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?
I'm piggybacking on Brrr...rooke's prompt for blog posts about "three things" in a variety of categories. I'm not sure if this is going to be a daily thing, a "post them all this weekend" thing, or a "whenever I get around to it" kind of thing, but I'm committed to blogging about everything on her list. For reference, the categories are:
Theme: Three Things Three things you can’t go without. Three celebrity crushes. Three favorite book characters. If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you? Three pet peeves. Three things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid. Three favorite TV shows.
I might as well take these in descending order, so here are my three favorite book characters.
Sand dan Glokta. Joe Abercrombie writes pretty great, gritty hard/low fantasy and his First Law trilogy is certainly no exception. In a series full of memorable characters, there are perhaps none more memorable than Sand dan Glokta, a former handsome, talented swordsman turned twisted inquisitor after capture and years of torture by a rival nation. Abercrombie spends a large amount of time featuring Glokta's external struggles with being a cripple, as well as his internal struggles to come to terms with the fact that he's a broken shade of his former self. As a reader, you vacillate between loving and hating him, admiring and pitying him, rooting for and against him. He's scathingly funny and one of the most original characters I've read before or since.
Lisbeth Salander. She's one of the strongest and most vivid female characters in recent memory. I love the fact that she's both extraordinarily talented and broken, that she's introverted and very possibly has mental health issues, but also has a distinct moral code and isn't at all afraid to act on it when it's in defense of others. What I love most about this character is that she doesn't fit neatly into any one box. You dislike or disagree with her choices as much as you like and agree with them, she could just as easily need your help as be the one helping you... she's a paradox and one that's truly fascinating to get to know over the course of the Millennium series.
Aech. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie for Ready Player One yet and plan to, don't read any further. There be spoilers ahead! I absolutely loved this book (and the movie) from beginning to end, and a big part of it was the way it just kept constantly surprising me with unexpected twists and turns. Whether it was the nuances of the challenges, or the inventiveness with which Ernest Cline managed to combine so many pop culture references, this book was a revelation when I read it. And one of the biggest in-story revelations was discovering that, unlike many of the other characters who have OASIS avatars that are vaguely reminiscent of the players' actual selves, athletic, macho, straight male avatar of Aech is actually played by an African American lesbian named Helen Harris. It was a shocking moment in the book, and the way that Cline handled it (her reticence and fear about revealing the truth, and Wade's acceptance of who she actually is) had a lot of emotional resonance that really made this more than a fun sci-fi romp.
Three things you can’t go without.
Three celebrity crushes.
Three favorite book characters.
If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you?
Three things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid.
Three favorite TV shows.
I absolutely loved this book (and the movie) from beginning to end, and a big part of it was the way it just kept constantly surprising me with unexpected twists and turns. Whether it was the nuances of the challenges, or the inventiveness with which Ernest Cline managed to combine so many pop culture references, this book was a revelation when I read it. And one of the biggest in-story revelations was discovering that, unlike many of the other characters who have OASIS avatars that are vaguely reminiscent of the players' actual selves, athletic, macho, straight male avatar of Aech is actually played by an African American lesbian named Helen Harris. It was a shocking moment in the book, and the way that Cline handled it (her reticence and fear about revealing the truth, and Wade's acceptance of who she actually is) had a lot of emotional resonance that really made this more than a fun sci-fi romp.
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