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Oktober 29, 2008
UNiK
You may remember that back in April and May 2007 I reported on the plight of small businesses in my part of Oslo (Grünerløkka). Since then, over 70 of these businesses - including Sound of Mu (pictured) - have banded together to form an organization called UNiK, which even has a discount card for sale.
Posted by barry at 7:17 EM
Oktober 19, 2008
The Norwegian Way
Is there anything about Norway I am reticent to investigate? Certainly not. On North I get ever closer to the heart of the matter, and tonight I reveal something very essential to this depopulated Scandinavian nation.
I don't know whether tonight's subject is a Norwegian invention or a Norwegian cultural practice, but it's something you have to learn if you live here: how to open a beer bottle, the Norwegian way.
Gaze upon the picture above. See the beer bottle? It isn't open. There is beer inside. We need to get the beer out. This is not an Australian-style screw-top bottle, so you can't use the palm of your hand. And don't use your teeth, you reckless idiot! And no no no you cannot resort to using a bottle opener; that might be all well and good inside the E.U. but it is not the Norwegian way.
I'll tell you what you need.
Continue reading "The Norwegian Way"
Posted by barry at 10:43 EM
Oktober 12, 2008
Norwegian invention: The Treadle Pump
(Photo: Design for the other 90%)
I'm adding 'Norwegian inventions' as a new category in the North blog. There aren't going to be that many inventions to cover, but this must surely be the greatest: the treadle pump, invented by Norwegian Gunnar Bårnes in 1980.
Continue reading "Norwegian invention: The Treadle Pump"
Posted by barry at 3:29 FM
Oktober 8, 2008
Dacianos in Skien
(click for closeup)
On 4 October I took my third trip this year to Skien with the Sound of Mu collective... This time it was the "finisage" of the summer-long Tempo Skien art festival. We converted an extremely commercial-looking venue into a more appealing "cabaret" with fake trees. Two of our bands played: Jae and Dacianos.
Continue reading "Dacianos in Skien"
Posted by barry at 1:18 EM
Oktober 2, 2008
The Blather North Podcast #3
Barry Kavanagh interviews the Norwegian artist Trond Arne Vangen.
Recorded by Barry Kavanagh and edited by John Birger Wormdahl.
The editors of Blather.net offer no apologies for the content of this podcast.
Update August 2009: owing to Capricorn entering Leo in the fifth house one too many times, this podcast is no longer available.
Posted by barry at 12:12 EM