http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/alcohol/ en-us Sun, 5 Oct 2008 01:29:13 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2097711/posts Sarah Palin may be the heroine of the religious right, but Rev. Gene Straatmeyer vividly recalls a public run-in he once had with the now Republican vice presidential candidate over clergy support for a crackdown on bars. It was August 1996, just weeks before Palin's election as mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska. And Straatmeyer, a local Presbyterian minister and head of two church coalitions, testified at a City Council hearing for a measure to shorten the traditional 5 a.m. last call by a few hours. Chicago Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2097711/posts#comment Sun, 5 Oct 2008 01:29:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2097568/posts Report: Cannabis Less Harmful Than Alcohol, Tobacco Friday, October 3, 2008 9:19 AM Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, according to a report by a research charity Thursday, which called for a "serious rethink" of drug policy. The Beckley Foundation, a charity which numbers senior experts and other academics among its advisors, said banning cannabis has no impact on supply and turns users into criminals. "Although cannabis can have a negative impact on health, including mental health, in terms of relative harms it is considerably less harmful than alcohol or tobacco," says the report by the Foundation's Global... newsmax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2097568/posts#comment Sat, 4 Oct 2008 20:29:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2090484/posts THE suspected museum thief who was impaled by a sharp spike on the top of a security fence in his rectum for two hours earlier this month says he did not feel any pain because he was drunk. He denied trying to break into the museum, but claimed he had been in the museum grounds to sleep off a drinking session. Speaking from the Cambridge West home he shares with his parents and siblings, Siyanda Pasiwe, 32, said he had been drinking somewhere in town that evening. But because it was late and he was drunk, he decided to go... Daily Dispatch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2090484/posts#comment Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:27:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2082012/posts At age 18, an American can enlist in the military, vote, sign a contract, get married, have an operation -- hey, in California, a 14-year-old can have an abortion without telling her parents -- but he cannot buy a beer. Not legally, anyway. It makes absolutely no sense, and it is shameful that my generation, which won the right to vote at age 18, continues to infantilize people who are allowed to make life-and-death decisions on every issue, save one. We believe in rights -- except for college-age kids -- even if they are serving in the military. Enter the... Townhall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2082012/posts#comment Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:31:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078468/posts What happens when presidents from more than 100 of the nation's best-known colleges call on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18? Well, a brigade of hyperbolic mommies start screaming at them, that's what. In the Amethyst Initiative, college presidents have offered a rational, if counterintuitive, plan. Let's stop treating young adults like wards of the state. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (naturally) replied: No debate allowed. There is plenty of empirical evidence suggesting that the drinking age of 21 is counterproductive. To begin with, it bars parents from educating their own children about alcohol and, like... Denver Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078468/posts#comment Tue, 9 Sep 2008 21:29:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073286/posts <p>I saw these three pictures on MediaTakeOut that they are claiming are of Bristol Palin with alcohol. Most comments are bashing the conservatives who claim to be pro-family values. However, there are a few comments saying the pictures are not of Bristol. It looks like her to me, but I can't tell for sure. If you read the comments, you'll notice a lot of racism (in particular against whitey).</p> MediaTakeOut http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073286/posts#comment Tue, 2 Sep 2008 21:27:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2070403/posts Two lanes of southbound U.S. Highway 101 in Sunnyvale reopened at about 9:15 a.m., following a crash in which a big rig transporting vodka overturned and spilled the product onto the roadway, city spokesman John Pilger said. The big rig overturned shortly before 8 a.m. at North Mathilda Avenue, spilling vodka and fuel and temporarily closing all southbound lanes. Emergency personnel have extricated the driver of the big rig, but Pilger did not know the driver's condition. The left two lanes on the southbound side have reopened, but authorities are advising commuters to take alternate routes if possible, as traffic... NBC11 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2070403/posts#comment Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:08:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065404/posts Life is full of surprises, and some 100 college presidents think they have stumbled on one. They think there is too much problem drinking on campus -- no surprise there -- and suggest we might solve the problem by changing the drinking age. They don't propose to raise it to 25. They want to lower it to 18. The group behind the petition they signed, Choose Responsibility, says the current drinking age is a failure. It has "not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students," the statement says, and in fact has spawned "a culture of dangerous, clandestine... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065404/posts#comment Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:18:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2066169/posts D.C. bartenders favor Democrats as patrons By Michael O'Brien Posted: 08/22/08 10:22 AM [ET] Partying Republicans in Washington will have to step it up after a recent survey of D.C.-area bartenders praised Democrats as being better tippers and talkers than their GOP counterparts. The survey of 100 D.C.-area bartenders, conducted by Clarus Research Group for Beam Global Spirits & Wine, cast Democrats as more favorable bar patrons, as bartenders said they were better tippers, have better pick-up lines and were better at giving toasts. Conversely, the bartenders said Republicans were more likely to order their drinks “straight-up” than Democrats, who... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2066169/posts#comment Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:15:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064296/posts Twin Cities bartenders working when the GOP holds its national convention in St. Paul next month should listen up: Republicans like their drinks straight up, and they arrive early for happy hour. A survey of Washington, D.C., bartenders commissioned by a leading liquor company broke down Democrats and Republicans when it comes to their drink selection and bar behavior. Here's what it found: Who's a better tipper? Democrats 60 percent, Republicans 38 percent. Who is more likely to order a drink straight up? Republicans 82 percent; Democrats 14 percent. Who is more likely to order a fruity (pink) drink? Democrats... Star Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064296/posts#comment Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:25:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064148/posts College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus. The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age. "This is a law that is routinely evaded," said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. "It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust... Newsday http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064148/posts#comment Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:02:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063886/posts Washington, D.C. – August 18, 2008 – While there is no ballot box at the bar, DC’s best bartenders can identify political preference by cocktail selection and bar behavior. According to a survey released today, Democrats are seen as better tippers, have better pick-up lines and give better toasts. Republicans heavily outweigh Democrats when it comes to ordering their drink straight up. Parties are at a stalemate over drinking hours, with Republicans edging out for the first to arrive a happy hour and Democrats being the last to go home. The survey was issued today by Beam Global Spirits &... Beam Global Spirits Wine, Inc. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063886/posts#comment Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:39:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063880/posts College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus. The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age. "This is a law that is routinely evaded," said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. "It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust... AP via SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063880/posts#comment Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:28:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062102/posts For the first time, scientists have proven that "beer goggles" are real - other people really do look more attractive to us if we have been drinking. Surprisingly, the beer goggles effect was not limited to just the opposite sex among the ostensibly straight volunteers recruited for the study - they also rated people from their own sex as more attractive. Scientists in England gave 84 heterosexual college students chilled lime-flavored drinks that were either non-alcoholic or given a dose of vodka equivalent in alcohol to a large glass of wine or a pint-and-a-half of beer. After 15 minutes, the... LiveScience via Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062102/posts#comment Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:15:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061208/posts The lure of a $30 trick with a Lowell hooker ended up nearly costing one man more than $60,000 in cash, police said. Jessica Garcia, 30, was released on personal recognizance yesterday after allegations that she agreed to perform oral sex on the drunken john for $30, but then tied him up and ran off with $62,000 in cash he kept in a duffel bag. The man had been drinking cognac for several hours on Saturday night when he hopped on his bicycle, cash in tow, to search for a street walker, police said..... Boston Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2061208/posts#comment Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:35:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2056374/posts Introduction 1 In a recent letter, a visitor to the Biblical Studies Foundation web site asked, “Could you help explain whether the Bible promotes drinking alcohol or whether it condemns it.” This is obviously a concern to many Christians—and for good reason! With the rampant abuse of alcohol in this country, resulting in shattered lives and tens of thousands of deaths each year, any person with a conscience should be deeply concerned about this issue. However, caution is also needed in a different direction: too often Christians have moral outrage because of abuses of one of God’s gifts—outrage that... Bible.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2056374/posts#comment Mon, 4 Aug 2008 19:32:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2055316/posts Sociological research reveals paradox of higher education, crimeBOSTON — Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. Sociologists at Bowling Green State University found that college-bound youth report lower levels of criminal activity and substance use during adolescence compared to non-college-bound youth. However, levels of drinking, property theft and unstructured socializing with friends increase among the college-bound after enrollment at a four-year university, and they surpass the rates of less-educated peers. "College attendance is... American Sociological Association http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2055316/posts#comment Sat, 2 Aug 2008 12:52:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2053069/posts Shrew identified as world's hardest drinking creature Pen-tailed shrews imbibe, weight for weigth, nine glasses of wine a day Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter A tropical shrew with a taste for alcoholic nectar has been identified as the hardest-drinking creature in the world. Their capacity to hold their drink and keep a clear head, however, puts human boozers to shame. After a night supping at the jungle bar the shrews are not even unsteady on their feet, let alone being copiously sick or starting drunken fights. They get their drinks from bertam palms, which grow in the jungles of West Malaysia... Times of London http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2053069/posts#comment Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:22:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051913/posts ST. PETERSBURG — The night started with a complaint about a giant penis statue. Before it was over, police had pinned the owner of the art gallery to the ground and taken him to jail. "Oh, my God," said gallery owner Bill Schramm, his glasses falling off in the scuffle. "This is the city's response to a penis. That's fabulous." Officers arrested Schramm and another man after a raid Friday night on the Erotic Lounge in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg. It wasn't the statue that they were arrested for. Instead, investigators said they saw a nude man... St Petersburg Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051913/posts#comment Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:51:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2051330/posts For years, cheap imported garlic has been cutting into the bottom line of Gilroy's signature crop. Now one entrepreneur has come to the Garlic Capital of the World to grow the key ingredient in tequila, agave. Grower Frank Leal has made an award-winning winery business in the hills above Hollister. Planting 10 acres of blue agaves, he has set his sights on being the first to bottle California's take on tequila. Our video report has more (Link) CBS 5 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2051330/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:41:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049828/posts NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People recovering from alcoholism seem to drink more coffee and have a higher rate of smoking than the average American, a new study shows. The researchers found that among 289 members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), 88.5 percent regularly drank coffee, often in large amounts. One third of coffee drinkers said they downed more than four cups per day. In addition, 57 percent of the group said that they smoked -- much higher than the general rate of 27 percent in Nashville, Tennessee, where the study was conducted. The findings, published online by the journal Alcoholism:... Reuters Health http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049828/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:54:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049345/posts For some sailors on the USS North Carolina, Wilmington's red-carpet treatment stopped at the doors of downtown's bars. In April, crew members from the Navy's newest nuclear attack submarine visited Wilmington on a goodwill trip ahead of the vessel's historic commissioning at the state port. But when Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo talked with them about their stay, he winced at what he heard. Sailors told him they'd been turned away from downtown bars for being in the military. "It was upsetting to me," Saffo said. "I never knew we had that type of issue with military personnel." But a broader... Star News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049345/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:00:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046429/posts "The manager of a popular South Korean beach festival said Tuesday that drunken and rowdy U.S. troops are such a problem that organizers have considered banning servicemembers from the event...." "Lee said it’s easy to identify U.S. troops because of their short haircuts" Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046429/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:03:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045034/posts Rosé, long dismissed by purists as uncultured plonk, has overtaken white wine in volume of sales in France, buoyed by a fashion for pink. While much of France's wine growers battle lower consumption and persistent overproduction, pink wine - which comes into its own in the summer heat - is enjoying la vie en rose as never before. It is estimated that more than one in five bottles of wine sold in France is a rosé, with the gains coming from falling red sales. A hot summer could push the amount of rosé drunk to more than half of all... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045034/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:59:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044826/posts Anheuser-Busch's (BUD) stock closed up over $5 at $66.50 on Friday and is trading at $67.00 after-hours. This price suggests the market is nearly certain that InBev will buy BUD at the rumored $70/share, and it may even incorporate the expectation of an additional price increase: given the political scrutiny this deal will receive, a 5% gap between the trading price and deal price is small. In other news, InBev's potential purchase of BUD is reverberating through St. Louis and the country...and folks aren't happy about it: Jordan Moore took the news that his beloved Budweiser could soon fall into... Clusterstock http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044826/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:25:13 GMT