RobCML

More and More Running

2010-05-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I set a new standard for myself today, and I'm hoping I can improve on it in the 4 weeks I have until the Half Marathon. But before we get to that, let me re-cap the week.

Biked to work and back on Sunday. Rested by taking the bus on Monday.

I had the day off on Tuesday so I got some running in. 12.5km total, 5km of which I ran barefoot, mostly on the monkey trails in Assiniboine Park near the river. It was an incredibly windy day, so I got in some involuntary resistance training every time I ran south! I did learn that my moving average was way too slow. 7.3km/h sets me up for a 5 hour half marathon!!! Yikes! Granted, there was a good deal of time walking, and stopping to water the dog in there... Regardless, I needed to improve.

Well, I biked to work and back on Wednesday, which felt good. And then it was on to today's run...

Ok, so it was a landmark run for me. 22.6km total, which is about the distance of the half marathon itself. I ran through the trails and along Wellington Crescent all the way to the Maryland Bridge before meeting up with a friend of mine, Keith, who was traveling by bike. He then paced me all the way back along the same route, until we detoured through the Park and onto a swampy trail through Assiniboine Forrest. The entire run up until this point (about 15km) has been barefoot! My moving average over that period increased to just over 10km/h, which is a great improvement.

Over all, my moving average only improved a bit, to 8.5km/h, but that includes some walking... Granted, most of that walking, was done knee deep in swamp water through Assiniboine Forest! (What was I thinking!!)

So once we'd navigated the swamp (still barefoot) we jogged down Grant and over to my Parent's place for a pit stop and some more water. From there, we jogged to Quiznos, to pick up a hearty lunch, and then I walked/ran/walked back to my place from there. The last bit from my parent's place onwards was done in my VFFs, as I'd discovered some rather large blood blisters, and didn't want to risk opening them up in the parking lots on the way home.

The total trip took a dismal 3:51, but with a total moving time of 2:35. That's about 45-50 minutes slower than I want to be come race day, but when you consider the trails I was running, and walking through a swamp, I think I did OK! I'm going to have to start bringing a camera along and taking some pictures for the blog!

Until next time, happy barefootting!

Another Update

2010-05-21T15:43:00.001-05:00

Well, yesterday felt good and productive. 30km on the bicycle in the morning through Assiniboine Park, Assiniboine Forest, Fort Whyte Alive, and the Trans Canada Trail. Then, after it cooled down a bit, just shy of 15km of running with the dog through the Park and Forest. Just about half of that was done barefoot, and the rest in my VFFs!

Good times had by all!

A Quick Update

2010-05-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

For anyone following this string of posts, I mentioned earlier that I'd probably done too much too soon the other day when I started out barefoot for the first time and completed 3.8km. Sure there were a few blisters. Sure there was plenty of good reason to rest my feet a bit...

Well, today I ran/walked for what my GPS tells me is 17.7km, (approximately 11 miles, and only two shy of my 13mile goal!) and was barefoot for around 14 of those km! (the remaining were done wearing Vibram FiveFinger KSOs). Are my feet a bit sore... yes. Do they hurt... not really. I thinBk they're tired, and the deserve to be. I am more or less forcing them into performing tasks that, thought they were designed to do, they have been left deprived of. There are muscles in my foot that were living the easy life until today! Today, they pull their weight!

The weather was brilliant, although a tad hot nearing the end of our run. (Flash accompanied me dutifully!) There's something really exhilarating about running barefoot through the trees with a dog. Fun times!

Now I believe I definitely deserve my nap in the Hammock! I've got to get that distance up over 20km sooner than later!

A Blister-Poppin' Good Time!

2010-05-17T08:07:00.000-05:00

So, how about that bare-foot running, eh?

Well, here's the deal. I probably over did it a bit on that first day, running about 3.8km barefoot. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, I probably ran further than my bare feet were ready for, resulting in some blistering on the bottoms of each of my feet. Secondly, my form isn't terribly good at all, resulting in some blistering on the bottoms of each of my feet!

What have you learned from all this, Rob? That barefootting is dangerous and silly? NO! I just need to think a bit more before I get out on the road. (I think we would all do well to think a bit more about everything from time to time!) So Saturday night I drained my blisters, and Sunday morning I drained them again. Sure enough, by noon, the blisters were essentially invisible, and the pain had stopped almost entirely.

Knowing that getting back out there for another barefoot run might be a bad idea, I strapped on my Vibram FiveFinger KSOs, and jogged out the door the roughly 2.5km to my parent's place with my dog, Flash! Once home again, and after a few trips to Canadian Tire to get parts to repair our bikes, and after a very nice nap in the hammock in my front yard, I decided to get out for another BAREFOOT WALK!

It was just a quiet stroll of 2km. I made sure to walk, concentrating on my form. (Flairing my toes, keeping my knees bent and my torso vertical, etc). The sun was really beating down on the asphalt by this point, so it was hot going. But GOOD NEWS! My blisters are practically non-existent, and I might feel safe enough to add a short run to my planned walk today!

All in all the day was a fantastic one. A good run, a good walk, a short bike ride or two, some time lounging in a hammock, a free BBQ (for Free Day! Found it on my first walk!), a home cooked dinner, and a fire in the old fire-pit my parents gave us now that they've "upgraded" their own. Good times had by all!

Today I plan to bring along my VFFs and put them back on after about 2km, just to make sure I'm not over-doing it on my feet again. The real advantage to the VFFs is that I continue to strengthen my foot muscles as I go!

In any case, I should probably be off. I want to get a move on before it gets nice and hot out there!

A new post!

2010-05-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

It sure has been a long time since I made a post, so I figured I'd make a quick one now.

I'm interested in creating a bit of a "Running" diary over the next little while. Back in September I got myself a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSOs. (I got the all black ones) These are minimalist running shoes designed to replicate the feel and response of barefoot running, while providing a measure of safety for the soles of your feet. I ran with them when I could, mostly in a gym during the winter, and I've taken them out a bunch of times this spring. These shoes are EXCELLENT!

But there's only one thing better than simulating barefoot running... and that's actually running barefoot!

There's lots of great literature out there, along with websites, Wikipedia, and other blogs, that advocate the benefits of barefoot running, so I'll leave it to you to look those things up yourselves. Suffice it to say, the only real difficulty I'm coming across is that the soles of my feet need a little "breaking in". They've been babied all their lives, in nice cozy shoes, where they could be perfectly protected, atrophy, and remain nice and un-calloused... Well, all that has got to change!

I ran outside on the streets of Winnipeg (and along a few bike paths) barefoot today. I feel great! The running was easy... my feet are a little bit blistered. I've got a few good callouses I'm going to need to develop, but I'm well on my way. I ran about 3.8km today barefoot before I needed get inside and soak my feet in the tub... but it's a good start!

I'll keep you all posted! (Whether you're interested or not!)

Cheers,

Music!

2009-11-05T13:43:00.003-06:00

I've been re-exploring the CBC Radio 3 Website lately, if not in part because they've totally relaunched the site!

There's good and bad, of course. Mostly good, but on the bad side, my embedded Radio3 players I had on my Blogger and Facebook no longer work... they're just big empty holes! Boo! (I've already sent e-mails to website managers and will solve this problem ASAP!)

But then there's the good...

I'm finally allowed to upload pictures to a new customizable user profile (And so can YOU)! And I LOVE that you can finally create multiple playlists. It's a really huge development, and it means that I can finally have "mood specific" playlists of sorts. (Granted, I've only got 2 lists so far, but I think there may be more soon enough!)

Now, I've been a fan of Radio 3 for quite some time now. In fact, almost all I listen to on my portable music player (ie, my phone) is CBC stuff. (The exception is the BBC Global News podcast which I listen to almost daily!)

I try never to miss the Track of the Day, and I always catch up on them all when I do. I've become a huge fan of (fictional?) Richard "Sunshine Dick" Johnson, host of The Sunshine Show. And I wholeheartedly enjoy keeping up to date with the R3-30, Radio 3's countdown show of each week's top 30 songs.

There are, of course, many more podcasts and shows on Radio 3, but I think you get the idea.

In any case, why don't you check out my current "Playlist of the Moment"... who knows, maybe you'll hear something you like!

Oh, and here's a little music shout-out. These ones have been totally stuck in my head for days, (in some cases MONTHS!)

Artist - Song Title
Dan Mangan - Robots
Dan Mangan - Sold
Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Greg Macpherson - Bankrobber (yes, a cover of a Clash song)
Hannah Georgas - The Beat Stuff
The Waking Eyes - Wolves at the Door

oh, and this new one!
John K. Samson just released a new track called "Heart of the Continent"
Unfortunately, I cannot find a link for it. Yet.

Cheers,

Shine On You Crazy Diamond!

2009-10-17T16:45:00.002-05:00

While waiting for the bus today, some dude on a bicycle passed me. He slowed down, nodded, and then, smiling, shouted, "Shine on you crazy diamond!" Either he thought I looked like a member of Pink Floyd, or he just thought I was crazy... Either way, I was forced to stop, reflect, and then laugh out loud. It made my day.

Do I look like Syd Barrett in this hat? I don't think so...

Maybe I look like Nick Mason in his strange hat from the late 60's? I just need some sweet vintage motorcycle goggles!

Regardless, "Welcome to the Machine," friendly passer by!

So much to say...

2009-08-08T12:53:00.002-05:00

Well, as Dave Matthews might say, there's "So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say"...

Since my last post, I've been out to Alberta once again by TRAIN for FREE, done a LOT of hunting for a new apartment, and discovered that my drummer, Ian, is moving to Toronto, thus leaving Business Casual without a Drummer or a Jam Space. I'll also be heading back out to Alberta AGAIN in early September to help my girlfriend move her stuff to Winnipeg, hopefully landing myself a second part time job, and if all goes well, moving into a house that has a basement large enough to double as a Jam Space...

That IS a lot to say! It's also a lot of work to do!

And I intend to spend my down time watching episodes of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000! ;)

Help My Band Rock the 204!

2009-06-09T22:44:00.004-05:00

This year, Power 97 is once again hosting the Rockin' the 204 contest. If you happen to enjoy the music of my band, Business Casual, then please check it out and vote for us!

Many bands made the cut, and now it's up to YOU to stop in, and rate the bands you like on a scale from 1 to 10. Each band has uploaded 3 songs which you can listen to, and get a feel for the bands sound. In case you haven't already, VOTE BUSINESS CASUAL HERE!

PLEASE stop in and help us win! They'll be announcing the first of the top 4 bands on June 15th at the 6 o'Clock Rock Report, and one more each day on the 16th, 17th, and 18th at the same time.

The votes are taken into consideration, so please, help show the Power 97 Jury that Business Casual deserves to win!

Speaking of winning, here's what's up for grabs:

The top four bands in the 204 will receive:
gift certificate from Quest Musique

airplay all summer on Power 97

performance at the Forks Canada Day celebration July 1 at Scotia Bank Stage (remaining three bands)

other great gigs to be announced

a weeks worth of promotion for a gig of the bands choosing

All of this means a lot to any band that's trying to make a name for themselves in Winnipeg, or anywhere for that matter. And there are a lot of great sounding bands in the running this year! Hopefully some of you think Business Casual is one of the best!

We all know that Business Casual has the coolest fans!

New Music for Business Casual

2009-06-06T14:16:00.002-05:00

Well, Business Casual has been hard at work! We've recorded 2 of our songs, and re-recorded another. We've entered Power 97,'s Rockin the 204 contest (barring certain issues regarding kbps...). And we're planning to record more of our ready material in short order!

Also, we've a good bakers dozen tracks or so that we think are album worthy, and DEFINITELY gig worthy. So look for us at a venue near you! Two sets of goodness!

Cheers!

One Artist - 10 Songs

2009-05-05T23:19:00.004-05:00

I'm using blogger, so I'm unable to "TAG" anyone on this, but check it out if you're interested. I'll share it with people once Facebook auto-loads it as a note.

The instructions for this thing on Facebook go something like this:

"Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 10 people including me. Try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think."

So here goes, with a few hyperlinks thrown in for good measure! Check out the links, maybe you'll find a song you like!

===============

Pick Your Artist: The Waking Eyes

Are you male or female: "Boyz and Girlz"

Describe yourself: "Holding On To Whatever It Is"

How do you feel about yourself: "Run Through the Fire"

Describe where you currently live: "Trouble on the Patio"

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: "Get Me to the Doctor"

Your favourite form of transportation: "On A Train"

Your best friend is: "Keeps Me Coming Back"

Your favourite colour is: "Sunday Morning Blues"

What's the weather like: "Combs for the Clouds"

Favourite time of day: "Anytime"

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: "Wolves at the Door"

What is life to you: "Takin’ The Hard Way"

What is the best advice you have to give: "All Empires Fall"

If you could change your name, what would it be: "Tegro Vellum"

Your favourite food is: "More Than What You’re Givin"

===================

Cheers everyone! I'll try to put some more "content" in my next post!

Off to Alberta

2009-04-21T17:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm taking a trip out to Alberta for a few days, and while I'm there, I have a few to-do's.

1. Find out exactly where in Alberta I can find Half Pint's Beer! As we all know, Half Pints brews some of my favourite beer available ANYWHERE. I know they're in Calgary, I wonder if they've picked up on the trend as far south as Lethbridge, where I'll be staying for the majority of my visit.

2. Well, I had hoped to get out and see another Lethbridge Hurricanes game, but it seems the team went and copulated with the canine in their play-off series against the Calgary Hitmen, so I'll be forced to discover other recreational sports related activates. As such, I will be re-exploring the Geocaching Community of Letbrdige Alberta. Hopefully I can find a few interesting Geocoins or Travel-Bugs, and drop off one I've recently found, like this one!. (This of course reminds me that I absolutely HAVE to drop off Snoop y in a Travel Bug Hotel once I get home to Winnipeg!)

3. RELAX! 5 Days without the usual drama of home or work will be greatly appreciated!

4. [ CENSORED ]

5. Guitar Shopping! I have it on good authority that I may be receiving an Acoustic Guitar for my birthday. I've got some ideas in mind... I want it to have some punch, that's for sure. Perhaps a Resonator Guitar would be fun. It would give me a reason to brush up on some open tunings and Bottleneck Slide styles of playing! I've been somewhat inspired by the work of Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, who plays some mean slide resonator through some crazy layers of distortion and f/x pedals! I was first introduced to his work when I watched the film, I Trust You to Kill Me, featuring Rocco DeLuca and Kiefer Sutherland. (I thoroughly enjoyed this film!)

6. Investigate the possibility of escaping to Calgary or Banff for a Weakerthans show... (25 Sat: Calgary, AB - Macewan Hall; 26 Sun: Banff, AB - Wild Bill's) Sunday is probably not going to work, but Saturday might make for a fun little excape if transportation to Calgary can be arranged... ya never know, really.

In any case, I have some laundry to get doing, and some packing, and I still have a rehearsal with Business Casual tonight. Should be some fun times!

Cheers,

Rob
I hope I have a good trip! See "y'all" soon!

New Pictures of Business Casual!

2009-04-10T20:48:00.003-05:00

If you're interested, I've got some new pics from the gig at the Cavern back in February. I might post some of the ones of myself on my own profile eventually, but for now they're staying up on the Business Casual website.

Check out the slideshow at the bottom of this post! Or, if you can't because you're viewing this as a note on Facebook, than view the album directly on Picasa.

I'll be sure to everyone know as soon as we get around to booking a second gig.

Cheers!

You can never have enough guitars!

2009-03-26T23:11:00.004-05:00

Can you ever have too many guitars? Well, of course not! But can I AFFORD another guitar?

Well, I was looking at all the guitars in my basement, and started to wonder if I should consider adding another full sized acoustic steel string to the collection...

Well, my travel sized acoustic is too small and buzzy for large rooms, live shows, or recording... and I would like to have the option of recording some acoustic tracks, or bring a proper guitar out to campfires and parties. The travel one is a great little beat around guitar. It's perfect for camping or road trips, when you know you're tight for space, and you don't want to really worry about damaging a more expensive guitar... but in the end, that's just what it is: a cheap little guitar. And of course, a full sized guitar would have better tone, resonance, and volume...

At this point, I'm forced to kick myself back into reality, and acknowledge that I spent all my "fun money" for the month on hockey equipment, and should probably put a new guitar on hold for a while.

*sigh*

In the mean time, I've got a lot to work with. ;)

Cheers,

Seeking: Hockey Pads - Help me out!

2009-03-23T01:13:00.004-05:00

Hi there everyone!

I'm in need of some assistance, if you please.

I've been playing a little hockey on the Weekends (poorly, granted. regardless...), and I'm in need of some used hockey pads so I can have pucks whizzed at me at high speeds without fear of major injuries... or, as much fear...

In any case, the following items are required, in order of priority:

#1 - Hockey Pants - Needed most of all, I don't have access to any to borrow.

#2 - Shin Guards - I might have access to borrow these, but having my own would be great.

#3 - Shoulder Pads - as per #2

#4 - Elbow Pads - as per #2

Other items, such as the helmet and mouth guard, I will be purchasing new, for obvious reasons. Though if you have a lightly to not used helmet that fits, what the hell, maybe I'll take it off your hands for slightly less than retail.

I already own skates, sticks, gloves, jerseys, and socks.

Bonus given to Jets coloured (70's, 80's or 90's) equipment! Otherwise, black pants will work fine with my Lorette scorpions jersey and socks. lol.

Cheers, and thanks in advance for all the help that I just KNOW is going to rush in!

Test Post - Inserting Maps!

2009-03-21T01:39:00.002-05:00

This is a map showing the corner of River @ Osborne in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This happens to be a great end of town, by the way!

View Larger Map

New Pups!!!

2009-03-20T00:17:00.003-05:00

So, after literally MONTHS of waiting for my pickups to arrive in Winnipeg, they finally have, and I brought them down to my friends place in Lorette to have them installed. I really have to thank Andrew for the work he did. The pickups sound awesome, and I got to learn how it's done. I'm not sure I'm ready to start installing my own pickups any time soon, but I certainly have a better understanding and appreciation for how it's done. Thank god I didn't try and do it myself, or I'd have messed up something or other!

Anyway, now they're installed, and wow! What a difference!

I play a Limited Edition, Custom Shop, Trans-Amber Epiphone G-400 with all gold hardware. So when it came time to upgrade my pickups, I decided that I couldn't skimp and went with the Custom Gold Covers, which I had added to the Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB for the bridge, and SH-2n Jazz for the neck. And honestly, they're delicious!

The original stock Epiphone pickups were... alright. The bridge pickup was really raw, and the neck was... well, soup comes to mind. The new pickups are like an entirely new guitar! They're clear, articulate, and well balanced. The neck is smooth and jazzy, and the bridge has just enough crunch when pushed. Both pickups really pick up the subtle changes in strumming well. It was easy to find several good volume and tone settings that let it stay loud and clear when strummed lightly, but kick into overdrive with just a little more wrist action.

I can't wait to hear these guys with my full rig at Tuesday night's jam. I hope it inspires my playing as much as it affected my pocket book!

Cheers

Pi Day, continued!

2009-03-14T10:31:00.002-05:00

This just in!

It turns out that the research my last blog post was based on is out of date. Time can be divided much further: including zeptoseconds and yoctoseconds, which take Pi all the way to it's 28th and 31st decimal places, respectively.

Of course, when you take into account Planck Time, which is the base unit, and the smallest meaningful unit of measurement in theoretical physics, you can take Pi all the way to it's 51st decimal place. Planck Time is of course named for Max Planck, who proposed it as a measurement of time. It appears that 1 Planck Time is about the time it takes for Light to travel the distance of 3 Hydrogen Atoms.

Now that's some good times!

Happy Pi Day!

March (3), 14th, 1:59:26:535:897:932:384:626:433:832:795:02884197169399375105... am, or pm.

Cheers!

Happy Pi Day!

2009-03-14T01:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Pi Day!

It is currently the 14th of March. (2 decimal places)

More specifically, its 1:59am. (5 decimal places)

Now, some more about time... Blogger doesn't go down to the second, but let's just assume it's 1:59am, 26 seconds (7 decimal places), and 535 miliseconds (10), 897 microseconds (13), 932 nanoseconds (16), 384 picoseconds (19), 626 femtoseconds (22), and 434 attoseconds (25 decimal places).

Apparently the attosecond is the smallest measurement for time. Pi, of course, keeps on going.

Anyway, this of course happens again at 1:59pm (5 decimal places, etc).

If, however, you are using at 24 hour clock, the only exciting time is 16hrs (4pm) where things abruptly end at 4 decimal places, due to rounding. (damn there not being a 92nd minute! If only we used decimal time!)

In any case, I wish everyone a happy day, regardless of whether or not they believe in Pi...

Cheers!

Beer! Beautiful Beer!

2009-03-13T15:06:00.003-05:00

One thing that became severely neglected when I switched to the wretched "crack-book", was that I stopped rating the beers I've tried, and posting my reviews on my blog!

Therefore, it's time for my TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO BEER REVIEWING!

Stay tuned, as I'll soon be reviewing the new beers from Half Pints (as soon as I can get my hands on a St. James Pale Ale).

Also, I'll be doing another SIDE-BY-SIDE comparison of the Half Pints Burly Wines from this year and last year's stock. (They performed excellently a few months ago... lets see how they've changed!) I've got to make sure I have enough back stock in my cellar for next year's tasting!

Also, St. Patrick's Day is coming up, so expect a review of the O'Hara line of beers.

I'm also going to refresh my memory of beers brewed in Saskatchewan by Paddock Wood Brewing, including the Bete Noir, and Czech Mate.

So please, Pint up, and stay tuned.

(Please only pint up if you are of legal drinking age!)

Cheers!

I think it's about time to begin anew!

2009-03-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

Good day!

A long time ago I used to maintain this blog at regular intervals... or at least irregular intervals. But along came Facebook, and my blogging world came to an end.

Well, much time has passed, and I have discovered that while Facebook may be useful for networking and such, it's become an ABSOLUTE CATASTROPHE when it comes to a normal "blog-like" environment.

Therefore, I am going to stop posting notes on Facebook, and return to the wonderful (and much more customizable) world of Blogger.

Aren't you lucky!

Cheers!

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned.

2007-05-10T22:08:00.000-05:00

It has been several weeks since my last confession…

Ok, sorry guys. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down and get my thoughts and opinions down… and since you’re here, I know you’re just dying to hear them. So sit back and enjoy this next little bit of ranting.

NEWS

First up, in traffic news, RobCML hit the road late April, on a 2004 CPI Tracker which he purchased for under $2000, and insured for only $217. The silly little scooter travels at 50km/h*, and travels about 140km on around 4.5 litres of gas. Unfortunately, there have been a few set-backs. Firstly, the battery that came with the scooter was old, and had to be replaced at the cost of $35. Also, the brand new carrying compartment actually snapped off of the back of the bike last week on Ness Avenue. Hopefully, it can be replaced under a manufacturer’s warrantee. The bike was purchased in order to provide transportation to and from Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, and Osborne Village.

In other news, RobCML has signed another summer contract with the DND, and this time, he’s staying in Winnipeg. The new contract will be with movements, and involve shuttling Cadets, Officers, and Civilian Staff, too and from various locations and modes of travel, as well as meeting them and checking their names off lists. Further details as to what the job entails have not yet been divulged.

Also regarding the DND, RobCML received his military drivers licence earlier this week. He can now drive DND owned vehicles, and is certified to back those vehicles up at his own discretion.

Most recently, RobCML has put in an offer on a Condo… cross your fingers for him! More news on this to follow in a later post.

REVIEWS

(Ok, I’m giving up on the third person. It was getting tedious!)

Since my last post, I have tried two new beers! Half Pint’s new Weizenheimer is quite good and refreshing. Although I must admit that I did prefer the Weizenbock. That said, has there been a Half Pint’s beer made that I haven’t enjoyed? I’d like to think there haven’t been.

The second beer I tried is made in Ontario, and is called Cheetah… I have done absolutely no research about this beer, and I must admit that the one I tried was slightly warmer than I would have liked it. All that being said, I actually thought that it was pretty good. It’s better than most domestic swill, that’s for sure.

I’ve also seen a few movies lately on DVD. The Prestige was absolutely FANTASTIC. Wow. But I can’t really tell you much about the movie for fear of spoiling it. I HATE spoilers. Suffice it to say that it is about some very competitive magicians, and the lengths that they will go to in order to discover each others secrets.

I finally got around to seeing Casino Royal, and discovered just as good as I hoped that it would be. By far the best Bond film that I’ve ever seen! I really should have gone and seen it in a theatre, but watching it on my father’s 48 inch Plasma TV with surround sound was actually quite good.

The other movie that I watched recently was Happy Feet. Wow. That was a funny movie. I really miss the good old days when that kind of move was the kind that would be my favourite. It’s certainly one that I would show my kids. It’s got a lot of great music and medleys in it. Check it out!

ENTERTAINMENT

This last few weeks has been busy for me. I bought myself a new toy. The Boss Micro BR Digital Recorder. It’s a fantastic little device! It’s a 4 track recorder, with 2 gigs of space. Each track has 8 virtual tracks, so you can do a lot of bumping and mixing of music to get a rather detailed arrangement. It also has built in effects for the guitar and bass, a built in mic, and a drum machine that is actually quite good and highly customizable. I’ve already recorded 4 or 5 songs. As soon as I find a good way to stream my own media on the site, you can expect some samples.

Well, that’s about all I can think about to post at this very moment.

Sorry there aren’t any pictures, but I just don’t have time for anything really fancy this time around. If I have a chance, I’ll jump on and put up some shots of the scooter, the beer, the destruction of my beard… that kind of thing.

Cheers,

Something new has been brewing...

2007-03-28T22:55:00.000-05:00

It poured beautifully… it smelled delicious… there was only one thing left to do...

Fantastic! It tastes great too!

Granted, this isn’t my very first taste of Half Pints Brewing Company’s Weizenbock, but it was my first proper taste. The first taste was of a very small portion out of a tiny plastic cup. The advantage to my first taste, however, was that I had the opportunity to sample the Weizenbock next to a few other beers. One was Holsten’s Festbock, and the other, though I can’t remember the name off hand (I’ll get back to you), was a German Wheat Beer of some kind. The Festbock was 7%, while the Weizenbock weighed in at 6.2%. The other beer was around 5%. Frankly, it was difficult to genuinely compare these beers, as they are really just “similar” beers rather than of the same style.

It had been a long time since I’d tried a Festbock, and so I was very pleased to discover that it was actually quite good. But the other German beer became entirely forgettable after either the Festbock or the Weizenbock. It almost seemed to lose all its taste, and this is probably why I have entirely forgotten its name. Of the two I liked better… I was hard pressed to really choose a favourite. In the end, I think I’m going to have to go with the Weizenbock for a variety of reasons that just barely edged out the competition. Firstly, its flavour seemed much more unique, and to me, more interesting. It isn’t quite as strong, and considering I’m a lightly weight, that means I can stay on my feet longer while still enjoying the drink, either with food or by itself. Finally, it’s a local beer, from a brewery that I happen to really like, so how could I possibly go wrong.

One of the things that made me happy about trying this beer was that it also reminded me that I’d been neglecting some of the similar beer varieties that are available to me year round. So once I’ve polished off my Weizenbock stash, I know I don’t have to go thirsty for similar German beers.

On the topic of Half Pints… I revisited the Lil’ Scrapper IPA earlier this week. It had been a while since I’d had one, as I seem to have made the Stir Stick Stout my unrivalled favourite. I also felt, at the time, that it was just a little bit too hoppy for my taste. But all things change. Over the past few months I’ve been trying all kinds of new beers that I’d never had the opportunity to sample before, and it seems my tastes are changing. (for the better?) I tried the IPA with some fish and chips from the Village Fish Café in Osborne Village. They complemented each other quite nicely, especially with the extra spicy tartar sauce. Yum yum! I’m going to have to try it again with Curry and Chips from the Toad in the Hole. I can see that being an excellent pairing. Though I might still find the IPA a bit much when consumed all by itself, it makes an excellent addition to English style cooking. I only regret that the Village Fish Café was out of Mushy Peas when I went in to order… that would have made it even better still.

Cheers!

(PS. Pictures will be added to this post shortly!)

Winter Camp - March 2007

2007-03-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

I just got home from Winter Camp with the 103rd Scouts, and needless to say, I took a long and welcoming shower. I’m a little tired, but otherwise incredibly well rested. The weekend was fantastic. The weather was perfect, hovering at around −5 ° to −10°C zero at night, and warming to a high of +5°C. We spent the weekend at the 1st Kirkfield Scout Cabin, near Hadishville, MB.

Strangely enough, it wasn’t wet or slushy at all. The snow stayed, and was powdery and sticky enough for the scouts to make some excellent snow trench/wall shelters. But the higher temperatures meant that no-one needed to worry about freezing fingers when tying knots or lashing, or getting so cold as to not want to be outside working (playing?). Most of the scouts were working hard enough that they didn’t need their jackets or sweaters at all for the most part. Personally, I kept the sweater on, but I’ve never been one for chilly weather.

The reason I’m feeling well rested tonight has a lot to do with the way I slept. This weekend I tried out my Hennessy Hammock for the first time. I rigged it all up in the backyard of my parents' house before I left, to make sure it was all in once piece, and to learn how to set it up. It set up really quickly, and tear down was even faster. We arrived at Camp after dark on Friday, so after a quick fire and a snack, the scouts and other leaders slept inside. I decided it would be fun to set up the tent. It took me all of 20 minutes to set it up, for the second time ever, with only a small flashlight. (Not quite the 3 minute set-up time advertised) That said, I had to improvise points to tie off the guy lines to. I ended up tying off to sticks that I buried under heavy snow blocks. Finding the trees to set up the hammock between was the easy part.

The first night was livable. It was easily the colder of the two nights, though I didn’t get a chance to read a thermometer. Despite the extra warmth provided by the under-cover, under-pad, and over-cover, I found myself feeling a draft in the middle of the night, and from then on feeling a bit cold. That being said, I was wearing no shirt at all for the first half of the night before eventually putting on a T-Shirt, and finally a Sweater. I also seem to have staked the fly out a bit too wide, which let in quite a bit more cold air. The second night I fixed this problem when I set up at a different location.

Night number two was fantastic. I slept like a baby for most of the night. I did wake up at one point and throw on a sweater, but I was comfortable up until that point, and even more comfortable afterwards. I seemed to be sagging slightly low, making the tent a tad breezier in the morning, but I realized that I had been using the wrong type of knot to attach the hammock to the tree… and after reading the packaging (duh!) I discovered a much sturdier knot. I’ll have to give it another try in my parents’ back yard and see how it goes. I also challenged myself to change clothes and such in the hammock, which proved a touch difficult. One thing that will certainly make things easier is a better winter sleeping bag. My archaic beast weighs too much, isn't really all that warm, and takes up far too much space. Oh well. Next year we'll see about things like that.

Apart from the sleeping, the camp was still a blast. We got some good hiking in, ate like kings (steak and potatoes, peach cobbler, grilled cheese, ham, eggs, and toast), learned some new games, and had some good times around the fire. (That list was just Saturday’s menu, by the way!)

I’m totally looking forward to our next camp in May. Hopefully we get at least as nice a spring day on that camp as we enjoyed this past weekend, only without the snow… God willing.

Expect further reviews of my hammock adventures in the future. I might even post some pictures of the contraption in use. It really was a lot of fun.

Cheers,

A bit of Synchronization...

2007-03-03T21:56:00.000-06:00

Over the past two days, I have had the opportunity to watch three complete Pink Floyd synchronizations. I’m not going to address them in order, simply because I want to leave the most famous synchronization until last.

That being said, the first synchronization I watched in the past few days was Pink Floyd’s album entitled Animals as the alternate soundtrack to Casablanca. Frankly, I was unimpressed. There were a few interesting, and perhaps ‘thematic’ points of… shall we say ‘potential synchronization’… but over all I felt it to be a less than exciting match. Granted, I really like both Casablanca and Animals, so it was nice to watch and listen to both of them. Granted, Casablanca is known for its famous quotes… which are hard to hear with the sound muted. Oh well.

The last synchronization that I watched was entitled “Alice on the Wall”. This is one I’d seen before, only I did it manually. That is, watching the VHS of Alice in Wonderland while playing a CD of The Wall (Skipping “Comfortably Numb”) in the background. And watching it this time I think my reactions were similar to the last time. It was really cool for the first 5 minutes… and perhaps for the last 3 minutes… but apart from that, it was just… well… a bunch of unrelated things happening together. Granted, that’s quite a bit the kind of thing that Alice in Wonderland is really all about. And maybe a little bit about The Wall… but not really. On well. If you had a chance to watch the first part that I liked to on YouTube in my last post, than you’ll get the idea. The first part is actually really cool.

Finally (actually secondly), I revisited “Dark Side of the Rainbow”, which is the film The Wizard of Oz played muted, with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon as an alternate soundtrack.

Personally, this is the best synchronization. But the version that I viewed seemed to be lacking in perfection. A year or so ago I watched this synchronization manually. I had to play with it a bunch of times to make it synch up in a way that I thought made sense. I followed the “Second Roar” system. That is, I started the album just as the MGM lion finishes his second roar. Some people prefer the third roar, and others the first. Some prefer to wait until the MGM lion fades to black. I thought the second roar worked out the best. But that was just my opinion then.

The version I watched two days ago was a previously edited version of the synchronization. Although it was enjoyable overall, I found myself remembering the points of synchronicity I enjoyed from the former version, and wishing the soundtrack on this version would just slow down. Another thing that I disliked about the pre-edited version, is that they have edited out parts of the album in its second and third playing. The most noticeable instance is the point at the start of the track Time where the alarms and bells start going off. It is there in the first play-through, where it happens almost perfectly in time with the first appearance of Miss Gulch (Later the Wicked Witch of the West) on her bicycle. In the second and third play through, however, it seems that they have edited out the portion of Time where these sounds happen. I felt frustrated. What’s the point of watching something that apparently synchronizes on its own, when you’re going to edit it to fit what you think ‘should’ happen. Piss on that! That’s bunk! Not that the bells seemed to signify anything particularly interesting in the unedited version that I watched myself, but editing it just seems to undermine the entire purpose of watching a synchronization.

Over all, these synchronizations are a bunch of coincidental clap-trap. But hey, they’re an excuse to listen to an entire albums worth of good music, and watch a good film at the same time. So go figure.

Cheers,

-Rob

P.S.: I was sipping a Half Pints The Holy Spirit while writing this post… and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Here’s to the Third Roar of the “Trinity” series! -R

Check out this video I found... if you want to.

2007-02-27T21:29:00.001-06:00

There are several reasons why you should be a Pink Floyd fan...

And I've decided tonight that I will soon begin posting my reviews of various albums, live performances, and bootlegs (sorry... ROIOs), and videos that I can find that have anything to do with the Pink Floyd.

Please assume that if I've reviewed an album/concert/recording that appears to be, shall we say 'less-than legal', it is simply that a friend of mine who I've never met, lent me his or her copy of said media, and assured me that they legally purchased the media. We must also assume that they also destroyed their own original upon delivering an electronic version to me. (Sending the media to me over the internet was cheaper, you see.) You can also rest assured that I have no plans to re-distribute or make copies of the media that I have received.

But enough about all that, let's get the ball rolling with a little "Syncing".

For your viewing pleasure, I have embedded this video, often known as "2001: A Floyd Odyssey"

And better still, is this video, known as "Alice on the Wall"

This is the classic sync, of course. A scene from the classic sync of Dark Side of the Moon, and the Wizard of OZ. Make sure you catch the transition to the song "Money" at the end. It is absolutely (pardon the pun) priceless!

But even better still... Check out this dramatic and, might I add, excellent sync of "Hello I Love You" by the Doors, and "Astronomy Domine" by the Pink Floyd.

Still not convinced? Check out this (slightly edited... ok... really edited) version of songs from "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" synced up with "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

These videos have TOTALLY made my day!

They're talking about us... talking about them...

2007-02-25T20:56:00.000-06:00

As an average everyday citizen (and resident nut case), I am overjoyed when a company or business reaches out to it's average everyday citizen fans and consumers. Today, I had the honour, and the privilege of being referenced on Brewmaster Dave's blog, along with several other lucky others.

This means a lot to me, guys. Not only can we all rest assured that the good people at Half Pints are listening to their public, but I can revel in about a half dozen more hits on my own blog! Woo hoo! That's for bringing my readership from around 9 people, to almost 14! Finally, less than half of my readers are members of my immediate family! And even more exciting, only 2/3 of the readers are on my MSN list! That leaves... at least... 4 people I don't know who tune in to discover what I have to say about things. Who are you crazy 4 people? And who are all the other people who stumble upon my little blog from all over the world, only to promptly leave? Perhaps they simply discover that my site has absolutely nothing to do with pints of milk, and even less to do with Dennis Quaid, and so they continue browsing Google Searches for other sites. Regardless, Cheers to you All!

And just to show that I too care about my readers, I'd like to give a big shout out to a few people who visit my site from time to time. Thanks a lot to the repeat, visitor displaying no ISP, hailing from Middlefield, Connecticut. Hello to all the MTS visitors who connect from Winnipeg and Steinbach. Thanks goes out to the Shaw customers I know personally, who connect from Winnipeg, but show up as connecting from Surrey, Vernon, and Victoria, British Columbia. Cheers to my visitors through Tellus in Alberta, and from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Thank you to my Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Optimum Online, Road Runner Holdco Llc, Twin Rivers Valley Communications, and Qwest Communications Corporation visitors from various parts of the USA. And thanks to the MTS customer that strangely registers as connecting from Pt. Chester, New York (What's the deal with that?). Cheers to my one visitor from Italy, two visitors from Australia, and three readers from China. Come back soon! Finally, a BIG hello goes out to all of you friendly people connecting to my site through the some kind of Canadian Grain Commission internet connection. You guys are easily my number one fans.

And to any of you whom I might have missed (because my site tracking service only extends 100 hits into the past), hello, and thank you so much for visiting. Many of you, I know, only passed through. Some of you even ended up here completely by accident, and promptly left. Thank you so much for swelling my Ego and bolstering my sense of self-importance.

I must be off, so have yourself a great night!

The Sacred Sunday Holy Trinity Extravaganza!

2007-02-19T15:26:00.000-06:00

Fantastic!

I wish I had brought my camera with me, and I would have documented the event more fully. For now, you will have to rely on my written account of the event.

Firstly, about an hour before dinner, we each had a glass of Half Pints’ The Holy Spirit, which was fantastic. The citrus flavour was much better than I had expected it would be. I’ve had a few beers in the past, (One in particular, the Big Daddy IPA) which I found to have a strong “grapefruity” citrus taste, which I found overpowering. In the case of The Holy Spirit, the citrus was subtle enough not to bother me. The citrus, combined with this beer’s slight bitterness, really got our mouths watering and ready for dinner. It was reminiscent of a fine Aperitif in this respect: Lillet, for example.

For dinner we were having a beef roast, prepared on the BBQ rotisserie, with mashed potatoes, and interesting shrimp and vegetable pastry things, which I cannot remember the name of at present. The Son was refreshing, as expected, and made an excellent addition to the meal. Granted, I can imagine some other dishes, slightly heavier on the seafood side, which might have complimented the beer more effectively. (Or perhaps the Belgian dishes described on The Son’s label.) Regardless, the dinner was fantastic, and my father, mother, and brother, who had not yet had tried The Son, all thought it was quite good.

We didn’t have a formal dessert menu item planned, so we just delved right into The Father. I think that this beer still remains my favourite of the Trinity series. It finished off the evening well. Its sweetness was as good as dessert, and once again kept me wanting another sip right until the last drop.All and all, the evening was pleasant, and the beer was fantastic. Cheers to Half Pints for brewing up an excellent seasonal series!

You won't BELIEVE what just happened!

2007-02-18T00:03:00.003-06:00

After all that talk, I did the unthinkable.

I forgot my beer at the store again! Three bottles, paid for, in a white liquor-store bag with the receipt stapled to it... it was sitting right next to me while I finished things up for the night. I even said to my supervisor, "And I forgot my booze here last night, so I need to remember to take that home." That was only 5 minutes before we all left for the night, and the doors were locked.

And about thirty paces from the front of the store, while I was crossing the street, it hit me...

...The BEER!!!

The following is a pictorial recreation of the event, had it happened 20 minutes later while sitting in front of my computer, which it didn't, but you get the idea.

First we see Rob, sitting, delirious with lack of sleep, and completely unaware that anything is awry.
But wait... something is not quite right... I was supposed to be doing something... tasting something... it was something to do with tonight... and bringing something home that I forgot yesterday...
THE BEER! Oh sweet third manifestation of the lord in the form of tongues of fire!!! I forgot the Holy Spirit at work again! Whatever shall I do?!?
The solution... A glass of Stir Stick Stout. Thank god for the reserve supply!
(And yes, that's a bum in the top left corner of the screen.
It's a Pink Floyd poster that my girlfriend actually thought was pretty cool!)
(And before you make a wise remark, I was not referring to myself as a bum! I may be unshaven, but I'm certainly not a hobo!)

The Holy Spirit seems to be eluding me, as of late... playing games with my mind...

Lucky, I had a lovely bottle Stir Stick Stout sitting in the coldest non-refrigerated corner of my apartment... all will indeed be well.

While, I'm at it, I may as well throw out a bit of a review. The Stir Stick is one of the standards for Half Pints, and God willing, that will never change. I love it. It's easily one of the best stouts I have ever tasted, and I've tasted a fair amount. It has just enough tan head on a dark, dark brew, and it's delicious right through to the last drop. The coffee flavouring is phenomenal, adding something unique and special to this already exquisite beer.

It really does smell like Chocolate, taste of coffee, and revel in hoppy woody goodness... making it a perfect match for my fish and chips, followed by a deep fried Mars Bar from The Village Fish Café.

Granted, my younger brother did describe this beer as "Kind of like drinking a tree." It was only later that he tried the IPA. I guess that would be like drinking a paper mill by his standards. But I love my brother, even if he drinks Keith's. He's not as big a hop-head as he should be... but he's young yet, and he'll learn.

The Stir Stick Stout was the first style of Half Pints beer that I ever tried, and it has remained my favourite. I'd always been a fan of stouts before, but now I can finally by a domestic brand and not feel like I could have done better... because I can't... I simply cannot.

Bravo, Half Pints!

Well, I'm going to have to remember to pick up that damn holy bag of booze from work tomorrow while I'm out and about... because I can't miss out on the potential of sampling all three Trinity beers in one evening. That would most certainly be sacrilege.

Cheers!

P.S. For those interested, I have begun sharing a BEER RSS feeds. Check them out!
-Rob

Splitting the Church

2007-02-17T13:15:00.000-06:00

Back in the day, (WAY back) a little argument erupted regarding a single word added to the text of the Nicene Creed. That word was "filioque". In Latin, it literally means "and [from] the son". (wiki)

You see, the Eastern and Western Churches at this point were based primarily out of Constantinople and Rome. (For simplicity, we'll leave out the Churches of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Egypt, etc). The Church of Rome had been pushing this idea lately that their bishop was a hell of a lot more important than all the rest of the bishops. The Eastern Church thought that it made sense to stick with the idea that all the bishops were exactly the same, and that things should be decided in Ecumenical Councils.

Well, this bickering and arguing went on for a while. The Eastern Church even agreed at one point to refer to the Bishop (now Pope?) of Rome by the honorary title of "first among equals," but this wasn't quite good enough for Rome. But despite all of this silly arguing, the church remained relatively in tact.

But then, along came "filioque". The Western Church thought that the previously agreed upon Nicene Creed needed a little adjustment. The whole Holy Spirit section originally read as follows:

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified.

I guess that the Western Church felt that this put Jesus and the Holy Spirit on a bit too much of an even playing field. In their minds, there was a strict hierarchy. God the Father, under which is Jesus the Son who is begotten by the Father, and finally there is this Holy Spirit character that seems to have to trail along behind the other two simply because he only shows up later in the Bible. (Quiet you! Put your bible away!) But the Eastern Church thought they had it right in the first place, with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; the Son being the Begotten manifestation of God, and the Holy Spirit being another manifestation that Precedes God the Father. (You can't have God's Spirit without there being a God)

In both the eastern and western models, the belief was held that the "Trinity" is in fact the one (and only) true God, existing via divine mystery as three components at once. But because Rome felt that those three components could be further sub-categorized by importance, they decided to add the word "filioque" into that Holy Spirit section of the Creed, as such:

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified.

Of course, the added part wasn't really printed in Bold, as in my example, but it may as well have been to the Eastern Church, who saw this as a heresy. They believed that to categorize the trinity in to a hierarchy, is clearly to separate their identities, and therefore worship THREE Gods rather than one god that happens to have three equal forms.

This was a back breaking issue of contention between the two churches. Combined with their additional struggles over the authority of the Pope, and other differences, the result was the Great Schism. Well, the Pope and the Patriarch of the Eastern Church got into a bit of a pissing match, and then they excommunicated each other. Or rather, a Cardinal acting on behalf of Pope Leo IX, who had already died, excommunicated the Patriarch of the Eastern Church. The eastern Council retaliated by excommunicating that one Cardinal. But hey, that's good enough.

----
I'm going to stop myself for a moment and ask myself a question that you've all been dying to ask me yourselves. "Rob, why are you going on and on about this? What's the point?"

Well, that's a good question. I know when I started writing I had something in mind about the Trinity... the concept of their depreciation in 'power' as contrived by the west... some being stronger than others... The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, etc... and... Wait! That's it! It was BEER!

Lady's and Gentlemen, I'm proud to announce my triumphant return to the point of this post!

BEER!

----

You see... I bought a few bottles of Half Pints The Holy Spirit yesterday, but forgot them at work... so this post was supposed to act as a segue between today, and tonight, when I will ultimately try my first bottle of the brew.

If it's anything like the Father and the Son, (which it should be considering it's Belgian, and in a series called the Trinity) I'm going to enjoy it.

I not sure of the religious beliefs of the folks down at Half Pints, and frankly, it makes no difference to me what-so-ever, but their beer seems to have a bit of a "Western Church" ideology to it. I think filioque certainly will apply to the Holy Spirit, which at 4.8% alc./vol. is .4% weaker than the Son, and 2.4% weaker than the Father. But the three beers will likely maintain themselves as a mysterious Trinity of EQUAL QUALITY. (fingers crossed) And we all know that Beer and the Church have always had a strong connection! OMG!!!

So let's bring on the Beer! Tonight, after work (assuming I don't forget it in the office again!) I'll be enjoying The Trinity: Part III.

And as an extra special bonus, I have plans for an all out beer drinking event!

The Sacred Sunday Holy Trinity Extravaganza!

The plan is a simple one. Dave, from Half Pints, describes The Holy Spirit as "the perfect appetizer beer." (source) The Son seems to me like it will go perfectly with some BBQ Shrimp, smothered in Garlic butter. Actually I think I'd enjoy this beer with meals, but I'm silly that way. The Father, to me, is dessert. With that sweetness about it, and that bit of extra power, it will finish off the night like nothing else. And accompanied with a cheesy dessert of some kind, I suspect that there will be no beating it.

If all goes well, The Holy Spirit won't be so strong, and with the food will keep us civil at the dinner table, The Son will keep our pallet's refreshed and intrigued throughout the meal, and The Father will keep us jovial and delighted through desert and pleasant (if not rowdy) conversation. We'll start at the bottom (religiously?) and the work our way to the top of the Trinity.

Stay tuned... I'm not sure if this event will take place this weekend, or the next, or the next, but I vow that it WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY! And, I'll drink responsibly, of course... as you all should!

Cheers!

Tora! Tora! Tora!

2007-02-15T23:57:00.000-06:00

Well, one of the advantages to going to theme parties is that you get to learn a little bit about things involved in the theme. And one of the advantages to working at a liquor store is that you can easily pick out product that fit in perfectly with that theme!

It was with that in mind that I picked out a bunch of beers for my sister's "International Dress like a Pirate or a Ninja Day" party... which rocked, by the way.

For the Pirates, it was easy. I had sampled a bunch of Caribbean beers in the past, so I picked out Red Stripe, Dragon Stout, and Carib. The only one that was new to me was Carib, which turned out to be not so bad, for a basic Lager. But I'll review these beers some other time. (But in case you're wondering... pick the Dragon Stout. 8% alc./vol. is a wonderful thing!)

For the ninjas, I had to venture into the world of Japanese beers, which is, I must admit, a place I hadn't bothered to explore in the past. This party provided the perfect excuse.

It turns out, that the Japanese can actually make beer! Go figure! No offence intended to the Japanese people, or their culture, but they just don't usually stand out in ones mind as a big beer making country. But hey, the make everything else, why not beer too!

The first one I tried was called Kirin Ichiban Special Premium Reserve. At 5% alc./vol. it was a simple and tasty brew. Just as its website suggests, it's smooth, with very little bitter aftertaste. People who enjoy your standard domestic giant brewing companies will likely enjoy this beer. I thought it was pretty good, all things considered. But on the other hand, it wasn't the most interesting of beers. Hey, I'd call it a safe bet for your next Ninja themed party, as it won't upset anyone, and fits into the whole theme nicely.

Next up is Asahi Super Dry, which I will taste right here, right now, while writing this post. First impressions... clean golden colour, though possibly a bit light. The smell isn't my favourite... perhaps a touch acidic... or maybe it just smells like a Stella, but not as skunky? What makes a beer skunky anyway? And now, the taste... Well, that wasn't so bad. Not too bad at all. Similar to the Kirin beer, in that there's almost no after-taste at all. It's more or less a 'middle of the road' beer. I think I would definitely grade this beer slightly less than the Kirin.

THIS JUST IN!

I think I've discovered what makes these two beers so "middle-of-the-road/run-of-the-mill"!!! They're designed to be that way! Check out this excerpt from the Asahi USA website!

"In developing Asahi Super Dry, over five thousand people were interviewed about their likes and dislikes about beer. They found that consumers were starting to favour a clean, crisp taste over a full-bodied taste. (People defined clean and crisp as "refreshing drink ability and no aftertaste," while full-bodied tasted meant "the deep flavour of beer.") Asahi took this consumer information and gave it to their brew master, who then set off to make a truly unique beer.

They created Super Dry, which had a crisp, clean taste while still retaining a full-bodied flavour. [...]"

This really explains so much. First of all, if customers said they wanted crisp taste over full-bodied taste, then you've somehow managed to make something that is both what they want, and not what they want. How does that make any sense? Oh! I see! You just went and defined it however you liked!

Further to that, full-bodied taste is what makes a good beer. And that's what separates the mass produced beers from the craft beers produced by micro-breweries. You can ask the folks at Half Pints why they market BIG FLAVOUR as a selling point for their products.

But I digress...

Despite all my ranting just there, I actually spent that time finishing my beer, and will conclude that Asahi is certainly not unpleasant. It's clean, crisp, and almost as if it's not even there. And if that's what you define as "refreshing drink ability", then I guess this beer has that. Have one to help you cool down after a long day of building a deck, or pulling stumps, and it will likely be just as "refreshing" as your average Abattoir or Mosley product... if you're into that sort of thing.

Last but not least, I'll be finishing off the night with a glass of Singha. In Winnipeg, this is likely the most popular beer for sushi restaurants, so let's try and find out why. This beer actually hails for Thailand... but at a Ninja party, a Thai kick-boxer is a viable opponent in my opinion, so why not let him compete!

First impressions... It has a slightly deeper golden colour, which I can only hope translates into a more complex flavour. It certainly smells like a beer that has some depth. It has a touch of sweetness to the scent, and a certain almost indescribable smell that identifies it as a stronger than average beer. (6% alc./vol.) But the most important thing is always the taste. This beer has the "crisp" bite of a domestic lager, but with a clearly unique flavour. Perhaps it's my inexperience in tasting, but I do find myself gravitating toward the flavour and body of a stronger beer. (This may be why I liked The Father so much. As well as Dragon Stout, EKU, Gulden Draak, Half Pints Burly Wine, and McEwan's...) I don't know if it's the flavour itself, or just the extra alcohol, but something about it makes me smile.

In any case, this beer totally makes up for any faults that existed in the Asahi or the Kirin. It's quite nice, and I would totally recommend this beer as a replacement for the Canadian, Blue, Sleeman's, and especially Moosehead that exists in all my friends fridges.

So my officially scoring of the three Asian beers I sampled...

#3 - Asahi Super Dry
#2 - Kirin Ichiban Special Premium Reserve

And in FIRST PLACE... SINGHA!

Cheers!

A new look...

2007-02-13T22:09:00.000-06:00

I've been having a lot of fun with Photoshop... and so I've made a new background and colour scheme for the site. I'm not sure why I did it exactly. I did like the old one. But I was messing with a more current photo, and playing around in Photoshop, and I sort of came up with a neat looking graphic. So there you go.

I hope all the text is still readable.

;) Cheers to all.

The Son

2007-02-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

Finally, I have time to sit back and properly taste Half Pint's new beer variety The Son.

Phase One: The Pour

As per the instructions, I am serving myself this beer at approximately 6°C in a wide mouthed chalice.

I'm not sure if it's my pouring method, or just the type of beer chalice that I'm using, but I just can't seem to get much foam (head!) when I pour. I had a similar problem with The Father. Granted... the head on a beer has always seemed, to me anyway, to be a bit of a strange thing to desire. I mean... honestly... you can fit a whole lot more beer in your glass if you scrape the head off the top. But perhaps I'm just a mad-man who wants more Guinness than Head when I order one on tap at a certain un-named local establishment! Or maybe I want an ACTUAL pint of beer when I order a Pint of beer! Maybe I'm just sick of ordering a pint of beer, and receiving a 16oz glass with a third of it being head! I want my 20 oz! That's a 22oz glass with an inch of head! DAMN YOU ALL!!!

*cough*

I apologize. There was no need for that outburst. Now, on with the beer.

Phase Two: The First Sip

I was excited... and the anticipation grew as my nostrils encountered the first wafting of tasty goodness. I wish my nose was capable of discerning the different types of things I smell, or that I was capable of describing a smell at all. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed it. Next came the sip. Thanks to the chalice, which almost forces you to take a 'deep' sip, the beer flowed over my entire tongue. The tastes... well, again I find myself with a lack of adequate vocabulary.

I don't know if I really could pick out the "spicy finish", or "fruity aroma", but I guess I'm just not experienced enough with this kind of beer to know how to classify these things.

What I can say of its taste is simple; it tasted good.

Phase Three: Further sips, and such.

Well, needless to say, I've thoroughly enjoyed this beer. I'm confident that I like the Belgian/French styles of beers, and hope that Half Pints continues to make more of them for me to consume. (On a side note, I don't seem to like Pilsners at all, in any from Stella, to Beck's. Perhaps Half Pints will rise to the challenge, and produce a Pilsner worth buying.) I think that if I had to choose between The Son and The Father, I would have to go with The Father. There's something about the sweetness of that beer, and perhaps the additional alcohol content, that make it so very tasty from start to finish.

Phase Four: The Refill...

Well, I've got one more bottle of The Son in the fridge, and I'm no where near ready to quit. The Son is certainly not to be over-looked, and I'm getting a hankering for some fish and chips, or perhaps a "Fisherman's Platter" at Billabong Australian Bar and Bistro on Osborne. I might have to order something to go and enjoy my second bottle of The Son in front of the TV with a nice meal. So I'll let you all go, and chat with you some other time.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to my first taste of The Holy Spirit. (And I mean that in a totally NON-evangelical way!)

Cheers,

God Save the Brew!

2007-02-09T01:59:00.001-06:00

Lady's and Gentlemen... I have just consumed 1 (one) bottle of the Half Pints brew know as "The Father"

"Brewed in the Belgian Dubbel style, The Father is our first beer in the Half Pints Holy Trinity series. Brewed using divine inspiration and a combination of Vienna, Dark Crystal, and Biscuit malts, this full bodied ale is hopped with Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings. The special yeast strain we have used creates the aroma of a ripe fruit while an additiona of Demerara sugar creates a dry finish which Monastic brewers say lends a "digestible" quality to the beer. Try it with Manitoba Trappist Cheese (from Holland, MB) or with a simle family dinner of baked ham, scalloped potatoes, and honey glazed carrots. Serve at 8°C, in a wide mouthed chalice. Bottle may contain sediment." - The Father Label, (emphasis mine)

My GOD! er... FATHER! What a beer. This was quite a tasty drink. It had a kind of... sweetness to it, that made it absolutely desirable from the first drop to the last. What a fantastic brew. I think I'm going to stock-pile as much of this as I possibly can.

Half Pints! PLEASE brew more Belgian Dubbel's... This is absolutely delicious!

I've had a few Dubbel's before... specifically the Affligem (provided as a Christmas gift from "Auntie" Linda. Thanks ever so much!) which was very good as well. I think the big differences between the two would be the sweetness, and the freshness of the Half Pints, which likely has a lot to do with the fact that the beer is very young. Another advantage to the Affligem that was gifted to me, was the fantastic Affligem beer glass that came in the gift pack, which, low and behold, is exactly what is called for on "The Father"'s label. The "Chalice" style glass really is perfect for this beer. For the sake of experimentation, I tried the beer in both the Chalice and a regular beer glass (you know... the kind you get free with a case of Rickard's Red... sometimes...) and you could actually notice the subtle differences in the way the aroma reached your nose, and the way the beer poured over your pallet.

But all that said, regardless of what glass you drink it out of, Half Pint's "The Father" is a fantastic beer. And at 7.2% alc./vol.... it goes a long way to making you feel happier than a fly in manure.

Cheers,

The Half Pints Strike Again!

2007-02-09T01:56:00.000-06:00

Well, I just became a little bit more impressed with the Half Pints Brewing Company.

Not only have they released two more seasonal beers, with the third showing up in stores any time now, but they've even got their website up and running.

Formerly a single page with the logo, phone/fax number, and address, the site has expanded to include product info, merchandise, an article regarding the brewing process, an event list, &ct. Personally, I'm most excited about the Brew master's blog, which is currently hosted by blogspot.com.

Someone ought to let them know that blogspot is now offering to host weblogs for custom domain names, so they could very well be moving their blog right onto the halfpintsbrewing.com domain in the near future.

In any case, I've yet to try the newly produced "Father" and "Son" beers, but I'm looking forward to them. They're chilling in my fridge at this very moment! And I'm just as excited to try out the "Holy Spirit" as soon as I can get my hands on it. (Which is as soon as it hits the shelves at my store!!! and subsequently purchase it and bring it home...)

Rock on, Half Pints!

New Post... On it's way...

2007-02-08T16:35:00.000-06:00

A NEW Post is on it's way, after work, hopefully.
In the mean time, check out the three newest shared RSS items in the left side-bar, and if you have time, visit http://www.halfpintsbrewing.com/.

Cheers,

How about those PC-MAC adds...

2007-02-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

Latest Mac commercial is great! | Shark Bait

So, I've seen almost every one of those PC vs. Mac adds, and I'm starting to get a bit annoyed with them. Well, actually, I've been annoyed with them for a while now, but for an entirely different reason. You see, I used to be upset because I thought that their obvious bias was a touch overpowering, and led to a distorted impression of both products that might shift users away from a PC based on misinformation relating to the PC.

Lately, however, I've been upset with the adds because I'm beginning to fall for it. I actually find myself wanting a Mac. In fact, I really do want a Mac. It would be great! I always use my computer for Internet, Music, Videos, and Games, and the rest of the time I'm using MS Office which you really can run on both. So why shouldn't I want a Mac?

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they cost about as much as a small car.

For example... the Mac Pro, weighs in at a basic USD$2500... but that's a really basic model.
To max out the system to it's full potential you need to spend over USD$17,500, and even that is leaving about a few superfluous items, like OS upgrades for people who are acting as servers, or extra software that you might otherwise not need.

I was able to play around with the options a bit, and narrow it down to a model that would cost me around USD$7,500... which is still considerably more expensive than my current PC (worth CD$1,500, new) , which works just fine, but it's also about a hundred times better... If I HAD the $20,000 to build myself the computer of my dreams, then I would certainly consider buying myself a Mac... but for now, it makes more sense to put money toward paying off my student loans, or buying a car.

So who knows... Maybe some day I'll be toting a brand-new top-of-the-line Mac... but until then.

*sigh*

I love the village!

2007-02-05T23:32:00.000-06:00

It's days like today that I'm glad to be living and working in the Village.

I was working cash at the store today, when someone rather famous walked in. I knew I recognized him from somewhere but couldn't remember exactly where from. I knew that I'd seen him in a few movies, but by the time he came to the till to ring out, I hadn't figured it out yet.

We have a promotion going right now where you can donate a dollar to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and you get to sign a heart that gets stuck to the wall. I thought that this was my chance to figure out who he was. But when he signed it, he didn't use his name. Instead he put the words "horse men".

A few minutes after he left I remembered that he was the guy from some recent Volkswagen commercials, and that got me thinking.

When I got home from work, I looked up the commercials and figured out that the actor's name was Peter Stormare, of such films as "Constantine", "The Brothers Grimm", "Chocolat", "Armageddon", "8mm", and the TV series "Prison Break".

I was disappointed that I couldn't an reference on IMDB to anything to do with Peter Stormare and "horse men", but then after a few google searches, I found it.

Firstly: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8129

That's him. That's him for sure. And the fact that the site said that it was filming in Canada was promising.

Secondly: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892767/

A more broad search of IMDB uncovers this film, starring Dennis Quaid.

And Finally:
http://www.whatsonwinnipeg.com/...

What's On Winnipeg, a website run by the Winnipeg Free Press, uncovers this article, speaking of the movie, and it's filming in Winnipeg.

I nearly died!!!

2007-02-05T15:07:00.000-06:00

... Laughing, that is.

I nearly died laughing. This next video is from the cross-over portion at the end of the Daily Show, where they say hello to Stephen Colbert, right before his show starts. It was just... too... funny. They couldn't hold it together!

If only John Stewart wasn't laughing his head off like a mad man, Stephen might have made it through to the end without corpsing... but who cares. It was the funniest of the cross-over segments that I've seen yet.

2007-02-04T02:30:00.000-06:00

What fun! I've figured out how to embed streaming media!!!

Currently, visitors to my Blog can relax and enjoy the sounds of Winnipeg's own 92.9 Kick FM. Enjoy responsibly!

Cheers,

Success! We have RSS!!!

2007-02-03T14:52:00.000-06:00

Oh happy day!

I just discovered the wonderful world of Google Reader! Now I can subscribe to all my favourite RSS feeds in one place on the internet. And better still, I can SHARE my favourite clips!

You'll notice I've shared all the stuff from my old blog, as well as a few posts from friends and favourite sites.

So even if I don't find the time to make a post about something cool, I might still have a new clip for you to read in the RSS feed. Check it out!

... now if only I could put this kind of energy into useful endeavours, like laundry, or the dishes.

The slow building of a new Blog...

2007-02-03T13:59:00.001-06:00

Well, this whole thing may take some time, it seems.

I'm currently trying to find some kind of RSS feed gadget that I can use to display content, or at the very least, links to content from my old Blog on MSN's live.space. Hopefully I can work that out shortly.

In the mean time, things seem to be working out well enough with the general layout of the site.

The title bar is currently dull, dull, dull... but I hope to have something more interesting posted as soon as I possibly can.

In the mean time, check back often to see all the stupid Google Gadgets that I will be experimenting with.

Cheers,

Those were the days...

2007-02-03T12:47:00.001-06:00

There was a time when Hockey in Winnipeg was more than just the Moose... and frankly, it was more than just the NHL as well. It was something really special. Not only did we have the Winnipeg Jets, but those jets were contenders for the most coveted cup of them all... the AVCO CUP!!!

If only I were alive to remember what those days were like...

But I intend to live vicariously through nostalgic video clips, and so I've brought you the following.
Don't forget to pause the streaming media in the side-bar (92.9 Kick FM from right here in Winnipeg) before you play the video, to avoid confusing overlap.

And so it begins...

2007-02-03T03:20:00.000-06:00

Now I shall Post anew, on my fully customizable blog... what fun it shall be.
Stay tuned for news... and new things... and such.