Here is a record of my last few days alcohol consumption:
Wednesday 2 September Nil
Tuesday 1 September 1 Glass merlot
Monday 31 August 1 Champagne Cocktail
5 Glasses Puilly Fuisse
2 Glasses Remy Martin XO
Sunday 30 August Nil
Saturday 29 August 3 Glasses Pinot Grigio
Friday 28 August Nil
Thursday 27 August Nil
That is a pretty average week for me. Alcohol is among my pleasures. Like a great many people, I find it enhances good times and gives some solace in bad. I am therefore rather pleased that the European Court Advocate General has made observations thought to be generally unhelpful to the nanny state proposals of the Scottish government on minimum alcohol pricing. These proposals would not affect me, given what I drink. The proposal is a classical resurfacing of the middle class desire to regulate the behaviour of the working class. Life is tough enough. People should be allowed their small pleasures.
I have a great contempt for the anti-alcohol lobby, and particularly for the cultist doctrine that the only way to combat alcoholism is total abstinence. If alcohol were truly a physical addiction, why am I not addicted? I have had days where I drink 40 units over 24 hours. And I have periods particularly when writing where I don’t drink a thing for three or four weeks at a time. I can switch from one phase to the other, or any intermediate state, without ever the slightest shadow of a physical craving. My introspection tells me that the standard explanation of alcohol being physically addictive is impossible to reconcile with my personal experience. It is an imposed reality. Alcohol is very good for me. And it is very good for you too, whatever the do-gooders may say.
Slainte Mahth.
Nice selection except for the Pino Grigio. I just can’t take the flowery-ness of it. Give me a nice Sauvignon Blanc anyday.
Jean Hughes.
LOL. I enjoyed that, very good.
In Scotland a glass of spirits, is a double in a pub.
Then there is, house halfs, which is entirely different and bigger. The kind you say woah, to your host.
Hmmphh. Above, chiles = chilis
….and while I’m at it, let me fine tune that analogy:
Legally restricting everybody to using the same intoxicant is as stupid as insisting everybody should listen to the same music. To take that analogy a bit further, our government is encouraging us to listen to Heavy Metal at full volume, regardless of our mood and circumstances, whilst banning all other genres.
Daniel
I didn’t say I was paying for any of it!!!
Robert Crawford going for a check up in ten days time, meanwhile a change of routine is to be effective from this evening. Letting you know of the progress and thanks again Robert.
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As late Gore Vidal used to say; “If drugs were legalised governments would be hard pushed to find something else to make illegal, instead. The illegal nature of the drugs and the huge profits there itself is quite addictive. The huge amounts of the money to be laundered at phenomenal costs (who charges the costs?), and extra legislature budgets that are met through the proceeds of the drug peddling itself can be quite a endorphins release agent for the spooks and their cohorts.
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I had a really good laugh at this! My goodness ……. ROFL
Lots of opinionated bores here tonight on the subject of alcohol, whose flushing out was I suspect the purpose of the exercise at the outset.
What’s your poison? Mine is a glass of “auntie Mary”.
The whisky drinkers on here will of “auntie Mary”,
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Fedup.
Well done!
Minimum pricing affects only the cheapest of the alcohol that is available. To the normal person drinking socially from week to week – or even day to day, there should be no noticeable change in their alcohol costs. As a Lanarkshire lad, I am will say that the favored tipple of my younger years would likely be unaffected, since Buckfast is now, and always has been relatively expensive when compared to other many high strength alcoholic drinks. It is anything but cheap booze.
The alcoholic who through lack of money for whatever reason can only afford the cheap gut-rot is the one who will feel the pain. The effect of this is that whatever little money that was in the past used to buy food with could well end up being spent on alcohol instead just to keep their daily fix going.
Should we not perhaps be asking what is wrong with our society in general that great numbers of individuals find solace in the bottom of a bottle of cheap cider.
In the meantime, back to my Thursday night treat – 1 litre of home produced Cider that costs me approximately 80p per litre to make and is surprisingly tasty compared to some of the comercially produced brands. It is after all the weekend where I am in the desert.
Euripides’s’s play is about the dangers of opposing the use of alcohol.
The Bacchae.
Over thirty independent Scottish breweries along with Tennents brewery have backed minimum alcohol pricing.
Minimum pricing would not raise the price of all drinks. By setting a ‘floor price’ at which a unit of alcohol could be sold, it would target the dirt-cheap supermarket white ciders, super-strength lagers and low-grade spirits sought out by problem drinkers.
Responsibly-priced products would be unaffected.
The proposal is part of a wider package of measures in the Bill designed to help tackle Scotland’s alcohol misuse problem, the cost of which to the NHS, police, social services and the economy was recently put at a mid-range estimate of £3.56 billion per year.
The House of Commons’ Health Select Committee’s report on alcohol, has called on the UK Government to introduce minimum pricing and new licensing rules modelled on ones already introduced in Scotland.
The committee’s report followed an 11 month investigation which featured evidence sessions from contributors ranging from health experts to representatives from the alcohol industry and supermarkets.
Research from the University of Sheffield has shown that minimum pricing for alcohol could reduce alcohol consumption, particularly among problem drinkers and result in fewer deaths, illnesses and crimes linked to alcohol misuse.
A survey of supermarket alcohol prices shows that minimum pricing would target cheap, high strength white ciders, lagers and low-grade spirits, while leaving responsibly-priced products untouched.
The Scottish Government introduced its Alcohol Bill to Parliament in November 2009. The Bill’s key proposals include:
A minimum price per unit of alcohol to raise the cost of the cheapest ciders, lagers and low-grade spirits favoured by problem drinkers
A ban on irresponsible off-sales promotions which encourage excessive drinking
A duty on licensing boards to consider raising the off-sales purchase age to 21 where appropriate to develop local solutions to local problems
A power to introduce a ‘social responsibility fee’ on some retailers to offset the costs of dealing with drink problems
“Minimum pricing affects only the cheapest of the alcohol that is available.”
Hence it affects the poorest of people.
I enjoy a few glasses of Woodgate cider on an evening, it’s real cider made from apples so I can count it as one of my five a day, £2 a bottle from Lidles and I like it. At 10.6 units a bottle the price would have to rise from £2 to £5.50 with minimum pricing.
The MSPs single malts and bottles of champagne will not be affected at all, it’s class warfare and nothing less.
@Craig, Can’t believe you didn’t managed to get an anti-Russian dig in here even ! Surely there’s an angle somewhere, vodka is crap, Russians are drink loving piss-heads, Oops ! 😀
I am just catching up and have only read a few comments deep; well precisely upto John Spencer-davis’s third comment, all of which I was pleased to read and am delighted to say, that, for the most part I am in agreement with him.
You do, Craig go a bit on and on about alcohol and in the sub-text you propagate a sort of macho-bravado air about consuming alcohol. A bit like the old ad ‘Come to where the flavour is, come to Marlboro country’.
Come to where the pleasure is, come to Craig’s drinking-country.
I may have a couple of deeper observations to make but, for now, suffice it to say that this whole post is rather asinine. Craig’s understanding of ‘physical craving’ and display of an utter lack of appreciation for holistic health is not altogether unsurprising.
Not read everything here, but JSD makes an interesting objection. If Craig objects to people being told that alcohol in excess amounts is bad for the health, then is it a sustainable position to tell people what opinions they are allowed to hold?
Further, as far as I know the medical/scientific opinion is that excess alcohol is indeed bad for the health. Are they now not allowed to say this? If one drinker is not an addict, then do we now no longer recognise addiction?
I’m happy to hear an argument describing why a MUP is “class warfare” but I’ve not heard one yet – just the statement of that opinion.
Now… I’m off for a good single malt whisky!
While catching my breath – I’m expected hyperbole from our so called ‘leaders’ on the Syrian refugee crisis after the awful passing of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother, Rehan – no more happy days holding a comforting teddy bear in a pink dress while uniting in cherubic love. R.I.P.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/03/refugee-crisis-syrian-boy-washed-up-on-beach-turkey-trying-to-reach-canada
I should add, too, in relation to this:
This is very similar to “if cigarettes really cause cancer, why do I not have cancer”? The answer – of course – is that the product creates an enhanced risk of addiction/illness but there is not a guarantee that one will get it. It depends on a good deal of factors.
“Now… I’m off for a good single malt whisky!”
More bravado and propagation thereof, however subtle. Would you be falling us if you were off for a steak-and-kidney-pus?
Disgusting as they are, does anyone eat them anymore these days? Oj, Jon lets just say you were off for a great Lobster Thermidor or a pasta Aragosta….would you be telling us?
Alcyone – not sure of the source of your hostility. Have I upset you with another post? I am aware I’ve posted a bit more than usual recently.
No bravado here – a characteristic I actively shun, as it happens. I just like whisky, and will probably have one later. The purpose of mentioning it was to illustrate that I am not anti-alcohol, despite generally supporting the MUP policy.
Jon, I am sure there is no hostility.
I am unsure why there persists this phenomena about the glorification of drink?
In your comment, you made it very subtly by choosing a single malt, which of course is superior to the standard blended stuff. Thats glorification and its very macho; rarely have I heard women brag about their drinking on blogs. Well, at least not classy ones 😉
Jon; “Alcyone – not sure of the source of your hostility.”
Wakey, wakey Jon ! Alcyone is just another Krishnamurti reincarnation of a certain village idiot.
“I enjoy a few glasses of Woodgate cider on an evening, it’s real cider made from apples”
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The reviews of your favourite tipple, leave a lot to be desired, are you sure it’s not that cheap nasty stuff?
Still its your perogative, you’ll end up with a stomach ulcer.
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/lidl-woodgate-dry-cider/215179/
Aha, thanks Macky – I do seem to recall that a contributor a couple of years ago did not like me mentioning my fondness for whisky, and that the problem probably had nothing to do with whisky at all, and was in fact a general frustration at my views at the time. Bah!
Alcyone – not macho either, or class based. I like single malts, though I do think good blends can sometimes be overlooked. Relax, my friend, whoever you are. If you have an antique grudge, for whatever reason, let it go! Meditate.
The Sun is well over the yardarm now. Time to get some booze in!
“The reviews of your favourite tipple, leave a lot to be desired, are you sure it’s not that cheap nasty stuff?”
Brewed by Magners who are generally regarded as a reputable company even if they do sponsor Celtic football club.
But the point is that at £5.50 a bottle nobody will buy it which is why the EU will decide minimum pricing is illegal. What if Ireland decided to pass a law more than doubling the price of Scotch whisky in retaliation?
ATTENTION CRAIG!
If you hadn’t got this already, of possible interest…
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foi-release-fco-tony-blair-and-kazakhstan
In which the FCO is clearly closely coordinated with Tony Blair Associates in their ongoing interest in Kazakhstan, but not much else.
Returning you to the bar…
O/T. But could be important.
Is China on the verge of attacking the USA.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is reporting today the Federation has been informed by the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) that a de facto “State of War” now officially exists between that Asian nation and the United States of America.
According to this report, following the “provisions and protocols” of the 8 May 2015 Russian-Chinese Cyber-Security Agreement that states a signatory to this pact that anticipates the outbreak of hostilities is obligated to immediately inform the other so that “war preparations” needed to protect critical infrastructure can be undertaken, the PRC has informed the Federation that these “conditions now exist”.
http://www.eutimes.net/2015/07/china-warns-russia-that-state-of-war-now-exists-with-united-states/
China moves fleet into Bering Sea, is that the realreason Obama visited Alaska.
Five Chinese navy ships are currently operating in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, Pentagon officials said Wednesday, marking the first time the U.S. military has seen them in the area.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-watches-as-chinese-navy-ships-sail-in-bering-sea-1441216258
Could this act of what will be seen as aggression, by the USA, have anything to do with the slump in the Chinese market.
“There are many good reasons for drinking
And one has come into my head:
If a fellow can’t drink when he’s living,
How the hell can he drink when he’s dead?”
Alcyone; “Macky are you not going to answer my innocent questions?”
The only question of any importance regarding yourself, is how stupid does one have to be to confirm that you are the same Poster that was permanently banned not so long ago ?! 😀