Alcohol - when/why should it be consumed and so forth.

[Borealis]

My position on alcohol was once very staunchly negative, when I hadn't experienced much. I wouldn't drink at all, I wuold discourage others to drink. I don't really know why. Now with my almost-31-years behind me, I now see that it's very much a personal choice as to whether you get absolutely sozzled, and say, storming into a university exam room with water-pistols (check) or reversing your car into a public swimming pool (check), or not. Because of some of my past alcohol experiences, those being only the tip of an iceberg, I now drink socially (that's in moderation, folks) and tend to get my destructive kicks from destroying random household furniture so I can rebuild it.

That said, I'm now listening to a song called Happy Little Boozer. That's force of habit for ya!

[blue_tetris]

Your taste buds change as you mature. Give it a few years and you'll be having a straight scotch with your cheerios.

Haha, oh wow. Can you imagine wandering out of your room in the morning, pouring a bowl full of Cheerios while scratching your ass and yawning, walking over to the liquor cabinet, grabbing some Gentleman Jack, filling the bowl with the Cheerios to the rim, and then sitting down to watch the news with that bowl?
Sounds like it should be in a movie.

I was on Live once when I filled up my wheaties with straight gin. Ruined the wheaties, sadly. They tasted like Fruity Pebbles, pine, and rubbing alcohol. Delicious.



BOREALIS IS BACK???????? Woo!

[Chad]

I agree with davey a lot on this issue.
before I get completely smashed, I go into a omniscient-esque sorta state of mind, probably parodoxial syndrome.
I think my brain is telling myself to s l o w d o w n so I don't do anything stupid.
I always do stupid things anyways.

[blue_tetris]

I think a certain personality type prone to self-reflection takes more care to do so while drunk.

[GamingWolf]

There are three things stopping me from alcoholic beverages.

1) I'm not actually old enough. That will go away fairly quickly though.

2) I for the life of me still cannot be sure what would happen should I be intoxicated. I might lose precious hours of my life or I could do something expected. Hopefully my natural concern is prevalent in my subconscious. Frankly I am nervous.

3) The long term effects. Okay, I admit I got lazy here. I did not bother to research this... at all. Thanks for taking away concerns for the liver though. Phew. Now I hope I don't end up becoming alcoholic. My dad has recovered completetly, but back then he could be the meanest guy ever.. well even to me. I think he had to invent reasons to get mad at me since he would typically go after my delinquent siblings. Enough personal history. This problem may be genetic and I obviously do not want to take any chances. Ah and apparently there was a rumor that overtime your IQ would diminish over long periods of alcohol abuse and stay that way? That doesn't fly with me. I would like some truth on the matter.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

I think a certain personality type prone to self-reflection takes more care to do so while drunk.

T_T

[handofgod]

In Europe people are allowed to drink when they are 16, I know, I lived there.

Why is this?

Because they aren't total idiots about alcohol consumption. My health teacher told me that your brain doesn't really mature until about 25. That gives your 4 years to get so drunk off your ass that you might find yourself sleeping with a farm animal. The thing about alcohol is that its frowned upon in the U.S because we're so stupid when it comes to portion control that we get drunk and drive cars while drunk and kill people etc. etc.

My parents are pretty smart when it comes to drinking. I hope I inherit that trait. Alcohol will always be an incredibly prominent part of society. But getting intoxicated is stupid and immature.

[blue_tetris]

I think a certain personality type prone to self-reflection takes more care to do so while drunk.

T_T

Dave's intuition > Jesus.

[otters]

I think a certain personality type prone to self-reflection takes more care to do so while drunk.

T_T

Dave's intuition > Jesus.

incluye's opinion = irrelevant.

[Creampudding]

I think that Its fine if you drink. In fact I think it is a good thing. But if you are going to drink way way way too much, maybe you should first consider the consequences, and if you still are gonna do it, do it in a safe place. And don't drive afterwards.
As for age, I think we shouldn't really have a drinking age. Its just another consumable liquid, and as long as you are responsible it should be fine.

[taaveti]

Ah and apparently there was a rumor that overtime your IQ would diminish over long periods of alcohol abuse and stay that way? That doesn't fly with me. I would like some truth on the matter.

To paraphrase Cheers: in Africa, when a lion goes after a herd of gazelles, it goes for the easy kills- the slow, unhealthy ones at the back. Over time, this increases the overall health and speed of the herd. Now, we all know that drinking alcohol kills brain cells. But, naturally, it kills the weaker and slower ones first, thereby improving the overall quality of your brain. That's why you always feel smarter when you've been drinking. :)

It's the same as guns, violent video games, and all that: it's all about personal responsibility.

What the hell does that have to do with responsibility? I mean guns are kinda obvious but violent video games?

The point I was trying to make is that we like to use these things as scapegoats rather than to take responsibility for our own actions. If someone goes on a shooting spree at school, we say it's the gun's fault, or because the kid played too many violent video games or watched too much violent TV. But the fact of the matter is that a well-adjusted individual can clean their guns while watching violent movies without ever seriously considering actually killing someone. A better phrasing might be: guns don't make you shoot people, violent games don't make you violent, and alcohol doesn't make you drive drunk.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

As for age, I think we shouldn't really have a drinking age. Its just another consumable liquid, and as long as you are responsible it should be fine.

The thing about responsibility is that it improves with age (for most people, anyway). I don't think the government expects you to have a burst of insight on your 21st birthday; they've just agreed that at that age most people are responsible enough.

[blue_tetris]

I don't think we need a federal drinking age. I think leaving the decision to communities and regions would probably be better. But I agree that we need a drinking age. I suppose what I'm trying to say is firms and municipalities should limit the sale of alcohol.

[GamingWolf]

I don't think we need a federal drinking age. I think leaving the decision to communities and regions would probably be better. But I agree that we need a drinking age. I suppose what I'm trying to say is firms and municipalities should limit the sale of alcohol.

Wait, better yet. You should be able to take a physical, medical, mental, etc. exam that will determine if you are ready for alcohol. Call it a drinker's license. I just cracked myself up. No, you can only drink during the day with someone who's had a drinker's license for some odd years. Like, you study about all the different kinds of alcoholic beverages as well as all possible effects and then you have to practice with various types of drinks in a training room. Hah! Then combine it with the DMV and then you can have people that 'CAN' drink and drive.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

Then combine it with the DMV and then you can have people that 'CAN' drink and drive.

That would be amazing.
Or at least, like, have a "Maximum BAC" entry on the license.

[blue_tetris]

That's an amazing idea.

What if your drinker's license and your driver's license contain very powerful like magnets, such that you can only carry one at a time?

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

What if your drinker's license and your driver's license contain very powerful like magnets, such that you can only carry one at a time?

Better yet, imprint each on a hemisphere of half critical mass of U238.

[wedgie]

Have you guys been drinking?

[Kablizzy]

LAST NIGHT IS WHEN IT SHOULD BE CONSUMED.

[blue_tetris]

Blizz was pretty schlostered, come 4 AM my time. He did some barhopping.

The new Debate is "Barhopping: Do cover charges help out bars by making the clientele more exclusive or do they damage your wallet too much to be worthwhile?"

[Chad]

As for age, I think we shouldn't really have a drinking age. Its just another consumable liquid, and as long as you are responsible it should be fine.

no offense but thats a really unrealistic way of looking at it.

1. Kids are dumb and will do anything to fit in or look cool. eleven year olds proving themselves with drinking contests will kill them from alcohol poisoning, if not from stupid decisions.

2. Its not just an other consumable liquid its a drug. a depressant, just because kids on stimulants (like caffeine) are bad, doesn't mean depressant will make any better.

3. ALCOHOL POISONING!!!

4. drunk tricyling

[blackson]

Never driken in my life, as I'm 14. I don't think I will any time soon, due to the fact I'm an athlete and I have to keep my body straight.

(I don't oppose it)

[scythe]

I think I've argued this before at lease eight times. In short, how is drinking alcohol worse than other dangerous activities? Assuming there are facilities to deal with addiction (which there are), it really isn't, is it?

What if your drinker's license and your driver's license contain very powerful like magnets, such that you can only carry one at a time?

Better yet, imprint each on a hemisphere of half critical mass of U238.

Don't you mean Cf-251?

[Zora_S_Kenneth]

What if your drinker's license and your driver's license contain very powerful like magnets, such that you can only carry one at a time?

Better yet, imprint each on a hemisphere of half critical mass of U238.

Don't you mean Cf-251?

At some point, the Californium would kill someone. True, you'd die twice as fast with both licenses,but how many people do you think remember their radioactivity section in Physics and Chemistry?

And what about those of us who alternate between public and private transportation? Some cellphone signals overwrite the magnetic strips on tickets (as if public transportation doesn't suck in the south Bay Area anyway).

Actually, I'd rather think that driver's licenses would be outfitted with a drinking quota that would keep track of how many drinks you've had which would be broadcast inside the car by RFID. If the person in the driver's seat has had too many drinks, the car would not start. For those who haven't drunk enough to consider using a different card, a pepper spray and a cruise ship intensity klaxon could be outfitted inside the steering wheel if it detects the card that doesn't belong to the owner of the car. Also works for deterring car thieves.

[Creampudding]

Wait, better yet. You should be able to take a physical, medical, mental, etc. exam that will determine if you are ready for alcohol. Call it a drinker's license. I just cracked myself up. No, you can only drink during the day with someone who's had a drinker's license for some odd years. Like, you study about all the different kinds of alcoholic beverages as well as all possible effects and then you have to practice with various types of drinks in a training room. Hah! Then combine it with the DMV and then you can have people that 'CAN' drink and drive.

It's true we probably need a drinking age or license for everyone, but seeing as everyone's body is ready for different amounts of alchohol at different times in their life, we could have some sort of exam which would say how much you could have, and when during the day, or evening. It is probably a good idea not to have a bunch of drunk kids running around at night...
Good ideas GamingWolf