A repost from Jan 2016, because it seemed relevant.
Blow in Her Face
WB xx
Showing posts with label Alcohol industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcohol industry. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 October 2017
Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Echo Chambers..
Live Broadcast Replay and Podcast
Echo Chambers - how we get into them, and how they hinder our sobriety. Plus What's New and Booze in the News..
Echo Chambers
WB xx
Echo Chambers - how we get into them, and how they hinder our sobriety. Plus What's New and Booze in the News..
Echo Chambers
WB xx
Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Is September the New January?
Trying a Fresh Start of my own this week - combining a LIVE broadcast with podcast/blog, if it works - it will be a regular weekly thing..
Is September the New January?
WB xx
Is September the New January?
WB xx
Saturday, 20 May 2017
What am I Against?
Sometimes people tell me that I'm "anti-alcohol". That may have been true in the early days of sobriety, but not so much now. Here's what I am against now..
What am I against?
WBxx
What am I against?
WBxx
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Booze and the Bottom Line - Part 1
Here's Part 1 of my three part article series about dysfunctional drinking and the impact on small and micro businesses.
Booze and the Bottom Line
Here's the link to yesterdays podcast episode that didn't work properly (sorry)
How to Quit Drinking.
WB xx
Booze and the Bottom Line
Here's the link to yesterdays podcast episode that didn't work properly (sorry)
How to Quit Drinking.
WB xx
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
All the Others...
Watch out for "nuns" and "frolicking" in the same sentence in this post. Waited a long time to get those two words in a (relevant) sentence
All The Others
WB xx
All The Others
WB xx
Sunday, 24 July 2016
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Friday, 24 June 2016
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Too Rich and Too Thin...
Who benefits from stereotyping? Who benefits from us drinking in vast quantities..
Too Rich and Too Thin..
WB xx
Too Rich and Too Thin..
WB xx
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Is Sober The New Gluten Free?
Here goes. Shameful self promotion.
Is Sober The New Gluten Free?
And also today's podcast, an interview with my brother-in-law
Crystal Clear
WB xx
Is Sober The New Gluten Free?
And also today's podcast, an interview with my brother-in-law
Crystal Clear
WB xx
Sunday, 10 April 2016
Fish on a Bicycle...Completely Normal!
How many of us went down the drinking path, because it was 'normal'
Fish on a Bicycle..Completely Normal
WB xx
Fish on a Bicycle..Completely Normal
WB xx
Monday, 21 March 2016
Tequila Will Mend a Broken Heart, Right?
Messages from the media.....that drive me mad...
Tequila Will Mend a Broken Heart, Right?
WB xxx
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Wednesday, 6 January 2016
Blow in Her Face, She'll Follow You Anywhere....
Says an ad for Tipalet Cigarettes.
Gross.
Yet it wasn't in 1969. It was "alluring". Somehow suggesting that a faceful of cigarette smoke would loosen a girl's panties quicker than a Tom Jones hip swivel. (I'm old, OK?)
Smoking was sexy. Smoking was cool. Smoking was fun....
But that was then, before we knew that the big tobacco companies had lied to us, had tried (and succeeded) to get us hooked, and had made gazillions of dollars peddling their evil cancer sticks......
We're so much more sophisticated now. We don't fall for that bullshit anymore.....
And to a certain extent, we are.
As far as the harmful effects of alcohol are concerned, we DO know far more than the previous generation knew about tobacco. We are well aware of the dangers of drunk driving, drinking while pregnant, alcohol poisoning....most of us even know about the "safe" weekly drinking limits set by governments.
I knew all that. But I drank and drank and drank anyway.......
Why? Because it's normal.
Everybody does it!
And somehow, we subconsciously convinced ourselves that there was safety in numbers. If we were all doing it, if it was normal, then all that health stuff must be wrong, right?
Well guess what? We did just fall for that bullshit again......
The alcohol industry hasn't misled us. They have actively participated in safety campaigns, made sure that they remind us to "enjoy responsibly", and they have refrained from putting out the "cheesy"ads that the tobacco companies pumped out half a decade ago.
We could argue that 'alcopops" were a cynical move to attract younger drinkers, that the industry has actively pursued the female market, and that argument would be correct.
But they've been far cleverer than the tobacco industry ever knew how to be.
They recruited us to sell their shit - and they didn't even pay us!
Most people drink because other people drink. I first started drinking wine in the afternoon because I had friends that did. I first started drinking wine rather than a cup of tea, when I got home from work, because everybody did that, right? Pulling out a bottle of wine at a kids birthday party was fine - we should have fun too....after the school run, after a business meeting, during a business meeting, at lunchtime, the afternoon, the evening..........we did it, BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DID!!
This time, we can't shriek and blame big corporations for lying to us. We did it to ourselves!
Somehow, we have to squeeze the toothpaste back into the tube.
If we did such a good job of convincing everyone around us that booze was "cool", then we can reverse that.
I don't mean by being 'evangelical" and smug about how wonderful a sober life is (although it is, and I must admit, I do sometime feel a bit smug), not by preaching and pushing it down everyone's throats...
Remember how annoying those reformed smokers were, when they banged on and on about how wonderful everything smelled and tasted? Didn't you just want to punch them?
No, not like that.
Lead by example. Enjoy every moment of your life. Do stuff.
Live Your Best Sober Life!!
And maybe some day, getting all drunky drunk will be as uncool as huffing your fag * smoke over everyone....
WBxx
* "fag" means cigarette in England, my American friends. Otherwise that sentence would be weird.
Gross.
Yet it wasn't in 1969. It was "alluring". Somehow suggesting that a faceful of cigarette smoke would loosen a girl's panties quicker than a Tom Jones hip swivel. (I'm old, OK?)
Smoking was sexy. Smoking was cool. Smoking was fun....
But that was then, before we knew that the big tobacco companies had lied to us, had tried (and succeeded) to get us hooked, and had made gazillions of dollars peddling their evil cancer sticks......
We're so much more sophisticated now. We don't fall for that bullshit anymore.....
And to a certain extent, we are.
As far as the harmful effects of alcohol are concerned, we DO know far more than the previous generation knew about tobacco. We are well aware of the dangers of drunk driving, drinking while pregnant, alcohol poisoning....most of us even know about the "safe" weekly drinking limits set by governments.
I knew all that. But I drank and drank and drank anyway.......
Why? Because it's normal.
Everybody does it!
And somehow, we subconsciously convinced ourselves that there was safety in numbers. If we were all doing it, if it was normal, then all that health stuff must be wrong, right?
Well guess what? We did just fall for that bullshit again......
The alcohol industry hasn't misled us. They have actively participated in safety campaigns, made sure that they remind us to "enjoy responsibly", and they have refrained from putting out the "cheesy"ads that the tobacco companies pumped out half a decade ago.
We could argue that 'alcopops" were a cynical move to attract younger drinkers, that the industry has actively pursued the female market, and that argument would be correct.
But they've been far cleverer than the tobacco industry ever knew how to be.
They recruited us to sell their shit - and they didn't even pay us!
Most people drink because other people drink. I first started drinking wine in the afternoon because I had friends that did. I first started drinking wine rather than a cup of tea, when I got home from work, because everybody did that, right? Pulling out a bottle of wine at a kids birthday party was fine - we should have fun too....after the school run, after a business meeting, during a business meeting, at lunchtime, the afternoon, the evening..........we did it, BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DID!!
This time, we can't shriek and blame big corporations for lying to us. We did it to ourselves!
Somehow, we have to squeeze the toothpaste back into the tube.
If we did such a good job of convincing everyone around us that booze was "cool", then we can reverse that.
I don't mean by being 'evangelical" and smug about how wonderful a sober life is (although it is, and I must admit, I do sometime feel a bit smug), not by preaching and pushing it down everyone's throats...
Remember how annoying those reformed smokers were, when they banged on and on about how wonderful everything smelled and tasted? Didn't you just want to punch them?
No, not like that.
Lead by example. Enjoy every moment of your life. Do stuff.
Live Your Best Sober Life!!
And maybe some day, getting all drunky drunk will be as uncool as huffing your fag * smoke over everyone....
WBxx
* "fag" means cigarette in England, my American friends. Otherwise that sentence would be weird.
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Stereotypes that Bite us in the Butt.
I love Sunday. Lazy morning, coffee, autumn colours.....hangover free. Such a difference to five months ago.
Sunday's were horrible. Feeling awful, usually parked on the couch, guilt ridden.....until wine o'clock rolled around again, and my chemical induced low, could be perked up a notch, with yet more alcohol.
Once I was in the warm protective glow of glass #1, I could then rationalize my drinking :
* At least I don't drink as much as X...he/she really does have a problem...
AND, one that will be familiar....
* At least I'm not living under a bridge, drinking cheap cider...
If you live in Canada, (or maybe the US), you may be tempted to envision this homeless drunk as a First Nation person.
Yes, I really did type that.
In Canada, it's a widely accepted theory that First Nations people and communities have a "Alcohol Issue". And yes it is true, that in some of the more poverty stricken communities (Oh, that would be MOST of them) alcohol abuse is destroying native people and families.
Well, that's because native people are genetically more likely to become alcoholics right?
(oh sure, it's not the generations of white people who destroyed a way of life, treated the indigenous population like shit, and as recently as 1976, were still tearing children as young as five away from their mothers, to make sure they didn't grow up like 'savages')
Yes. That's correct. It's the Firewater.
If you've read any parts of my blog before, you may have noticed that I am totally skeptical of any "genetic" research into alcoholism. Firstly, before I read any research, I tend to check out the sponsor, the people who paid for it (after all, Coca Cola would pay for research that "discovers" that soda every day is not harmful, right?), and secondly, I always question the "agenda" of the people who are researching in the first place.
After all, why the fuck would you spend a ton of money linking eye colour to alcoholism?
Anyway I digress.
I believe that the reasons for alcoholism are far more complex that a nature v nurture debate will allow - I don't give a shit how many "research" projects are conducted.
I also believe that the "genetic" argument is dangerous. It leads to stereotyping (some racist - the "drunk Indian), and it leads to a a lack of accountability, and a lack of hope.
It also lets the alcohol industry off the hook. The same alcohol industry that sets up liquor stores as close as possible to tribal lands. After all, they don't make any money off "normies" who only drink a glass of wine at the weekend, do they?
So this week, I was pleasantly surprised to find an article that seemed to make sense, and was attempting to be as objective as possible, and highlighted the flaws in this particularly racist argument.
It aimed to de-bunk the stereotypes that have kept native populations firmly in the past. You can read it here
It provides hope for the future.
And for the rest of us?
Stereotyping always bites us firmly in the butt.
If you want to carry on swilling the wine, a comfortable alcoholic stereotype will do the job.....I can't be an alcoholic because I drink expensive wine, I don't roam the streets drunk...
Stereotypes are dangerous. Not only for the sector of the community that we are stereotyping, but also for the rest of us. Hanging on to these misconceptions allow us to not examine our own drinking habits. They allow the wine witch to continue her hold. (And of course, it makes us not particularly nice people)
If I'm white, middle class and affluent, only drinking expensive wine, how can I possibly be the same as the drunk homeless guy, drinking shitty vodka...?
Well, I have news for you.
You may not have the same life experience. You may not have the same socio-economic status. You may not have the same culture, same beliefs, same traditions, or even eat the same food.
But you drink the same poison. So in this respect....
You are the same. I was the same. We're all in the same club.
So if you are sitting on the couch this Sunday, waiting for a bottle of white to chill in the fridge, waiting for a hair of the dog, trying to rationalize drinking today, after drinking yesterday, and the day before.....
You have one less excuse.
And maybe some hope for the future too.
WB.xx
( So you are aware, I am white and middle class, married to a full status native man. It doesn't give me any more 'experience" or "insight" - I am still a product of my upbringing (and influenced by my genes, maybe), but it does allow me to listen firsthand to the debate, and get a different viewpoint that isn't always comfortable. But that's OK. We should get out of our comfort zone occasionally)
Sunday's were horrible. Feeling awful, usually parked on the couch, guilt ridden.....until wine o'clock rolled around again, and my chemical induced low, could be perked up a notch, with yet more alcohol.
Once I was in the warm protective glow of glass #1, I could then rationalize my drinking :
* At least I don't drink as much as X...he/she really does have a problem...
AND, one that will be familiar....
* At least I'm not living under a bridge, drinking cheap cider...
If you live in Canada, (or maybe the US), you may be tempted to envision this homeless drunk as a First Nation person.
Yes, I really did type that.
In Canada, it's a widely accepted theory that First Nations people and communities have a "Alcohol Issue". And yes it is true, that in some of the more poverty stricken communities (Oh, that would be MOST of them) alcohol abuse is destroying native people and families.
Well, that's because native people are genetically more likely to become alcoholics right?
(oh sure, it's not the generations of white people who destroyed a way of life, treated the indigenous population like shit, and as recently as 1976, were still tearing children as young as five away from their mothers, to make sure they didn't grow up like 'savages')
Yes. That's correct. It's the Firewater.
If you've read any parts of my blog before, you may have noticed that I am totally skeptical of any "genetic" research into alcoholism. Firstly, before I read any research, I tend to check out the sponsor, the people who paid for it (after all, Coca Cola would pay for research that "discovers" that soda every day is not harmful, right?), and secondly, I always question the "agenda" of the people who are researching in the first place.
After all, why the fuck would you spend a ton of money linking eye colour to alcoholism?
Anyway I digress.
I believe that the reasons for alcoholism are far more complex that a nature v nurture debate will allow - I don't give a shit how many "research" projects are conducted.
I also believe that the "genetic" argument is dangerous. It leads to stereotyping (some racist - the "drunk Indian), and it leads to a a lack of accountability, and a lack of hope.
It also lets the alcohol industry off the hook. The same alcohol industry that sets up liquor stores as close as possible to tribal lands. After all, they don't make any money off "normies" who only drink a glass of wine at the weekend, do they?
So this week, I was pleasantly surprised to find an article that seemed to make sense, and was attempting to be as objective as possible, and highlighted the flaws in this particularly racist argument.
It aimed to de-bunk the stereotypes that have kept native populations firmly in the past. You can read it here
It provides hope for the future.
And for the rest of us?
Stereotyping always bites us firmly in the butt.
If you want to carry on swilling the wine, a comfortable alcoholic stereotype will do the job.....I can't be an alcoholic because I drink expensive wine, I don't roam the streets drunk...
Stereotypes are dangerous. Not only for the sector of the community that we are stereotyping, but also for the rest of us. Hanging on to these misconceptions allow us to not examine our own drinking habits. They allow the wine witch to continue her hold. (And of course, it makes us not particularly nice people)
If I'm white, middle class and affluent, only drinking expensive wine, how can I possibly be the same as the drunk homeless guy, drinking shitty vodka...?
Well, I have news for you.
You may not have the same life experience. You may not have the same socio-economic status. You may not have the same culture, same beliefs, same traditions, or even eat the same food.
But you drink the same poison. So in this respect....
You are the same. I was the same. We're all in the same club.
So if you are sitting on the couch this Sunday, waiting for a bottle of white to chill in the fridge, waiting for a hair of the dog, trying to rationalize drinking today, after drinking yesterday, and the day before.....
You have one less excuse.
And maybe some hope for the future too.
WB.xx
( So you are aware, I am white and middle class, married to a full status native man. It doesn't give me any more 'experience" or "insight" - I am still a product of my upbringing (and influenced by my genes, maybe), but it does allow me to listen firsthand to the debate, and get a different viewpoint that isn't always comfortable. But that's OK. We should get out of our comfort zone occasionally)
Monday, 14 September 2015
Donald Trump - Messiah or Bogeyman?
I love American politics. I love the unapologetic theatre, the passion, the pundits, and yes, even the sleaze.
Here in Canada, and definitely in England, people have been known to sneer a little at American politics, calling it a "circus", lacking "substance" or "dignity".
But I don't listen to those people. And nor, I'm sure, does Donald Trump. In fact, he doesn't really seem to listen anyone who disagrees with him (or anyone who happens to be female. Or Mexican.)
At first, it was funny. I was tuning in just to gape at What Donald Said Next.
But then, he began to gain momentum in the polls, and it started to be Serious. Some political commentators are already voicing what some people may be thinking....
Could Donald Trump be the next Leader of the Free World?
I was reminded of a WB Yeats poem...
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Donald's supporters are saying things like.."He's a breath of fresh air" and 'He's not afraid to speak his mind"......only sadly, his "mind' seems to be misogynistic and racist.
But, knowing little about Donald, except that he is an obnoxious billionaire, I did some research.(google). And I found out that he has never had an alcoholic drink in his life!!
His older brother Freddie, died from Alcoholism, and Donald learned from his mistakes. He talks quite candidly in several interviews about his brother's struggle with alcohol and the effect on his life;
"He was a great-looking guy. He had the best personality. He had everything. But he had a problem with alcohol and cigarettes. He knew he had the problem, and it's a tough problem to have. He was ten years older than me, and he would always tell me not to drink or smoke. And to this day I've never had a cigarette. I've never had a glass of alcohol. I won't even drink a cup of coffee. I just stay away from those things because he had such a tremendous problem. Fred did me a great favor. It's one of the greatest favors anyone's ever done for me" January 2004, Esquire.
He goes on to say in the same interview;
"I've never understood why people don't go after the alcohol companies like they did the tobacco companies. Alcohol is a much worse problem than cigarettes"
Now I'm starting to like the guy. Could he be one of us?
I bit more digging, and I found that in 1990, he argued that all drugs should be legalized, and the money put into drug rehab programs. (Sounds suspiciously liberal)
All joking aside, it's about time that we had someone in a position of influence and power to change the conversation and our collective mindset around Alcohol. Someone who could take on the industry, in the same way that the Tobacco industry was challenged - just look at the way attitudes have changed towards smoking!
And who better than someone who has openly spoken about the devastating effect that alcoholism can have on people's lives?
Alas, an hour more research.......
"Trump started selling vodka under his name . The “super premium” liquor hit shelves in 2006 .... Trump had big plans for the beverage. He said it would be “a major player in the vodka arena” because of its quality and packaging"
Sold out before he even begun. I was starting to have a glimmer of hope....but....
Donald Trump is not the Messiah. He's just another politician with a bad haircut.
The Sober Revolution will continue on - not a showy campaign with televised stump speeches, or triumphant rallies, no celebrity endorsements, or town hall debates.
Just a quiet, relentless grassroots movement, started by people who have discovered that when they put down the bottle....
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” W.B Yeats.
Here in Canada, and definitely in England, people have been known to sneer a little at American politics, calling it a "circus", lacking "substance" or "dignity".
But I don't listen to those people. And nor, I'm sure, does Donald Trump. In fact, he doesn't really seem to listen anyone who disagrees with him (or anyone who happens to be female. Or Mexican.)
At first, it was funny. I was tuning in just to gape at What Donald Said Next.
But then, he began to gain momentum in the polls, and it started to be Serious. Some political commentators are already voicing what some people may be thinking....
Could Donald Trump be the next Leader of the Free World?
I was reminded of a WB Yeats poem...
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Donald's supporters are saying things like.."He's a breath of fresh air" and 'He's not afraid to speak his mind"......only sadly, his "mind' seems to be misogynistic and racist.
But, knowing little about Donald, except that he is an obnoxious billionaire, I did some research.(google). And I found out that he has never had an alcoholic drink in his life!!
His older brother Freddie, died from Alcoholism, and Donald learned from his mistakes. He talks quite candidly in several interviews about his brother's struggle with alcohol and the effect on his life;
"He was a great-looking guy. He had the best personality. He had everything. But he had a problem with alcohol and cigarettes. He knew he had the problem, and it's a tough problem to have. He was ten years older than me, and he would always tell me not to drink or smoke. And to this day I've never had a cigarette. I've never had a glass of alcohol. I won't even drink a cup of coffee. I just stay away from those things because he had such a tremendous problem. Fred did me a great favor. It's one of the greatest favors anyone's ever done for me" January 2004, Esquire.
He goes on to say in the same interview;
"I've never understood why people don't go after the alcohol companies like they did the tobacco companies. Alcohol is a much worse problem than cigarettes"
Now I'm starting to like the guy. Could he be one of us?
I bit more digging, and I found that in 1990, he argued that all drugs should be legalized, and the money put into drug rehab programs. (Sounds suspiciously liberal)
All joking aside, it's about time that we had someone in a position of influence and power to change the conversation and our collective mindset around Alcohol. Someone who could take on the industry, in the same way that the Tobacco industry was challenged - just look at the way attitudes have changed towards smoking!
And who better than someone who has openly spoken about the devastating effect that alcoholism can have on people's lives?
Alas, an hour more research.......
"Trump started selling vodka under his name . The “super premium” liquor hit shelves in 2006 .... Trump had big plans for the beverage. He said it would be “a major player in the vodka arena” because of its quality and packaging"
Sold out before he even begun. I was starting to have a glimmer of hope....but....
Donald Trump is not the Messiah. He's just another politician with a bad haircut.
The Sober Revolution will continue on - not a showy campaign with televised stump speeches, or triumphant rallies, no celebrity endorsements, or town hall debates.
Just a quiet, relentless grassroots movement, started by people who have discovered that when they put down the bottle....
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” W.B Yeats.
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