Translations

When I lead Bible study, I encourage the use of different translations. It gives a different spin on some of the verses.

The Tuesday group has the NASB (New American Standard Bible) [ the one I use], NIV (New International Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version - one used in our worship services), Good News Bible, and maybe even a NKJV (New King's James Version).

I use my translation because it has the verses as I remember them from my youth plus it keeps some of the poetry.  For example: from Mark 1:19 from the NIV is "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" from NASB is "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." from NRSV is "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news." They of course are very similar but "is at hand" seems to me to more powerful.  

For future reference http://www.biblegateway.com/ is a great website to use when you are looking for a chapter or verses when you are online.  I got the NASB & NIV translations above there (they do not have the NRSV on their site but do have different language Bible translations).

The rationale for the newer translations is to bring the language closer to the language of the today.  I think something is lost when we dumb down the Word.  "Thy" is not a frightening word, but we change it to "your".

One of the people in the study said my Bible is a Baptist Bible.  I guess I am conservative in my Bible too!

translation (n) 1 the process of translating words or text from one language into another : Constantine's translation of Arabic texts into Latin. • a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word, speech, book, or other text, in another language : a German translation of Oscar Wilde's play | a term for which there is no adequate English translation. 2 the conversion of something from one form or medium into another : the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

GOP finally stands up

No GOP member of House of Representatives voted for the "Stimulus" Bill.  Many conservatives such as myself were very tired of the GOP going along with the Dems leading us to the poor house and to a more socialistic country.  One of the main reasons the GOP lost control of the House & Senate & the Presidency is that they started acting like Dems and not conservatives; they did not reduce waste or earmarks or taxes.

Finally they have stood up for us!  It is amazing all of the waste / pork in the "Stimulus" bill.  One of the major problems now is the lack of jobs; lots of people are losing their jobs NOW.  The Bill does almost nothing to lead to new sustainable jobs.

http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/HR1.pdf   is a PDF of the bill, just some provisions randomly chosen:

DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER BOX PROGRAM
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and in addition to amounts otherwise provided in any other Act, for costs associated with the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program, $650,000,000, to be available until September 30, 2009

For an additional amount for ‘‘Science’’, $400,000,000, of which not less than $250,000,000 shall be solely for accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey

For an additional amount to be deposited in the Federal Buildings Fund, $7,700,000,000 for real property activities with priority given to activities that can commence promptly following enactment of this Act; of which up to $1,000,000,000 shall be used for construction, repair, and alteration of border facilities and land ports of entry; of which not less than $6,000,000,000 shall be used for construction, repair, and alteration of Federal buildings for projects that will create the greatest impact on energy efficiency and conservation; of which $108,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2012, and shall be used for rental of space costs associated with the construction, repair, and alteration of these projects;

For an additional amount for ‘‘Indian Health Facilities’’, $550,000,000, for priority health care facilities construction projects and deferred maintenance, and the purchase of equipment and related services, including but not limited to health information technology

POVERTY, (n) A file provided for the teeth of the rats of reform. The number of plans for its abolition equals that of the reformers who suffer from it, plus that of the philosophers who know nothing about it. Its victims are distinguished by possession of all the virtues and by their faith in leaders seeking to conduct them into a prosperity where they believe these to be unknown

Fouls

Sometimes life is just not fair!

In the NBA Basketball, they have a rule book which defines traveling & fouls.  However, if your name was Michael Jordan the rules did not apply, if Mike ripped off an opponents hand there was no foul but if Mike missed a shot & a defender was within 6 or 7 feet on him it was a foul.  If you are L. James or K. Bryant the same basic rules apply to you as Mike.  If you are a Rookie, you don't go to the foul line.

In college basketball, if a coach commits a technical foul such as foul language at a ref he gets a technical foul unless he is coach K.  Actually college B-Ball is close to fair with respect to fouls calls on players.

In the NBA or NHL, fouls in the game's last few minutes are not in general called.  In the NFL, holding & defensive interference are very subjective.  It has been said that holding could be called on almost every play but only seems to be called against the weak teams.

In the NBA, fouls out on the floor are touch fouls, but under the hoop battery occurs without a call.

You may wonder what bought this up, was one of my teams screwed?  No, just something I was thinking about on my dog walk!

foul (n) 1 (in sports) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play, esp. one involving interference with an opponent. • a collision or entanglement in riding, rowing, or running. • short for foul ball . 2 informal dated a disease in the feet of cattle.

Conservation

I conserve for 2 reasons.  #1, I am cheap, by reducing the amount of gas or electricity that I buy / use I save money.  #2, I think it is better to reduce pollutants to keep our planet in better shape.

In the summer, spring & fall, we bicycle most places, to stores, to church, to library, etc.  In the winter we try to combine our trips; like going first to the YMCA then Bible Study then to stores.  I am always turning off lights in the house, we have electric baseboard heat so we lower the heat in rooms that we don't use much & turn down the heat when we leave the house or go to bed.

Al Gore talks a good (but boring) game but uses his private jet to go to Global Warming Conferences.  One conference used the equivalent of the energy of a small city to just get there.  President Obama before being elected talked about reducing pollution but drove personal SUV's (I am not against SUVs but am against hypocrisy now that he is President he needs the security of the Presidential limos). Many hollywood celebrities preach to us little people about saving the planet but use more energy in a day then we little people use in our lifetimes.  Sacrifice of others is much easier to bear!

There are many easy / painless ways to reduce energy use; turn off lights, plan auto trips to maximize the outing, etc.  But talking about it saves little (except for the hot air generated).

conservation (n)  the action of conserving something, in particular • preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment, natural ecosystems, vegetation, and wildlife.
• preservation, repair, and prevention of deterioration of archaeological, historical, and cultural sites and artifacts. • prevention of excessive or wasteful use of a resource. • Physics the principle by which the total value of a physical quantity (such as energy, mass, or linear or angular momentum) remains constant in a system.

First Days in office

President Obama has chosen some interesting items for his first days in office.

President Barack Obama will sign an executive order later Friday ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortion, officials said. Many people don't want their money to go for international abortions or any abortions.

He also decided to close the detention facility on Gitmo & stop the trials & future trials (military tribunals) at Gitmo. He may have trouble finding anyone to accept the terrorists especially the rich liberals who support him; not in their neighborhood.

So he has not made the US safer for all of us or especially for babies. I worry that he is going to push a very liberal agenda which most middle class Americans do not support.

His $1,000,000,000,000 stimulus bill does not seem to make sense for starting the economy but rather a reward for the various lobby groups that gave him the half a billion dollars to buy the election.

PRESIDENCY, (n) The greased pig in the field game of American politics

Hobgoblin

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I like to do things in a certain way.  I like to sit in the same location at church & in choir.  I put my things in a particular place, i.e., my wallet & watch go in the same place when I get home. I like to go to the Ymca at a certain time, I like to use a particular locker (there is a locker island in the middle, I try to use one of the 4 corner lockers).  I like to use a particular shower (second one in on the left side as you enter the shower [it has a good spray & I know the temperature control for it]).

When I lead the Bible Study, I sit at the head & remove one of the 2 chairs.  When we drive anywhere I like to drive (I used to get car sick when I wasn't driving).

My wife recites an A. A. Milne poem The King's Breakfast
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"

I wonder if she thinks about me when she does!

consistency (n)  1 conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness : the grading system is to be streamlined to ensure greater consistency. • the achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time : his principal problem in tennis has been consistency.

Common Thought

I heard numerous times on the radio & TV that most people did not think that a Afro-American could ever become president.

I always thought that an Afro-American could become president in my lifetime.  I was hoping for someone with a little bit of executive experience however, not who we have.

It seems that popular thought is not something that I am good with (remember never end a sentence with a preposition).

EXECUTIVE, (n) An officer of the Government, whose duty it is to enforce the wishes of the legislative power until such time as the judicial department shall be pleased to pronounce them invalid and of no effect. Following is an extract from an old book entitled, The Lunarian Astonished -- Pfeiffer & Co., Boston, 1803:
LUNARIAN: Then when your Congress has passed a law it goes directly to the Supreme Court in order that it may at once be known whether it is constitutional?
TERRESTRIAN: O no; it does not require the approval of the Supreme Court until having perhaps been enforced for many years somebody objects to its operation against himself -- I
mean his client. The President, if he approves it, begins to execute it at once.
LUNARIAN: Ah, the executive power is a part of the legislative. Do your policemen also have to approve the local ordinances that they enforce?
TERRESTRIAN: Not yet -- at least not in their character of constables. Generally speaking, though, all laws require the approval of those whom they are intended to restrain.
LUNARIAN: I see. The death warrant is not valid until signed by the murderer.
TERRESTRIAN: My friend, you put it too strongly; we are not so consistent.
LUNARIAN: But this system of maintaining an expensive judicial machinery to pass upon the validity of laws only after they have long been executed, and then only when brought before the
court by some private person -- does it not cause great confusion?
TERRESTRIAN: It does.
LUNARIAN: Why then should not your laws, previously to being executed, be validated, not by the signature of your President, but by that of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
TERRESTRIAN: There is no precedent for any such course.
LUNARIAN: Precedent. What is that?
TERRESTRIAN: It has been defined by five hundred lawyers in three volumes each. So how can any one know? (Devil's Dictionary)

President Obama

I disagree politically with President Obama,  but wish him luck.  There are a lot of problems that he will have to face.  If he succeeds the country succeeds!

It's great that the inauguration will be the day after Martin Luther Day.

The country has survived many average or bad presidents; we need a good one right now!

PRESIDENT, (n) The leading figure in a small group of men of whom -- and of whom only -- it is positively known that immense numbers of their countrymen did not want any of them for President.
If that's an honor surely 'tis a greater
To have been a simple and undamned spectator.
Behold in me a man of mark and note
Whom no elector e'er denied a vote! --
An undiscredited, unhooted gent
Who might, for all we know, be President
By acclimation. Cheer, ye varlets, cheer --
I'm passing with a wide and open ear!
Jonathan Fomry

Dumbest of the Lot

I am not a particularly stupid person but in my immediate family I'm the dumbest.

My son was valedictorian in high school as was his wife (obviously different schools).  My daughter was a National Merit Scholar finalist.  My wife & all of her family are brilliant.

My mother skipped a grade when she was in school.

“I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.” Bill Watterson

“You see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy.”  Erica Jong

“When I think over what I have said, I envy dumb people.”  Seneca

“Nowadays it is about as big a crime to be dumb as it is to be dishonest.”  Will Rogers

“I'm not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know that I'm not dumb. I also know I'm not blonde.”  Dolly Parton

“Girls have an unfair advantage over men: if they can't get what they want by being smart, they can get it by being dumb.” Yul Brynner

dumb (adj) informal : stupid, unintelligent, ignorant, dense, brainless, mindless, foolish, slow, dull, simple, empty-headed,stunned, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, half-baked, imbecilic, bovine; informal thick, dim, moronic, dopey, dozy, thickheaded, fat-headed, birdbrained, pea-brained; daft

Consideration

There are numerous little irritants at the YMCA.  Like people who go to the swimming pool without a towel.  The locker room is arranged as you come with the lockers, then the showers, then the pool.  To get from the pool to the lockers, you go through the showers.

So they come into the locker room from the pool completely wet, dripping water everywhere & especially at their locker.  So if you are next to the inconsiderate lout, your feet & anything that is put on the floor gets soaked plus the locker room has a very slippery floor if wet; I'm seen mainly older patrons who have almost fallen down.  Ditto for the people who go to the shower without their towels.

Another is the person who when we had benches (now we have individual stools), puts his Y bag (usually the size of a large trunk), and his clothes & 100's of other items on the bench.  I need to sit down to put on my shoes which is impossible!

A requirement of the Y, is to take a nude soapy shower before going into the pool; however, many people don't.

Another is people who sit on the weight machines to talk to others or just watch the TV or the people who do approx. 7500 repetitions on the machine I need to complete my workout.

I think these people do not understand basic consideration.  I was raised to be considerate of others; why didn't other people learn these rules?

consideration (n)  1 thought, deliberation, reflection, contemplation, rumination, meditation; examination, inspection, scrutiny, analysis, discussion; attention, regard; formal cogitation.
2 factor, issue, matter, concern, detail, aspect, feature. 3 attentiveness, concern, care, thoughtfulness, solicitude; kindness, understanding, respect, sensitivity, tact, discretion; compassion, charity, benevolence