Warfield

My Dog Is Hearing Things

Our cairn terrier, Warfield, has always had a tenuous relationship with garbage trucks and school buses. It took a few years, but I believe I finally isolated the problem. It has something to do with the sound frequencies produced by diesel engines. It’s not all large trucks with their rushing engines or squeaky brakes; it’s only those running diesel. Craig Leland shared a similar story of his bichon frise, Clark, who starts howling whenever he hears a Luna carpeting ad, Bill Joel’s “Piano Man,” or Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”

I read somewhere that dogs don’t have a wider range of hearing than humans. It’s just that they can hear the higher and lower frequencies at much lower decibel levels than we can. I have no idea how that fits with the way a dog whistle works. Whatever the case may be, Warfield and Clark are hearing something they don’t like, and they’re set on letting us know.

Miscellany - 07/20/2017
Rochefort Beers

Rochefort 10 Triumphs Again

My friend Craig has heard me talking about Belgian beer and homebrewing for some time. While living in Philadelphia, I developed into a bit of a beer snob. Having been exposed to a wide array of beer styles, I homed in on my favorites. Regrettably, I developed a taste for some of the most expensive ales, which led me into the world of homebrewing. When I learned I could brew a quality product at home at a fraction of the cost, I was sold.

Though I’ve been doing this for a while, Craig started to become suspicious. He thought I was all talk and didn’t actually brew any beer. He developed quite the conspiracy theory by which he would goad me. This finally got to me, and I brought an array of four homebrews to his house for our monthly book club. The Rochefort 10 (my personal favorite) clone won the day. Listen to Craig’s reaction.

Food and Drink - 07/19/2017
zcash

The Secure Origins of Zcash

Radiolab featured an interesting story on the origin of Zcash, a cryptocurrency focused on providing secure and private transactions. I was more than a little amused at the lengths to which the creators went to secure the original cryptographic key. While their steps seemed completely over-the-top, developments in the story suggest otherwise. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not actually out to get you.

Listen to the episode

Technology - 07/14/2017
Wine

The Mystery Wine

Aaron tells of his Italian adventures, including the mystery wine he discovered in Naples that made its way into our glasses.

Food and Drink - 07/05/2017
Mike Piazza

I Hate the Number 31

Camden speaks with his friends Aaron and Katy about his hangups with certain numbers, which leads them into a discussion of psychological phenomena. Dr. Katy Hisrich is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Governor State University. Aaron and Camden are unqualified to speak about such matters.

Miscellany - 06/29/2017
Deer

Second Life

Outdoor Life - 05/24/2017
Berger, A More Beautiful Question

There’s never been a better time to be a questioner

There’s never been a better time to be a questioner—because it is so much easier now to begin a journey of inquiry, with so many places you can turn for information, help, ideas, feedback, or even to find possible collaborators who might be interested in the same question. As John Seely Brown notes, a questioner can thrive in these times of exponential change. “If you don’t have that disposition to question,” Brown says, “you’re going to fear change. But if you’re comfortable questioning, experimenting, connecting things—then change is something that becomes an adventure. And if you can see it as an adventure, then you’re off and running.”

—Warren Berger, A More Beautiful Question

The Life of the Mind - 05/22/2017
Deer, Buck

Extending the Season

I’m gearing up for the fall hunting season in a big way. I’ve always been frustrated by the short seasons for shotgun hunting in Illinois. That’s compounded for me, since I hunt on private land over six hours away. For several years, I’ve considered getting into archery, which offers much more flexibility (not to mention challenge) to me as a deer hunter. I finally made the move and purchased a bow, a Hoyt Powermax to be specific. I’m enjoying shooting it while learning proper form. If I put in the time, I should be ready for a responsible hunt come October 1.

Outdoor Life - 05/08/2017

What I’m Reading

Organizations

Colossians 1:28–29

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Books

No Uncertain Sound
Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study