. Soupy Norman

Soupy Norman is a Polish soap opera that has been dubbed into English by some funny Irish. This is episode one.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

This is one of those cloudy Belgian-style saison beers that you're supposed to pour slowly or decant into something else first to avoid drinking the bits in the bottom. Whatever.

The label claims that it is both 7.5% ABV and 8.5% ABV. I suspect it is the latter as I was home alone and forced to drink it all myself and became quite inebriated.

It has possibly the ugliest beer label I have ever seen, and it's not even Belgian (it's made in New York) but it makes up for this dirty lie by having a cork like those Canadian beers. Corks are fun! It tastes similarly rich and hoppy to the Unibroues I have had, maybe a little crisper, and the froth on top is not as thick. And it's 1Pt 9.4 fl.oz. And that is all.

. Conclusions

Spent all day studying HDTV reviews. Here are the results of my research:

. Sushi with Susan

We made Sushi with Susan.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Sam Smiths' Organic Ale is made in Tadcaster which is just off the A64 between Leeds and York where I am from. Like most things in Yorkshire, the brewery has been there since 1758. Sam Smith's more famous uncle, John Smith, made his beer next door to Sam, and liked to hide in his shed and lick magnets, apparently.

This bottle is 1 pint 2.7fl oz, 5% Alc by vol, or ABV as it shall now be known.
Slightly malty, slightly fruity.

Goes great with Sushi with Susan.

. Licky Kiss Face

Sasha is more purrs & licky kisses these days. But she has a reputation to uphold & she still takes a mean picture.

. Normalcy

The unnatural sunny weather has retreated & the fog has returned. Lovely.

. Least Favourite Beer of the Week

My least favourite beer of this week was the second beer I drank while watching Batman Dark Knight at the Sundance Kabuki. I did not know it was such a long movie. And I have never needed to pee more in my life. I seriously thought I was going to damage myself.

. Moustache

. Typography

. Merav

. iPhone Saber

Unleash (or install) the force within your iPhone.

. Losing the War

'Losing the War,' written by Lee Sandlin, was the most interesting & excellent story in Ira Glass' “The New Kings of Nonfiction." But how annoying is it when you reach the end of the piece to find it's an abridged version? Very annoying. No polite teeny tiny 4-point asterisk note at the beginning. Nope, it's at the end, after you've finished it. Or at least thought you had finished it.

Perhaps it was just the odd preposition & extra comma that was removed. But then again, it might have been a big chunk of awesomeness (yes, 'chunk' is the official measurement unit of that silly word 'awesome'). So while I do find this abridged-nonsense exceedingly annoying*, it is likewise exceedingly cool that the author posted the full text on his web site: leesandlin.com.

Long live the internet & self-publishing.

*(original diatribe has been removed due to my ability to mis-convey humorous outrage as being very very angry & general refusal to use 'winkies' to indicate such things)

. Favourite Beer of the Week

St Peter's English Ale is known in England as St Peter's Organic Ale, because everyone in England already knows that St Peter was English, like Jesus. It is brewed in an old Hall made of bits of a nunnery that Henry VIII destroyed while he was killing nuns for doing things all wrong.
And it tastes like beer.

Goes great with scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus and salad which I have forgotten to make salad dressing for. Damn. And season one of Comic Strip Presents... Five Go Mad in Dorset.

. Rani's birthday party looked like this

And like this:

. Indie Day

We went to a party and Carlos showed us how Cory rides his bicycle.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

Foret is an organic, bottle-conditioned saison ale from Belgiumland. "Bottle conditioned" means its got bits of stuff floating around in it. "Saison" means "season", and that it was originally brewed in the autumn or winter by farm workers who were entitled to 5 liters of it throughout the workday during the harvest season because apparently water was hard to come by. 5 liters is over 10 pints. 10 pints a day! Good lord! This bottle is 1pt. 9.4 fl oz. 7.5% Alc by vol, and has a picture of a unicorn on it.

Goes great with sharp cheeses and other hearty fare, including veggie tempeh indian wraps and Doctor Who season 4.

. Bookworks 2008

The PCBA's triennial artist book exhibition is on display in the San Francisco Main Library's Skylight Gallery. I forgot to post this before the opening reception, so I'm afraid you missed all the free wine. But I'm in it, so wander over if you have time.

. Well-Insulated Espresso

"Cappuccio" means "hood" in Italian, which is why the mafia drink them (see Grand Theft Auto 4, Chapter 17, 'A Froth in the Family'). Named after an order of Franciscan Minor friars, the "Cappuccini," and their brown hoods, the foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hotter longer.

For world fame amongst the geekiest of baristas, take your closet talents to the World Latte Art Championship in Denmark.

. Favourite Beer of the Week

If, like me, you find yourself with no friends on a Saturday night, I recommend to you - La Fin Du Monde. Made by the people who brought you "Ounibroue 16" and named in honour of the people who thought they'd reached the end of the world when they hit America, it's strong and tasty and triple fermented, whatever the hell that means. Goes great with Lentil and Vegetable Bake and roast potatoes and season two of Gavin and Stacey, and Nif. :)