Don’t Settle For Second Best
One more day until Wet February! Here is what Vine Pair thinks are the best whiskeys IN THE WORLD! Click here. We’re hoping to get hired as a taste tester.
– Jet Cannon
January 2023
It’s Mostly Beer. But It’s Still A Lot!
While we learn more about the detrimental effects of alcohol on our bodies, consumption in the US is on the rise. Hubris? Killing Covid with alcohol? Dimwittedness? Can’t read? Hard to say. But we’re approaching 8 billion gallons a year!
– Jet Cannon
Photo. Flasks.com
Buzzlessness Is Booming
NPR reports that the business of nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits is booming.
NielsenIQ’s data shows the market for nonalcoholic beer, wine and spirits grew more than 20% last year — and more than 120% over the last three years. The market now sees almost $400 million in annual sales. Compared to the roughly $200 billion market for stuff that can get you drunk.
So where’s the Buzz? The data shows that 82% of people who buy nonalcoholic beers, wine and spirits also buy traditional alcoholic drinks. So it seems a lot of folks are just cutting back and not giving up the real stuff.
– Jet Cannon
Algae Buzz
From the BBC News, excessive outbreaks of seaweed and micro algae are clogging up waters from the Caribbean to the Baltic. Now both are being harvested alongside farmed crops to create ingredients for cosmetic and food products. Across in Sweden, a business called Nordic Seafarm is showing just how versatile seaweed can be. “We make algae-based gin and beer both locally produced,” says director Fredrik Grondahl.
Let Mikey try it. He’ll drink anything.
– Jet Cannon
Silver Stoner Discount
An unusually alert Buzzed Boomer Rural Correspondent recently reminded us to ask for a discount when purchasing Cannabis from retailers. He qualified for the senior discount which, at his local outlet, is called the “Silver Stoner Discount”. Saved 15 percent!. We likely won’t be receiving further reporting for awhile.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: NORML
Peak Diet Month
Have you read the latest science-based diet book? Neither have we. This Washington Post article suggests we don’t need to. All those fancy schemes boil down to one thing that works. Burning more calories that we consume. Eating less, basically. Darn.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: The Conversation
Nothing Funny About The Benefits Of Walking
If you want to go running with us, you’d better be prepared to do a lot of walking.
Two lions were walking down the aisle of a supermarket. One says to the other, “It’s awfully quiet in here today.”
Two great opportunities are walking past a bar. The one says to the other, “Let’s go inside and get wasted!”
– Jet Cannon
Should We Exercise When We’re Tired?
Buzzed Boomer researchers are constantly looking for reasons NOT to exercise. Thanks to this CNN article we found another excuse. Since 1 in 3 Americans are sleep deprived, this affects a LOT of people. Without good sleep our bodies may not have time to recover from exercise. So, what do the experts say? They say, “Use common sense.” Common sense? Then why do we need experts?
– Jet Cannon
Harmony
David Van Cortlandt Crosby. Rest In Peace.
The fact is, we’re losing more and more of our rock heroes. Thankfully, we will always have the fantastic music they made.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: Guitar Player
Water The Wonder Drug
Have you heard the joke about dehydration?
No?? That’s right. There’s nothing funny about dehydration.
This just in from Women’s World. In a study published this January in eBioMedicine, researchers concluded that consistently staying hydrated may slow down aging. It may also give you more “good years.” An adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
– Jet Cannon
Gimme a Break
If that New Year’s Resolution has you going full out on exercise this month, read this Men’s Health article on taking a break. Besides avoiding adverse effects of overdoing it, you may not lose those gains you’ve made.
“Going all out, all the time, is a sure path to exhaustion. It can lead to elevated levels of stress hormones and reduced immunity, as well as unduly stressing muscles, tendons and ligaments. Affording yourself time off every now and then will stop your motivation levels tanking, too. Even better, the nuclei (our cells’ control centers) we gain during periods of regular exercise remain in place even when our muscle cells shrink. To get a little sciencey, these residual ‘myonuclei’ allow us to regrow our muscles bigger and faster when we return to training after a break.”
Happy New Year!
– Jet Cannon
California Sober
While California is pummeled with rain, for some of us, Dry January means a severe case of cottonmouth. That’s because California Sober means we can still enjoy weed. But pop a Cannabis edible and expect a mouth akin to the Sahara desert a couple hours later. And since we’re staying true to Dry January, we can’t wet it down with a beer, glass of wine, or a cocktail. We can replace the edible with a liquid version of Cannabis but, since only a few ounces are advisable, that doesn’t really work to wet the whistle.
So what is our point? We really didn’t have one.
– Jet Cannon
Jack London’s Rendezvous
We enjoy watering holes that are older than us Baby Boomers. Heinold’s Saloon in Oakland’s Jack London Square is one of them. By a margin. The structure was built between 1871 and 1875 from the timbers of the Umatilla, an abandoned stern-wheel paddle steamer. It became a saloon in 1884. Welcoming comers and goers to the Oakland waterfront, Jack London’s wife wrote that First & Last Chance was adopted by Johnny Heinold and became part of the saloon’s name.
Jack London first entered the saloon when he was about ten years old. The Sea Wolf was inspired by the many sea captains who frequented the saloon.
The saloon still uses gas lighting and the pot bellied stove is original. Thankfully we can still soak in some in some suds and history at Heinold’s.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: NPR
Vodka. It Will Leave You Breathless. And You’ll Smell Better, Too!
Leave it to Martha Stewart to help us with our excess vodka situation during Dry January. Who knew it could help us keep our clothes smelling fresh? “Whether it’s caused by sweat or campfire smoke, vodka can be used to obliterate unpleasant odors in clothing.” Read all about it in this Food52 article. But keep the top-shelf vodka on the top shelf until February.
– Jet Cannon