Mar 22, 2011
Mar 16, 2011
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." ~ Marcel Proust #psychology
Mar 15, 2011
The New International Version of the Bible is one of the most common translations used by Christians in America. It's been around since 1984, and is my personal preference both because of its readability and because of its familiarity (I've been using it since I was a kid). Just recently (i.e. late 2010) a fairly substantial update was completed and pushed to several digital Bible tools like Bible Gateway, and it went largely unnoticed and unannounced. Print versions are expected in March 2011.
Why it's a good thing: Language changes over time, translation tools change over time, and archeological evidence and scholarly knowledge grow over time. To ignore these facts puts everyone at a disadvantage, especially when you're depending on 400-year-old language to guide your faith in 2000-year-old facts.
Why it's a bad thing: It was sort of secretive and subversive. Even if the updates and changes are a good thing, most people don't realize they're using a different translation than the one they've been using for over 20 years. This becomes apparent in small group settings where one person is using a printed copy of the NIV1984 Bible and another person is accessing a digital copy of the NIV2011 Bible with their phone and they can't figure out why their translations don't match.
How it could've been better: (a) Announce it, or (b) change the name. The TNIV (Today's NIV) was released in 2005 and was met with swift and universal criticism, which is most likely why it didn't really catch on. But the NIV2011 essentially uses most of the changes from the TNIV and adds a few more, but still calls itself the NIV. #religion
Why it's a good thing: Language changes over time, translation tools change over time, and archeological evidence and scholarly knowledge grow over time. To ignore these facts puts everyone at a disadvantage, especially when you're depending on 400-year-old language to guide your faith in 2000-year-old facts.
Why it's a bad thing: It was sort of secretive and subversive. Even if the updates and changes are a good thing, most people don't realize they're using a different translation than the one they've been using for over 20 years. This becomes apparent in small group settings where one person is using a printed copy of the NIV1984 Bible and another person is accessing a digital copy of the NIV2011 Bible with their phone and they can't figure out why their translations don't match.
How it could've been better: (a) Announce it, or (b) change the name. The TNIV (Today's NIV) was released in 2005 and was met with swift and universal criticism, which is most likely why it didn't really catch on. But the NIV2011 essentially uses most of the changes from the TNIV and adds a few more, but still calls itself the NIV. #religion
Mar 14, 2011
I love driving on certain parts of Route 80 and the Parkway in New Jersey where everyone spontaneously decides to drive north of 80 mph, even though the speed limit stays at a constant 65 mph. It's almost like everyone is thinking the same thing: They can't give speeding tickets to all of us. #travel
Mar 14, 2011
Those Democratic senators from Wisconsin, who fled the state for three weeks to prevent the passage of a law regarding collective bargain rights, have returned to their posts (where the whole reason they left was completely nullified by the successful passing of the law they were trying to prevent). I don't pretend to completely understand what's going on with that whole situation, but I can't help ignoring one simple fact: In any other job in any other industry in any other place on earth, if you didn't show up to work, you'd get fired. Why that didn't happen in this case probably has something to do with why the subject of politics is so unattractive to people like me. #politics
Mar 9, 2011
Science News reports that researchers have identified a guy "as the first documented case of beat deafness, a condition in which a person can't feel music's beat or move in time to it." I knew a guy in college with the same condition. He would attempt to "air drum" to his favorite song on the radio, and I was always amazed at his total inability to follow any sort of rhythm. He just flailed his arms in a horrific randomized pattern. I never said anything about it at the time. Maybe someday they'll make a pill for it. (via Boing Boing) #entertainment
Mar 8, 2011
Something I just learned recently from a person who's in the situation (and also a Ripley's comic): The United States Secret Service, in addition to protecting the president and other dignitaries, is also the federal agency that investigates identity theft and other types of financial fraud. #politics
Mar 7, 2011
Wendy and I just spent four days on the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman. We stayed at a cheap hotel on the beach, rented a teeny tiny car to motor around, and laid on the beach and snorkeled. It was a good break from New Jersey's winter weather.
Highlights of the trip: Swimming with stingrays at Stingray City, snorkeling in the rain (since we were already wet), dodging lizards who scurried underfoot, driving on the left, and eating lots of seafood.
The weather was good and bad. It was in the low 80s most of the time, but it rained periodically on one of the days, which wasn't great but didn't ruin the trip. The water was nice and warm, but felt cold when the sun wasn't out.
As far as price, it wasn't all that expensive. The airfare was normal, the hotel (a cheap one) was around $100 a day, and the car was around $30 a day. Gas was expensive, but it's a tiny island so we hardly used any at all. Food was a little pricey, but there were enough options that you could survive without blowing your entire budget. Beer, even locally brewed Caybrew, was sometimes as much as $7 a pint, which was ridiculous but likely the result of the "we have beer; you will pay us anything" mentality. The exchange rate made it so that everything was about 25% more expensive than in the states, but the total lack of tax on the island (whether sales tax or income tax or anything other than a few fees imposed on businesses) made it not hurt as much.
The Cayman Islands are British, so they drive on the left side of the road, and their steering wheels are on the right (unless you import an American car). I had experienced this once in the past (in Bermuda), but we rented a scooter then, so it wasn't quite as uncomfortable. Sitting on the opposite side of a car while driving makes everything feel wrong. The rearview mirror is on the left instead of the right; the blinker is on the right instead of the left. And although I got used to driving on the left, I never felt comfortable making turns so I kept looking behind me and all around me just in case. On one occasion, I almost got t-boned by a car that was making an illegal turn at a red light, but it wasn't my fault; regardless, I almost lost my stomach contents.
In terms of atmosphere, we've visited a lot of Caribbean islands, and this was one of the nicest. The people were friendly and didn't try to hassle you to buy homemade woven hats and whittled pieces of wood. It was easy to get around, and it didn't feel like we were hated outsiders simply because we were tourists. And even though there were a lot of tourists and cruise ships, it didn't feel overrun with lazy fat white people complaining about the lack of Starbucks. In fact, there were a lot of runners and walkers, and I couldn't tell who was a local and who was a tourist. One of the reasons why it was so nice might've been because the island's economy is based on banking as well as tourism, unlike many islands whose sole source of income is gullible visitors.
Snorkeling honestly wasn't all that great. It was good in spots, but there wasn't much color underwater. Stingray City and the other stops on the tour boat were the best, but we had to pay for it and it included a 30 minute boat ride out into the middle of the bay. I expected more sea life in the beaches near the hotels, but maybe human activity had something to do with that.
Swimming with stingrays was an interesting experience. Apparently, fishing boats used to stop at a sand bar to cut up their fish, feeding the leftovers to the stingrays. Over time the stingrays got used to people, a pattern that's continually reinforced by daily tour boats. Stingrays only sting when threatened or stepped on. The stingrays we saw simply swam around looking for free handouts. I was crawling-out-of-my-skin uncomfortable when they brushed up against me, but I got used to it pretty quickly. Our tour guide said you'd get seven years of good life if you kissed a stingray. Wendy did it; I opted out.
All in all, it was a good trip, and I'd like to go back someday.
Pictures:
[gallery /img/2011/03/gc01.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc01-150x150.jpg:::Wendy stands next to our miniature rental car. She lifted it over her head right after I took this picture.:::/img/2011/03/gc02.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc02-150x150.jpg:::A view of our fairly spacious hotel room.:::/img/2011/03/gc03.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc03-150x150.jpg:::A view of the underutilized hotel pool. A nearby pool had a swim-up bar, which attracted people likes bugs to a light.:::/img/2011/03/gc04.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc04-150x150.jpg:::This iguana liked to sun himself on the rocks near our pool.:::/img/2011/03/gc05.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc05-150x150.jpg:::This lizard liked to run away with his tail curled up in the air.:::/img/2011/03/gc06.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc06-150x150.jpg:::This giant iguana was sitting in front of a giant oceanfront villa, doing a fairly good job of scaring people away.:::/img/2011/03/gc07.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc07-150x150.jpg:::Here's an unintentionally artistic picture of a snorkeling Wendy, taken from about ten feet below the surface.:::/img/2011/03/gc08.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc08-150x150.jpg:::A juvenile French Angelfish.:::/img/2011/03/gc09.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc09-150x150.jpg:::A Flamingo Tongue Snail eating its way up a sea fan.:::/img/2011/03/gc10.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc10-150x150.jpg:::This Sergeant Major fish swam in front of the camera right before Wendy took a picture (of something else).:::/img/2011/03/gc11.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc11-150x150.jpg:::The elusive snorkeler comes up for air, as raindrops fall from the partly sunny sky.:::/img/2011/03/gc12.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc12-150x150.jpg:::This Tiger Grouper was one mean-looking fish.:::/img/2011/03/gc13.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc13-150x150.jpg:::A Peacock Flounder with googly eyes.:::/img/2011/03/gc14.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc14-150x150.jpg:::A Spotted Trunkfish.:::/img/2011/03/gc15.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc15-150x150.jpg:::Stingrays looking for free handouts.:::/img/2011/03/gc16.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc16-150x150.jpg:::The bottom view of a stingray.:::/img/2011/03/gc17.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc17-150x150.jpg:::Wendy holding a stingray just before she kissed it. She didn't catch its name.:::/img/2011/03/gc18.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc18-150x150.jpg:::A stingray buried in sand.:::/img/2011/03/gc19.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc19-150x150.jpg:::Some stingrays (one of them named Frisbee due to its lack of a tail) swimming with some fish near our tour boat.:::]
#travel
Highlights of the trip: Swimming with stingrays at Stingray City, snorkeling in the rain (since we were already wet), dodging lizards who scurried underfoot, driving on the left, and eating lots of seafood.
The weather was good and bad. It was in the low 80s most of the time, but it rained periodically on one of the days, which wasn't great but didn't ruin the trip. The water was nice and warm, but felt cold when the sun wasn't out.
As far as price, it wasn't all that expensive. The airfare was normal, the hotel (a cheap one) was around $100 a day, and the car was around $30 a day. Gas was expensive, but it's a tiny island so we hardly used any at all. Food was a little pricey, but there were enough options that you could survive without blowing your entire budget. Beer, even locally brewed Caybrew, was sometimes as much as $7 a pint, which was ridiculous but likely the result of the "we have beer; you will pay us anything" mentality. The exchange rate made it so that everything was about 25% more expensive than in the states, but the total lack of tax on the island (whether sales tax or income tax or anything other than a few fees imposed on businesses) made it not hurt as much.
The Cayman Islands are British, so they drive on the left side of the road, and their steering wheels are on the right (unless you import an American car). I had experienced this once in the past (in Bermuda), but we rented a scooter then, so it wasn't quite as uncomfortable. Sitting on the opposite side of a car while driving makes everything feel wrong. The rearview mirror is on the left instead of the right; the blinker is on the right instead of the left. And although I got used to driving on the left, I never felt comfortable making turns so I kept looking behind me and all around me just in case. On one occasion, I almost got t-boned by a car that was making an illegal turn at a red light, but it wasn't my fault; regardless, I almost lost my stomach contents.
In terms of atmosphere, we've visited a lot of Caribbean islands, and this was one of the nicest. The people were friendly and didn't try to hassle you to buy homemade woven hats and whittled pieces of wood. It was easy to get around, and it didn't feel like we were hated outsiders simply because we were tourists. And even though there were a lot of tourists and cruise ships, it didn't feel overrun with lazy fat white people complaining about the lack of Starbucks. In fact, there were a lot of runners and walkers, and I couldn't tell who was a local and who was a tourist. One of the reasons why it was so nice might've been because the island's economy is based on banking as well as tourism, unlike many islands whose sole source of income is gullible visitors.
Snorkeling honestly wasn't all that great. It was good in spots, but there wasn't much color underwater. Stingray City and the other stops on the tour boat were the best, but we had to pay for it and it included a 30 minute boat ride out into the middle of the bay. I expected more sea life in the beaches near the hotels, but maybe human activity had something to do with that.
Swimming with stingrays was an interesting experience. Apparently, fishing boats used to stop at a sand bar to cut up their fish, feeding the leftovers to the stingrays. Over time the stingrays got used to people, a pattern that's continually reinforced by daily tour boats. Stingrays only sting when threatened or stepped on. The stingrays we saw simply swam around looking for free handouts. I was crawling-out-of-my-skin uncomfortable when they brushed up against me, but I got used to it pretty quickly. Our tour guide said you'd get seven years of good life if you kissed a stingray. Wendy did it; I opted out.
All in all, it was a good trip, and I'd like to go back someday.
Pictures:
[gallery /img/2011/03/gc01.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc01-150x150.jpg:::Wendy stands next to our miniature rental car. She lifted it over her head right after I took this picture.:::/img/2011/03/gc02.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc02-150x150.jpg:::A view of our fairly spacious hotel room.:::/img/2011/03/gc03.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc03-150x150.jpg:::A view of the underutilized hotel pool. A nearby pool had a swim-up bar, which attracted people likes bugs to a light.:::/img/2011/03/gc04.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc04-150x150.jpg:::This iguana liked to sun himself on the rocks near our pool.:::/img/2011/03/gc05.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc05-150x150.jpg:::This lizard liked to run away with his tail curled up in the air.:::/img/2011/03/gc06.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc06-150x150.jpg:::This giant iguana was sitting in front of a giant oceanfront villa, doing a fairly good job of scaring people away.:::/img/2011/03/gc07.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc07-150x150.jpg:::Here's an unintentionally artistic picture of a snorkeling Wendy, taken from about ten feet below the surface.:::/img/2011/03/gc08.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc08-150x150.jpg:::A juvenile French Angelfish.:::/img/2011/03/gc09.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc09-150x150.jpg:::A Flamingo Tongue Snail eating its way up a sea fan.:::/img/2011/03/gc10.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc10-150x150.jpg:::This Sergeant Major fish swam in front of the camera right before Wendy took a picture (of something else).:::/img/2011/03/gc11.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc11-150x150.jpg:::The elusive snorkeler comes up for air, as raindrops fall from the partly sunny sky.:::/img/2011/03/gc12.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc12-150x150.jpg:::This Tiger Grouper was one mean-looking fish.:::/img/2011/03/gc13.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc13-150x150.jpg:::A Peacock Flounder with googly eyes.:::/img/2011/03/gc14.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc14-150x150.jpg:::A Spotted Trunkfish.:::/img/2011/03/gc15.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc15-150x150.jpg:::Stingrays looking for free handouts.:::/img/2011/03/gc16.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc16-150x150.jpg:::The bottom view of a stingray.:::/img/2011/03/gc17.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc17-150x150.jpg:::Wendy holding a stingray just before she kissed it. She didn't catch its name.:::/img/2011/03/gc18.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc18-150x150.jpg:::A stingray buried in sand.:::/img/2011/03/gc19.jpg:::/img/2011/03/gc19-150x150.jpg:::Some stingrays (one of them named Frisbee due to its lack of a tail) swimming with some fish near our tour boat.:::]
#travel
Mar 7, 2011
Canola oil is actually made from crushed rapeseed and processed to reduce erucic acid, a system developed in Canada. The name "canola" comes from the phrase "Canadian oil, low acid." #food
Mar 1, 2011
My nonstick frying pan got all scratched up, and I wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of welcoming Teflon particles into my body, not that I have any data to suggest they're entirely bad for me. So I alternated between a cast iron pan and a stainless steel pan for a while, hoping I would get used to one or the other. I read that cast iron needs to be seasoned and can't be scrubbed clean, but no matter what ridiculous and unclean things I tried, I couldn't get anything to work without burning everything to the bottom of the pan. Stainless steel is supposedly good with high heat -- or maybe it's low heat; I tried both -- but again, I couldn't get anything to work without setting off my smoke alarm. After one final fateful experience of scraping burnt meatballs off one of the pans, I came to a realization: My mental health is more important than my perceived physical health. I will gladly welcome all kinds of potentially harmful products into my body, provided I can enjoy the benefits of cooking food without burning things and creating a mess. So I went to the store and bought some nonstick cookware, and the quality of my life has improved measurably. It turns out cookware is something I can control. #products