1. Cleaning lady or service company
2. Lawn service
3. Snow removal service
4. Financial Adviser

Let’s put it in a scenario… You decide that one of these services is to be farmed out – say, house cleaning. That is, you are too lazy, too busy or too whatever to do it yourself. So, you check around and find what appears to be a suitable person or service org. Most of these arrangements are informal, so you say go ahead and they start.

The first few times are wonderful. If it is a cleaning service, your house is clean and tidy, including places you didn’t think of or didn’t want to think of. You are delighted. You can live in your mother’s standards without effort!

A period of time elapses when this continues and you settle into complacency around the service. It just happens as a given.

Then, slowly, the service starts to decline. This is not startling or extreme, just not up to the same standard here and there. A new lower standard settles in and that is what is permanent, not what you contracted for. If you are busy and not looking at it too closely, you may not notice for a while. The provider is too busy or rushed for everything, corners get cut, etc. It is slow creep…

You are paying the same and have the same service level expectations. So why is this?

It is like they are on trial for a while, but that is not the real service level. You only see the real level once you are in the bag as a customer and you relax.

There is something wrong here! Is the whole point that you should be able to relax with the assurance that the job is being done?

Now, I don’t have an answer other than vigilance and changing provider occasionally (a pain in the rear end). But this phenomena seems so prevalent in service areas that it is a sociological study in the making.

I am also willing to bet that this generalizes more widely, but that would be outside of my direct anecdotal experience to date. You can draw you own conclusions.

However, thanks to a timely user comment, I realized that readability had suffered by having the lines of text in the posts themselves containing too many characters – the average person being able to quickly scan only 60-70 characters without extra movement. Since I usually read the posts in the blog interface word processor, I didn’t notice this right off.

I bit the bullet and reverted to my original desire, on the back burner because it was too much work – widening via a second sidebar on the left rather than just wider textual area. some judicious forum searching turned up someone else with more the solution (there is nothing new under the sun, as usual).

So, there you have it, post readability retained yet screen usage increased!

This also means that more of the sidebar material is visible without excessive scrolling, so more of it may actually be seen.

Lastly, it has always annoyed me that when viewing a single post in old theme the sidebars were not displayed. To me this was shortsighted design, limiting the reader’s navigation options when leaving the page. This has now been remedied.

Now to convert my other blog to this format…

Blogs are somewhat the opposite. Average screen resolution has grown over the last couple of years. Just a short few years ago, the average user was viewing the net on a 640×480 VGA screen. Then we graduated to 1024×768, which lasted quite a while – partially due to the cost of LCD production on one hand, and the physical weight and cost of large glass crts on the other.

This all changed, of course, with the ramping up of LCD production and the corresponding drop in prices.

As this happened, it also became both possible (in cost of technology) and desirable (to support video in movie format) to move from the older 5:4 video format to the 16:9 cinema format screen.

As a non-gaming, non-movie-watching contrarian, I should note that I rue that day… I am writing this on a 24″ 1920×1080 LCD, but I would prefer a 5:4 format 20″ LCD of the same technical capability. Sadly that is not available

All that is to say that screens are bigger, particularly in width. This make of standard blog theme width, which was set for a 640×480 width screen, out dated and almost weird on a large screen.

Since I still liked the old display appearance of our Kubrick based theme, but felt a wider presentation was in order,  a little judicious adjustment of code was in order.

The result is the present wide Kubrick based template, which I found did not exist in any distribution – go figure. It does look a little bit more up to date, but it avoids the more extreme changes that seemed necessary to obtain the same result via another theme.

A classic 1911A 45 Cal with wonderful custom work (Ed brown beaver tail, stainless barrel and hammer, exotic grips, Heine sites, carbon fiber trigger, and full tuning job). Who could resist…

Consider this:

1. Gun owners in Canada are legion. Even restricted, and yes prohibited (but duly licensed) gun owners are huge in number in all regions and increasing.
2. Firearms can not, in general, be serviced or modified by the owner.
3. Most firearms require periodic service.
4. Guns owners like to personalize and customize firearms.
5. Skilled gunsmiths, particularly for pistols, are very scare.
6. Though there are many good gunsmiths available in the US, it is virtually impossible to have firearms serviced cross-border (Canadian, not US, border services are actually the problem).

From this you might conclude correctly that:

1. There is a large, fairly affluent populace of firearms owners in Canada who need gunsmith services and can not easily obtain them.
2. A good gunsmith is greatly appreciated.
3. There is a very large (and increasing) trade in firearms and services, with very few full service dealers with real interest in their clients.

All this points to the reality that the prospects for a gunsmith with good skills (particularly with hand guns) are wonderful in Canada. This is particularly true with the movement of trade to the Internet, which allows a business to be visible, known, and to service clients Canada wide almost as if they were local.

Good so far, but now the problem…

No full time community college in Canada presently appears to offer training in the gunsmith trade. Even within the related tool and die making trade training, where this would be a natural option, there is little awareness – even as their base trade declines.

This would appear to be mostly a politics and awareness problem, since this somewhat exacting occupation appeals to the same ‘geeky’ propensity that much of high tech work does.

The only training available is of the ‘correspondence school’ variety. Not to demean this, since I have no direct knowledge, but it would not seem to offer the same level or legitimacy as college, and one wonders about government licensing afterwords. But I may stand correct in this later, if someone can fill me in.

Any training seems to be of the traditional apprentice variety – meaning that you must find a gunsmith in order to become one. This is something of a catch 22 admittedly. That notwithstanding, some mechanical and tooling skills, combined with some research, should yield a training path.

Conclusion

So, folks, it appears that if one would like a challenging, rewarding, self-employed career, where are you greatly appreciated by your clients and have a solid income, look no further than gunsmith’ing and firearms sales.

This is definitely not a tongue in cheek post. I only discovered this situation when I started to own firearms and wanted the sort of skilled and personable service that I would expect in my own field (IT). I have been fortunate to find a wonderful firearms adviser and gunsmith, but I had to look 1500 miles west. This says it all…

Now, since I am curious I may investigate training options a bit more.

The presentation falters somewhat through an overly extensive addition of warnings for each genre. These warnings describe how interpretation is likely to fail in a myriad of ways, and they cast something of a cloud over the methodology. Though valid in some interpretive cases, presenting them in this manner is counter productive and largely unnecessary for the lay bible study student. After three decades teach and designing post secondary curriculum, I have serious pedagogical reservations about this approach. The most likely effect is to convince the reader that their likelihood of interpretive success is very low. This is a pedagogical flaw.

In reading this text, one must also bearing mind that Fee and Stuart (particularly Fee) are longstanding proponents of and participants in the more liberal side of the NIV translation. Fee is also a major proponent of gender-neutral translation. This particularly raises a serious doctrinal flag for this reviewer.

Conclusion

This book is appropriate for lay bible students who are willing to participate in the exercises presented through the examples. The effectiveness of the text would be seriously diminished by a lack of engagement through the sample Scriptures.

Due to my reservations, I would normally recommend this book for an instructor-lead delivery model (ie. Adult Bible School), or to those with an appreciation of the doctrinal caveats. Within that context, it can be very edifying.

Overall, many lay bible students would benefit from this presentation and it would enrich their Bible study. I have recommended it to numerous people.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 2^nd Edition
Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart,
Grand Rapids, Michigan,
Zondervan, 265p,
ISBN 0-310-38491-5

Summary

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is a brief, but reasonably complete lay introduction to hermeneutics. Their goal is to facilitate both bible reading and bible study, with an emphasis on bridging the gap between the meaning of the text for the original recipient and the meaning for the present reader. The initial chapters explain the need for a systematic approach to bible study, as opposed to simple reading. A clear distinction is drawn between exegesis and hermeneutics as distinct, ordered activities. The selection of an appropriate study translation is also explored.

Commentary

The body of the book defines and discusses the Biblical genres in a tradition format, addressing the Epistles, Old Testament Narratives, Acts, the Gospels, the Parables, the Laws, the Prophets, Psalms, Wisdom books and the Revelation. An appendix addresses the selection of quality commentaries. Each genre taught by means of both explanation accompanied by appropriate sample Scriptures. In most cases, the discussion of each genre instructs the reader to work actively through the example Scripture. This yields a continuous set of inline exercises, which maintain reader engagement and avoid the problems of passive description. This is an effective pedagogy.

Lastly, but very significantly, many chapters have summary lists of the analytical guidelines for that genre. This strongly supports subsequent use and it a feature that was noted in my previous review of the Ryken text as a significant omission.

Throughout the portion addressing each genre, the text consistently stresses two activities – repeated reading of the Biblical text under analysis, and the importance of context. This repetition is very successful, and is reminiscent of the same recommendation by A.I. Pink in his book “Knowing God”.

The need for reasoned, common sense bible study, the division between exegesis and hermeneutics, and the differentiation between original and present meaning are all very effective presented. The tradition division into genres and the use of extensive reader participation in processes is well executed and effective. Assuming that the reader participates in the process as requested in the text, a good foundation will be laid for genre based analysis.

This guns also adds heavier ordinance to the collection and make it feasible to use it in the high points division of IPSC or Defensive Pistol. It offers the higher power without resorting to the canon level recoil of a 45 cal.

The 40 cal will receive less use than the utilitarian 9mm, but is a great option. Since it is the same 1911 frame as my others, it is a good choice for easy transitions.

The magwell is very nice for a stock gun. The adjustable rear site yields good accuracy and also control when experimenting with different size ammo loads. Perfect for IPSC or Defensive Pistol.

The trigger is very smooth and longer than some. An interesting change.

Many shooters start to reload ammo at the 40cal level, to save money. Though it is an intriguing idea, the start up costs take it off the table…for now.

Here are some of the features that I found appealing:
- 1911 format
- great STI quality
- reasonable recoil
- very reliable
- fiber optic front and adjustable rear sights
- exotic wood grips
- skeletonized trigger and hammer

The only area where the jury is still out is the parkarized finish. Though it is superior to blueing for wearability, I don’t know if I like the look. I am considering having it hard chromed at some point. We shall see.

A shooting review will have to wait until I have put more rounds through it.

I read the author’s intent as including several overarching goals, some stated and some implied.  The first stated goal is to show that the Bible is a form of literature. This is proven by the full spectrum of literary forms that are used consistently across most Scriptural genres, in both the Old and New Testaments. This also demonstrates that the extensive use of literary forms by scriptural writers was deliberate. This is effective in making Dr. Ryken’s case.

Second, having established that the Bible can be studied profitably as literature, the book seeks to analyze each Scriptural genre individually, briefly cataloging the literary devices used and a set of precepts for read the text with these in mind. Though a more complete academic treatment of each genre in possible, the book provides sufficient explanation, guidelines and examples to make each technique clear.

The area of the reading and application guidelines is where I would suggest that the book has a minor shortcoming. The guidelines or rules provided for each literary device, as applied to each genre, are scattered throughout the associated chapters. This is appropriate for initially explaining the techniques, but it is quite unwieldy in providing a set of tools for use in later application. The book would be greatly enhanced by the inclusions of either a.) an end of chapter listing of the genre guidelines developed in that chapter, or b.) an appendix listing the each genre and associated guidelines in summary.  The inclusion of an appendix would be best. The guidelines themselves, however, are for the most part clear and relevant.

The third goal is implicit more than stated. Throughout the book, Dr. Ryken refers to the importance of experiencing the stories and other forms of the text, rather the viewing them as colds fasts to be intellectually supported. He states repeatedly that to ignore the experiential aspect is to miss much of the communication and the intent of the writers.

I would agree very strongly with this. I consider to be more significant that the guidelines provided for literary analysis. I have long held the conviction that though exposition requires a strong commitment to factual analysis, the text has much more to communicate though it’s literary form. From my experience this has been actively discouraged in the church in modern times, yet Dr. Ryken’s book shows that it was clearly the intent of the biblical writers that it be read this way. I was very heartened to see this and I consider it to be the most significant contribute of the book.

Conclusion

This book makes a successful case that the Bible, both as a whole and in individual portions, should be viewed as literature. As such, literary analysis should be an equal tool set beside traditional hermeneutic techniques. The book provides a concise synopsis of appropriate literary forms and associated techniques for analysis for the major biblical genres. The most significant proposal for bible study is that the stories and other genres be experienced as much as analyzed. A convincing case is made that the biblical writers included literary techniques in order to convey an experiential meaning that is beyond that which the plain doctrinal and proof text meaning are capable of imparting.

The text of the bible is demonstrated through structure and example to contain a richness of expression that is only fully received when view from a total engaged perspective. This perspective includes all the experiential, emotion and intellectual inputs supplied by the text, and these are partially communicated almost exclusively through literary form.

Bottom Line

This book added a new hermeneutical and confirming dimension for me. It gave voice to my conviction of the importance of affective content in interpretation (something largely and proactively ignored in the Reformed community), and how that content is communicated.

Literary analysis has an important place in the interpretive process. I am not convinced that, as VP Long would propose in The Art of Biblical History, it must come before historical-grammactical and canononical analysis. However, I do feel it has an equal place with historical-grammatical techniques.

An excellent book.