Some Things Should Not Be
I was salivating looking at the wine selection at our local supermarket a few days ago. While looking for sweet wines I found this:
THE HELL, PEOPLE??? Chocolate and marshmallow fluff: GOOD. Chocolate and peanut butter: GOOD (as far as I’m told). Chocolate and pretzels: GOOD. Chocolate and red wine: good, as long as they are separate. Nibble on a piece of chocolate, then sip a little vino. That’s the order of this universe. Whoever came up with this gag-inducing idea was probably hitting the Amsterdam alleys trying to score on some ecstasy, and ended up shooting up some Amdro knock-off instead.
Study: Heavy drinkers outlive non-drinkers
One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don’t drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.
But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that – for reasons that aren’t entirely clear – abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one’s risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers
I’ve often wondered myself if these studies were skewed by “recovering alcoholics”.
Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies.
There’s lots and lots of good stuff over there so go read it.
Via: Drudge
Bottoms Up!
Time again for Aggie’s nosy infamous Open Thread. It has occurred to me that this here is a blog about HOOKERS!!! AND BOOZE!!! ArmedGeek and I try to accommodate y’all (well, I only do booze, and girlie ones at that. Hookers are his territory), and though we give reviews on the booze, (not the hookers, since y’all can handle those), we have never asked about y’all’s preferred libations. Shocking oversight, I know. So, without further ado, knock one back, be it beer or soda, and tell us your preferred method of getting sloshed!
Booze of the Week
I know its been quite some time since I’ve posted a BotW but I assure you I didn’t stop drinking. I’ve just not been drinking anything new. Well, at the liquor store today I picked up a bottle of Jameson and a bottle of this. I’ll let you know what I think when I try it.
Update: Well, here’s the thing. It ain’t bad but it ain’t great. Elija Craig is a bit sweeter than some of the other bourbons I’ve had but is not quite as flavorful. So if you like sweeter liquors then you might just give this one a go. Maker’s Mark is still at the top of my bourbon list.
Booze in the News
From Fox News:
Scientists Develop Whiskey-Based Fuel for Cars
Yes, my friends, the question of whether whiskey is a Good Thing has been answered, once and for all.
Researchers [in Edinburgh, Scotland] found a formula to make the fuel from whiskey by-products.
They combined so-called pot ale -- the liquid from the copper stills distillery equipment -- and the spent grains used to make whiskey, also known as draff, to produce butanol.
The key word is by-products. No whiskey was harmed in the making of this fuel. Nor were starving people denied corn crops, as in the case with ethanol. On top of that, butanol can be combined with any gasoline blend, used by any unmodified vehicles, and has 25% more energy per unit volume. Ethanol FAIL!
And in tribute to this great achievement:
Geek Drink of the Week
THINKGEEK PI-TINI:
Yes, you know you have arrived when you can enjoy the ultimate in geekdom cocktails. ThinkGeek Pi ice cube tray is a must, but shaking is optional 
Girlie Drink of the Week
I know, I know….it has been quite a while since I posted a girlie drink. First it was Lent, then it was Life. But this morning I was slumming trolling through the New York Times, and found a most delish recipe to try. Usually I try first, then post about it, but I figured I would do it backwards, because I can.
THE BRAMBLE
2 ounces gin
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup*
1/2 ounce crème de mûre (fancy for blackberry liqueur)
Shake first three ingredients over ice, serve on crushed ice. Drizzle the crème over it and garnish with berries.
*Mix equal measures of hot water and sugar, cool to room temperature and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Now, personally, I am not the gin type, but I have found the Rangpur gin to be very smooth, so I may use that instead of regular gin. Also, I prefer raspberry liqueur to blackberry, so I may try that. Will keep you posted in the comments. Or add an update….whichever I am capable of doing at the time 
Abuse of a law in Texas
Public Intoxication. It doesn’t mean what you think it does. It doesn’t even mean what most police officers think it does. It is probably the most misused and abused laws in the state of Texas.
On another blog somewhere (don’t recall where) on a discussion of Texas law a commenter mentioned that you can be arrested for being drunk in a bar. In a way this is true. In practice it is even more true. However, it generally isn’t legal.
So here it is. Section 49.02 of the Texas Penal Code.
Sec. 49.02. PUBLIC INTOXICATION. (a) A person commits an offense if the person appears in a public place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.
(a-1) For the purposes of this section, a premises licensed or permitted under the Alcoholic Beverage Code is a public place.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the alcohol or other substance was administered for therapeutic purposes and as a part of the person’s professional medical treatment by a licensed physician.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (e), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
(d) An offense under this section is not a lesser included offense under Section 49.04.
(e) An offense under this section committed by a person younger than 21 years of age is punishable in the same manner as if the minor committed an offense to which Section 106.071, Alcoholic Beverage Code, applies.
Ok this bit “For the purposes of this section, a premises licensed or permitted under the Alcoholic Beverage Code is a public place.” pretty well means any place that can sell alcohol. It just specifies that bars are included in “public”.
The important bit is this:
A person commits an offense if the person appears in a public place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.
Read that. Read it again. One more time. All of Texas law is written pretty much the same. “A person commits an offense if ….“. Everything after the if is what I was taught in the police academy as “elements of the offense”. A person has to meet all of the elements of an offense to be deemed “committing” the offense.
Police in Texas tend to ignore the bold part. The bold part is actually the more important part of the law.
The intent of the Public Intoxication law in Texas is NOT to outlaw being drunk in a public place. The intent is to protect the drunk and those around the drunk. Simply put, if you are not posing a danger to yourself or others, YOU ARE NOT COMMITTING PUBLIC INTOXICATION.
If you are not exhibiting behavior that could lead a police officer to believe that you pose a danger to yourself or others … YOU ARE NOT BREAKING THE LAW!
If you are arrested for Public Intoxication in Texas the one question you should be asking the arresting officer in court is, “What about my behavior that day/night led you to believe I posed a danger to myself or others?”
This does not get near enough attention. Calls/letters could even be written to your local police chief or district attorney pointing this out and asking why so many unlawful arrests are allowed under this statute.
One last note: No, I did not get arrested for Public Intoxication. This is just a pet peeve of mine.
source: Texas Statutes website.
Booze of the Week
A bit of a change of pace around here, mostly due to the fucking heat …
I’m not generally a fan of fancy beer but this is some pretty damned good stuff.
Vodka Eyeballing
If there was ever a perfect example of why we have a minimum drinking age (maybe we need a minimum drinking IQ).
I’m really hoping this is some sort of joke.
Even as drunken student antics go, it was, by any stretch of the imagination, a disturbing scene. Surrounded by cheering rugby players, applauded by fellow members of the university netball team, 19-year-old Melissa Fontaine tipped back her head and giggled as fellow drinkers in the Students’ Union bar pulled apart her eyelids and allowed them to pour a shot of vodka into her left eye.
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