"Reading articles like this I often wonder if I'm alone in drinking because I … like the taste of alcohol. I don't find getting drunk all that pleasant or a good social prop (quite the opposite, I hate making a fool of myself because drink has dulled my social reactions). Because of its depressant effect I find I drink less when I'm feeling down than when I'm feeling good. I drink because I don't know of anything nicer than a rich red wine or port on a winter's evening, or a crisp, mineral white wine on a summer's day. I love the complexity and sharpness of a good IPA and [...]
Baseball Season is here, and if you are not very Sporty, you might be all like: "Baseball? Big deal, I don't care about your stupid 'America's Pastime,' it's just for awful horrible stupid average people who want to Conform and be Average Americans with their Coors Light and 'Two entrees and an appetizer for $20' at Chilis, and their porky insulin-shock-at-any-moment kids and Wal-Mart—or maybe Target because it has a Starbucks now—and a minivan—or better yet a Dodge Magnum station wagon—and "relaxed fit" jeans and XXXL sleeveless "muscle" shirts from Costco and coupons for Gino's Pizza Rolls and low-fat frozen fudge bars because those are healthier and 'hey, maybe we [...]
As an alcoholic I have always had a deep-seated hatred of St. Patrick's Day, trivializing as it does the hard work that I and so many of my fellow dipsomaniacs have put in over the years to slake our insatiable thirst no matter what toll it takes on employment, relationships or physical and mental health. As a humanist I similarly despise it, since it furthers the terrible ethnic stereotype that the Irish are the worst kind of drunks—rowdy Sullys and sullen Mollys who can't hold their liquor, keep their voices down or vomit in anything approaching proximity to a toilet or washbasin—when in fact they are some of the [...]
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, fellow Americans, and even you, Mr. President:
On this fortuitous evening, we come together in a highly ritualized, deeply esoteric sacred performance within the inner sanctum of our nation's high temple. The president's words will be parsed by an inverse pyramid of humanity, from a mass of dimwitted Politico commenters bobbing like frantic ill-informed ducks upon the surface to the industrial sludge filters at the bottleneck bottom, monstrous catfish like Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer, slurping up and then expelling the reactions to the president's prepared text, which have already become worn out punchlines on Twitter.
At home, the citizens [...]
The Wall Street Journal had to send someone all the way to Minnesota to report out the story that fishing is only tolerable when you're drunk.
"So what’s not to like about a dry January? Surely a lengthy period of abstinence after a few weeks of indulgence is good for your health? Well, I’m afraid it’s all poppycock. As a doctor, you might expect me to give the concept my total backing, but I’m afraid you’d be wrong." —This guy says taking a month off of drinking actually does more harm than good, which is advice I can get behind right up to the part where he counsels moderation instead.
"In order to ward off the hangover, Rohsenow suggested to HealthDay to drink lots of water and take a painkiller with aspirin or ibuprofen, but not acetaminophen (Tylenol), because it can cause liver damage when combined with alcohol. Drinking more to keep the hangover at bay, however, hasn't been studied, and seems counterintuitive, she pointed out." —Yes, Science Lady, it seems counterintuitive unless you've actually ever done it, in which case it is sometimes the difference between life and death (or, at least, moaning on the couch or doing somewhat more ambulatory moaning). In any event, this article is about how college students (and, presumably, those of us who [...]
