Barley Wine is strong (like regular wine) so when you drink a pint of it you can get rather drunk. Perhaps that is why barley wines have funny names, because getting drunk is funny.
For example, see our review of "Old Thunderpussy" at last year's San Francisco Beer Week.
"Old Numbskull" is a funny name, I suppose. It didn't make me laugh, maybe because it reminded me of The Numskulls strip from The Beano comic, which wasn't very funny in 1977, and is probably even less funny now.
The concept of the strip was that tiny little people exist inside of us, making decisions that affect our behaviour.Exactly the same concept was used in the awful Fox sitcom Herman's Head.
And before that in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex*
*but were afraid to ask.
featuring Bert Reynolds in the Brain Department.
And before that in Dr. Fritz Kahn's Der Mensch als Industriepalast (Man as Industrial Palace).
Here's an animated version
Here is another image by Kahn, illustrating the taste zones of the tongue - sweet, salt, sour, bitter.
Apparently, women's palates more acutely register bitterness than men's palates. A current theory among anthropologists is that because women do the cooking they have become genetically conditioned to reject bitter tastes as potential harbingers of spoilage.
A survey by the Pink Boots Society concluded that women like all kinds of beers, but they like IPA's the least, because the bitter hops offend their highly sensitive lady tongues.
I like IPA's a lot - further proof of my manliness, as if proof were needed. Although I do like a nice barley wine too.
My bottle of Old Numbskull tasted okay - malty and sweet and not too boozy considering it's 11% abv. But I wasn't overly keen on its texture, or "mouth-feel" as they say in the business - kind of flat and watery, like someone had opened it the day before. There was very little evidence of the promised "Impressive Brussels Lace that clings to the sides of the glass."
To alleviate this disappointment I made another pie.
My weak male sense of bitterness left us susceptible to spoilage, but we ate it anyway.
Disney's The Black Cauldron is a schmaltzy Lord of the Rings knockoff.
Sauron is played by Skeletor.
The Palantirs are replaced with a pig.
And this hairy thing is Gollum.
He looks like Geppetto, but he sounds exactly like Andy Serkis.
In 1985 Disney's The Black Cauldron was the most expensive animated movie ever made. It took 12 years to produce and lost millions of dollars (millions of dollars was a lot of money in 1985).
A big bottle of Grand Teton's Black Cauldron is only $7.99.
It's an imperial stout - very dark and thick and chocolaty, and a bit boozy. And delicious.
I recommend it to you for drinking over Christmas, or any other festive occasion, such as the weekend.
It is brewed deep in the Misty Mountains of Idaho by these ladies.
Beer brewing was traditionally women's work until the 15th century, at which time brewing became profitable and all the women brewers turned out to be witches and had to be burned to death, like on this bottle of Lost Abbey Witch's Wit.
The label caused a bit of a commotion last year. Vicki Noble (Astrologer, Shamanic healer and professor of Tanspersonal Psychology) saw it and wrote to her friends - “Can you imagine them showing a black person being lynched or a Jewish person going to the oven?... Such images are simply not tolerated in our society anymore (thank the Goddess) and this one should not be, either.”
Noble's friends sent emails to the brewery accusing them of inciting violence against women.
One email said, “Screw you, you fat ass beer slugging alcoholic Christian Ass Hole.”
The brewery said they would change the label, but I don't think they did.
The witches in Disney's The Black Cauldron don't do any brewing. In fact they don't do much at all of any consequence.
One of them sticks a frog down her cleavage.
This was Disney's first PG rated animation.
It's considered one of the darkest of all Disney's animated features, seconded only by 1987's The Brave Little Toaster.
That one's an adorable adventure that kids will treasure, with a dark subtext of abandonment, obsolescence, and loneliness.
This will be the last Book of the Month, as it was the world's most unpopular book group (no one else joined). I will be continuing to read books, just not boring you with the details.
That said, here are this month's boring details.
Oliver Postgate wrote, directed, narrated and animated 12 wonderful children's television shows, including Ivor the Engine, the Clangers, and Bagpuss.
I read his autobiography in the hope of finding out how he managed to be so very good. From what I can tell he was using a clever combination of wild imagination, independent spirit, relentless inquisitiveness, and bull-headed practicality. Plus he had the loveliest voice in all of history. As Stephen Fry writes in the book's Forward: "During bouts of childhood theism, I always supposed that if God had a voice it would be that of Oliver Postgate, the same matchless blend of authority, kindliness and humour."
Postgate's parents were well-off lefties. He went to a private "progressive" school where you could do whatever you wanted. He was a conscientious objector to the second world war and went to prison. He tried acting for a while. And farm work.
Throughout his life he was inventing and building machines, from electric pencil erasers to solar powered houses. He almost went into manufacturing, but feared that a lifetime spent in the pursuit of "Personal success, wealth, dignity..." would be like "Spending one's life decorating one's tomb."
He then spent some time making props for television shows, noticed how most television for children was pretty poor, decided he could do better, and did.
Postgate founded Smallfims with Peter Firmin. They operated out of a cow-shed, with the later addition of four converted pigsties. Commissions for television shows flooded in, and Smallfilms became successful in their own modest way. When America called and offered them the big time, they politely declined.
Towards the end of the book Postgate seems to turn into a bit of a grumpy old man, although probably less grumpy than most of us. His wife died and his own health failed. His passion for nuclear disarmament disturbed people on both sides of the argument. And the television companies were no longer interested in his shows.
He was particularly unimpressed by those concerned with the "art" of film-making. He describes the students he met at the RCA Animation School (where I went to college) as "manic pretentious pseudo-artists."
In 1999Bagpuss was voted the most popular British children's television show of all time.
Oliver Postgate died in December 2008. The rights to several Smallfilms properties were bought by Coolabi for $625,000. Coolabi specialises in "The ownership, development, creative management and exploitation of high quality children's and family intellectual property assets."
They are apparently working with Peter Firmin on new episodes of Bagpuss.
Favourite Album Villagers - Becoming A Jackal Lovely melancholy pop rock.Great melodies, funny words. Melodramatic and sentimental, but in a good way.
Favourite Video Game Limbo Super creepy and beautifully simple side scrolling platform puzzle game. We tried to buy this for my nephew's birthday, but he had grown up. Loser.
Favourite Animated Movie Tangled Not a great story, but hugely impressive character animation. Favourite Animated ShortMarcel the Shell With Shoes On
Featuring the apparently genuine, unfiltered voice of Jenny Slate.
Favourite Movie Trailer Kooky
By Jakob Dvorsky who made the excellent online game Samorost, and Jan Sverak who made the excellent movie Kolya. Actually, I don't remember if Kolya was excellent, but I did buy the soundtrack when it came out, and I used to put a track from it on mix tapes. Do you have one?
Why isn't this movie out on DVD yet?
Favourite Movie on DVD A Serious Man
Dark and funny Cohen Brothers movie. Like a Woody Allen film from the olden days when he was good.
Favourite TV on DVD Sherlock
By Stephen Moffet who is in charge of Doctor Who, and Mark Gatiss who was one of the League of Gentlemen.Contemporary dramas based on the original books. Only three episodes. :( But they're making three more. :)
Favourite PodcastWiretap Funny, and dry, and Canadian. Like Canada Dry, but even funnier than that. Favourite Comic BookAcme Novelty Library #20 I don't actually own this yet, but I know it will be my favourite comic book of the year. Chris Ware is a bald nerdy genius.
Favourite Food Roasted Brussels Sprouts Slice in half, drizzle with olive oil, season, and roast for 20 minutes at 400 F (200 C). Throw on sliced garlic 5 minutes before they're done.
Favourite Hike Muir Beach Coastal Trail So much variety, not too much incline, and just the right amount of imitation British pub at the end. Favourite Bar The Philosophers Club Need a place to hide from the relentless California Sunday afternoon sun? This is the place. We stayed so long the bartender started buying us drinks.
Favourite BeerMikeller 1000 IBU Very bitter and very sweet. Is that even possible? I don't know anything about beer, but I like pretty labels. Favourite SweetsChimes Ginger Chews. They're all natural, whatever that means. Perfect for your post-lunch walk around the salt flats. We tried all the flavours. Mango is the best.
Favourite Blog Uncle Eddies Theory Corner. Uncle Eddie has theories about all kinds of things. His blog is a horrible design mess - everything clashing with everything else and text overlapping the pictures, but it's still my favourite.
Not to be confused with Uncle Eddies Vegan Cookies.
