“A tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive…Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” C. S. Lewis
Mr. Gage, wonderful. Now I prefer beer. Not the canned crap they sell on TV. No, the stuff they brew locally. The other evening after work, I stopped in for a new dark. They served this wonderful beer in a verry small glass. Why? Because they state tells them to. I was informed that any beer over 9% must be served in a 6 oz glass. Also they must tell you that it is strong beer.
Sadly, our western culture has allowed the the dumbest amongst us to mother us to death.
I feel your pain. I used to enjoy a can or three of the old Special Brew—a vandal-strength 9.5%. The know-betters diluted Spesh—Churchill's favoured drop—to a sapless 7%.
That's 170ml... my cat could drink that amount without problem. Did you sign a disclaimer? Obviously, you wore a helmet whilst drinking?
LOL, no helmet. I thought Brandy was Churchill's favorite drink? I shall look spesh up. I very much admire Churchill. He could drink all day and still make decisions. In all seriousness, do you believe that your government could have pulled this BS on Churchill?
Brandy is right. Carlsberg brewed Special Brew to commemorate Churchill's visit. The original is popular with vagrants and punks, but is a fine drop.
No. We don't have politicians anymore. We have managers. These people are, largely, mediocrities desirous of a celebrity-like lifestyle. I pray we upend the system to Proportional Representation. That's democracy. This is not.
Sadly, your cousins across the pond are just as bad. Always worried about polls and clicks.
I have very little faith in our people. They want entertainment more than leadership. I am reminded of that scene in Gladiator, "are you not entertainment. "
This was a fun read. I was shocked you managed to bring it around so existentially after the deep dive into the merits of meddlesome modern health police.
“Research has found strong links between alcohol and cancer, as well. One bottle of wine per week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime cancer risk for non-smokers of 1% for men and 1.4% for women. This equates one bottle of wine to five cigarettes for men and 10 for women.” May 2022.
Hmmm. ‘strong links’ 1% increase over a lifetime. I’m sure Christopher could write a wonderful
piece on this staggering statistical proof.
It seems to me in the last decades we have completely lost the sense of proportion in our daily decisions. Both institutionally or personally.
We have. Personally, I think crisis eras beget neurotic impulses. Much of our tumult is a reaction to those impulses. Declining cultures seek purity, order, etc.
As for health, I think that in 30 years time, ultra processed foods will be the known culprit for many of our ills. I'm by no means a health nut, but much of what we eat is not food.
Smoking and drinking are not rebellious acts. They are indulgences, and a host of conforming economies depend upon them. But aside from that, one thing that's been a blessing, what with the wall of conformed opinion in the legacy media - the light of all sort of idiosyncratic thinkers is shining through the cracks everywhere. Bless them!
I don't regard them as rebellious. I'm too old for such notions. They're imperfect choices, like almost all other choices. The point is having the choice to make imperfect choices. Cheers!
Well. "Large" 250 ml (wine drinking) vessel? My current Red Wine glasses are whatever comes after "large," then. Bit of research was required, having a later obligation I poured a pint of water into one of these suckers and behold, it wasn't much more then a reasonable "working"pour, eg, one that allowed a bit of snobbish twirling to bring out the bo-kay or whatever that's supposed to do. Intrigued, I dug out the box; 22.3 oz is the official. Had I employed your most exemplary christening method to the box of eight in one sitting, I wouldn't be here... not sure where I was going with all this but maybe it was to ask, isn't an Englishman's home still his castle? If so, I'd be glad to post you a couple of these Glasses; I don't any more have anywhere near seven friends with whom I might be sharing red wine simultaneously. The scolds can go to hell in their own handbaskets. Red wine in particular has gone from good for ya to gonna kill ya fer sher at least twice in my lifetime; they can't even figure out which end is up. But (as a previous contributor observed) making shrinkflation good for ya is always going to be a winner.
Sadly, wine carries the snob label because some people peak in high school and must elevate themselves above their fellow monkeys to get through the rest of their lives. I wish it were not so.
Portoguese wine is good and cheap. They insist that decent wine is within reach of all. It's like communism without the murder.
Oh... In defence of swirling (or twirling, call it what you wish, I'm no snob...) it does something good. Like ice in whiskey. But would I swirl in public? God no! You'd be liable for a kicking 'round 'ere for such things.
Cambridge University Professors of Behavior and Health.... and Stuff:
It's the Gods on Mount Olympus's BIG JOKE: "OK so let's round up all the up-'emself pseudo-intelligentsia characters in the Western world....and make them 'professors' in the institutions of 'higher learning'. Now that'll be a Laugh!"
If only the curtain twitchers would just treat adults like adults....or feck off. That would be even better. I would definitely drown in your wine glasses, being even more vertically challenged than little Rishi 😂 I bought a prosecco bottle stopper off ebay, can't abide those tiny bottles, and being in charge of children and keeping insane hours, I can't drink a whole bottle in a night (yet) - it's revolutionised my life! 🤣😂
Strategic alliances between commercial/academic “interests” keep me up at night - and not in the good way.
Fra Savonarola lives in the certain corridors where commercial interests (whether of a pub-owning conglom or an academic sourcing funding) align with well-meaning but meddlesome bureaucracy.
Invoking a Savonarola-inspired asceticism to get us all to conspire in chipping away at our own pleasures and freedoms: throw your delights on the bonfire please, or be damned.
“A tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive…Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” C. S. Lewis
Rishi drowning in your wine glass, hahahaha! Funniest thing I've read all day!
Mr. Gage, wonderful. Now I prefer beer. Not the canned crap they sell on TV. No, the stuff they brew locally. The other evening after work, I stopped in for a new dark. They served this wonderful beer in a verry small glass. Why? Because they state tells them to. I was informed that any beer over 9% must be served in a 6 oz glass. Also they must tell you that it is strong beer.
Sadly, our western culture has allowed the the dumbest amongst us to mother us to death.
I feel your pain. I used to enjoy a can or three of the old Special Brew—a vandal-strength 9.5%. The know-betters diluted Spesh—Churchill's favoured drop—to a sapless 7%.
That's 170ml... my cat could drink that amount without problem. Did you sign a disclaimer? Obviously, you wore a helmet whilst drinking?
LOL, no helmet. I thought Brandy was Churchill's favorite drink? I shall look spesh up. I very much admire Churchill. He could drink all day and still make decisions. In all seriousness, do you believe that your government could have pulled this BS on Churchill?
Brandy is right. Carlsberg brewed Special Brew to commemorate Churchill's visit. The original is popular with vagrants and punks, but is a fine drop.
No. We don't have politicians anymore. We have managers. These people are, largely, mediocrities desirous of a celebrity-like lifestyle. I pray we upend the system to Proportional Representation. That's democracy. This is not.
Sadly, your cousins across the pond are just as bad. Always worried about polls and clicks.
I have very little faith in our people. They want entertainment more than leadership. I am reminded of that scene in Gladiator, "are you not entertainment. "
excellent
This was a fun read. I was shocked you managed to bring it around so existentially after the deep dive into the merits of meddlesome modern health police.
Much appreciated!
Wonderful prose. Many felicitous phrases
Ray! I didn't know you hung around here. Welcome, mate. And thank you.
Oi, I linger on social media like a pathogen. And you are quite welcome.
We have the same here in the US.
“Research has found strong links between alcohol and cancer, as well. One bottle of wine per week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime cancer risk for non-smokers of 1% for men and 1.4% for women. This equates one bottle of wine to five cigarettes for men and 10 for women.” May 2022.
Hmmm. ‘strong links’ 1% increase over a lifetime. I’m sure Christopher could write a wonderful
piece on this staggering statistical proof.
It seems to me in the last decades we have completely lost the sense of proportion in our daily decisions. Both institutionally or personally.
One percent... thank you for that. Incredible.
We have. Personally, I think crisis eras beget neurotic impulses. Much of our tumult is a reaction to those impulses. Declining cultures seek purity, order, etc.
As for health, I think that in 30 years time, ultra processed foods will be the known culprit for many of our ills. I'm by no means a health nut, but much of what we eat is not food.
Smoking and drinking are not rebellious acts. They are indulgences, and a host of conforming economies depend upon them. But aside from that, one thing that's been a blessing, what with the wall of conformed opinion in the legacy media - the light of all sort of idiosyncratic thinkers is shining through the cracks everywhere. Bless them!
I don't regard them as rebellious. I'm too old for such notions. They're imperfect choices, like almost all other choices. The point is having the choice to make imperfect choices. Cheers!
"British English—English free of mistakes." Oh, the Empire lives! Let me go burn my Macquarie Dictionary.
Ha. No need. Australian English is solid.
Duck cough, fabulous!
Can you please stop enjoying yourself, you are showing the rest of us up.
P.s That cigarette sounds delicious.
Sunak's banning single-use vapes. In the words of Superhans: Smoking's coming back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkcderU-l3g&ab_channel=PeepShow
It's probably the tone, not the advice. Cheers.
Well. "Large" 250 ml (wine drinking) vessel? My current Red Wine glasses are whatever comes after "large," then. Bit of research was required, having a later obligation I poured a pint of water into one of these suckers and behold, it wasn't much more then a reasonable "working"pour, eg, one that allowed a bit of snobbish twirling to bring out the bo-kay or whatever that's supposed to do. Intrigued, I dug out the box; 22.3 oz is the official. Had I employed your most exemplary christening method to the box of eight in one sitting, I wouldn't be here... not sure where I was going with all this but maybe it was to ask, isn't an Englishman's home still his castle? If so, I'd be glad to post you a couple of these Glasses; I don't any more have anywhere near seven friends with whom I might be sharing red wine simultaneously. The scolds can go to hell in their own handbaskets. Red wine in particular has gone from good for ya to gonna kill ya fer sher at least twice in my lifetime; they can't even figure out which end is up. But (as a previous contributor observed) making shrinkflation good for ya is always going to be a winner.
All the best, sir.
Sadly, wine carries the snob label because some people peak in high school and must elevate themselves above their fellow monkeys to get through the rest of their lives. I wish it were not so.
Portoguese wine is good and cheap. They insist that decent wine is within reach of all. It's like communism without the murder.
Oh... In defence of swirling (or twirling, call it what you wish, I'm no snob...) it does something good. Like ice in whiskey. But would I swirl in public? God no! You'd be liable for a kicking 'round 'ere for such things.
Apropos "swirling... and twirling" -- what about skirling and twerking? (or is it the latter that enables the former?)
Hahaha. Insightful. I do not frequent such places!
Cambridge University Professors of Behavior and Health.... and Stuff:
It's the Gods on Mount Olympus's BIG JOKE: "OK so let's round up all the up-'emself pseudo-intelligentsia characters in the Western world....and make them 'professors' in the institutions of 'higher learning'. Now that'll be a Laugh!"
If only the curtain twitchers would just treat adults like adults....or feck off. That would be even better. I would definitely drown in your wine glasses, being even more vertically challenged than little Rishi 😂 I bought a prosecco bottle stopper off ebay, can't abide those tiny bottles, and being in charge of children and keeping insane hours, I can't drink a whole bottle in a night (yet) - it's revolutionised my life! 🤣😂
I didn't think that I could drink a fifth either -- until I did. During a business trip to Britain, ironically. (It was NOT prosecco, BTW.)
People paying the same for less, sanctioned by a Cambridge prof? I bet her research is extremely well-funded.
Yes. A strange alliance between big business and government. That, of course, loosely defines the essence of fascism, but they mean well so...
Large glasses 'increase pleasure,' Jill. Not once have I ever thought, 'Hmmm, this is lovely. However, it is too pleasurable. Better dial it down.'
And yes. Literally millions of pounds goes into this lunacy.
Strategic alliances between commercial/academic “interests” keep me up at night - and not in the good way.
Fra Savonarola lives in the certain corridors where commercial interests (whether of a pub-owning conglom or an academic sourcing funding) align with well-meaning but meddlesome bureaucracy.
Invoking a Savonarola-inspired asceticism to get us all to conspire in chipping away at our own pleasures and freedoms: throw your delights on the bonfire please, or be damned.