HONEST TO BLOG

Say Uncle

After the trip to Iowa, I took an unplanned hiatus from blogging just in time to receive a pleasant approbation (#59). Thanks, Joe.

Sometimes I do keep my thoughts to myself, and the past few months occupied me with a heavy load of private thinking. In any case, I have a few stories to share. The first involves a visit with my friends Nathan and John in Harrisburg over a vat of oatmeal that may or may not be transformed into a delicious and healthy beverage at this very moment.

We discovered that (contemporary) beer is rarely, if ever, brewed exclusively with oats because, after the grain is steeped, what little liquid can be leached from them is more akin to cream. Modern oatmeal stouts normally use a maximum proportion of 5% oats. An update on our chemistry project may be forthcoming.

My car died. This made me very sad because, not currently living in the city, my livelihood depends on having one. Happily, brother Jeff decided not to keep his wagon and I flew out to Chicago and drove back. While there, we saw the amazingly superb documentary The King Of Kong *. You really ought to see it, because it's a terribly engaging Millerian anti-tragedy. Interestingly enough, this theme relates to Fukuyama's Kojevean-Hegelian notion of 'thymic' longing for recognition as the engine behind universal historical development. Take that for what it's worth. It's the feel-good film of the year.

As of the 11th I'm a proud uncle to my first nephew, Owen Jasper Rees!

I've moved to a new dwelling, which turns out to be across the street from the house of Nick Coyle, the lead singer of the Nu Metal band The Drama Club, originally of Strangers With Candy. Not kidding. It's not my favorite genre, but they've got melodic hooks and the band seems like friendly people.

This semester I am pleased to be instructing on Apologetics at the Susque Academy in Trout Run, PA. I'm using Roy Clouser's "Knowing With The Heart" as the main text. Perhaps I'll publish a study guide blog when the course is through (with some assistance from S.B.?). Unrelatedly, after class the other day, I went with my students to the historic Bloomsburg Fair. Mulled apple cider means autumn.

Finally, for your further pleasure and edification:

1. Jonathan Chaplin speaks on a Christian view of state and city.

2. Aaron Belz* reads poetry and catalyzes unity and succeeds in his administration.

3. G.K. Beale speaks (mp3) about his book The Temple and The Church's Mission.

4. Lars Brownworth wonderfully educates us about the Byzantine Empire.

5. Frank Key hosts the Hooting Yard in the style of Garrison Keillor's and Douglas Adams' illegitimate child.

6. My friends, the Costanzos, offer a sophisticated guide to finer points of Japanese culture.

7. Radio Lab has an episode on musical language, and introduces David Cope in the last segment.