A New Direction

Rewind to mid-March. I had lost ~10 lbs so far in 2020 and was in a good routine, well on my way to losing ten more and meeting my goal. Then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down and isolated much of Germany, and I found myself suddenly at home with no access to the gym. Worse, my legs were really bothering me, meaning my other workout- running- was severely minimized. I [rightly] suspected that constant access to a kitchen, combined with significant free time, would not help. I feared dark days ahead.  But then . . . maybe there was a way forward.

Retreat?! Hell!  We're just attacking in another direction.
-attributed to a Marine during the Korean War 

New situations require new measures- new routines. Though isolated, we were permitted to exercise alone outdoors. With running reduced, my thoughts turned to my 2003 Jamis Aurora touring bicycle.

Quick history: my bicycle has seen very little use in the 17 years I've owned it. I estimate:

• 2003-2007: 5 rides, 25 miles
• I biked to work a few times, and did one outing with a friend. I just wasn't into it.
• 2007-2011: 5 rides, 100 miles
• I'd bike to work occasionally in Germany, on a lovely route along the Rhine, but frequent flats and a problematic knee (see next paragraph) deterred me from more frequent usage.
• 2011-2014: 0 rides, 0 miles
• We had no room for the bikes in our England home, so friends stored it in their garage for our tour.
• 2014-2018: 7 rides, 30 miles 
• The kids were too young to bike at all, or to keep up with us once they learned. Plus, the streets in our neighborhood weren't the best for biking, as there was no shoulder and American drivers don't look out for bicyclists like they should.
• 2018-March 2020: 0 rides, 0 miles.
• We were busy traveling and hosting people.

My best biking time was our first stint in Germany, but even there, I had loose cartilage in my knee that locked it up at times, a problem that happened more frequently (and with greater consequence) when I would bike. (I had surgery to fix that in 2011.) Another challenge was the tires- the gravel paths I'd ride caused several flats, which were annoying. (I'd get better tires at some point, more suitable for varied terrain.)  In summary, my bicycling history was effectively non-existent.  Then came COVID.

With no other physical options at my disposal, I pulled out the Jamis and started exploring the local paths. Google searches plus recommendations gave me destination ideas, and Google maps (at first) and Komoot (later and more suitably) gave me routes to them.  Let's see how this would go.

In short, it went extremely well. I've done 32 major rides and covered 432 miles in this area.  Along the way,

• I was quickly awed by the quantity and quality of bike paths in this area, and how they cut through field, farm, forest, and village in all directions. The trails and views are astounding; the options numerous. 
• I found that the European traffic is much more used to (and respectful of) bicyclists, making it even easier to enjoy a ride. 
• Physically, I came to appreciate the cardio and muscular workout bicycling affords. For me, running did the former and lifting the latter; bicycling combines them (at least for the lower body).
• Bicycling, in this region, is also an easy means of commute or destination travel. I enjoyed Roman ruins, Medieval castles and towns, a hunting palace, huge forests, the Rhein River, and more. I dropped off the car for repairs and biked home; I'd bike to the pharmacy and to run small errands. In many cases, it was more direct to bike, easier to find parking, and not much more time.
• I'm astounded by the natural beauty and sights in this area, within 10 miles of me, that I had no idea existed.

As the rides progressed, I'd more appropriately 'gear up,' buying a phone holder, bell, cycling glasses, gloves, lock, and lights. I haven't yet (and may never buy) a cycling outfit, but I'm starting to think on it.  Rides now are more comfortable and fun.

This whole situation reminds me of a similar time. In 2011, we had just moved to England. Our daughter was 18 months old, the weather was consistently miserable, and as a result, we were confined indoors much more than we'd like. In that time, I turned to voracious reading, and life changed in a good way.

We don't always like what happens in this world. The current situation- which has abated for the moment in Germany, but may return at any time- is difficult for all and ruinous for many. There are times that force us out of our routines and away from familiar exploits. That force us to retreat. But I'm learning that even bad situations can propel us to good things- things we would have otherwise missed. Maybe it's not a retreat at all, but simply an attack in a different direction.

Below are some pictures from rides over the past two months.

The Fires of Heaven (Robert Jordan)

Soon after The Shadow Rising . . .

Rand al'Thor, Mat, Egwene, Moiraine, and company are still in the Waste, east of the Spine of the World.  There, most Aiel tribes recognize and submit to Rand as the Dragon Reborn, but not all- one chief proclaims himself the Dragon and takes his tribe west to plunder Cairhein. Rand and his loyal tribes race to stop them . . . can they overcome?  Hopefully . . . but elsewhere, the Forsaken will not go down easily, especially Rahvin, who has taken the throne of Andor from Elayne's mother.  Victory may be Rand's, but at what cost?

Meanwhile, Nynaeve, Elayne, Thom and others have left Tanchico and travel east. Along the way, they learn of shocking events from the White Tower, so they fall in with a menagerie for protection and time as they ponder their next move.  They eventually decide to seek a long-forgotten city of potential refuge, where other Aes Sedai may await.  But with riots, refugees, and a Forsaken in their way, who knows what the future holds?

Like the last volume, this book had surprising plot twists and memorable events. The story is progressing.  That said, there were no chapters on Perrin, one of the main characters!  For that reason alone, I drop the rating at tad.

Rating: A-

Clone Wars: Season 7

With the previous season ("Lost Missions," now called season 6) six years distant, Disney brought the show back for an abbreviated season 7 (twelve episodes, with three 4-episode story arcs).  Here,

- a 'bad batch' of clones (whose aberrations are advantages) take on impossible missions
- Ahsoka, fresh off leaving the Jedi order (see season 5), helps two sisters in the Coruscant underworld make a living, as they help her move on
- Ahsoka, the Mandalorians, and Republic forces are briefly reunited as they hunt for Maul

The final story arc is concurrent with Episode III.

I enjoyed this final season, as they used it to fill in some blanks as to Ahsoka's fate (after leaving in season 5, season 6 made no mention of her). Here, we know what happens before and after (as the Rebels television show had brought back Ahsoka, Maul, and others), but it's interesting nonetheless, and poignant to see the end of the Republic through Ahsoka's eyes.

Rating: A

DuoLingo

DuoLingo is a free application that teaches a number of languages.  It's presented as categories (with levels and lessons), with no explanation- each lesson has text or voice (in English or the chosen language) to translate, either by dropping word bubbles in the correct order or (as you go up in level) typing the answer. Each category has five levels to master, with options to test out if you can.  Each level has 2-10 lessons. Example categories: basics, food, animals, accusative case, nature, business, imperatives, etc.

And . . . I'm done! Shortly after moving to Germany in December 2018, I began doing the DuoLingo German course daily- typically three lessons per day. I missed only one day, and after 435 days, I finished.

It's a good concept (and can't beat the price), though I would have liked having an introductory module before each category to explain the concepts to be presented.  Throwing the student into it has its advantages, but in a language like German, where there are many possible articles, suffixes, and verb conjugations, having no explanation beforehand is a real handicap- the student is left guessing. Since I already had 4 years of German instruction in high school, it was a little easier for me, but I imagine that I'd be lost if I lacked that background.

I think the next step in my language journey is to look into official German examinations.

Rating: B+

Rebels: Season 4

In season 4, The Ghost and crew separate (in a sense) from the Rebel Alliance to focus on freeing Lothal, a target deemed too difficult to liberate by Mon Mothma. And it proves quite difficult indeed . . . Grand Admiral Thrawn is still in control and thwarting the Rebels' best attempts, the blockade is as strong as ever, and many sacrifices must be made if victory is possible.  But this crew won't go down without a fight . . . and they'll get help in the most unlikely of places.

The final season of the series didn't disappoint. I liked it a tad better than the others, though several elements seemed bizarre (involving animals and/or time portals . . . I'll say no more). The tie-ins to the movies (particularly Rogue One) grew as the series neared its conclusion, and the ending, while bittersweet, was satisfying and hinted at future stories (though offered through other media, I suspect).

Rating: A

Reflecting on the series as a whole, they did a good job showing the progression from stand-alone rebel band to part of something greater, exploring each character (and their respective 'baggage') as they went.  They also did well giving some backstory to the films, and tying in stories from The Clone Wars.  Of it all, my personal favorite was Sabine, the explosion-loving Mandalorian artist.  I'll leave you with one of her creations.

Movies are Prayers (Josh Larsen)

"Movies, at their most potent, are not diversions or products or even works of art, but prayerful gestures received by God."  Indeed, films voice our deepest longings, argues film critic Josh Larsen, and can be viewed as prayers-  prayers of joy, of lament, of anger, and so on. In his book Movies are Prayers, his intent is "to offer two things: a consideration of the role of prayer in the Christian life, and a way of exploring film from a theological perspective." To do so, the book "identifies nine different expressions of prayer and then places an array of films within each one."  The first chapter is "movies as prayers of praise," for example, and he discusses the concept of praise before looking at how movies like Avatar, This is the End, Fantastic Voyage, Into the Wild, Children of Men and more have elements that function as praise.

Larsen groups the nine expressions of prayer along the creation-fall-redemption-restoration narrative of Scripture:

• Creation: praise
• Fall: yearning, lament, anger
• Redemption: confession, reconciliation, obedience, meditation/contemplation
• Restoration: joy

In the back is a useful index of films discussed as well as the expression of prayer they reveal.  Larsen looks at primarily secular films for this study, arguing that ". . . prayers can be unintended and can come from unbelievers, that even the howl of an atheist is directed at the God they don't acknowledge." I agree.
--------------
Story is so powerful. "God uses story to communicate his very nature to us, as well as his plan for the world. We, in turn, use story to make sense of our experience within his narrative. And so our prayers, including those uttered in the movies we watch, always fall somewhere along God's timeline."  I love movies, and enjoyed this book.  Check it out if you're interested in thinking about movies in a different light.

Rating: A

Rebels: Season 3

In season 3 of Rebels, Maul (who showed up at the end of Season 2) continues to dog Kanan and Ezra as he seeks information to destroy the Sith (and Jedi- particularly a one Obi-wan Kenobi). Meanwhile, the Rebels find a suitable base location and put down roots there as Sabine wrestles with some loose ends from her Mandalorian past. And while the Rebels enjoy help from Fulcrum- an Imperial turncoat- they may have met their match in a Grand Admiral named Thrawn.

This season was in keeping with the other two. Some episodes felt like filler, and they may have spent too much time focusing on 'oldtimers' from previous series, but the show is still solid overall.  Nice to see Disney kept Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Rating: A-

Exegetical Fallacies (D.A. Carson)

Exegesis means interpreting a text- in this case, of interpreting the Bible.  And "a critical interpretation of Scripture is one that had adequate justification- lexical, grammatical, cultural, theological, historical, geographical, or other justification. In other words, critical exegesis . . . provides sound reasons for the choices it makes and the positions it adopts."  In Exegetical Fallacies, Professor D.A. Carson presents a variety of fallacies, the goal being for seminary students (the book's target audience) to "become better practitioners of critical exegesis."  And this is critical: "we are dealing with God's thoughts: we are obligated to take the greatest pains to understand them truly and to explain them clearly."

Interpretation is difficult- after all (and unfortunately), there are a great many differences of opinion to what the Bible actually says- even among Christians who hold it to be the Word of God!  So in this book, Carson steps through four main categories of fallacies: word-study, grammatical, logical, and historical. In each he provides examples of common ways some passages are mishandled. 

This book, though short, is difficult to work through in places.  Carson is clearly a scholar and writes as such. Parts were beyond my abilities, and better suited for the student of Biblical Greek.  But all in all, this work is excellent and highly important. I came away with a better understanding of the difficulties involving translation of the ancient Greek- and it's very easy for novices to be led astray by some of the fallacies discussed here (one takeaway: leave the Greek to the experts). But it's not all about the Greek- the logical/historical fallacies sections apply to everyone, and on the whole, it's important for Christians (and everyone) to better understand how to approach the Bible.  Highly recommended.

Rating: A

The Last Command (Timothy Zahn)

Soon after Dark Force Rising . . .

Though Admiral Ackbar's name was cleared, Luke escaped the mad clone Jedi C'baoth and Leia turned the Noghri to the New Republic cause (and gave birth to twins), there's no time to celebrate: Grand Admiral Thrawn beat the 'Rebels' to the Katana fleet.  Now, with nearly 200 dreadnaughts and a cloning facility capable of growing clones in weeks hidden away on Wayland, he looks to reverse the Empire's losses and bring the Rebellion to a crushing end.  Meanwhile, C'baoth isn't done with Skywalker . . . or Leia, or Mara Jade.  As Thrawn launches a cunning attack on Coruscant and a reeling New Republic plans a counterstrike at Bilbringi Shipyards, the smuggler Talon Karrde and his alliance of deviants may hold the key to victory . . . if they can survive.

The conclusion of the Thrawn trilogy was as satisfying and suspenseful (and fast-paced) as the prior offerings, if suffering a bit from what felt like an especially accelerated climax.  Though some concepts in these three books would be negated by the later-released prequel movies (I'm thinking here of the 'Spaarti clone cylinders' and now-inaccurate references to the nature of the Clone Wars), Zahn did a great job introducing exciting new characters and adventures.  In fact, after Disney 'negated' this original Star Wars Expanded Universe, they opted to bring back Grand Admiral Thrawn, who shows up in the Rebels television series largely unaltered from his portrayal in these Zahn works.

Rating: A

Rebels: Season 2

The crew of the Ghost continue their exploits in season 2 of Rebels. Ezra starts training as a Jedi with Kanan as they and the rest of the crew (Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper) continue fighting against the Empire- and now, they're not alone. They learn of other Rebel cells, and combine their forces to heighten their capabilities and impact, predictably drawing the attention of the highest in the Empire- to include Darth Vader.  But they have some powerful- and old- allies on their side, including some  clones . . . and a former Jedi named Ahsoka Tano.

Nearly five years ago, I reviewed season 1 of the Star Wars television show, Rebels. Now, the COVID-19 lockdown is giving me an opportunity to look at the rest of the series.  Season 2 is much the same as the first- the story moves quickly and progresses nicely, the characters continues to develop, and they continue to do ridiculous feats . . . but I loved it.

Rating: A-

Dark Force Rising (Timothy Zahn)

Shortly after Heir to the Empire . . .

Leia and Chewie head to Honoghr, home of the Noghri people hunting them.  There, she tries desperately to show how the Empire is using them and turn them to the New Republic . . .
Grand Admiral Thrawn continues his attacks on the New Republic, using both his natural genius and Delta Source, a direct feed of information said to be from the inner group of New Republic leadership . . .
Mad Jedi Master clone Joruus C'baoth starts his training of an increasingly suspicious Luke Skywalker, looking to lure Luke into his power-grabbing schemes . . .
Admiral Ackbar is under arrest as Borsk Fey'lya consolidates his grip on the New Republic's military. Our heroes race to clear his name, but it may be too late, because . . .
The Katana Fleet- 200 slave-rigged dreadnaughts thought long lost- has been found.  Talon Karrde knows its location, and the race is on for both the Empire and New Republic to find him, then the ships, knowing the balance of power lies with the victor.

So continues Zahn's excellent Thrawn trilogy. I couldn't put this down- it was non-stop suspense.  Thrawn's uncanny knack for figuring out his adversary's moves is balanced by the heroes' ability to wriggle their way out of every situation (I found the balanced implausibilities somehow pleasing- or at least equalizing).  I can't wait to read the conclusion.

Rating: A