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?
It's the end of 2018, which means it's time to review all the reading and listening I've done over the past calendar year. Overall, it was a mixed bag... I listened to a massive number of podcasts, hit my book reading goal, and didn't get into too many screenplays or comics this year. Here's how 2018 breaks down:
FICTION: SCI-FI/FANTASY Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer Amber Project, The by J.N. Chaney American Gods by Neil Gaiman Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer Atlantis Gene, The by A.G. Riddle Attack on Phoenix by Megg Jensen Authority by Jeff Vandermeer Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin Behind the Lines by Chris Fox Betrayal by Pippa DaCosta Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Collapsing Empire, The by John Scalzi Critical Failures by Robert Bevan Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Cursed City by William Massa Dark Lord Bert, The by Chris Fox Departure by A.G. Riddle Dungeon Born by Dakota Krout Emissary, The by Terrance Mulloy Enemy of an Enemy, The by Vincent Trigili Fold, The by Peter Cline Galactic Genesis by Chris Fox Grid, The by Paul Teague Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith Hero Rising by Chris Fox Hold the Line by Chris Fox Into the Breach by Jonathan Yanez & JR Castle Krox Rises by Chris Fox Leviathan Wakes by James A. Corey Obsidian Son by Shayne Silvers Orion Colony by J.N. Chaney & Jonathan Yanez Press the Line by Chris Fox Renegade Star by J.N. Chaney Spellship by Chris Fox Star Magi by Andrew Dobbell Starseers by Lindsay Buroker Starship Grifters by Robert Krouse Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein Sword of Shannara, The by Terry Brooks Thousand Names, The by Django Wexler X-Files: Cold Cases by Joe Harris War Mage by Chris Fox
FICTION: MYSTERY/THRILLER Amazon Code by Nick Thacker Black Mile, The by Mark Dawson Bottom Feeders by John Shepphird Crosscut by Jude Hardin Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz Dr. Vigilante by Alberto Hazan Fallen, The by Mark Terry Gerald's Game by Stephen King Gia in the City of the Dead by Kristi Belcamino Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Heist, The by Janet Evanovich Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes IQ by Joe Ide Kill Artist, The by Daniel Silva L.A. Dead by Stuart Woods Las Vegas Girl by Leslie Wolfe List, The by J.A. Konrath No Shelter by Robert Swartwood One Rough Man by Brad Taylor Only the Innocent by Rachel Abbott Ramsey's Gold by Russell Blake Rogue by Mark T. Sullivan Running Blind by Lee Child Saint Death by Mark Dawson Serenity Submerged by Craig Hart Stiletto Justice by Camryn King Take, The by Christopher Reich They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz Tracker, The by Chad Zunker Tripwire by Lee Child
FICTION: OTHER Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan Christmas Hirelings, The by Mary Elizabeth Braddock
NONFICTION Art of Deception, The by Michael Mitnick Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates Canada by Mike Myers Creative Quest by Questlove Danse Macabre by Stephen King Everybody Always by Bob Goff Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington Financial Diet, The by Laren Ver Hage & Chelsea Fagin Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis #GOSPEL by Daniel Rice Harry Potter: A History of Magic by Ben Davies How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell Last Black Unicorn, The by Tiffany Haddish Launch to Market by Chris Fox Leaders at All Levels by Ram Charan Lifelong Writing Habit by Chris Fox Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod Plot Gardening by Chris Fox Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives, and other Introverts by Joanna Penn Queen: Aretha Franklin, The by Mikal Gilmore Relaunch Your Novel by Chris Fox Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick Sex Object by Jessica Valenti So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister by Anna Akana War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow You Are Now Less Dumb by David McRaney Your Creative Career by Anna Sabino Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa
I read about a dozen fewer books than last year, but last year was a high-water mark with nearly 120 books read. Honestly, any time I surpass my goal of 100 books a year, I'm happy.
For fiction, Collapsing Empire was probably my favorite book of the year thanks to its characterizations and unique worldbuilding, although there were a lot of books and authors old and new that I really enjoyed. I finished making my way through Chris Fox's backlist (fiction and nonfiction), read some more Mark Dawson, and found a new author (Pippa DaCosta) that I really loved.
For nonfiction, Jon Acuff and Chris Fox had my favorite books of the year, all related to writing or general work habits/inspiration that I can apply to my writing.
Overall, it was a satisfactory reading year. It felt like I discovered fewer amazing books that I've added to my all-time favorites, but I also had a lot fewer bombs that were a slog to get through. Most of the books I read this year were perfectly fine and enjoyable even if I don't plan on revisiting them.
99% Invisible - 11 episodes Adventure Zone, The - 9 episodes
Androids & Aliens - 2 episodes
Bad Christian Podcast - 5 episodes
Bards & Nobles - 3 episodes
Business of Film - 2 episodes
Cinema Squad Podcast - 4 episodes
Creative Penn, The - 55 episodes
Critical Role - 3 episodes
Daily, The by New York Times - 195 episodes
Dead Pilots Society - 13 episodes
Dungeoncast - 8 episodes Ezra Klein Show, The - 56 episodes
FiveThirtyEight Politics - 67 episodes
Foreplay - 23 episodes
Freakonomics - 46 episodes
Glass Cannon Podcast - 3 episodes
How Did This Get Made - 3 episodes How I Built This - 18 episodes
How Story Works - 12 episodes
How Stuff Works - 9 episodes
ID10T - 4 episodes
Imaginary Worlds - 21 episodes Impact, The - 12 episodes
Indicator, The - 174, episodes
It's Been a Minute - 29 episodes
Keep It - 11 episodes
Lovett or Leave It - 47 episodes
Magic Lessons - 2 episodes
Majority 54 - 18 episodes
NPR Politics Podcast - 147 episodes
Planet Money - 48 episodes Pod Save America - 107 episodes
Pod Save the People - 48 episodes
Pod Save the World - 52 episodes
Q&A, The - 13 episodes Rewatchables, The - 17 episodes
Rise Together Podcast - 19 episodes
ROCKHARBOR Podcast - 25 episodes
Rocking Self Publishing Podcast - 1 episode
Savage Lovecast - 1 episode
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Marketing Podcast - 49 episodes
Scriptnotes - 50 episodes
Sell More Books Show, The - 54 episodes
Self-Publishing Formula - 53 episodes
Self-Publishing Podcast - 4 episodes Slate Political Gabfest - 56 episodes
Sneak Attack! - 2 episodes
Startup - 2 episodes
Story Studio Podcast - 46 episodes
Story Works Roundtable - 52 episodes
Stuff You Missed in History Class - 8 episodes
TED Radio Hour - 14 episodes
To Live and Dialogue in LA - 1 episode
Today Explained - 134 episodes
Totally Married - 3 episodes
Up First by NPR - 217 episodes
VOX Podcast - 48 episodes Weeds, The - 97 episodes Wilderness, The - 15 episodes
With Friends Like These - 37 episodes
Writer's Panel - 14 episodes
Writing Excuses - 56 episodes
I listened to way more podcasts than I ever have before, almost 1,000 episodes more than my previous record, and I have to admit that I think I'm just about podcasted out for a while... especially when it comes to current events and writing. I love advice and I love keeping current on everything that's happening in the world, but I look back on this year and wonder if I couldn't have better spent that time reading more books or *gasp* writing more during that time I spent listening to six to eight different news podcasts reiterating the same current stories each week. I expect my podcast count to take a big dive next year because I'm going to try to be more discerning about what I listen to and will most likely cut out some of the daily podcasts and other advice podcasts that are starting to feel a little tedious to listen to.
PRODUCED Ant-Man and The Wasp Avengers: Infinity War Avengers: Endgame
UNPRODUCED American Alien (Pilot) Business Trip, The Agent Ox Gold (Pilot) High Crimes Homestead Mixed (Pilot) Mr. Joyce's Opus (Pilot) Omega Dawn Prince, The (Pilot) Reason You're Alive, The Redemption Separation Spirit House, The Suspended (Pilot) Sync Tale of Two Cities, A Talk Nerdy to Me (Pilot) White Whale, The
I'm not putting any favorites or highly recommended on the script section of my reading list because a lot of the writers on this list are my friends and/or colleagues and I don't want to play favorites with my friends and business associates.
Oh goodness, I haven't thought about Evanescence in years.
Evanescence was one of those bands that really affected me way back in the early 2000s, probably in large part thanks to the fact that songs like "My Immortal" and their other hits were prominently featured in all kinds of emo-themed movies and television of that time period, including everything from an episode of Smallville to a dance routine soundtrack on So You Think You Can Dance to their real high bar, which was having not one, but two songs included in the Daredevil soundtrack... the Ben Affleck abomination, not the newer Netflix incarnation. That soundtrack blasted both "My Immortal" and "Bring Me to Life," just in case one wasn't enough. And on the topic of the Daredevil soundtrack, has there ever been a more goth/nu metal soundtrack than the one for that film? Seriously... Evanescence, Fuel, Saliva, Seether, Nickelback, Drowning Pool feat. Rob Zombie, Moby, Chevelle, Hoobastank, Paloalto... it's like a who's who of somber, whining vocals backed up with industrial beats and a few verses of rap-rock lyrics thrown in for good measure.
I actually really loved this band (and this song) for a long time. A lot of bands in this moody, angsty space tend to have raw, scratchy lyrics and all kind of sound the same after a while, but Amy Lee's haunting, melodic voice really made the band stand out from their contemporaries.
As I was doing research for this blog post, though, my new favorite story about this band and this song is related to the cover of it that Welsh classical singer Katherine Jenkins did for her 2009 album Believe. While I don't particularly prefer that cover of the song over the original, she apparently mentioned to her producer that she wanted to do it and he told her he didn't think she was able to perform the song. More determined than ever after being told she couldn't, she reworked the song as a more orchestral piece with stringed instruments substituting for the percussion section of the original, which was a better fit for her voice. You just have to respect someone who is told they can't do something and then goes, "You know what? I can and I will." Here's a link to that cover version if you want to listen to it:
Whichever version you personally prefer, there's no question that Evanescence was at the top of their songwriting and musical production game in the early 2000s when this nu metal crazy was sweeping radio stations and soundtracks nationwide. Listening to their discography again thanks to this challenge was a real blast from the past.
= favorite
= also really enjoyed
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