according to jeff

One of the quirky things about the Internet is that an ordinary, home-schooling dad like me can attract attention from unexpected sources. For instance, some one involved in Minnesota’s E85 promotion responded to an E85 post on this blog. An author critical of the The Prayer of Jabez read my review and sent me a copy of his book on the subject. And recently, the public relations manager for Sourcebooks, a publishing company in the Chicago area, sent me a new poetry anthology: Poetry Speaks to Children.

Poetry Speaks to Children sets a high standard for itself in its marketing material:

“Could it be possible that the next hot thing for children is not battery powered, viewed on a screen, and has nothing to do with sex, violence and profanity?”

The material then suggests that the next hot thing is this anthology of poetry: Poetry Speaks to Children. While I’m skeptical that poetry will overcome Playstation and Star Wars and Reading Rainbow and Wishbone, this book presents poetry in an interesting way. It contains 95 poems and each page includes colorful artwork. What sets this book apart, though, is that it includes an audio CD containing readings of 52 of these poems. Many of the recordings are of the poet reading his own work. For instance, listen to some of my favorites:

• Robert Frost read Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
• Roald Dahl read The Dentist and the Crocodile
• JRR Tolkien read Frodo’s Song in Bree
• Mary Ann Hoberman read Rabbit and Brother

I loaned the book to our resource teacher at the Cedar Rapids Homeschool Assistance Program. She had done a poetry study with our two children just last year, I think, so I thought she might enjoy it. I was right. Here’s what she had to say:

“I really enjoyed this poetry book, especially listening to the actual poets reading their own poems. It was great to hear the voices of Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and JRR Tolkien. I think my favorites were the readings of Casey at the Bat and The Raven done by Basil Rathbone.

“I tend to agree with the Kirkus review that the artwork leaves something to be desired because it’s not all done by the same artist. However, that is overshadowed by the wonderful collection of poems.”

We are big proponents of reading aloud to children. Poetry Speaks to Children would provide some nice, off-beat interludes in your reading-aloud plans.

My friend Brian recently wrote an article on his blog about the old Chevy slogan: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet. He was noting how times have changed. Related to the hot dog, Brian wrote:

“Hot dogs? My daughter turns up her nose at hot dogs. They’re filled with sodium, made from unmentionable pig parts, and have no nutritional value. With the possible exception of the Atkins Diet wave earlier this decade, hot dogs are definitely out.”

And concluded:

“Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet? Try football, chicken breasts, take-out Krispy Kreme, and Toyota.”

While he may be right (after all, I did trade my Chevy for a Toyota), let me elucidate why he should be wrong, at least regarding hot dogs.

1. A well equipped hot dog hits most blocks of the food pyramid; not so with a chicken breast. No one adds chili, cheese and onions to a chicken breast. And we all know the benefits of chili, cheese and onions. You get your protein, dairy, and vegetable, plus the grain from the bun.
2. With chicken, today’s conscientious consumer must ask the question: “Is this from a free-range chicken?” Who needs the stress of that? Eat a hot dog; no one cares about free-range pigs.
3. A hot dog is way more versatile: grill it, boil it, microwave it, fry it, even put it in a beanie weenie casserole to take to your ailing neighbor. The possibilities are nearly endless. In a pinch, you could even eat it raw since most hot dogs are pre-cooked. Try doing that with your frozen chicken breast.
4. A chicken breast nearly always requires a knife and fork, but you can heat a hot dog with one hand. This, of course, leaves the other hand free to hold your chips, fries, nachos, 64-oz soft drink, or other side dish.

Yes, in every way, a hot dog is superior to a chicken breast.

I recommend the Oscar Meyer “all meat” hot dog, grilled. Insert in a white bread bun (no wheat needed here), add mustard (no ketchup, thanks) and onions. Then enjoy.

For the best experience, eat your dog at a ballpark. On the way home (in your Toyota), stop at McDonalds for an apple pie. (Anyone remember their “old” apple pies? Deep fried, I think… they were the best).

The local association of churches that our local church is part of — or should I say churches since both Immanuel in Cedar Rapids and Friends in Waterloo are part of that association? — is offering two theological classes for the spring term. These classes are open to all interested high-school graduates.

Institute for Christian Ministry
Dan Wiersema, Director
Offering classes at
Community Southern Baptist Church
522 Anthony
Waterloo, Iowa 50707

College level theological classes will begin Monday, January 23 at Community Southern Baptist Church, 522 Anthony, Waterloo. These Monday evening courses are “How to Study the Bible” and “Contemporary Christian Preaching” and may be applied toward a diploma on the bachelor’s level. The term length is 18 weeks.

Costs for each course will be $110.00 plus books (approximately $60.00 per class). Books may be purchased and costs paid at the first class meeting (cash or check only). To ensure an adequate supply of textbooks and study guides, prospective students are asked to notify Dan Wiersema of your intended participation by January 13, 2006. Such notification does not obligate the prospective student(s) to enroll or purchase materials.

Below is a brief description of each course to begin January 23, 2006.

Contemporary Christian Preaching
(Mondays, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Jan. 23-May 22, 2006)
Course: PM 2257
Hours: 2
Instructor: Dan Wiersema.

Description: A study of the role of preaching and the preacher, the scope and purpose of the sermon, and how to organize and deliver a sermon. Attention is given to how to plan ones preaching from week to week and on a long-range basis. Recommended by ACE for two hours (lower division baccalaureate in Communications, Homiletics or Ministry).

How to Understand the Bible
(Mondays, 7:45-9:15 p.m., Jan. 23-May 22, 2006)
Course: BB 2100
Hours: 2
Instructor: Ronnie Reynolds.

Description: An introduction to the doctrinal, historical, and literary nature of the Bible and other general questions involved in reading the Bible with understanding. The course also deals with the authority, purpose, and message of the Bible; the history reflected in the Old Testament; and principles of biblical interpretation. Recommended by ACE for two semester hours (lower division baccalaureate in Religion).

The Institute for Christian Ministry is affiliated with Seminary Extension: a ministry of the six theological seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention.

I am considering the Contemporary Christian Preaching course. I am not a preacher, but do occasionally have the opportunity for public speaking in Christian settings. Therefore, I think this class might be both interesting and helpful. We’re also considering whether Matt could and should participate with me.

I confess, however, to some reservations. Do I really have time in my life to add a class, homework, and travel time? Do I really want to commit to 18 weeks of anything?

Even with these reservations, I’m leaning toward doing it. After all, one of my New Year Resolutions is to “think young”. This may give me an opportunity.

If you’re interested in the class too, let me know so that I can let you know how to contact Dan Wiersema.

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate is the second book in the series The Sunday Philosophy Club, by Alexander McCall Smith. As you may recall from my review of The Sunday Philosopher Club, the first in the series, these mystery novels are advertised as presenting outstanding moral virtues. Indeed, Isabel Dalhousie, the protagonist, is a model of proper etiquette and social graces. The lack of vulgar language, explicit violence and “adult situations” is noteworthy. Never-the-less, these moral virtues are devoid of a biblical basis, leaving the heroine free to discover and search out right and wrong.

Isabel is the editor of a philosophy journal, giving her opportunity to think about diverse, philosophical, moral topics. This affords the opportunity to gain insight into how and what a “good person” thinks, when goodness is defined apart from God. For instance, on wealth and poverty:

How did anybody become rich other than by exploiting others? And even those who did not exploit could enjoy the fruits of exploitation. Rich Western societies were wealthy because of imperialism, which had been a form of theft, and now the poor in those rich societies strove to obtain more generous payments from the state, which could only pay them because of the position of relative economic advantage which past plunder had set up. Living, just living, it seemed, meant that one had to participate in a crime; unless, of course, one changed one’s definition of a crime to include only those things one did oneself. And surely this was the only practical way of looking at it. [page 32]

What do you think? Is her premise correct? Is the only way to become rich by exploiting others? I think not. Yes, some do gain earthly riches through exploitation. However, wealth and exploitation are not inherently tied to one another.

Like The Sunday Philosophy Club, Friends, Lovers, Chocolate provided several new words for my vocabulary.

• eleemosynary
• inimical
• insalubrious
• palimpsest
• solecism

But what about the plot, the story? Isabel meets a man, a heart transplant recipient, with a disturbing memory. Is the memory related to the death, accidental or otherwise, of the heart donor? Isabel is bound by her sense of responsibility to discover the truth.

While that sounds like the setup for a mystery novel, it really isn’t. There aren’t clues to discover or puzzles to solve. There is very little suspense. Instead, we just read along (with interest) to find out what will happen next.

Will I read a third novel in the series if one becomes available? I think not. Both novels were entertaining. Neither were a direct assault on Christian mores (the effect is more subtle, I think). But neither were particularly edifying.