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?
"Blog Harbor" PROMPT (DAY 13): Adaptations! You're still the head of a major studio, so what piece of material (can be anything except another movie: a book, comic, TV show, toy, news article, real life true story, etc.) would you choose to have adapted into a feature motion picture? Also, which movie do you think was the absolute best adaptation of the source material (best can be either most faithful or most improved, your choice)?
Apparently I really like this prompt because I also used it four years ago during a prior Blog Harbor activity ("Sleeping In & Rifts" ), so even though I still think Rifts is a great choice and the first thing I thought of, I'm going to challenge myself to think of something new this time around. And since they just made Ready Player One, cue Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards Sequence.
Set in a low-magic fantasy world, the three books (The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and The Republic of Thieves are immensely entertaining books about a team/adoptive family of con artists and criminals who make their way in the world by utilizing disguises, clever schemes, and subterfuge to make a living... only to get embroiled into the much larger schemes of much more powerful people.
The books are smart, irreverent, and action-packed. I listed to all three audiobooks over the course of about two weeks (and they're not short books!) because I was constantly staying in the car an extra twenty minutes (after a two-hour commute, mind you!) just so I could finish a little more of a chapter. If you don't mind a bit of vulgar language and some mildly gross descriptions, this is actually a great book for those who are looking to venture into fantasy. It's as much a crime story as it is a fantasy one, and the magic and fantastical elements of the story are minimal rather than being pervasive. This isn't a story where everyone's running around casting spells and fighting dragons. It's mostly a funny urban crime tale that just happens to be set in a medieval-era secondary world.
Each of the three books builds upon events in the previous installment, but are also complete tales on their own. I really enjoy stories like this where, if you haven't read the earlier installments you can still enjoy the story... but if you have, you'll really appreciate the way some of the subplots and backstory are fully explored through all three installments. And, more impressively, each of the three books takes place in a different city of the world, so the reader gets the feeling like they're exploring a larger world when the second book takes them to a location that was only peripherally mentioned in the first, and the third takes them to a legendary place to fight a legendary enemy that's been built up to legendary status over the prior to volumes.
Scott Lynch, to me, went from unknown author to one of my favorite fantasy authors in just three books, leapfrogging some authors that I've been reading for years. I will read anything this guy writes from here on out, no questions asked, because of how enjoyable I found these books. If you're a fantasy-lover, or someone who's interested in giving low fantasy a try, I'd definitely check these books out... and I'd love to see these made into a movie trilogy by someone who sees the same potential in them that I do.
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