Your Own Blog Posts

Make your own Bible.  Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.
―    Ralph Waldo Emerson
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On This Day In:
2022	A Happy Realization
2021	Is Science Cumulative?
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2020	Where #45 Is Leading The Republican Party
2019	Your Own Blog Posts
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2018	Choose Goodness
2017	Developing Translations
2016	Think Like A Hero
2015	Reductionism
2014	Gravitation, n.
2013	Ups And Downs
2012	Nerd Heard – And Good-Bye
	Your Continuum
2011	Career Tips (Part 2)

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He Says, It Says

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says:  He is always convinced that it says what he means.
—    George Bernard Shaw
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On This Day In:
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2020	Walking
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2019	Nowadays It Is Called Trumpism
2018	A Reluctant Joiner
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2017	He Says, It Says
2016	Marriage Advice
2015	To James (and ‘Tasha)
2014	Ssshhush, You Are Not Alone
2013	So I Chose Living…
2012	For However Short A Time…
2011	Take A Deep Breath And Continue (Or Not)
2010	Tootsie-Roll Day

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Three Thoughts

Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God;  and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
—    1 John Ch4: V7
Who is the King of glory?
—    Psalm 24:10
As for me, I shall call upon God;  and the Lord shall save me.
—    Psalm 55:16
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First Steps Along The Path

Omnis cellula e cellula…
Latin for:  “Every cell from a cell“
—    Rudolph Virchow
[This was the very first entry in my journal when I was a child.  At the time, I hoped to be a scientist when I grew up and considered myself to be an evolutionist.  This statement was my shout-out to the universe (“I think, therefore I am!“) that I did not believe in religious dogma – a literal interpretation of the Bible as described in the book of Genesis.  Obviously, the irony of the statement versus the actual theory of evolution escaped me at the time.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Jeopardy
2021	Will Republican Senators Convict A Former President?
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2020	Republican Acceptance Of Abuse Of Office
2019	The Courage Of Four Skills
2018	And Stable Genius, Too
2017	And So We Continue
2016	Feeling Endangered?
2015	One Day
2014	Too Bad
2013	Unfinished
2012	First Steps Along The Path
2011	A Small Part Of Future Webs

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Own Your Bible

Thus I have a strong recommendation to anyone who wants to get into the Bible:  Don’t simply read what other people have said about the meaning of a verse;  put the verse into your own words, by using the resources that are available.  You can do this even though you have just an ordinary, nontheological education.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[And the same holds true for learning about any non-trivial subject.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
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2020	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2020!!
2019	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2019!!
2018	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2018!!
2017	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2017!!
2016	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2016!!
2015	To My Special Lady
2014	Awakening
2013	Drowsy In Comfort
2012	Happy Valentine’s Day
2011	Own Your Bible

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Multi-Source Learning

We found out that we learned a lot when we tried to put a small part of the Bible into our own words;  we agreed that this exercise was an ideal way to get into the real meaning of the original.  After this experience we were, in fact, glad that the Bible was not written in English; we even felt a bit sorry for Greek-speaking people, who don’t have the opportunity to translate the Bible into their own language.  We were able to do this sort of thing with the Bible in spite of the fact that we were untrained in Greek, because the experts have made their scholarship available in convenient reference works.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[For me, the important point is the value of alternative sources in learning.  Knuth is reading the Bible in his native tongue, then looking at and translating the original language, then looking at what other Bible scholars have said are their interpretations.  The rich tapestry of interwoven viewpoints is what is creating the learning and personal growth experience.  This is consistent with my own method of learning.  I purchase books by different authors to get a more varied presentation of the material.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Big And Bad (In A Good Way)
2021	Suggestions…
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2020	Until November… Then Vote
2019	Start With Health And Friends
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2018	Tweets From The Disrupter-In-Chief
2017	Do We Still Listen To Her Silent Lips?
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2016	Why Do You Write/Blog?
2015	Can Your Repeat The Question, Please?
2014	On Faith
2013	My Name Is Charles Stein
2012	Faiths And Sorcery
	Made And Kept Free
2011	Multi-Source Learning

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Books About Books

Today’s book review is a “funny” book.  This is a book about a series of seminars which were held to discuss an earlier book the author wrote.  The book I just completed is titled:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“, (2001©) and the original book was titled:  “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated” (1990©), both written by Donald E. Knuth.  Basically, a world famous computer scientist (Knuth) wanted to “know” something about the bible.  Having grown up as a Lutheran, he felt he had a general understanding of the Bible, but he felt he wanted a “depth” of knowledge as well.  As a computer scientist, Knuth felt one way to accurately get the measure of anything is to do a random sampling of the thing, and provided you used a large enough sampling, you could gain a “probable” understanding of thing being studied.  He therefore chose to study Chapter 3, verse 16 of each book in the Bible.
Knuth found he had to study the verses immediately before and after the target verse to actually determine the meaning of the verse.  He also discovered a number of other things which he found personally interesting.  For example, in examining the works of others who discussed the various verses, he found there was general (and specific) disagreement as to what was actually being said.  He therefore went back and personally translated the verses from Greek and Latin.  Knuth then rewrote the verses as he understood them and approached a friend (a world expert in calligraphy), who in turn approached a number of other world experts in calligraphy and asked if they would each take a verse and “interpret”.
The series of verses became a an integral part of the book and later a world traveled exhibition which is currently (permanently housed) held at the San Francisco Public Library.  (And which I hope to make a visit to see.)
To make a longer story shorter, the book (and exhibit) produced a wide amount of interest which led to the series of lectures, which in turn led to the book I’ve recently completed reading.  For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, just prior to my trip to Baltimore, I selected twelve books to take with me to read.  “Things…” was one of these twelve.  Before anyone gets the idea this was “planned”, the taking books was indeed planned, this book was not.  I found the book at my local Half Price Books store in the storefront $2 racks.  Complete serendipity!!
So much for background, how did I like the book?  I enjoyed it tremendously!  What are the things a computer scientist rarely talks about?  His religion, his faith and his God.  The lectures were interesting and faintly humorous.  The author’s brilliance (depth and breadth) are obvious and his humility is engaging.  Knuth’s reasons for belief are straight forward:  Faith gives me comfort and I choose to have / keep it.  He seems to be perfectly willing to straddle both worlds:  science and faith;  and, more importantly, he seems quite willing to let others enjoy whatever faith (or lack of faith) they may have.
If there is a weakness in his book, it is his occasional lapses into trying to explain a facet of God by comparing it to a known (or unknown) in science.  For example, his comparison of infinity (God) and human ability to comprehend (or more accurately not comprehend) very large values like Super K – which he describes as 10 to the 10th power, to the 10th power.  Because this value is greater than the projected number of atoms in the universe, the “value” of the number is purely symbolic.  It exists as an imaginary number (symbol) which we can describe, but which is still not the end of numbers, even though it would be impossible to even write the value down as anything except a symbol.  The bottom line is we can never understand God, we can only choose to believe or not.  Knuth chooses to believe.
I probably found 50-plus great ideas or things worth quoting in this book, so you’ll have to bear with me for a while as I post them periodically.  I will be scheduling them, so you won’t be hit with them all in one go, but you may find getting them over the course of the next month just as annoying.  Once again, highly recommended reading!
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On This Day In:
2022	There Is No Fate But What You Make
2021	The Silent Word
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2020	Releasing Their Fears
2019	17 Days Until The Next Government Shutdown
2018	Disciplined Models
2017	We Cannot Afford Enemies
2016	Love Is Just A State Of Mind
2015	Waiting?
2014	Big C, Little B (II)
	Where God Has Not
2013	Chasing His Dragon
	Shaped And Molded
2012	Believe In Yourself
2011	Cultural Equivalence
	Why Not?
	Books About Books
	The Basis For Adult Continuing Education

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