Harry Bother and a Goblet of Beer...

Herwhiney Granger
The real thing...
(Image from Wikipedia)

The other night, I was putting eight-year-old En-Uk to bed, and rather than tell stories to each other -- which we usually do -- we made up new names for a few of the Harry Potter characters.

I started off with "Harry Butter" -- which, I admit, is rather lame, but if you dwell on it long enough, it becomes disgusting, which always proves terribly entertaining for little boys.

We decided, however, on "Harry Bother" instead.

Next came "Herwhiney Granger." Then "Runt Queasily." After that, "Allbutt Bumbledork" (a favorite of mine).

And En-Uk's brilliant contribution: "Draco Mouthboy!"

To which, I retorted, "Lord Oldwart." I also suggested "Lord Worrywort," but En-Uk panned that one. I don't know why...

And let's not forget the minor character "Prissy Weasley." I suppose that this one should actually be "Prissy Queasily."

Please add more, to be judged accordingly ... but keep them G-Rated so that I can entertain En-Uk with your contributions.

And while we wait for those entries ... let's have a beer, courtesy of John Dubya von EBeerSnob.Com, who has responded both to my recent promotion of his website on my blog and to my email notifying him about my generous plugging of his worthy endeavor (along with my 'services rendered' bill for the unsolicited advertisement) by posting the following remarks in this week's email, The Official Size & Weight EBeer ENews Email, Number 16, under a subheading sporting an entirely anomalous question mark, "International Recognition?":

Sixteen weeks into our project, and we’ve made it around to the other side of the planet. This week I received an email from South Korea. Professor Jeff has a blog, and in the same, featured my adventures at St. Andrews in NY. Check this out. In his email he writes:

I'm a childhood friend of Bruce Cochran, who clued me in to your email service promoting good beers.

I live in a part of the world -- let's call it " South Korea " -- where one doesn't come by good beers cheaply, but I do enjoy the virtual beers that you have on tap. Your descriptions are so precise and compelling that I can virtually quench my thirst, a thirst that the precisely described beers themselves tend to stimulate.

Your St. Andrews visits inspired me to post a blog entry, and I block quote rather extensively from your email (and hope that you don't mind):

Another good thing from Arkansas...

Anyway, I raise, in your honor, a glass ... but just a Budweiser, unfortunately -- the American one, I mean -- because I can't get the good beers in the local supermarkets, and the Korean beers are even more dismal ... sigh.

But I can dream, and your weekly emails provide the sustenance of my dreams...

I also note that Professor Jeff uncovered one of the hidden mysteries of our project. I do hope he got a big laugh out of it. Hang in there Dr. Jeff, may there be good beers on the horizon.

That horizen is so very far away ... but I can hope! Meanwhile, I'll reach for another Bud. You should too. After all, it makes you smart. You doubt? Oh, ye skeptic of little faith and even less spirit! That eponymous beer made Bud Wiser! Keep drinking the vile but potent stuff, and you will find yourself intellectually empowered to puzzle out "one of the hidden mysteries" of the sacred EBeer project...

Oops, nearly forgot. John Dubya, please send your check for 'services rendered' to my university address. And no whining, or you'll end up like Hermione...