Logocentric (adj).Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics).
Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:
I have always enjoyed the longer distance running and skiing. The Marathon in Summer Olympics and the 50km Mass Start in the Winter. My wife can't understand how I can watch the same race for several hours. But they are fascinating to me. I like the Downhill Slalom, Bobsled and Luge sports. Attending a Winter Olympics remains on my bucket list.
My favorite sporting events in the Winter Olympics are the Luge, Bobsled, Figure Skating and curling. Initially, I thought I would be bored with curling but I'm not. It's fascinating how they determine each glide's angle and potential score.
When my children were younger we built them a luge course, they loved it. We were lucky that winter to have lots of snow to build up the walls and with some help with pallets that we covered with snow, it kept them and the neighborhood kids busy until it warmed up and melted. I was a lot more at ease with the luge course than I was when they decided to try arial jumps off our house roof. Never a dull moment when you live in Maine.
I am reading ESV through the Bible this time. Like you, I've explored a bunch of translations. My church uses NIV but my women's Bible study group (part of the same church) varies based on what Bible study we're doing.
Hope you enjoy the Olympics! I agree that the every four year thing makes them feel more special.
I read the New American Bible, which is a Catholic Bible. (NABRE) They include Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, which generally aren't included in other versions of the Bible. I would be curious to read an orthodox bible or the Ethiopian Bible as I hear they have differences as well.
As for the Olympics, I love the Winter Olympics. I'm just crossing my fingers I have time to watch!
In terms of the original texts the NASB has the best reputation among conservative scholars. It looks at more translations, has a sensible hierarchy of text selection and the best principles for approaching the translation task. It favors original texts when possible. The ESV and NKJV are on a similar level. The Net Bible gives the best overview of the discussions in its commentary. The NIV renders the original text to make it more readable. It is a more functional text which is why many churches use it but it is also less precise. Greek or Russian orthodox are more Septuagint orientated and there is a considerable amount of ethical or emotional rendering to the text.The disadvantage of the NASB is that it loses much of the Hebrew poetical style in its effort to be precise as this does not translate into the English
I'm very fortunate to have met some practicing and humble Christians. Truly humble people seek to serve, not attain power and influence. The actions of many Christians make me run the opposite way... as fast as I can.
In his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee states: "Nothing has done greater damage to our Christian testimony than our trying to be right and demanding right of others. We become preoccupied with what is and what is not right. We ask ourselves,' Have we been justly or unjustly treated?' and we think thus to vindicate our actions. But that is not our standard. The whole question for us is one of crossbearing".
Jeff, this is an excellent book. Perhaps one for your reading list?
Song: "A Little Respect" Artist: Erasure Album: The Innocents
Now we're getting into the good stuff! I'm a sucker for late 80s British synthpop, and this song stands out as one of my favorites. Erasure has actually enjoyed enormous success, selling over 25 million albums worldwide and, from 1986 to 2007, racking up an impressive 24 consecutive Top 40 hits in their native United Kingdom. They're still active today, with a holiday album release in 2013, their sixteenth studio album release in 2014, and some special new material in 2015 to celebrate the duo's 30th anniversary.
This song in particular was their tenth single released (and third [UK] or second [USA] single off this particular album). It's become one of their signature songs and was a Top 10 hit in the UK (Top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100). This song, like many other synthpop hits in the late 80s, has been a source of ridicule in recent years. While not as prevalent in popular culture as now infamous Rick Roll, "A Little Respect" has popped up every now and again, like when a character lip-synced to it in the movie D.E.B.S., or when the television show Scrubs made it the source of a recurring joke in the episode "My Best Friend's Mistake" where it was referred to as being like a spreading virus. I guess earworms technically are contagious...
Perhaps more important than the song itself is the guy who wrote it, though. One half of Erasure is the inimitable Vince Clarke, a musician/songwriter who has not only penned most of Erasure's biggest hits, but also did the same for his previous bands. He was a founding member of Depeche Mode and wrote "Just Can't Get Enough," and left that group to start the duo Yazoo (Yaz in the U.S.), where he penned their biggest hit "Only You." It's pretty amazing that the three songs I probably love most and most identify with the British synthpop movement were all written by the same guy, albeit for three different bands!
Song: "Cruise (Remix)" feat. Nelly Artist: Florida Georgia Line Album: Here's To The Good Times ... This Is How We Roll (Deluxe)
When I first saw this week's theme posted, I knew I had to do a country song. I know country is an immensely popular music genre in large portions of the United States, but as a native Californian this genre just isn't in my DNA. Sure we'll have the occasional crossover artists like Taylor Swift of Shania Twain that manage to infuse just enough "pop" influence to trick us into listening to songs with country roots, but country music in California is, at least in major urban areas, a definite guilty pleasure. And Lord knows I not only own my fair share of country music, but also a good cross-section of embarrassing choices spanning several decades. I almost went with "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" by Big & Rich, but I opted for this one because it allows me to also talk about a very important issue (at least according to Wikipedia) for genre at large: the "bro-country" movement.
According to Wikipedia, "bro-country" is a subgenre of country music that "tak(es) influence from 21st-century hip hop, hard rock and electronic music. Many 'bro-country' songs are about attractive young women, the consumption of alcohol, partying, and pickup trucks." It goes on to say, "The popularity of [bro-country] opened up a wide divide between the older generation of country singers and the bro country singers which has been described as a 'civil war' by musicians, journalists, and critics."
First of all... let's not throw the term "civil war" around lightly, okay? Yes, it's absolutely true that songs like Luke Bryan's "Rain Is A Good Thing" ( hover for lyrics excerpt
Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey
Whiskey makes my baby, feel a little frisky
Back roads are boggin' up, my buddies pile up in my truck
We hunt our hunnies down, we take 'em into town
Start washin' all our worries down the drain
Rain is a good thing
) objectify women and fetishize drinking and trucks. And yes, more traditional artists like Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt1, and Kacey Musgraves have been outspoken about the culture these songs are creating. But can we all agree that a dispute over conflicting ideals is not necessarily a "civil war?" Let's try not to overuse that term and leave it for truly monumental struggles like the Union versus the Confederacy, the Roman Republic versus the Roman Empire... or Captain America versus Iron Man.
Second... while I don't exactly approve of the lifestyle depicted in these songs, I can still appreciate a catchy beat and/or lyrics. It's the same way I can watch rap music videos and enjoy the artistry involved in someone's ability to rhyme without buying into the lifestyle excess and oftentimes misogynistic treatment of women. Just like when I watch a movie or read a book, I don't have to go, "That's a representative example of the values I live my life by!" in order to appreciate the creative or technical accomplishments of the work.
Third... we all know I love mashups. Whether it's combining genres in a short story or mixing different musical styles into the same song, I love seeing people take two distinct art forms and finding a way to combine them and create something new and interesting. "Cruise (Remix)" hits all those points for me; it's got the catchy country twang, the rap verse with smooth, flowing rhymes... for someone like me who loves nothing more than a skillfully-executed mashup, this song really works well.
So while this song is definitely a guilty pleasure, it's pretty clear I'm not alone in enjoying it. The song is 9x certified platinum and made Billboard's year-end Hot Country Songs list two years in a row, even finishing at No. 9 on their overall year-end Hot 100 across all musical genres in 2013. All that said, yeah, I'd have to agree that singing about big trucks, drinking on a Friday night, and picking up girls to party with is probably not the most elevated or enduring musical movement. But it's fun to listen to while it's here!
Footnotes 1 In the interest of full disclosure, Travis Tritt did record and release a song called "Girls Gone Wild" which is a not-exactly-flattering-or-respectful depiction of women and partying, so maybe it's subjective?
I'm a sucker for late 80s British synthpop, and this song stands out as one of my favorites. Erasure has actually enjoyed enormous success, selling over 25 million albums worldwide and, from 1986 to 2007, racking up an impressive 24 consecutive Top 40 hits in their native United Kingdom. They're still active today, with a holiday album release in 2013, their sixteenth studio album release in 2014, and some special new material in 2015 to celebrate the duo's 30th anniversary.
Comment • View 2 comments 
