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?
Full disclosure, I think Ajit Pai as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is one of the worst appointments the Trump Administration has made. He's following the same game plan as Scott Pruitt, Mick Mulvaney, and Betsy DeVos where it seems like he is on a crusade to literally dismantle the organization he's been tasked with overseeing. Earlier this year during the net neutrality fight, Pai's position basically asserted that his own commission should not have any say in regulating broadband/internet providers. Because, you know, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Cox, Charter, etc. are such fair, reasonable, and customer service-oriented on their own...
He also slashed regulations that many figured would help pave the way for Sinclair Broadcast Group (which currently controls around 40% of local television stations in the country) to acquire Tribune Media, an acquisition that would give them control of as much as 72% of local stations. That may not seem like a big deal, until you realize that Sinclair Broadcast Group has a conservative bent and actually forces its local news affiliates to air "must run" segments that often have significant political bias. Deadspin posted a creepy video mashup of a segment their affiliates were required to run, where dozens of anchors across dozens of stations literally delivered the same message. And lest you think a bunch of news anchors basically telling their viewers not to trust the news is an acceptable message, other must-run segments include stories about the FBI having a personal vendetta against Michael Flynn, claims that marriage is a valid method of combating domestic violence, and a piece aired during the 2016 presidential election that suggested voters not support Hillary Clinton because the Democratic Party was historically pro-slavery.
SIDE NOTE: For more information on net neutrality and Sinclair, I highly recommend John Oliver's Last Week Tonight segments on the topics. Yes, it's a left-leaning show. Yes, it's a combination of comedy and news shows. Yes, it's a little crass at times. But John Oliver does a great job of presenting complex topics like the dangers of companies like Sinclair Broadcast Group, as well as concepts like Net Neutrality I (and Net Neutrality II) in a concise and clear way.
So all of that said, it was a bit of a surprise... and might have been the biggest surprise of the day if not for a certain press conference in Helsinki earlier )... to see this article where Pai expressed "serious concerns" about Sinclair's acquisition of Tribune Media and announced he would subject the merger to an administrative review process so stringent that most experts assume it means the merger is in serious jeopardy, if not dead in its current form.
Now, I don't think that Pai has suddenly had a change of heart. He's a former Associate General Counsel for Verizon and has shown himself repeatedly to be someone who favors a hands-off approach to regulation, even in an industry where the huge conglomerates are known for having monopolistic tendencies and price gouging their customers whenever they have the opportunity. Seriously, when was the last time someone raved about the great service and/or value they're getting from their cable/internet telecom company? And those same companies have posted record profits year after year. So while I do not expect that Pai has miraculously turned over a new leaf, I do believe in giving credit where credit is due, and so I happily consider this a win for those of us who believe that the FCC should still regulate communications companies to prevent them from taking advantage of their customers with onerous financial or overtly political decisions.
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