B90

Today, I start the Bible in 90 Days Challenge.  A wonderful friend invited me to join their B90 group, and I was eager to say YES.  One slight problem, however...  The Bible in 90 Days Challenge programming is for a non-Catholic bible.  What's the problem, you ask?  Oh, just a little thing called the deuterocanonical texts, that's all.

If you break it down and if I want to read the Catholic bible in 90 days (which let's face it, I do!), then I have 7 more books of the bible to fit in these mere 90 days of intense reading.  Which books am I referring to?  That would be: Baruch, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Sirach, Tobit, and Wisdom.  If anyone has a great plan for me to fit these extra books into the structure of B90, now would be the time to share your expertise with me.

Don't get me wrong, I've read the Old Testament before when I was taking graduate level theology courses at Ave Maria University, but it was a quick read.  The reading required for those classes was so intense I couldn't keep up and ultimately dropped out of the program.  Maybe again someday...

I'd really like to read the Old Testament using the newest edition of the New American Bible, but I'm torn between that and the RSV Catholic Edition by Ignatius, which was required reading for courses in theology.  But, honestly, I'm leaning towards my NAB "The Catholic Study Bible" because I can reread the introduction materials for each book, giving a great reference point.  Maybe I have too many bibles...

Anyway, I will be blogging about my reading, impressions, frustrations, new insights, and whatever else may surface.  Get ready bible, here I come!

To TV or Not to TV...

That is the question.

Like most people, I use television to get a lot of my news information and to de-stress after a long day of work, grad school, and other stressful things.  But, more and more I find myself mindlessly flipping through 200 channels with nothing to watch.  Sex, violence, and morally questionable shows seem to be everywhere, and I just don't find it entertaining anymore.  Even dramatic television series' like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" just seem to annoy me more than anything, especially "Private Practice."  Every episode just seems to be so morally controversial, and I am just frustrated.

I spoke with one of my friends over the weekend about how I was going to change my U-Verse service.  Before I could answer, she asked if I was adding premium channels or moving up to the U300 package.  When I told her I was decreasing my service from the U200 package to the U-Family package, she seemed a little dumbfounded.  I explained to her that I don't really watch many of the channels and I could save about $15 per month by downsizing my package.  Then she said something kinda hurtful:  Can you do that?  You're not a family.  You're just one person!  And she laughed.

I just brushed off her comment at the time, but it seemed like a dig.  Just because I'm single doesn't mean I'm not part of a family.  I explained to her it meant "family friendly" channels, but she just said "sure."  Sigh.

Well, I'm happy that I changed my package today.  I'm keeping my subscription to streaming Netflix so I can watch some of my favorite shows (ehem, Little House on the Prairie). :)

What do you think about downsizing your television package?  Do you watch all the channels?  Should you be?  Do you have better things to do with your time than managing your DVR?