torsdag, september 16, 2010

Oracle Open World, San Francisco, September 19-23, 2010

I will be going to the OOW again this year with a bunch of my Miracle colleagues and our fearless leader Mogens Nørgaard.

I am hoping to learn a few things about WebLogic and Oracle Service Bus, which are my current favorite topics.

I will also be hooking up with the great people from the OakTable network - I might actually learn more from them than from all the OOW sessions.

Stay tuned for updates from San Francisco!

lørdag, april 03, 2010

A long Good Friday in Stockholm

After reading about Stockholm being portrayed as the Beer Capital of Scandinavia, I was looking for an opportunity to see for myself. As it happened a Swedish friend was going on vacation to Thailand at Easter, and she graciously offered the use of her appartment just outside Stockholm to our little family.

The long Good Friday started early as the youngest family member forced the rest of us out of bed at 5:30 am. A few cartoons later we decided to go into the city in search of a playground and some shopping. I was planning to let my wife go shopping in the morning and then leave the family in the afternoon in pursuit of quality beer.

The plan suffered an early setback when we discovered that Akkurat had closed for the entire Easter holiday, probably for some remodelling. When Oliver Twist was closed too, I was slightly disspirited, but eventually we wandered over the bridge into Gamla Stan where I previously had found the Glenfiddich Warehouse No. 68.

No 68 has a fine selection of Swedish microbrew on tap, and today it was the Nynäshamn (http://www.nyab.se) and Wisby, Gotland breweries that were especially well represented. My wife had the Pumpviken Påsköl (Easter Beer), a dark seasonal ale with a bit of sweetness to it. I (obviously) chose the IPA: Indianviken Pale Ale, which was perfect in it’s bitterness with sufficient maltiness to balance it out. A very good start!

The wife and daughter were happy to leave me there to ponder the rest of the afternoon and evening. I did so while sipping first the Bedarö Bitter, which (unfortunately for me) is brewed with a bit of wheat. Still it was a nice, slightly lighter beer than the IPA. Apparently it is the best selling Nynäshamn brew.

Now it was time for the last beer at no. 68: The Smörpundet Porter, a thick and dark porter just as I like it. By now I had been joined by a crowd of Finns, who were drinking everything but good beer. I showed them my copy of the Danish Beer Enthusiasts’ magazine, but alas to no avail.

I had found out that the Oliver Twist was now open, and I decided to walk there. Fortunately I made a small detour and walked into the Järnet (the Iron) pub. A small local pub connected to a restaurant. They only have a few (but good) taps, but carry a very decent amount of bottles. I decided to stay with draught beers.

I started out at the light end: Three Towns Premium Lager. Recently I have started looking for good lagers. I love the heavy IPAs, stouts, and Belgians, but once in a while a lager is needed. This one is not bad, but also not exceptional in any way. In the meantime the English bartender was spinning a cd by Beach House, which I ended up buying the next day.

The next beer of the day was Skebo BXEKG, a bitter (or pale ale) that I liked because of its drinkability. I have no idea what BXEKG means. Now Broken Bells were on the stereo – bought that one too.

The last beer at Järnet was Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel, a Belgian IPA, which was absolutely brilliant. I was talking to the other people at the bar (mostly about music), and the whole visit at Järnet was very cozy .

Now it was time to walk back across the bridge to Södermalm where Oliver Twist and Akkurat are located. Since the latter was still closed (I checked), I decided on OT. It turned out to be a brilliant choice. The place looks like an American bar (in a good way), with beer, food and music.

I started talking to the bartender, and when I asked for an IPA, he suggested Nils Oscar Hop Yard. Wonderful stuff, malty and bittersweet. By then I had noticed a poster for North Coast Brewing Co Brother Thelonius. I have been to the brew pub in Fort Bragg a few times, but I had never tasted this before, so now I did.

I suggested putting Monk on the stereo, but it was not the right time for that, unfortunately. The beer is the best American Belgian beer I have tasted. I ordered another to go with my Chevre Mussels with fries. Fantastic combination.

I had now been joined in the bar by Jon, whom I was also talking to at Järnet – small world. He was not really into the great beers at OT, but nevertheless we found things to talk about.

I now asked the bartender for a Swedish extreme beer, and he brought me Närke Stormaktsporter 2007! Not the barrelaged version (Kaggen!), but still a formidable beer. At 289 Swedish Kronor it better be good. This was simply brilliant – I was in Heaven.

I finished the night at OT with another Swedish heavyweight: Nils Oscar Barley Wine. That did it for me. The next morning I would have to get up early to go to a playground with my daughter, so I had to call it a night.

I got on the train, and even with the mandatory missing of my stop the first time, I managed to get to bed before midnight. A long Good Friday in Stockholm had come to the end.

Cheers,
Morten Tangaa-Andersen
Beer Lover

fredag, marts 13, 2009

Christine i sneen

Det var en dejlig dag i sneen på Bjerget bag Åmarken stationPosted by Picasa

fredag, maj 16, 2008

Rocken i 1995

Rock Top-10 1995
1. The Smashing Pumpkins - "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness"
2. Oasis - "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?"
3. The Goo Goo Dolls - "A Boy Named Goo"
4. Faith No More - "King For A Day Fool For A Life Time"
5. Neil Young - "Mirror Ball"
6. Mad Season - "Above"
7. Down - "Nola"
8. Fear Factory - "Demanufacture"
9. Foo Fighters - "Foo Fighters"
10. Fu Manchu - "Daredevil"

Andet grunge:
Alice In Chains - "Alice In Chains"
Babes In Toyland - "Nemesisters"
Mudhoney - "My Brother The Cow"

Stærke kvinder:
PJ Harvey - "To Bring You My Love"
Alanis Morissette - "Jagged Little Pill"
Skunk Anansie - "Paranoid & Sunburnt"

Andre af mine favoritter:
Clutch - "Clutch"
The Flaming Lips - "Clouds Taste Metallic"
Monster Magnet - "Dopes To Infinity"
Kyuss - "...And The Circus Leaves Town"

onsdag, maj 14, 2008

Rocken i 1994

Dette var så året, hvor jeg fyldte 30! Stor fest med live bandet Tom's Tired. Ellers hørte vi "Spoonman" til den lyse morgen. Den amerikanske pop-punk gjorde sit indtog, anden generation af grunge bands så dagens lys (også i Danmark), og så fik brit-poppen en opgradering til brit-rock. Korn startede rap/alt-metal bølgen ... det var faktisk ikke så ringe i begyndelsen.

Rock Top-10 1994
1. Soundgarden - "Superunknown"
2. Danzig - "Danzig IV"
3. Live - "Throwing Copper"
4. Oasis - "Definitely Maybe"
5. The Offspring - "Smash"
6. Green Day - "Dookie"
7. Nine Inch Nails - "The Downward Spiral"
8. Therapy? - "Troublegum"
9. Bush - "Sixteen Stone"
10. Fu Manchu - "No One Rides For Free"

Grunge og den slags:
8 Storey Window - "8 Storey Window"
Alice In Chains - "Jar Of Flies"
Corrosion Of Conformity - "Deliverance"
Hole - "Live Through This"
Pearl Jam - "Vitalogy"
Stone Temple Pilots - "Purple"

Stærke danske:
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy - "Dizzy Mizz Lizzy"
Kashmir - "Travelogue"
Kinky Boot Beast - "Insect Psycho Tango"
Psyched Up Janis - "Swell"
The Sandmen - "In The House Of Secrets"

Extrem:
Emperor - "In The Nightside Eclipse"
Machine Head - "Burn My Eyes"
My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans"

Rap-metals fødsel:
Korn - "Korn"

Andre jeg godt kan lide:
Portishead - "Dummy"
R.E.M. - "Monster"
Kyuss - "Welcome To Sky Valley"
Spiritual Beggars - "Spiritual Beggars"
Stiltskin - "The Mind's Eye"
The Stone Roses - "Second Coming"

fredag, maj 09, 2008

Rocken i 1991

Året hvor grunge ramte mainstream. Here we go!

Top-10 Rock albums 1991:
1. Metallica - "Metallica"
2. Nirvana - "Nevermind"
3. Pearl Jam - "Ten"
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
5. Soundgarden - "Badmotorfinger"
6. Temple Of The Dog - "Temple Of The Dog"
7. Guns n' Roses - "Use Your Illusion - I & II"
8. Paradise Lost - "Gothic"
9. Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears"
10. My Bloody Valentine - "Loveless"

Top-3 Danmark:
1. Sort Sol - "Flow My Firetear"
2. D:A:D - "Riskin' It All"
3. The Sandmen - "Gimme Gimme"

Andet grunge i 1991:
The Smashing Pumpkins - "Gish"
Mudhoney - "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge"
Screaming Trees - "Uncle Anesthesia"

Årets pop albums:
R.E.M. - "Out Of Time"
U2 - "Achtung Baby"

Og så mit yndlingsband:
Clutch - "Pitchfork"

Alt i alt et rigtig godt musikår, omend det var starten på nedturen for heavy metal!

Rocken i 1993

I 1993 er grunge blevet mainstream og fx. Pearl Jam sælger tonsvis af plader. Roskilde festivalen har et fabelagtigt lørdagsprogram: Anthrax med den nye forsanger John Bush, Suicidal Tendencies, Midnight Oil og New Order.

Rock Top-10 1993
1. Pearl Jam - "Vs"
2. Type O Negative "Bloody Kisses"
3. Anthrax - "Sound Of White Noise"
4. Manic Street Preachers - "Gold Against The Soul"
5. The Gun Club - "Lucky Jim"
6. Suicidal Tendencies - "Still Cyco After All These Years"
7. Therapy? - "Born In A Crash"
8. Prong - "Cleansing"
9. Tool - "Undertow"
10. Deep Purple - "The Battle Rages On..."

Grunge osv.
The Afghan Whigs - "Gentlemen"
Nirvana - "In Utero"
TAD - "Inhaler"
The Smashing Pumpkins - "Siamese Dream"

Og så de danske:
Boghandle - "Worth Dying For"
Sort Sol - "Glamourpuss"

De lidt mere mainstream poppede:
R.E.M. - "Document"
U2 - "Zooropa"

Albums fra nogle af mine favoritbands:
Clutch - "Transnational Speedway League"
The Flaming Lips - "Transmissions From The Satellite Heart"
PJ Harvey - "Rid Of Me"
Monster Magnet - "Superjudge"
Masters Of Reality - "Sunrise On The Sufferbus"
The Tea Party - "Splendor Solis"

torsdag, maj 08, 2008

Rocken i 1992

1992 var et sjovt år. Jeg så Pearl Jam og Nirvana live på Roskilde Festivalen, hvor jeg også så australske Yothu Yindi varme op til EM-finalen ... som jeg også så på storskærm. Mine venner i BTK 61's øltelt fortalte, at de have solgt 13 øl i minuttet per mand i den første time efter, at Danmark vandt.

Jeg ved ikke, om det var hele verdenens musiksmag, der var ved at ændre sig - eller bare min, men der begyndte at dukke noget industriel og dyster musik op i samlingen, ligesom de amerikanske bands for alvor overtog scenen. Jeg så senere Suicidal Tendencies et antal gange - og det var ikke kedeligt. Stoner rocken begynder at indfinde sig.

Det var også året hvor jeg for eneste gang nogensinde var arbejdsløs (i en hel måned). Det faldt heldigvis sammen med vinter OL. Om sommeren arbejdede jeg i tre måneder i bygningen bag The Moose og Wessels Kro i Sværtegade, så det hændte, at jeg kom lidt sent hjem.

Top-10 Rock albums 1992:
1. Nine Inch Nails - "Broken"
2. Alice In Chains - "Dirt"
3. Rage Against The Machine - "Rage Against The Machine"
4. Stone Temple Pilots - "Core"
5. Suicidal Tendencies - "The Art Of Rebellion"
6. Manic Street Preachers - "Generation Terrorists"
7. Megadeth - "Countdown To Extinction"
8. Kyuss - "Blues For The Red Sun"
9. Faith No More - "Angel Dust"
10. Iced Earth - "Night Of The Stormrider"

Andet grunge etc. i 1992:
The Afghan Whigs - "Congregation"
Mudhoney - "Piece Of Cake"
Screaming Trees - "Sweet Oblivion"
Mother Love Bone - "Mother Love Bone" (faktisk en compilation af tidligere udgivelser)

Solide danske udgivelser:
Boghandle - "Step On It"
D:A:D - "Riskin' It All"
The Sandmen - "Sleepyhead"
Sort Sol - "Fog Things"

Så er der nogle af mine favoritbands:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Henry's Dream"
Clutch - "Impetus EP"
Therapy? - "Nurse"

Årets debut:
Monster Magnet - "Spine Of God"

Ulidelige popsange:
Spin Doctors - "Two Princes"
Atomic Swing - "Stone Me into the Groove"