sneevel's house of fun

Belgian Beer Night.

2006-12-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday a group of serious beer tasters assembled to rate a group of Belgian beers. It was a tough job, but even though they became more and more intoxicated in full knowledge that they would pay for it the next day they persevered and were able to not only taste, but actually completely consume a considerable amount of considerably strong beer. Here's the results. Beers are rated out of 30 points, with 6 possible points from each judge.

This Christmas beer was the winner. It also costs more than a private jet or a small country. It was full flavoured, complex, but still refreshing. And the label had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with our decision. Noel de Silennieux, which claims it's the beer that can make you dream, 1st place, 28 pts.

This photo is reflective of the photographers condition at this point. It was completely in focus when I took it. If you're beginning to wonder if these results have any credibility at all, let me just say that, no, they don't. Duvel. Lighter milder and more refreshing than most. this one made us happy because it was what we expected from beer. Easy to like. 27.5.

Bit of a mixed bag here. Westmalle, in third place was a great beer with a clean intense taste and a nice fresh finish. 25 pts. Maredsous fared quite well tieing for 6th place with Chimay red. 23 pts. Santa Claus, (Julemamens Trøst), a Christmas beer made for the Danish market, was a bit monolithic and a bit too sweet. It finished tied for 11th with Golden Carolus. 17 pts.
Since we had many lager drinkers in our group. the lighter beers with a bitter edge did well. Orval, 4th place 24.5 pts.

In this case Leffe brune beat out Leffe blonde in a rare and exciting moment in our tasting. When I thought about it the next day it was SO exciting I could almost puke. Leffe brune, 5th place, 24 pts.
Justin elegantly displays one of the two Chimay beers. I kind of thought that these were medium-powerful beers; intense but still refreshing. The red label was more popular, finishing in 6th place, tied with Maredsous. I didn't get a picture of the blue label, which finished 10th. Chimay red, 23 pts. Chimay blue, 19.5 pts.
The contreversial Achel beers caused a stir. This one went over okay. Achel blonde, 7th place, 22 points.
But this one bombed. Sickly sweet syrup that made us feel kind of dizzy and giggly, almost like we were drunk. Achel brune, 12th place, 13 points.

Apparently Chris like beer. Abbaye de Val Dieu, 8th place, 21.5 points.

Golden Carolus Christmas beer didn't do too well, but it did win the award for most alcohol - a whopping 10.5 percent. Drinking it is like getting punched in the face by some big Belgian guy.

Well that's about it, 'cept for a couple of missing pictures. Here's the rundown:

1st place - Noel de Silennieux 28 pts.
2nd place - Duvel 27.5 pts
3rd place - Westmalle 25 pts.
4th place - Orvel 24.5 pts. (tasted first)
5th place - Leffe Brune 24 pts. (gulped last)
6th place - Maredsous and Chimay red 23 pts.
7th place - Achel blonde 22 pts.
8th place - Abbaye de Val Dieux 21.5 pts.
9th place - Leffe blonde 20 pts.
10th place - Chimay blue 19.5 pts.
11th place - Julemanen's Trøst and Golden Carolus 17 pts.
12th place - Achel brune 13 pts.

Paris

2006-12-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a while now, but we managed to squish in a trip to Paris in November. It was a long weekend and we basically did all the touristy stuff. Here's us at the Louvre. We met some friends there, ate loads of food, and then flew home. That's about it. Now I can say I've been to Paris.

Nordic Quirkiness #4

2006-11-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since my last post, and even longer since my last Nordic Quirkiness. It took a while, but I promised that my next observation about Norwegian culture would be positive, and I intend to deliver on that promise. On Saturday evening I attended my second ever julebord which was arranged by Vinmonopolet. The whole tradition of the julebord (literally, "Christmas table") means that every year, one's employer sponsors food and booze for an evening. Stories abound about extreme drunken behaviour at these events. The most extreme I have heard could possibly fall into the category of urban myth, but who really knows? It concerns a slightly disgruntled employee who, in an extreme state of intoxication, decided to urinate on the salmon.
Rest assured there was no such transgression at my julebord and the food, despite a lack of vegetarian options, was unscathed and generally well received. There was also plenty of booze and fun, and I found myself enjoying the tradition of the julebord very much. I did in fact, managed to get rather hammered, suffering greatly the next day. And although my behaviour was not as boorish as the individual mentioned above, I imagine there was some unsteadiness, and slurred speech. Which brings me to the best part of this fine Norwegian tradition - I was not alone. Apparently nearly everyone misbehaved, and I thankfully did not have to hear choruses of "man were you ever pissed!" on Monday.
On another note, we have recently returned from Paris, and I'll post some photos soon. A big hello to my family of friends back in Van. - if any of you are reading this.

partytime.

2006-10-31T02:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of the fine folks who came out to our small, but oh-so-distinguished Halloween party on the weekend. As your host, I felt that it was my duty and also my privilege to push the cocktail envelope, and as a result I appologize for my "absence" in the late evening. Thank you for the fine costumes, as evident in these photos, and a special thanks to Tim and Bente for filling out the guest list with such fine individuals! Thanks also for being nice to the cat.

Safe Men

2006-10-31T00:48:00.000-08:00

A friend recently e-mailed me a song (isn't it great how you can do that?) which I immediately recognized from one of my favourite films "Safe Men", which I highly reccomend that you check out. I recently ordered the DVD from Amazon and I was really excited because this film has never been on DVD before. Of course it doesn't work on our DVD player since it is North American format. One would think that with all of the technological advances that have been made, along with an inceasingly globalized society, we could kind of come to some kind of agreement about things like electrical outlets, photocopy paper, which side of the road to drive on, and yes, dvds.
Anyway, I'm getting off topic. I have of course still managed to watch the film, which is as excellent as I remember. So for Brad, here's another song from the film. Give this a bit of time to load up - things seem to go a bit slowly over at ezarchive since they "upgraded".

Ah, the sixties!

2006-10-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hare Rama Hare Krishna - Dum Maro Dum (partial)

Looks like these folks really know how to have a good time.

Mixed tape 2.

2006-10-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

Since the old one has long since expired, here's another mix which I sent to the lovely Alison in Vancouver. This one is basically electronic weirdness, but you really have to listen to it all the way through, even if it annoys you at times... It should be up until about November 6 or so.

If you think that my taste in music doesn't completely suck, check out some of the links to mp3 blogs on the right. I've just started listing these links, but there will be more to come. these people really know their stuff and find some amazing music. They deserve major kudos.

Also, check out the kiddie foot.

Help my Fat Cat.

2006-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

First, another dose of amateur music, which you can listen to or download here. I like the little quote from Bishop Desmond Tutu. You KNOW I'm gonna keep churning out this shit, just 'cause I like making it.

Secondly, we're taking care of a cat, affectionately named Løvepus (pronounced Leuvepooce), which in Norwegian means "Lioncat". He's about 14 years old, and definitely one of the sweetest cats ever. He's terrified of the outdoors which is good since we're on the fourth floor. He gets little exercise, and LOVES food more than anything. As a result, he has developed something of a weight problem, as is evident in the pictures below. So please, if you have any ideas, post them on the comments section. He's kind of got this wheezy kind of breathing, likely due to his weight.

I'm not actually worried about his health - he's fine, but it's a bit embarassing every time people come over and say "Man, that is one FAT CAT".

a slight nauseous feeling

2006-09-27T01:16:00.002-07:00

Here we see either the glam/screechy voiced metal-ish band Dio or a group of war veterans - it's hard to tell.

First of all I would like to thank Old Hits From the Bong for his astute commentary. Nobody knows how to get to the heart, or the spleen, of a matter like him. And since sometimes I feel he is the only one reading my drivel, I am doubly grateful.
What I would like to talk about at the moment is those bony inhabitants of everyone's closet, the skeletons. Everyone has these fellows lurking about, and as a man who has given more than his fair share of support to the good people at Bacardi, Tanqueray, Stolichnaya, Captain Morgan, Kokanee, Heineken, Becks, Stella, Southern Comfort, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Molson, Labatts, Carlsberg, Cuervo, and just about every wine producer in the world to name just a few, I have many foolish moments in my past. Just thinking back on them can give rise to a slight nauseous feeling.
So when a pair of well meaning friends in a different time zone ring up drunk as skunks on a Tuesday as I am enjoying my morning coffee and Euro News, and ask me to actually re-live one of these moments and perform an air-guitar version of Dio's "Hungry for Heaven" over the internet like some kind of trained seal, I must respectfully decline. Sometimes the past can only be revisited through a conduit provided by one of the fine beverage purveyors listed above.
So for Old Hits From the Bong, fans of shitty heavy metal, and masochists, here is possibly one of the worst songs of all time.

ny musik

2006-09-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing around with the computer trying to make some music. I still suck, but now if people haven' actually HEARD the music that I make, then I can potentially fool them into thinking that I know what I'm doing since I now have a keyboard and lots of cords. Here's my latest creation. No Garage Band at all used here, just new stuff which I got courtesey of Sunnyboy. Unfortunately it couldn't make the jump to the new computer, so I'm still using old whitey now and then. Kari is frustrated as hell whenever I spend time doing this, and because of her my true genius will probably not be appreciated until after my death... You can hear or download this rubbish here. (ctrl. click on your mac for download options)

Nordic Quirkiness #3

2006-09-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

People always ask me about the biggest differences between Canada and Norway. Aside from people's relationship with alcohol (definitely the subject of a future Nordic Quirkiness) I would have to say that I have a bit of a problem with the general coldness towards strangers that I often experience.
Whilst whining about this to one of my Norwegian friends, a suggestion was made to me that perhps it's only Oslo that is really so unfriendly. Last weekend I was in Trondheim and I must say, it was refreshing. People were actually nice - they even halfway smiled sometimes. i went out to a bar called Kredo or something (it's all a bit foggy) and I actually talked to some nice people. In addition, I got to hang out with some great friends who I already knew and the weather kicked ass. We were even at the beach... in September, in Norway (can you believe that?)

So my general conclusion is this: Oslo- GET OVER YOURSELF! This is not some fast paced metropolis, it's a relatively small city. Why can't everyone put away the mobile phone and stop trying soooo hard to be soooo coool? And furthermore, this is a rich city with a good standard of living. Why all the angst? People go around with a permanent expression like someone ran over their pet. A smile would not kill you Oslo.

At risk of being accused of Norway bashing, I promise to make my next Nordic Quirkiness more positive. 'Cause actually this place is growing on me, kind of like a fungus.

Blast from the Past

2006-09-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

So I have this cool thing on this site - the site meter. It tells me who visits this site, and since there are relatively few who can understand my own particular brand of genius, I can pretty much keep track of all of you. Now I understand why organizations like the CIA engage in all kinds of covert activity. It's fun! For example, the other day I noticed that someone from Shizuoka Japan with a Mac OS visited. Hiya mister! It's been a while.

What's a Sneevel?

2006-09-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sneevel, or Sneev for short is a name that I have acquired from my dear little Snømus. I guess that it was naive for me to think that there was no other associations for this name. I have recently found that the name is actually a known commodity among those coolest of cats... fantasy role-playing game fanatics. Specifically, it seems that the Sneevel is some sort of alien creature from the planet Sneeve, which is apparently mostly covered in swamp. The Sneevels are apparently excellent scouts and explorers. However, it is doubtful that anyone would want to go exploring with the Sneevel, since the role-playing fanatics write that the Sneevel exudes a horrible, horrible smell. It does appear that, despite this, the Sneevel is not without his fans. I guess mediocrity is okay, since THIS Sneevel is perhaps neither as odourous nor as popular as the ones from Planet Sneeve.

Nordic Quirkiness #2

2006-09-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

First of all, the pancakes are just different. More like crepes really, which is fine by me. Secondly, they're served with some kind of fruit jam, which is also fine with me. But what definitely qualifies as Nordic Quirkiness is that every Norwegian I've spoken to always eats the same thing with pancakes: tomato soup with macaroni. Is it just me or is that weird?

A visit from a friend.

2006-08-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Boogie.

2006-08-24T01:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a crap dancer. I've got no moves. Nevertheless, sometimes when I find myself dancing, I pull myself back from the situation and analye the dancing of others. Usually I come to the conclusion that, yes, they simply have more rhythm than me.

But there was a time back in the late 90's when I wold occasionally see dancing which made even mine look acceptable. Just exactly what were these people trying to do? I have finally found a website which explains it all here.

Nordic quirkiness.

2006-08-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

My, my, it's 5 in the morning and I'm wide awake. There's no real reason for it, I'm just not really in the mood to sleep. I think that that's the sign of living in a place where we have too much money, too much stuff, and too much free time. We begin to think a lot about things that don't really matter that much. I actually caught myself thinking that I should really get on with filling in the cracks between the hardwood planks in the kitchen. I probably dwelled upon this subject of thought for about 10 or 15 minutes. If that's not a luxury problem then I don't know what is.
We've been having a good time visiting with U. from Vancouver. We went for a short relaxing walk, which Kari called "mountaineering". The woods up above Oslo are really nice. People take real pride in preserving them in pristine condition. Take the bus 5 minutes down the road into Oslo and every little park you see is full of trash and, especially, overflowing garbage cans...

The day passes quietly...

and as night is upon me I realize that this is only one of so many little quirks about the Norwegians. Toss a plastic bag full of picnic waste onto a huge trash heap beside the local playground and nobody cares, but accidentally drop your orange peel on the ground in marka (the woods) and outdoorsey women with baskets full of mushrooms will bat you over the head with those all year round ski pole thingys that they go for walks with. Rather a double standard, and definitely qualifying as nordic quirkiness.

How to get things done.

2006-08-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

Here's how to get things done.

I Love Tropical Fruit

2006-08-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

I love to share music with people, often long after they have grown tired of it. In that fine tradition I would like to take the opportunity to blather on a bit about Rhythm and Sound which I have liked for quite a while. This is the kind of stuff with bass that jiggles your internal organs around. This is the kind of stuff that conjures up images of smokey rooms, incense, dreadlocks, and the various stages of "le chill out". "Mango Drive" (hence my tropical fruit theme!) is the kind of song which sneaks up on you - it seems so mellow at first but by the end it has a much harder edge, and a real dark side.
My abiding memory of ths song is playing it to a bunch of people at the beginning of a party where everyone was kind of milling around talking. The music was not loud and no one really payed any attention when the song came on, but after a while everyone was moving just a little bit in time to the music. So much fun.

Otherwise, ere's some more stream of consciousness:

A quick message from the Snoemus: Remember to empty your pockets before you put clothes in the washing machine!

If you haven't checked out Pandora yet, you should. Best internet radio going.

Found this picture on the net, from the Canary Islands. The caption read: "An exhausted immigrant crawls ashore while tourists look on. Islanders are increasingly worried about the immigrants' effect on tourism and the spread of disease." Scary stuff - when did everyone stop giving a shit?

If you get that funny feeling like someone is watching you, it's probably because agent Fox Mulder turns 46 today.

Trans Atlantic

2006-08-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on my sofa, jet-lagged, and my mac book just keeps getting hotter and hotter. Apparently this is normal, but I can't help feeling that I've turned a corner with the purchase of this dark powerhouse of a computer. Things are getting hot in the kitchen, and a blog is a sure fire way for both me and this machine to blow off some steam. Now that I think of it, this computer really needs a name. Back in the Fonzarelli 70's people named their cars. Now it's time to name our computers. The name for this one has to be something really HOT, 'cause you could cook an egg on this thing.
So what do I have to tell you? We were back in Canada recently and it was great. Started off with a family campout.

Next was Soundwave, featuring extreme bocce.

Even managed to squish in some rock climbing. (It isn't me in the picture by the way - I can only dream of being that good!)

Generally, a fun time was had, and now here I am back in a cold land with a hot mac. Friends really are wonderful things, even when they're a long way away. So now that I've reconnected with all of these wonderful people, I've decided that BLOGGING is a good way to stay in touch and to share some of my quirkiness with you all from afar. So here goes:

check out a bizarre website. Take your time...

My oldest friend (he could almost be qualified as a geezer he's so old) pointed something out to me and it really got me thinking. Dr. Hook strikes me as more than a little bit paranoid. Take "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" for example. Check out these lyrics. Looking over your shoulder, or, um, HER shoulder is no way to live.

For all of you Star Wars geeks, check out Bespin. J., this means you.