly $3,000 worth of store products from four Aspen sporting-goods stores. Her next court appearance in Aspen is scheduled for April 20.


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Posted without comment, via Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters:
Bill Maher on HBO's Real Time Friday might have said one of the most disgraceful things uttered during the 2012 campaign season.
"If you're thinking about voting for Mitt Romney, I would like to make this one plea: black people know who you are and they will come after you" (video follows with commentary):
Imagine for a moment the outrage if a conservative commentator said even jokingly to Obama supporters, "White people know who you are and they will come after you."
That would be the end of that person's career. Period. No questions asked. Done!
But Maher who's adored by the Obama-loving media can say this with total impunity.
More here.


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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Little Boy Blue by Tom Waits. Please check back for more Tom Waits lyrics.
Little Boy Blue Lyrics
Artist: Tom Waits
Album: One from the Heart
Little Boy Blue
come blow your horn
the dish ran away with the spoon
home again home again
saturday morn
never gets up before noon
she used to render
you legal and tender
when you used to
send her your promises boy
a dill or a dollar
unbutton your collar
come out and holler
out all of your noise
little boy blue
come blow your top
cut it rite down to the quick
don't sit home and cry
on the fourth of july
around now you're hittin' bricks
so abracadabra
now she disappeared
now everything's Canada dry
so watch your behavior
and rattle your cane
with a bottle of bourbon
little boy blow
lost little bo peep
she fell thru a hole in the nest
Now ain't it peculiar
that she's finally cooled your
big wheels just like all of the rest
whenever it rains
the umbrella complain
they're always gettin' played for a chump
so mark and strike it
she's history now
and you're hangin' out at the pump
Little Boy Blue...
she used to render...
Tom Waits Lyrics
Tom Waits One from the Heart Lyrics
More Tom Waits Music Lyrics:
Tom Waits - ...But There's Never A Rose Lyrics
Tom Waits - Had Me A Girl Lyrics
Tom Waits - House Where Nobody Lives Lyrics
Tom Waits - Los Angeles Mood Lyrics
Tom Waits - Pasties and a G-string Lyrics
Tom Waits - Please Call Me, Baby Lyrics
Tom Waits - Straight To the Top (Rhumba) Lyrics


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Who could be better than Santa?
I will give you some hints.
He wears a suit like Santa.
He drives a special vehicle like Santa.
He brings packages like Santa.
He has a broad face and a little round belly, that shakes when he laughs like a bowlful of jelly. Just like Santa
So you ask, how could he be better than Santa.
Instead of a sleigh he drives a brown truck.
Instead of packages with big red bows.
He brings plain brown boxes taped with blue and white tape.
Instead of a red suit he wears a brown suit.
He is our trusty UPS driver and his name is Al.
(Bleach that mustache and he could almost pass for Santa.)
Just like Christmas Morning,
This is what I found in the packages.
Isn't it lovely?
Well it is Lovely. (The name of the line is Lovely.)
Lovely will be debuting at fall market.
I am off to create quilts and patterns for this lovely line.
Market set-up is in 11 days!
We have 6 quilts to make in 11 days...and nights.
Pray for me.
From my heart,


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The new CliMate app allows Australian farmers to make well-informed decisions about their farming operations at the touch of a button.
Users can quickly source information on daily rainfall, temperature and radiation data for their location, and spanning back 60 years.
The free app also provides seasonal forecasts based on current ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) conditions, calculates heat sums and estimates soil water and soil nitrate accumulation.
CliMate was developed by the national Managing Climate Variability (MCV) program to help farmers make sense of past climate statistics and forecasts for their own location, to better manage their business.
The App is available from iTunes for download on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. A web version is expected in March.
According to MCV Project Leader, Dr David Freebairn, CliMate has proven popular already.
"Since it was first loaded on iTunes in mid-December last year it has already been taken up by more than 1,300 people with no publicity," he said. "And the news is spreading fast so hopefully it will go viral."
Peter Holding, a farmer in south-east NSW with winter crips and wool lambs, has embraced CliMate and says the app helps him understand what's happening on his land.
"I find it very good for clarifying my vision of what I think is happening. As I get closer to sowing I will definitely be running the how wet /nitrogen section to see if my estimates compare with the App and maybe refine my final decisions," he said.
"The ability to try different scenarios very quickly and simply is a great way of improving my decision-making and understanding of the climate in our area."


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I fear that I am not alone as a parent in largely being unaware of the school policies of our children's school until I have to be. Now that I am asked to write a monthly local newspaper column I have visited most websites of our local schools to check on standard practice relating to one subject or another, most recently homework.
I have found that there tends to be much in common with many policies from school to school and, in these days of internet forums and TeachMeets, I have assumed that most are based on shared best practice or government guidelines. This view was largely confirmed when reviewing behaviour policies this week for a potential article until I happened upon the policy of our new local free school.
The following within the "Aims and Principles" section, in a notably briefer document than others I reviewed, particularly struck me:
"Rewards systems do not work in the long-term. If students only work to receive awards, they have shorter attention spans, and give up more easily."
Nothing more is said on rewards or any evidence provided for the statement. The full Becket Keys Free School policy is here:
I am genuinely intrigued by this as it is a very definite position which I therefore expected to see replicated elsewhere. I have failed to find another example. If someone can point me to one I would be very grateful.
The three secondary schools most local to Becket Keys take a different view to them it appears.
Brentwood County High School's (BCHS) policy states:
"In order to successfully accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives it is essential that students are rewarded and successes celebrated frequently in ways which have value and meaning to them."
Shenfield High School aims to "celebrate success wherever possible."
While at St Martin's School they explain that "Our rewards system allows students, teachers and their parents/carers to see how well they are progressing in subjects and where they are producing sustained good work, effort and progress."
Maybe I would get a different perspective from a school rated as "Outstanding" by Ofsted? Passmores Academy across the M11 in Harlow is well known following its exposure on TV programme "Educating Essex" and is the former school of BCHS Head Stephen Drew. The section entitled "Passmores rewards those that help themselves and take responsibility for their actions" includes:
"Passmores rewards effort and progress, as well as achievement."
King Edward's Grammar School in Chelmsford is probably the selective state school of choice for many of the parents of highly academic boys. Their policy states, "in addition to the personal satisfaction which results from a job well done, students who demonstrate 'excellence' in terms of achievement and/or effort in any area of School life will be recognised and acknowledged" before listing possible awards.
Of course Becket Keys are sponsored by the "Russell Education Trust" so maybe their policy is informed by their experience? Their other existing school is the Bristol Free School:
"reward should match the success"
Maybe this policy is reflected in other Church of England secondary schools? St Edward's School in Romford details its merit system for Years 7-9 and the criteria for "Student of the Month".
Finally I sought guidance from relevant documents on the Department for Education (DfE) website. The following document is written by Charlie Taylor, the "Government's Expert Adviser on behaviour in schools" and contains clear advice on how to successfully implement a rewards system including, for teachers:
Display the tariff of sanctions and rewards in each class
Have a system in place for ensuring that children never miss out on sanctions or rewards.
I am therefore confused. As I must continue to point out, I am not an education professional, I am an (overly) interested parent who wants to trust that our children are being educated in line with shared best practice, particularly if our tax is paying for it.
I am therefore keen to understand why the Becket Keys policy appears so different to all of the examples I have listed above when it is apparently based on a certainly stated premise.
Do rewards systems adversely affect student attentiveness and their determination? If so, why do all these other schools employ them?
On behalf of Brentwood's parents, I would be grateful for any clarification.
Stephen Mayo


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Calvary Conservative Mennonite Church (Elmira, Ontario, Canada)
The Calvary Conservative Mennonite congregation near Elmira, Ontario began services in 1969, and occupied its first building the same year. The congregation originated through outreach by the Heidelberg Conservative Mennonite Church. Minister Abner D. Gingrich served in 2000 as a non-salaried congregational leader. In 1975 there were 48 members; in 1985, 53; in 2000, 60; in 2009, 98. It has been affiliated with the Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario since 1969. The language of worship is English.
The church is located 8 km north of Elmira on the west side of Regional Road 21.
Cressman, Kenneth. "The Development of the Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario." Unpublished paper, 1976, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Cressman, Kenneth. "A Descriptive Analysis of the Conservative Mennonite Schisms in Ontario, 1956-1979." Unpublished paper, 1979, 92 pp. Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Map:Calvary Conservative Mennonite Church (Elmira, Ontario)
|Marlene Epp
|Date Published
|January 1989
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene. "Calvary Conservative Mennonite Church (Elmira, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 1989. Web. 2 Jun 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Calvary_Conservative_Mennonite_Church_(Elmira,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=55370.
APA style
Epp, Marlene. (January 1989). Calvary Conservative Mennonite Church (Elmira, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2 June 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Calvary_Conservative_Mennonite_Church_(Elmira,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=55370.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Immigrants have always been scary-looking, but that's never stopped us before
A while back we showed some photos from the wonderful Washington Post feature "What America's immigrants looked like when they arrived on Ellis Island". It's a collection of photos taken by Augustus Sherman at Ellis from 1892-1925. Sherman was the chief registry clerk at the immigration station.
Here's what we said at the time:
His photos are wonderful because most of them show people dressed in their very best clothing, usually traditional clothes. While immigrants at that time traveled in their regular clothes because they knew the trip in steerage was dirty, they brought their best clothes to put on once they arrived at Ellis Island so that they would seem like presentable people who were a) not poor and b) good citizen material. They dressed to impress, and they had plenty of time to change during the long waiting periods between landing at the dock and being processed.
Adults and children alike were decked out in elaborate clothes. Women must have been sewing for months to create these wonderful ensembles. As the site points out, seeing these people reminds us that America has long been a place where a multitude of cultures mix on the streets, in schools, at work and at play. While immigrants did not wear these magnificent dress pieces every day, they did leave Ellis and make their way in America with them on, and brought them out on special occasions, making America a bottomless reservoir of cultural identity and expression.
It would be great if someone would create a similar archive of 21st-century immigrants.
And then we showed some of the photos. At the time, we were just enjoying the window onto the past they provided. But with all the (usual) scaremongering talk about immigrants that was generated by the Syrian refugees, we suddenly thought of them in a new way.
Look at this woman from "Ruthenia" (today's Belarus and Ukraine):
Would this woman pass the very, very difficult screening process we have in place for refugees and be allowed into the U.S. today? It doesn't seem likely. Headscarf, ethnic clothing… looks like a terrorist.
In fact, all the women wore headscarves:
If headscarves are a red flag, these Slovakian and Dutch women would be held up for quite a while if they were screened today.
And what about these women?
They wear headscarves and have strange looks in their eyes; the one on the left seems pretty angry. Both of them were likely deeply committed to a religion that most native-born white Americans rejected as foreign and dangerous to the U.S. government and American Way. Yes, they were Italian Catholics who whisked into this country without anyone checking to see if they were terrorists. This at a time when the U.S. government was actually suspicious of Catholics as agents of the Pope. Yes, the Immigration Act of 1924 would limit the number of southeast European Catholics (and Jews) who could enter the country, but they were never banned altogether.
This Algerian man would likely not get into the U.S. today dressed like this. Yet he successfully entered the country a century ago, and likely lived a quiet life. His descendants are probably living quietly in the U.S. today.
What about this guy?
No way, right? But this German man successfully entered the country, likely with no more screening than the usual six-second physical at Ellis Island.
This Russian soldier seems fairly menacing:
Are those bullets of some kind on his jacket? That seems like a knife in his belt. Whatever he's holding—club, sword—is also pretty violent-looking. This man came to America loaded for bear. But he got in, and you know that he got his picture taken because of his "colorful outfit".
We just weren't scared of people like this a century ago because we assumed that anyone who came to America would see that it was the greatest society on Earth and toe the line. We believed that our society was strong enough to take in disparate peoples and turn them into Americans. We believed our society was appealing enough to win over our immigrants and make them real Americans who would live and die for their new country.
When did we lose that faith in ourselves? When did we decide that every single immigrant, man, woman or child, was a threat powerful enough to bring down our whole system and way of life? Why did we decide it? There have been acts of terrorism in this country before 2001, and they were usually (and usually wrongly) blamed on immigrants (think Haymarket). And we've passed stupid laws banning certain "undesirable" immigrants: the Chinese, the Japanese, southeastern Europeans (read Jews and Catholics). But the panicky idea that all immigration is a threat, that no one should be allowed into the country unless they're white people from Europe, that every immigrant and even every refugee must go through the most rigorous, nay impossible screening process imaginable, is recent.
Here's a rundown of what war refugees must do if they want to enter the U.S. today, courtesy of John Oliver:
Look, it is difficult to vet people coming out of a war zone, but it's not like we're letting just anyone in. We are the United States of America, not Arizona State. Because just for the record here, let me just walk you through what our screening process actually is.
If you're a refugee, first, you apply through the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees, which collects documents and performs interviews. Incidentally, less than one percent of refugees worldwide end up being recommended for resettlement.
But if you're one of them, you may then be referred to the State Department to begin the vetting process. At this point, more information is collected, you'll be put through security screenings by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. And if you're a Syrian refugee, you'll get an additional layer of screening called the "Syria enhanced review," which may include a further check by a special part of Homeland Security, the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorates.
And don't relax yet, because we've barely even started. Then, you finally get an interview with USCIS officers, and you'll also be fingerprinted so your prints can be run through the biometric databases of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense.
And if you make it through all that, you'll then have health screenings which, let's face it, may not go too well for you, because you may have given yourself a stroke getting through this process so far. But if everything comes back clear, you'll be enrolled in cultural orientation classes, all while your information continues to be checked recurrently against terrorist databases to make sure that no new information comes in that wasn't caught before.
All of that has to happen before you get near a plane.
This process typically takes 18 to 24 months once you've been referred by the U.N. to the United States.
This is the most rigorous vetting anyone has to face before entering this country. No terrorist in their right mind would choose this path when the visa process requires far less efforts. But nevertheless, the House still voted on Thursday to add a few more steps.
It doesn't seem likely that anyone in the photos above would have entered the U.S. under those conditions. And that would have been a terrible injustice. Not every immigrant is an angel. That German guy probably got into a lot of fights. But we can't be scared of immigration. We can't put ourselves in a lock box and say "no more immigrants". We have to believe, as we once did, that America makes Americans, that Americans can be made, not born, and that that is a source of our greatest triumphs as a nation.Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
A Nation of refugees
The wars in what we grew up calling "the Middle East", from the Syrian civil war to the battles against the so-called Islamic State, are doing what all wars do: creating millions of refugees. This is not new in human history. Why is the U.S. a nation of immigrants? In large part because millions of people fled war in Europe during the 19th century. From the revolutions of 1848 to the wars that created Germany to the people who fled Europe after WWII, war has always grown our population in the U.S.
But that last one in the list, WWII, is actually an anomaly. It was after WWII that the U.S. began adopting policies that limited immigration, even for people claiming refugee status. There were multiple reasons for this; anti-immigration policies had begun to multiply in the 1920s and 30s, and affected people's ability to leave Europe for America before the Second World War. These policies led to the refusal of the St. Louis in May 1939, because it carried 937 Jewish Europeans seeking refugee status in Cuba; Cuba would not take them, and according to the Immigration Act of 1924 that cut immigration from southeastern Europe sharply, neither would the U.S. (The Jewish refugees were sent back to Europe where they fell victim to Nazism.) After WWII, the Cold War encouraged U.S. officials to restrict European and Asian immigration as we became a fortress closed against Communism.
So we actually became less welcoming to Refugees from Foreign Wars, as they used to be called, during WWII. Famously, it took an emotional visit by First Lady Rosalyn Carter to starving and dying Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees from the Vietnam War to change our policy and allow them to enter the U.S.
In the 1920s, the U.S. banned immigration based on religion and race: "undesirable" Catholics, Jews, and people who were not considered white at that time like Italians and Czechs and Russians all had their quotas lowered. Since the 1950s, immigration has been viewed through the lens of politics and religion: Catholic Latinos in the 1970s-90s, and now Muslim Middle-Easterners are the new bogeymen. In the late 19th century and to the 1930s, southeastern European Jews and Catholics were decried loudly by panicking white Protestants: their mission from the Pope or whoever controlled them was to destroy the U.S. government and our white nation. Today, the nativists panic as they claim… the exact same thing.
Muslims can't understand democracy. They can't participate in it. They won't learn English. They hate our free society. They'll bring their religious laws here and try to enforce them. They'll destroy our government. They'll commit acts of terrorism.
All of these hate-panic claims were once made about Italian, Jewish, Chinese, and Catholic immigrants. Somehow none of them came true.
Yet some of our political leaders are clearly nostalgic for the bad old days. Rick Santorum thinks all Syrian refugees should go back home and fight ISIS. Somehow they will succeed where Russian air strikes have not. Carly Fiorina wants all refugees screened for terrorism before they can come here. Rand Paul has a blanket "no" when it comes to Muslim refugees. Bobby Jindal thinks all refugees should be constantly monitored in the U.S., ankle-bracelet style. And Mike Huckabee thinks it's "crazy" to take poor people from the "desert", "who don't speak our language, who don't understand our culture, who don't share a [sic] same worldview, and bring them to Minnesota during the winter".
Luckily none of these people are running the country. Our president faced this front of ignorance by reminding us of who we are:
When I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which a person who is fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted, when some of those folks themselves come from families who benefited from protection when they were fleeing political persecution, that's shameful, that's not American. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests (for) our compassion.
This is a much-needed counter-attack against those who insist that instituting the religious tests that our Constitution absolutely outlaws and deplores as undemocratic will keep our democracy safe. Suspecting people who have fled for their lives in a war of being warmongers whose only goal is to destroy any nation that takes them in and offers them hope is beyond ignorant. And it's beyond American.
Whenever anti-immigrant, hate laws were passed in our history, there were Americans who stood up against them. There are always Americans who fight for justice for all. That's our true identity. That's American. Let's remember that. Let's remember who we are and how we got here, always aspiring to greatest-nation-on-Earth status, because the old saw is true: if we destroy everything we stand for in the name of security, the terrorists win.Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )


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Mayank Vahia uses history and astronomy to explain why we celebrate this Indian festival on a specific day according to the solar calendar, instead of the lunar calendar like other festivals in the country.
On January 14 every year, we celebrate Makar Sankranti. It is the only Indian festival celebrated on a fixed calendric day of the solar calendar. All other Indian festivals are celebrated as per the lunar calendar, which make their days of celebration on the solar calendar vary every year.
The difference is easy to see. In India, we follow a lunar calendar; the moon goes from new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon in 29.5 days. We get 12 full moons in 354 days, making a lunar calendar year 354 days long. However, the Sun returns to the same spot in the sky every 365.25 days. So, there is a difference of 11.25 days between the solar and lunar years. Every 2.5 years, therefore, an intercalary month (the Adhik Maas) is added to the lunar calendar to roughly synchronise the two.
This is crucial because weather patterns follow the solar calendar, not the lunar. On the other hand, accurate 'mahurat' (or 'muhurat') calculations are better done with the relatively faster moving moon. In fact, to make such calculations more accurate, the path of the moon, which is slightly off from the path of the sun, is divided into 27 'nakshatras' while the path of the sun is divided into 12 'rashis'.
All this is simple and good. The exact calculations are a bit more complex since the fractions given above are not exact. Moreover, Indian calculations are done with natural numbers rather than fractions, so numbers have to be magnified accordingly.
But the problem of Makar Sankranti is unique: it goes entirely by the solar calendar. The clue to this mystery lies in the fact that Makar Sankranti is also called Uttarayan, or the day on which the sun begins its northward journey.
The solar calendar itself is fairly rigid (except for the 0.25 at the end of 365 which in reality is 365.256363004 days). So this additional 0.006363004 over 365.25 means that we slightly over compensate when in a leap year we add February 29. To re-correct for it, we don't have a leap year in the years ending with 00. This gives a reasonably accurate and stable calendar.
In this system, the sun enters different zodiacs on a fixed day with an error of one day on either side depending on how close you are to the leap year. In the Indian system, this correction mechanism is more subtle and complex, and involves use of additional days with the same lunar date etc.
The path of the sun over one year is divided into 'rashis', which are identical to the zodiacs. These are given in the table below:
So around mid-December, the sun rises in the Sagittarius or Dhanush, in January in Capricorn or Makara, and so on.
We celebrate January 14 as the day on which the sun begins to rise in the Makara Rashi, Sankranti meaning entering.
But then there is an additional problem. The Earth's axis of rotation moves north-south. So if you look to the sky everyday and note where the sun rises, you will notice that in one year it drifts from north of east to south of east. The same will be true in the west if you track sunset. For the northern hemisphere, the further south the sun is, the less it remains in the sky and the colder it is on earth. This is visible in the image below:
So the point at which the sun rises is crucial in deciding the seasons. When the sun starts moving south, the days get colder. In reality, because the Earth can store some heat and its daily motion is relatively small, it takes a few weeks after the sun begins to move south to get colder.
Hence, from time immemorial, the days on which the sun touches its northernmost and southernmost points are noted. These are called solstices – winter or summer. In Sanskrit, the journey southwards is called Dakshinayan, and the one northward is called Uttarayan, 'dakshin' and 'uttar' being south and north respectively.
Now the question is how to map this directional movement of the sun with its movement in the zodiac. In principle it is easy. We know the winter solstice falls on December 21, and hence Uttarayan begins on that day, while the summer solstice falls on June 21, when Dakshinayan begins.
So, why do we celebrate Uttarayan on Makar Sankranti, when, as you must have realised, it should be celebrated on Dhanu Sankranti? This is where history comes in.
While the exact day on which the winter or summer solstice occurs remains steady (within one day error), there is a slight change in the way the Earth's rotation axis is aligned to the sun, as can be seen from the figure below:
Hence, over a period of a few hundred years, this drift means that even though the sun begins its Uttarayan on December 21, it is not in the Makara rashi as it was about 1,500 years ago. So, 1,500 years ago, during the time of Aryabhata, the Uttarayan and Makar Sankranti coincided. Now Makar Sankranti comes on January 14, but Uttarayan happens on Dhanu Sankranti!
So what should we celebrate? Well, if you want to celebrate Uttarayan, do it on December 21, but if you want to celebrate Makar Sankranti, January 14 is about right. Incidentally, it also means that winter, which is at its peak in January and February, used to be at its peak in February and March at the time of Aryabhata. Also, the Dhruva Tara was about 5o off from the exact pole, close enough to be called stationary, but still, to a discerning eye, it would have wobbled a little.
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Ford Performance Best Indoor Ford in a Ford at NSRA Nats
While attending the 48th Annual Street Rod Nationals at the Kentucky Exposition Center it was a perfect time for STREET RODDER and Ford Performance to recognize street rodders who install a late model Ford engine in a Ford hot rod or custom. Walking through the indoor portion of the event we met up with Jeff Perkins of Greenfield, Tennessee, who is our latest award recipient with his classic 1960 Ford pickup.
Let's take a quick look into what it took to bring such an alluring hot rod to life. Seeing that Jeff had a passion for trucks ever since his youth he began a conversation with longtime friend Steve Legens, owner of Legens Hot Rod Shop of Martin, Tennessee. The pair shared many of the same ideas on what it would take to undertake the build of a truly memorable Ford pickup. It wasn't long till the search for a suitable base to start with led them to a stalled restoration project on a 1960 Ford F-100. The truck was in decent overall condition and would be a great start for the new build in bringing the rendering by Eric Brockmeyer to life. Without wasting any time the truck was bought and sent to Legens Hot Rod Shop to start the teardown for rebuild.
Seeing that the original frame was rock solid it was blasted clean and boxed for additional strength. Out back a Currie Enterprises 9-inch Ford rear was packed with matching 31-spline axles spinning 3.90 gears. It's suspended in place by a RideTech parallel 4-link with matching HQ-Series coilover shocks and Panhard bar. For razor-sharp handling up front a Kugel Komponents IFS was added featuring their exclusive upper and lower tubular control arms and cast stainless steel spindles deftly matched to RideTech HQ-Series coilover shocks. For plenty of stopping capabilities a dual power master from Master Power Brakes pushes fluid though stainless lines to Wilwood Forged Dynalite Pro-Series brakes at each corner featuring 11.75-inch discs with 4-piston calipers. Linking it all to the street a set of 20x8.5-inch Schott Mod 5 EXL wheels capped with Pirelli Scorpion Verde P245/45xR20 tires creates a perfect stance.
Wanting to keep a Ford in a Ford, it was an easy decision to contact Ford Performance for one of their cutting-edge 5.0L Coyote crate engines. It starts with an aluminum block complete with cross-bolted main bearing caps packed with a forged steel crank linked to forged steel connecting rods wearing hypereutectic aluminum pistons to produce an 11.0:1compression ratio. Aluminum cylinder heads generate plenty of power while on top an 8-stack semi-crossram injection system from Borla Induction delivers the goods. Spent gasses push through a set of Sanderson headers to a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust with Borla mufflers. Power moves though a Ford Performance 4R70W automatic trans to a custom driveshaft. Extra attention by the Legens team included the custom engine cover and under hood detailing.
To bring the Brockmeyer rendition to life the Legens team got busy fabricating narrowed and tucked bumpers, custom hood vents, body and bed trim and a custom tailgate and taillights. From there they installed a number of their exclusive parts including a fuel filler concealment kit, stainless steel bed strips, tailgate concealment hinges with latch concealment kit, stainless steel exhaust hangers, wire loom plates and bumper mount kit. With the custom work completed the cab and bed were then metal finished with all gaps set. For color Jeff pays homage to the St. Louis Cardinals with a custom-blended Cardinal Red vibe from PPG.
The interior had to have the same attention to detail as the exterior so the team got busy by first filling the stock dash with dials from Classic Instruments to monitor the vitals. The stock steering wheel was cut down to 15-inches and links to a tilt column from Flaming River to set the course while cool breezes are from Vintage Air. For plenty of comfort a bench seat from Wise Guys was wrapped with distressed pecan-toned leather accented by complimenting deep brown carpeting. Congratulations to Jeff who will receive a limited edition jacket as the award winner.


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The Grace of God
God's purpose of grace
God's purpose of grace runs throughout the Bible. Indeed, the Scriptures teach that this redemptive purpose is from eternity. Before creation, an omniscient God knew that man would sin and would need to be saved. However, God's foreknowledge of the event did not cause it. It came through the exercise of man's free will. Even so, knowing the event, in eternity, God purposed to redeem men. Thus, Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Therefore, forgiveness was in the heart of God before sin was in the heart of man. So God's purpose of grace refers to God's purpose fully to save man: regeneration, sanctification and glorification. This purpose involves several things.
Election is one of the great doctrines of the Bible. Yet the word itself does not appear in the Old Testament; it is found only in six verses in the New Testament (Rom. 9:11; Rom. 11:5, 7, 28; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:10). But the word "elect" appears in the Old Testament, and "elect" and "chosen" both appear in the New Testament.
There are certain pitfalls to be avoided in considering the doctrine of election. One should not magnify certain aspects of God's nature (sovereignty, will, power, pleasure) to the neglect of others (righteousness, love). Neither should one forget the free will of man and his power of choice. Also, election should not be regarded as God's purpose to save as few as possible rather than as many as possible. The tenor of the Bible is that God loves all men and wishes to save as many as possible. Again, it should not be viewed as relating to the saving of certain individuals to the neglect of all others. Such a position negates the abundant teachings of the Bible to the contrary. The pitfall resulting from these others is fatalism. If some are saved and others lost regardless of what they do or do not do, what incentive is there to seek the Lord or to preach the Gospel? But the facts of Scripture are that man is not a puppet on a string. Election never appears in the Bible as mechanical or as blind destiny. It has to do with a God of love and with man, who is morally responsible. Election never appears as a violation of the human will (Matt. 23:37-38). Note John 6:44, "No man can come to me, except the Father ... draw him." "Draw" is God's initiative; "come" is man's response.
Two truths, therefore, must be recognized in regard to election: God's sovereignty and man's free will. Both are abundantly taught in the Bible.
In the abstract, God's sovereignty means that He can act as He wills without any outside counsel or permission. But in the concrete, as taught in the Bible, God has placed certain limitations upon Himself. In that sense, His sovereignty must be viewed as His power to act as He wills in keeping with His own laws and according to His nature as righteousness and love.
On the other hand, the Bible teaches that man possesses a free will. God made him so. And while man is free to choose, he is responsible for his choices (Gen. 3; Rom. 1-3). This fact must be kept in mind as one considers the doctrine of election. Otherwise, man is not a free person capable of fellowship with God. And in the ultimate sense, God Himself would be responsible for man's sinful acts.
Obviously, to finite intellects, it is impossible to harmonize God's sovereignty and man's free will. But in the infinite wisdom of God, there is no conflict (Rom. 11:33-36). Perhaps at the human level, an illustration will help. God, in His sovereignty, has ordained certain natural laws. But man is free to live by them or contrary to them. To be sure, he is left with the consequences. But he is still free to choose. The same is true of God's spiritual laws. Man can choose to live by them and be blessed, or he can do otherwise and be cursed. But God does not coerce in either event.
God proposed to save man. He took the initiative in doing so. Apart from God's initiative and saving purpose, man cannot be saved. The greatest thing about man is not that he is seeking God but that God is seeking man (Luke 19:10).
This dual truth stands out in Ephesians 1:3-13, Paul's most complete treatment of election. Note the words "hath chosen" and "having predestinated" in verses 4-5. The former translates the Greek verb for elect. So God "elected us in him before the foundation of the world." "Predestinated" translates a verb meaning to mark out the boundaries beforehand (see v. 11). But note also that God has chosen "in him." Thus, God's election was in Christ. And He marked out the boundaries of salvation in love, not by an arbitrary choice.
Against this background it is well to note that in 11 verses, Paul used the phrase "in Christ" or its equivalent 10 times. So God has chosen "in the sphere of Christ." He elected that all who are "in Christ" shall be saved. "In Christ" is the boundary that God marked out beforehand, like building a fence around a field. God did this in His sovereignty. In this act, He asked the counsel or permission of no one. All who are within the fence "in Christ" shall be saved.
Man is free to choose whether or not He will be in Christ. This does not mean that man can boast of his salvation once he chooses Christ. It is the result of God's initiative and saving purpose. Man receives this inheritance because God marked out the boundaries of salvation beforehand according to the counsel of His own will (v. 11). Thus it should be to the praise of His glory that men had a hope beforehand (v. 12) in Christ.
But at this point, Paul took care of man's free will. It is seen in the passage "in whom also after that ye believed" (v. 13). Paul's readers heard the Gospel of salvation that all who are "in Christ" shall be saved. They could have rejected it and remained in a lost condition. But they believed "in Christ" and thus were saved. That God knew beforehand who would believe is obvious. But, as previously stated, foreknowledge of an event does not cause it.
God never violates human personality. He will not save a man against his will. He knocks at the door of the heart, but He will not force it to open. However, to all who, of their own wills, will open the door, He enters and saves graciously apart from man's own efforts or merits.
It should be noted further that having elected a plan of salvation, God elected a people whereby that plan might be provided and propagated. This is seen in God's choice of Abraham and his descendants and in the covenant God made with Israel. Though Israel failed to keep that covenant, it was out of Israel that Jesus came to implement in history God's eternal redemptive purpose. And those who follow Him are a "chosen [elect] generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God." (1 Pet. 2:9-10)
Mullins sums up all of this in his definition of election. "Election is not to be thought of as a bare choice of so many human units by God's action independently of man's free choice and the human means employed. God elects men to respond freely. He elects to reach men through their native faculties and through the church, through evangelism and education and missionary endeavor. We must include all these elements in election. Otherwise we split the decree of God into parts and leave out an essential part."
Stagg completes the picture. "One is strangely insensitive to the throb and pulse beat of the whole New Testament if he thinks that each man's fate is determined for him in advance. This is not a 'rigged' television show. God is not playing with toys or manipulating gadgets; he is seeking men who stand in awesome freedom where they may accept or reject the salvation which God alone can offer."
Baptists believe that "all true believers endure to the end." But note that it is "true believers," not superficial ones. Many people believe about Jesus but do not believe "in" Him. But "those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end."
Those who believe otherwise point to certain isolated passages or verses to which they hold in order to teach to the contrary. No passage should be interpreted outside the context of the entire New Testament, whose overall teaching clearly declares the perseverance of the saints. Judas Iscariot is used as an example of one who fell away. But a study of his life shows that he never truly believed in Jesus as his Savior (John 6:70). Judas never called Jesus "Lord," only "Master" or rabbi or teacher.
Obviously, space does not permit a full treatment of all New Testament passages that teach the perseverance of the saints. But a few will suffice.
Jesus himself was speaking in John 10:28-29. Literally, "And I keep on giving to them age-abiding life, and not never [strong double negative] shall they be destroyed unto the age, and not anything [man, thing, or devil] shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given [perfect tense, a completed work, past, present, future] to me is greater than all, and no one [nothing] is powerful to snatch out of the Father's hand." Believers do not hold on to God. In Christ, He holds on to them.
In Colossians 3:3, Paul expresses the same idea in a different figure. "For ye are dead [ye died to sin], and your [spiritual] life is hid [perfect tense, completely hid] with Christ in God." The verb rendered "is hid" carries the idea of a lock. The life of the believer is protected by a double lock: one is "with Christ," the other is "in God." To snatch away a believer, one would have to get by both. And no man, thing or devil can do that.
The same figure is found in 2 Timothy 1:12. Here, Paul used the figure of making a deposit in a bank. The Greek text reads, "For I know in whom I have fully believed, and am fully persuaded that He is able to guard my deposit unto that day."
The very nature of salvation assures perseverance. This is seen in Ephesians 2:8-10. Again reading from the Greek text: "For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not out of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not out of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship, being created in the sphere of Christ Jesus for good works, which God has before ordained in order that in the sphere of them we should keep on walking about."
Salvation is a work of God's grace that the Christian receives through faith. Its source is neither himself nor his works. "Have ye been saved" means that it is a completed work wrought in the believer by God. So the Christian is a creation of God. Good works are not the root but the fruit of salvation. Since salvation is all of God in the beginning, its permanence is also all of God. So one's being saved and remaining so depends upon God and not upon himself.
One of the greatest passages on the security of the believer is found in Ephesians 1:13-14. When one believes in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit seals him as belonging to God. He is God's property, His "purchased possession." And the Holy Spirit indwelling him is "the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption [full redemption] of the purchased possession."
The Greek word rendered "earnest" may be translated variously: "installment" (Moffatt), "first installment" (Williams), "guarantee" (RSV), and "pledge" (Weymouth).
In the Greek papyri, this word is often used in the sense of "earnest money," or a down payment that guarantees the full payment for the thing purchased. The "full redemption" suggests regeneration, sanctification and glorification. The "purchased possession" is one's soul and Christian life, bought with the price of Jesus' atoning work (1 Cor. 6:20). The believer is both regenerated and sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit. And His sealing and indwelling of the Christian is God's earnest money or guarantee that He will keep that soul and life looking toward the full redemption or glorification.
So God put up His earnest money, the Holy Spirit, as His guarantee that He would keep safe and fully redeem that which He has purchased. If one goes through with a transaction, his earnest money is a part of the purchase price. If he fails to complete the deal, he loses his earnest money. In Paul's example, the earnest money is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. So God has put up His very being as His guarantee to keep saved and to glorify the soul that believes in Jesus. If He failed even one soul in such a commitment, He would lose His earnest money, Himself. He would cease to be. Thus, so long as God is, that soul is safe that has leaned on Jesus for repose. One can ask for no better guarantee than this.
There is a beautiful, romantic note in this word for earnest money. One papyri example of this word is that of "the engagement ring" as a pledge that one would go through with an agreement of marriage. So the Holy Spirit indwelling the Christian is Jesus' engagement ring that He places on the finger of His bride, looking toward the marriage feast of the Lamb (Rev. 21:2).
The Christian and sin
When one becomes a Christian, he is free from sin's penalty of death, but he is not free from sin's power. So long as he is in the flesh, a civil war will rage within him between his carnal and spiritual natures. Paul describes his own such struggle in Romans 7. His only assurance lies in "Jesus Christ our Lord" (v. 25). "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus ["who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" is not in the best manuscripts]. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8:1-2)
However, certain passages in 1 John are cited by some to show that the Christian does not sin, and that sin in one's life is proof that he is not a Christian. A case for such might be made from the King James Version if these passages be read in isolation. But a reading from the original Greek text shows that even these verses do not teach such. The verb tenses bring out the real meaning.
For instance, 1 John 3:8 reads, "He that committeth sin is of the devil." Here, the verb is a present tense expressing continuous, repeated action or the habit of doing something. So, literally, "The one having the habit of doing sin is out of the devil." This means one who lives for the purpose of sinning. It is his whole life. Such a person is not a Christian.
Verse 9 reads, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Here again the tenses are present. Literally, "Every one having been born out of God does not have the habit of doing sin; because His [God's] seed keeps on abiding in him: and he does not have the power to keep on sinning as a habit of life."
The one who is not a Christian lives for the purpose of sinning. He looks forward to it and seeks out opportunity to do so. But one who has been born of God has a new nature. He does not make sinning the habit of his life. Like Paul, he may at times, under temptation, yield to his carnal nature. But he does not want to do so in his redeemed self. Having done so, he repents, asks forgiveness, and in God's power, endeavors not to sin. God's seed abiding in him keeps him from having the habit of sinning.
Now look at other verses in 1 John. In 1:10, one reads, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him [God] a liar, and His Word is not in us." Here, the verb is a perfect tense. It expresses completed action, covering past, present and future. It refers here to one who says that he has never sinned in the past, does not sin now, and will not sin in the future. Obviously, such a person makes God a liar when God says that all have sinned (Rom. 3:23). Such a person has no conviction of sin. He has never been a Christian. God's Word is not in him at all.
But notice verses 7-8. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Here again are two present tenses. "If we say that we keep on not having sin, we keep on deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." These words refer to the Christian. Though the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing us from sin, the Christian on occasion in weakness will commit sin. To think otherwise is self-deception.
But the glorious thing for the Christian is that "if we confess [keep on confessing] our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (v. 9). In this verse, "confess" is a present tense. It may be translated "confess from time to time" or when the Christian sins. When, from time to time, the Christian confesses his sins, Christ most surely will forgive and cleanse from that sin. He does so on the basis of His blood shed for the sins of men (v. 7).
But this very fact should lead the Christian to endeavor to avoid sinning. For when he sins, he grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). He brings shame on the cause of Christ, impairs his own usefulness as a Christian, mars his joy in Christ, and suffers the temporal consequences of his sins.
The Christian should beware of sins of omission as well as sins of commission. With his life founded upon Christ, he should not build a structure of useless works out of wood, hay and stubble. Rather, he should build out of gold, silver and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:11-12). For "every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day [of judgment] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:13-15). For his soul "shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."