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Tag: alcohol

  • Amazon Will Bring You Beer, Quickly, in Its New Prime Now Market

    Amazon Will Bring You Beer, Quickly, in Its New Prime Now Market

    For the first time in the US, Amazon’s Prime Now rapid delivery service is offering to bring you some beer.

    The company just launched Prime Now in its hometown of Seattle, also serving the Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland areas. And along with the expansion comes a new delivery option – beer, wine, and a small selection of spirits.

    Prime Now, Amazon’s most expedited Prime delivery option, is available in a handful of US cites like Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, and NYC. It allows Prime members to request one-hour and two-hour deliveries on products via a separate mobile app – products that include some foodstuffs.

    But not as many as Amazon’s grocery service, AmazonFresh. At least for now.

    “Prime Now is our fastest delivery option ever. With Prime Now, you can skip a trip to the store and get the items you need delivered right to your door in under an hour,” said Stephenie Landry, director of Amazon’s Prime Now service. “Customers love the convenience of one-hour delivery and we’re excited to bring Prime Now to our hometown customers in Seattle and surrounding areas.”

    No mention in the announcement of anything regarding Amazon Flex, the new service spotted in Seattle earlier this month. Flex appears to let customers pick up packages in-store.

    But hey, if you need some beer or wine and you’re too day-drunk to go get it, Amazon is starting to help you out (in a select area, of course). Liquor laws regarding delivery are different everywhere, but it’s be interesting to see if Prime Now starts carting more booze in metros across the US.

  • Drink Up – Google Wants to Make You a Bartender

    No, Google won’t serve you drinks – but it’ll tell you how to make them.

    Google has added cocktails to the list of instructables it’ll show with the Knowledge Graph – so if you’re wondering how to make a tequila sunrise, Google has your back. Alternatively, you could just put the tequila in a glass and drink it. That’s the preferred method of tequila consumption.

    Searching for the phrase “how do I make an old fashioned” or even just “how to make old fashioned” yields a new card that explains the basics of the drink-making process.

    The recipes aren’t really recipes, as with the ones for food – they’re more generic instructions (mix some bourbon) – but it’s a pretty nice basic outline of how to make the drink.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • DUI App Lets You Play Games to Show You How Drunk You Are

    Sometimes, a good dose of reality can help you make a better decision – especially when it’s the reality that you’re too drunk to beat a simple memory game.

    The state of Maryland is looking to crack down on DUIs with the help of a new app. It’s called ENDUI, and it’s free on both iOS and Android. The app was federally funded.

    “I think states are starting to go that route because they’re trying to reach consumers where they are and where they spend time, and everyone spends time on their phone,” Kara Macek, a spokeswoman at the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the AP. “I think we’re going to see more of that as we go forward.” A few other states are getting in on the app strategy, including Colorado, New York, and California.

    The app lets users report drunk drivers, call designated drivers, find taxis and other public transportation, and offers facts about DUI and a set of informational videos.

    But the interesting thing about the app is that it attempts to help make your decision not to drink and drive a lot easier.

    First, it offers a Blood Alcohol Content guesstimator, which uses a user’s height, weight, and sex to determine their estimated BAC after a certain number of drinks in a certain time frame.

    And the app also has a few simple games – one to test reaction time and another to test memory.

    The app is careful to warn people that the skill tests are “for information usage only and are not legal sobriety tests and should not be considered as permission to drink and drive.”

    When you can’t remember a simple sequence or you’re having a hard time tapping your phone fast enough to avoid a virtual wreck, you’ve probably has too much. Maybe an app like this can prevent one person from getting behind the wheel which intoxicated – and if it can do that then it was worth the $50,000 it cost to make it.

    Image via ENDUI, iTunes

  • Police: Dad Forced Teenage Son To Drink Himself Unconscious

    A Tennessee man found himself in hot water on Saturday over what can only be described as a rather vicious and disturbing act involving his son. Somehow “bad parenting” doesn’t quite cover it.

    Mark Allen Hughes of Sweetwater, Tenn. was not at all happy to learn that his 15-year-old son was drinking illegally. As a minor it is of course illegal for him to do so.

    Fearing that his son was headed down the wrong path, Hughes allegedly took it upon himself to demonstrate the evils of alcohol by forcing his son to participate in a twisted drinking game.

    The Associated Press reported that the teenager eventually consumed so much alcohol that he lost consciousness. Keep in mind that excessive drinking can result in alcohol poisoning, a potentially fatal condition.

    Witnesses were concerned enough by what was happening in front of them that they took it upon themselves call the authorities to the home.

    By the time law enforcement officials arrived, the young man had no pulse and CPR had to be performed until an ambulance arrived on the scene. The teenager was then rushed to a nearby hospital.

    The teen’s grandmother informed the AP that thanks to proper medical treatment, her grandson is expected to be just fine.

    The same can’t be said of his father, who was arrested shortly after Sweetwater law enforcement arrived at the home. Hughes may have started out dealing the punishment, but he’ll be the one learning what a harsh penalty for a stupid action feels like. That’s one way to lead by example.

    Sweetwater Police Chief Eddie Byrum has said that he is aiming to see that the case against Hughes is “prosecuted to the fullest”.

    For the record, there are easier ways to teach your teenagers life lessons when they mess up. Rather than follow this bizarre example, opt for an actual conversation.

  • Matt Prater Suspended For Four Games

    Matt Prater Suspended For Four Games

    Denver Bronco’s kicker Matt Prater has been suspended for the first four games of the season after he violated the NFL’s substance-abuse program.

    According to Prater’s lawyer Harvey Steinberg, Prater was first enrolled in the program after he was arrested for drunk driving in August 2011.

    Although Prater wasn’t suspended for his DUI, the incident left him open for random alcohol tests. Prater recently tested positive for alcohol, however Steinberg said he was simply having a few drinks at home while he was on vacation, and it shouldn’t violate the policy.

    “This guy was off probation. There’s no allegation that he used PEDs or illegal drugs,” Steinberg said. “He was on vacation, had three beers three years after a DUI. Come on, give me break.”

    Steinberg did acknowledge that he and Prater had been treated very well, under the circumstances. “Having said that, the NFL under the constraints of the policy couldn’t have treated us better,” Steinberg added.

    Although it is frustrating that Matt will be sitting on the bench during the opening games, his punishment could have been a lot worse. Prater was originally looking at a year-long suspension, but Steinberg was able to get his time reduced to only four games.

    Prater does not plan on appealing the punishment, and is taking full responsibility for his actions. “I’ve made some mistakes,” Prater said. “I’m accepting full responsibility. I’ll learn from it and come back a better person. I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches, the Broncos’ organization and the fans.”

  • Scott Disick Talks His Health And Recovery

    Scott Disick has had one of the toughest years of his life. Not only has he had personal struggles with his relationship to the Keeping up with the Kardashian star Kourtney Kardashian, he also suffered the tragic loss of his mother and father.

    It seemed as though Scott couldn’t catch a break, and he finally ended up finding comfort through alcohol and partying.

    However, after a severe bout of alcohol poisoning earlier this year, Scott has been working hard to clean up his act, and says he is finally living healthy.

    “I’m good,” Disick told People while at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut with Kourtney’s sister, and one of Scott’s best friends, Khloe Kardashian. “I’ve had ups and downs. Every time you can better yourself it’s a good thing, and a positive thing.”

    Disick, who is the father of Penelope, two, Mason, four, and his unborn child, has always been known for his partying ways, and it has cost him along the way. His behavior has been prominently featured on KUWTK, and many have wondered if he would ever get on the right path. Maybe hitting rock bottom was Scott’s wake-up call, as he has been working hard on staying sober since his hospitalization in June.

    “I’m excited to just be feeling good and living healthy, eating better, exercising more and doing whatever I can to get by,” said Disick.

  • Scott Disick Hospitalized For Alcohol Poisoning

    Scott Disick has always been a bit of a partier to say the least. However, it seems as though he took his partying too far during his birthday bash on June 21, as he had to be hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.

    Disick, who has been in a longtime relationship with Kourtney Kardashian of Keeping up with the Kardashians, was seen heavily drinking at the 1OAk nightclub in the Hamptons, and then later at the Southampton Hospital where he received treatment.

    A source close to Scott explained that that night was a wake-up call for him. “Scott has known that he needed help for a while, but he just wasn’t ready to take that leap,” the source said. “He finally had to humble himself and say, ‘Hey, I need help.’ It was a big step for him, and it took a lot of faith on his part.”

    Scott is trying to straighten his life out, and even sought out the guidance of Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr., the pastor that married Kourtney’s sister Kim Kardashian. “He’s finding his spiritual center now,” the source added. “I know what his public persona is, but he’s really a sensitive guy with a small spiritual side.”

    Disick already has two children with Kardashian -Mason, 4, and Penelope, 2 – and they are expecting a third. Although there are good things happening in his life, Scott is still recovering from the devastating loss of both of his parents, who died just three months apart.

    “Obviously, his parents dying had a profound impact on him, and he has been grieving their loss,” the source continued. “But don’t make the mistake of assuming that his problems started then. They didn’t. The losses of his parents amplified some issues that he already had.”

    The source explained that Scott was simply trying to self-medicate himself to ease the pain, but he now realizes that that isn’t the answer.

    Image via Twitter

  • Robin Williams in Rehab, Didn’t Relapse

    Robin Williams in Rehab, Didn’t Relapse

    Robin Williams checked himself into a rehab facility last week, however the actor didn’t suffer a relapse. He entered what is called a ‘renewal’ facility in order to work on many of the common issues addicts face.

    The 62-year-old is reportedly at Hazelden’s Dan Anderson Renewal Center in Minnesota–a facility said to focus “on common issues faced in recovery—spiritual fitness, emotional balance, healthy relationships, grief, meditation, and more…and [provides] a safe environment to map out personal paths to a more joyful, deeply satisfying recovery.”

    A source claims Robin Williams planned this time at the facility and that it wasn’t a last-minute decision to check in. The same source says a visit to this renewal center isn’t much different from attending a yoga retreat. He will stay for one to two weeks as a means of ‘recharging.’

    Apparently this center provides outings or daily time off for its patients, because word all over the small town where this facility is located is that Robin Williams showed up at their Dairy Queen. Some believe that’s how the media learned he was a patient there.

    “After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud,” Williams’s rep said in a statement to the press.

    Robin Williams has been sober for eight years and takes his sobriety very seriously. The Crazy Ones star suffered from cocaine and alcohol abuse after 20 years of sobriety and checked himself into a rehab facility for addiction care back in 2006.

    “After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family,” his publicist at that time said in a statement.

    When Williams came out of rehab following his 2006 stay he spoke with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America. The actor told her that at first he thought he could handle his addiction, however found that not to be the case.

    “That’s the bottom line,” he said during that interview. “You really think you can, then you realize, I need help, and that’s the word…It’s hard admitting it, then once you’ve done that, it’s real easy.”

    Kudos to Robin Williams for checking himself in for this time of renewal. Perhaps this will make the difference between relapsing and continuing steadily on a road to recovery. As anyone familiar with addiction knows–there is no cure. However people can live long successful lives abstaining from the demons–whether they be drugs, alcohol, or even sex–that prohibit them from living happy, productive, and fulfilling lives.

    Image via Twitter

  • Powdered Alcohol Not Approved After All

    Powdered Alcohol Not Approved After All

    Ever wish you could turn water into alcohol? With new powdered alcohol, you can. The powdered alcohol is called Palcohol and is made by an Arizona company called Lipsmark. The powered alcohol comes in six different flavors and convenient packages. If you decide you need a drink, just add the powdered alcohol to some water and in seconds you have yourself a mixed drink or cocktail.

    The powder can also be added to milk, fruit juices and other beverages if desired and can even be sprinkled over food. It is the same as any other type of liquor, just in powder form and is safe and fun to use.

    Powdered alcohol is not yet available in the US, but the company is working hard to change that. Earlier this week, several varieties of Palcohol labels were approved on accident. The company was excited when they found out the label had been approved, but was later disappointed to find that the approval was issued in error.

    The company wasn’t the only one disappointed by the mistake and many people who were looking forward to trying the new powder as well as those who thought it was a bad idea in the first place, voiced their opinions on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/JoBorrego05/status/458493110973001728

    Lipsmark turned over their approved labels a few hours after being notified of the error, but were not happy about the mistake. The company plans to make some changes to their labels and then resubmit them to be approved again. There is no clear time frame for how long it could take for the labels to be approved, but the company is hoping no other mistakes will be made during the process this time around.

    If and when the labels are approved, the powdered alcohol packets will be available in six varieties including vodka, rum and four cocktails, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita and Lemon Drop.

    The company founder, Mark Phillips, says that the powdered alcohol was designed for people who are active or on the go often but still like to enjoy alcoholic beverages. It will only be available to people who are the legal drinking age.

    Do you think the powdered alcohol labels will be approved this time around?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Powdered Alcohol: Regulators Gave Approval In Error

    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved a powdered alcohol product called “palcohol,” but don’t get your hopes up. Tom Hogue, director of congressional and public affairs for the agency, said that the approval was made “in error.”

    The maker of powdered alcohol planned to release rum and vodka varieties. According to Lipsmark, parent company of Palcohol, the discrepancy was in “how much powder” was inside the 1-ounce packets. Lipsmark also mentioned that they would be resubmitting the product for approval.

    According to reports, the company was given “label approval” for palcohol on April 8, but because of the error, they surrendered the given approvals.

    Although the product gained attention as soon as it was announced, critics say that it may be dangerous.

    Robert Lehrman, who manages a beverage law website, said that Palcohol has gone through several stages before reaching the stage of label approval. He said in a phone interview that the reversal of the approval may be caused by the “lawmakers wanting more information on the powdered alcohols.”

    The concept of using powdered alcohol has been around since the 1970s, and creating the product consists of a process wherein carbohydrate powder absorbs the ethanol.

    The official website of Palcohol says that they are offering six types of powdered alcohol – Lemon Drop, Powderita, Mojito, Cosmopolitan, rum, and vodka. There is also a warning that the powder in the packets should not be snorted.

    The company suggests that the product is a great way to consume alcohol during concerts and football games. Just mix the powder with water and you get instant alcohol. They also recommended adding the alcohol powder on food, with combinations such as eggs and vodka. These posts have, however, been taken off the website.

    Despite the reversed approval, Palcohol is still hoping to be the first to market powdered alcohol in the United States.

    Image via YouTube

  • Powdered Alcohol Coming To Stores In Fall

    Powdered Alcohol Coming To Stores In Fall

    In fall of this year you’re going to be strolling through the booze section of a Safeway and notice a little black package labeled “Palcohol” – powdered alcohol you can mix with water, liquids, and food. Yes, food.

    This week, The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau signed off seven flavors of Pacohol: V (vodka), R (rum), Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita (Margarita) and Lemon Drop. Add 5 ounces of water to the mix and you’ll wind up with a standard cocktail – with the same strength of one as well.

    Post by Palcohol.
    According to Palcohol’s website, the product is a solution to the rising cost of liquid alcohol: What’s worse than going to a concert, sporting event, etc. and having to pay $10, $15, $20 for a mixed drink with tax and tip. Are you kidding me?! Aside from mixing Palcohol with liquids, the website also recommended that it can be enjoyed with food: …we have found adding Palcohol to food is so much fun. Sprinkle Palcohol on almost any dish and give it an extra kick. Some of our favorites are the Kamikaze in guacamole, Rum on a BBQ sandwich, Cosmo on a salad and Vodka on eggs in the morning to start your day off right. Experiment. Palcohol is great on so many foods. Remember, you have to add Palcohol AFTER a dish is cooked as the alcohol will burn off if you cook with it…and that defeats the whole purpose. For you vegans out there, the adult Kool-Aid is gluten free, you can pretty much get drunk off salad. The website does warn to apply Palcohol responsibly: As Palcohol is a new product, we have yet to explore its potential of being added to food. As always, please use it responsibly. Because it adds alcohol to the dish, do not serve the dish to minors. The internet has reacted; some people are disgusted with the announcement of the US legalizing powdered alcohol: Some fear: Some imagine worst case scenarios: Besides passing red tape and becoming marketable, powdered alcohol isn’t something fairly new; Dutch students came up with some powdered alcoholic concoction back in 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGRahYQ8EAU Palcohol hits stores this fall and will also be available for purchase online. Image via Facebook

  • Powdered Alcohol Approved, Will Hit Stores Later This Year

    It won’t be long before your next trip to the liquor store involves deciding whether to buy liquid or powdered alcohol. Yes, powdered alcohol. There is such a thing.

    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved several flavors of Palcohol this week, which is a powdered version of alcohol that you can add to a mixer or water to start working on that much-needed buzz. Palcohol is expected to be available to purchase sometime in the fall.

    Palcohol was created by Mark Phillips. According to the Palcohol website, it took Phillips years of working with scientists to create his powdered alcohol. There will be vodka and rum Palcohol that you can add to a mixer, plus four flavors that only require water to get the party started: Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita (margarita), and Lemon Drop.

    Post by Palcohol.

    Palcohol will come in small packets that are equivalent to one shot of alcohol each. If you’re wondering why, exactly, there is a need for powdered alcohol, the answer is simple: convenience. From the website:

    Why? Sometimes liquid isn’t convenient. Because Palcohol is powder and very light, you can take it just about anywhere to enjoy a cocktail! That’s why we say: “Take your Pal wherever you go.”

    According to Telegraph, the Palcohol website also promoted using the powder when going out to avoid paying for expensive cocktails (this information was removed after news of Palcohol being approved made headlines):

    What’s worse than going to a concert, sporting event, etc. and having to pay $10, $15, $20 for a mixed drink with tax and tip. Are you kidding me?! Take Palcohol into the venue and enjoy a mixed drink for a fraction of the cost.

    While the Palcohol website suggests mixing the substance with water and mixers and says that it is okay to mix it with food, it does advise against snorting the substance. “Don’t do it!” the website warns. “It is not a responsible or smart way to use the product.” Despite the convenience of Palcohol, it’s easy to see why there is cause for concern regarding the potential dangers of the product. If young people will use alcohol tampons to get drunk faster, there’s no doubt that Palcohol will be used in the wrong way.

    The news that there is such a thing as powdered alcohol and that it will be available in the United States soon was met with skepticism, horror, and sheer delight:

    Take a look at a powdered vodka created in Russia below to get an idea of what to expect when Palcohol is released:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cancer Fears Could Curb College Binge Drinking

    On college campuses throughout the U.S. binge drinking is a problem. College students with little experience drinking can cause headaches for college towns in a variety of ways and alcohol poisoning claims the life of college students on a yearly basis.

    Universities have come up with a variety of ways to combat binge drinking, from banning alcohol on campus to rewarding students for staying sober. Now it seems that stoking students’ own fear of an early death might be the right messaging to help curb college binge drinking.

    A new study being presented at the 64th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association shows that messaging that emphasizes the risk of alcohol-related cancers results in students rethinking their ambitions to reach the bottom of every bottle.

    The study’s authors presented college students with risk messaging highlighting the rates of cancer attributable directly to alcohol consumption. The messaging was found to influence the students’ intentions to binge drink dramatically, but only significantly when the information was presented in a visual way using tables and graphs.

    “Binge-drinking among college students has been recognized as one of the most serious public health concerns for over a decade,” said Cindy Yixin Chin, a co author of the study and a communications researcher at the University at Buffalo. “The current alcohol-prevention campaigns generally focus on consequences of binge-drinking, such as DUI, unintended injuries, death, or a series of health and psychological problems. These negative consequences are well-known, and students hear these repeatedly, which may incur message fatigue. The risk messages we designed focused on the cancer incidence rates attributable to drinking. This is an innovative approach in message design, as not many college students know the association between drinking and cancer.”

    Chin and her colleagues believe this is the first study to look at how alcohol-related cancer messaging might be used to influence student binge drinking behaviors. Previous studies have examined student intentions in the face of messaging about hangovers, drunk driving, blackouts, and risky sexual encounters.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Apparently, in Florida, You Can ‘Drive Off’ Your Drunk

    If you’re super messed up and being an annoying asshole, your wife might tell you to go “sleep it off.” That’ll work, given enough time.

    You might think you can go “walk it off” or perhaps “Waffle House it off.” Neither of these will help, but they probably won’t hurt either–unless you walk into oncoming traffic or go overboard with the smothering and covering.

    Now here’s something that’s not only useless but also dangerous and stupid. For this, we go to Florida (of course).

    A Florida man–you know, the world’s worst superhero–was arrested on suspicious of driving under the influence after telling a police officer than he was in the process of driving off his super drunk.

    Michael Moore (not that Michael Moore), 61, was pulled over in Hobe Sound, Florida for speeding. Officers noticed a smell of alcohol and stated that Moore was slurring his words.

    I’ll let the TCPalm’s Will Greenlee take it from here:

    He told one officer he was coming from home and had “a couple” of drinks. He said he was en route to a bar for “a few” more.

    Moore told another officer he got in an argument with his wife and left for a drive.

    “He also told me that his wife told him that he (had) been drinking too much so he decided to go out and ‘drive it off,'” an arrest affidavit states.

    That’s a new one.

    Florida man strikes again.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • George Lopez Passes Out On Casino Floor; Arrested For Public Intoxication

    George Lopez might have enjoyed himself a little too much at a Canadian casino on Thursday. The Mexican-American comedian and actor reportedly passed out on the floor of the Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino and was subsequently arrested for public intoxication, according to TMZ.

    The celebrity news site also reported that in-house casino security called the local police shortly before midnight when they spotted Lopez lying on the floor of the casino bar. No charges are being filed against the 52-year-old talk show host, although he stayed in police custody until he sobered up. Lopez was eventually released several hours later.

    Lopez gave a performance at the casino before the incident happened. Caesars Windsor spokesperson Jhoan Baluyot said that the Lopez Tonight star has another scheduled show on Friday, February 28, which will continue as planned.

    The comedian released a statement to PEOPLE, which included a humorous jab at the intoxication incident. Lopez said that he was “not feeling great this morning” and he “was trying to sleep it off”; however, he fell asleep on the casino floor.  He also joked about doing what he did in Ontario “what Bieber does to America” during his Friday show.

    A Twitter photo allegedly taken by onlooker Chad Maury showed Lopez lying on his left side with his stomach partially exposed. The photo went viral almost as soon as it surfaced.

    George Lopez was “discovered” by acclaimed film actress Sandra Bullock, who served as executive producer of his own self-titled television sitcom. George Lopez ran from 2002 to 2007 and in 2009, Lopez ventured into talk show hosting with Lopez Tonight. He suffered kidney problems, which required him to get a kidney transplant in 2005. His then-wife Ann served as his kidney donor. Lopez is due to star in the sitcom Saint George, which will premiere in March, 2014.

    Image via YouTube

  • Obama On Pot: Alcohol More Dangerous Than Pot

    President Obama has some very liberal views on the recent legalization of marijuana in two U.S. states, and it is well known that he smoked pot in his youth.

    “As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” Obama told The New Yorker’s David Remnick. “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

    The president acknowledged marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol “in terms of its impact on the individual consumer.”

    “It’s not something I encourage,” Obama continued, “and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy.”

    Still, he said, “we should not be locking up kids or individual users for long stretches of jail time when some of the folks who are writing those laws have probably done the same thing.”

    About the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington, Obama said, “it’s important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.”

    Advocates working toward legalization of pot were pleased by Obama’s support.

    “The first step to improving our nation’s marijuana policy is admitting that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol,” Mason Tvert, director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “Now that he has recognized that laws jailing adults for using marijuana are inappropriate, it is time to amend for those errors and adopt a more fact-based marijuana policy.”

    President Obama did compare the legalization of marijuana to other drugs, calling it a ‘slippery slope’.

    “When it comes to harder drugs, the harm done to the user is profound and the social costs are profound. And you do start getting into some difficult line-drawing issues. If marijuana is fully legalized and at some point folks say, Well, we can come up with a negotiated dose of cocaine that we can show is not any more harmful than vodka, are we open to that? If somebody says, we’ve got a finely calibrated dose of meth, it isn’t going to kill you or rot your teeth, are we O.K. with that?”

    The full interview and further comments from David Remnick’s interview with President Obama can be found at The New Yorker.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Trappist Beer Is Now Brewed In America

    Trappist Beer Is Now Brewed In America

    Beer connoisseurs worldwide agree that Trappist beer is among the finest in the world. Trappist beer is brewed by Catholic Cistercian monks also known as Trappists, hence the beer’s name. One may not immediately equate monks with beer brewing, but as it turns out, brewing beer is a big deal among Trappist monks. They even have an International Trappist Association that recognizes authentic Trappist beer.

    Eight monasteries, six in Belgium, one in Austria and another in Holland have been making the beer for many years. Starting Jan. 16, they were joined by 63 brothers of  St. Joseph’s Abbey in Boston who are the first Trappist beer brewers outside Europe.  The monks of Spencer, Massachusetts (located an hour west of Boston) had been relying on revenue earned from jams and jellies to support themselves. Now, they have decided to follow the lead of their European brothers by brewing and selling beer.

    The Mass. Trappists beer’s story started 5 years ago when St. Joseph’s sent representatives to Belgium to gather information to learn how they could also make the beer. At first, there was skepticism because no American monks had made Trappist beer before and the European monks had reservations that their American counterpart might “go too big too fast” and compromise the quality and brand of the beer.

    Many members of St. Joseph’s Abbey needed convincing too, as beer brewing is a very costly business venture with a lot of risk involved. However, they moved forward with their plans. With the recommendations of the Belgian monks,  St. Joseph’s built a state-of-the-art brewery and hired a skilled brewing engineer with a bank loan.

    The European monks also helped their American brothers develop a good recipe for the beer. After 20 tests, the Massachusetts monks finally settled on the recipe for Spencer Trappist Ale.

    The newly brewed beer was taken to Belgium by St. Joseph’s Father Isaac Keeley, the brewery director, where it received applause and approval from the Belgian brothers.

    “They approved it unanimously,” he said, “and after the vote there was applause.”

    For now the beer is only distributed in Massachusetts but plans are underway to expand the market nationally and internationally in the future.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jim Beam Acquired By Suntory Holdings Ltd.

    Jim Beam Acquired By Suntory Holdings Ltd.

    The Japanese beverage company, Suntory Holdings Ltd., has recently acquired the world-famous Kentucky Jim Beam company that manufactures Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark alcohol. The purchase came with a hefty $13.62 billion price tag and comes at a time when the global market is high for US whiskeys. In fact, the US whiskey industry exports roughly $1 billion — an amount that is double the amount of US whiskey exports from the last decade. According to Distilled Spirits Council spokesman Frank Coleman, “We’re basically in the middle of a global whiskey renaissance.”

    The recent purchase will not cause any immediate drastic results in relation to the composition of the product itself or the management of the overall company. “It’s business as usual,” Jim Beam spokesman Clarkson Hine said before adding that Suntory Holdings Ltd. has instructed employees to “keep doing what we’re doing.”

    Landor Associates managing director Allen Adamson spoke about the benefits of being bought by a larger company with more widespread financial resources, and explained that the product can still remain popular within the American market. “The trick is to maintain its authenticity, and not muck with the core elements,” Adamson said.

    Funds to support the deal on behalf of Suntory are being made by The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Suntory Holdings Ltd. is a privately-held company that was founded in 1899, and is credited with producing and selling Japan’s first whiskey. The Beam shares will be acquired for $83.50 per share.

    In a recent interview with Forbes, Beam president and CEO Matt Shattock spoke about the recent acquisition. “Together we will be a global leader in distilled spirits with the #3 position in premium spirits and a dynamic portfolio across key categories. With particular strength in Bourbon, Scotch, Canadian, Irish and Japanese whiskey, the combined company will have unparalleled expertise and portfolio breadth in premium whiskey, which is driving the fastest growth in western spirits.”

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Neil Patrick Harris Beautifully Instagrams the Path from First Margarita to Blackout

    I’m pretty sure this is why social media is a thing. It’s definitely not for your baby pictures.

    In fact, I posit that the best use of Instagram in 2014 goes to Neil Patrick Harris, who used the photo-centric social network to show us all the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. You think 19 margaritas is a game? You think it’s a game?

    It was his last day of vacation in Mexico, and NPH decided to see just how many margaritas he could drink. Let’s take a trip down tequila boulevard, shall we?

    Any questions, kiddos?

    Image via Neil Patrick Harris, Instagram

  • Scientists Use Vodka to Send World’s First Molecular Text Message

    Researchers at York University in Toronto have finally found a good use for vodka.

    Using a simple setup with a spritzer and a receiver, placed apart from one another on a table, they were able to send the world’s first molecular text message. The message was programmed into a series of sprays, and the alcohol was sprayed across the room to a receiver, which determined whether the level of alcohol was increasing, or decreasing. The researchers were able to deliver a simple communication using this rig – O CANADA.

    “In the final part of the paper, we demonstrated a practical molecular communication system capable of transmitting short text messages. Although high transmission rates were not achieved in this work, the transmission rates can be significantly improved by using better fans, more sophisticated protocols and detection algorithms, use of multiple chemicals, use of multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) communication, designing better sensors, and using sensor arrays. We leave these for future study,” said the researchers in a research article.

    In other words, it worked – but there’s a lot of improving left to do in order to make this sort of communication reliable. What they have proven is that it is possible, and highly plausible, that future communications could be sent chemically.

    Image via York University, YouTube

  • Queen Latifah Regrets Numbing Pain With Alcohol

    Queen Latifah is adored by legions of loyal fans, and for no shortage of good reason. She takes of a multitude of roles, switching seamlessly between Grammy winning performer, actress, hip hop artist, talk show host, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. However, when she’s not busy dominating the red carpet and wowing audiences with fantastic performances on film and in concert, Queen Latifah goes by Dana, and just like Lorde’s hit song would imply, she’s anything but a royal.

    In a revealing interview with Good Housekeeping magazine, Dana delved into her use of alcohol as a coping mechanism after a tragic string of incidents in her life. In the span of just a few years, she was faced with the death of her brother, Lancelot Jr., as well as being the victim of a violent carjacking incident, where her friend, a passenger in the car, was shot and almost killed. Dana recalls these years as a dark time, and in an effort to cope, she turned to the bottle. She recalled “Drinking a bunch of alcohol, numbing myself. Every day I would be faded, like a painting that’s just not vibrant, whose edges are dull. I wasn’t living my full life.”

    Dana has rose from this dark period of her life, however, through strength she finds in her faith, as well as her own sense of internal strength. She relies on “accentuating the positive and eliminating as much negative as possible,” which, she admits, is not always an easy task. Dana went on to say, “I think I got to that place by not being happy with the other side — hating your body and criticizing yourself all the time. When I was around 18, I looked in the mirror and said, You’re either going to love yourself or hate yourself. And I decided to love myself. That changed a lot of things.” Dana has stuck by that decision, and it has gotten her through tough times and darkness so that she can emerge an even better person.

    Dana has retired from her self-medicating with alcohol, and has turned once again to her faith as a well of inspiration and strength. She has also received therapy since confronting the issues in her past, and is continuously working on improving her mindset and moving towards healing. Dana’s story is truly a heartwarming one, and this writer hopes that it might bring strength and inspiration to others who may be struggling.

    [Image courtesy of Queen Latifah’s official Twitter.]