Drinking

[Caesar]

According to Caesar:

Unbelievable; I know

Quoting me a little out of context there. My point was that partaking of an alcoholic beverage together is the number one method of breaking the ice in our society. Rightly or wrongly someone who doesn't buy into that cultural tradition does get looked at a bit funny, and has to work a little harder to be accepted. I can't count the number of times I've been talking to people and the fact that a non-present party doesn't drink comes up, and the first thing somebody asks is "what's his problem?".

Maybe it's less of a problem in trendy Melbourne.

 

[Cap]

Quoting me a little out of context there. My point was that partaking of an alcoholic beverage together is the number one method of breaking the ice in our society. Rightly or wrongly someone who doesn't buy into that cultural tradition does get looked at a bit funny, and has to work a little harder to be accepted. I can't count the number of times I've been talking to people and the fact that a non-present party doesn't drink comes up, and the first thing somebody asks is "what's his problem?".

Maybe it's less of a problem in trendy Melbourne.

spot on

 

[nicky]

I drink espresso martinis because;

a. they're delicious, and
b. they're less fattening than wine

I really envy all the people in this thread who talk about how responsible they are with alcohol - seriously, good for you

 

[SpRiGgZy]

I find I go through phases with alcohol. Sometimes I can go and month and not think about it and other times I can't have a week without atleast a few drinks. I also find myself drinking a lot more in the warmer weather, it just goes down so good and I find myself drunk probably far too often. Have been getting the feeling of taking an extended break from it though as the hangovers I've been dealing with are killer lately. 2 years ago I could drink all night and wake up as good as gold every time the next day. Probably just a part of getting older I'm not sure but it is off putting. However I know I will miss it too much, love having a social drink, at the footy, seeing a band...whatever it may be! I'm probably kidding myself thinking I could go without...

 

[THRILLHO]

According to Caesar:

It may not be PC to say so, and it may not be right, but nobody trusts a teetotaller. If you don't drink then you're starting at a disadvantage.

Unbelievable; I know

Have the courage of your convictions and people will respect you for it. A man I completely idolise - AB Facey - was a teetotaller and he was a far better man than I could ever hope to be and lived a life far beyond what any of us here will ever live.

Weak bullshit from Caesar.

 

[chargers 09]

Have the courage of your convictions and people will respect you for it. A man I completely idolise - AB Facey - was a teetotaller and he was a far better man than I could ever hope to be and lived a life far beyond what any of us here will ever live.

Weak bullshit from Caesar.

You blokes don't get along with each other do you....?

 

[Caesar]

Have the courage of your convictions and people will respect you for it. A man I completely idolise - AB Facey - was a teetotaller and he was a far better man than I could ever hope to be and lived a life far beyond what any of us here will ever live.

Weak bullshit from Caesar.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just telling you how it is out there in society.

In a lot of workplaces, if you won't go out and at least have a drink with your colleagues (if not get drunk together) then there is something a bit iffy about you. It might be narrowminded, it might be stupid, but it's also reality.

 

[THRILLHO]

You might be thinking of fairdinkum. He seems to loathe Casear on SRP. I quite like Caesar but he's way out on this one.

 

[chargers 09]

You might be thinking of fairdinkum. He seems to loathe Casear on SRP. I quite like Caesar but he's way out on this one.

Yeah I am actually.

 

[Caesar]

FD and I are fine (I think). We enjoy a robust relationship of frequent and spirited disagreement. If I didn't respect his intelligence so much I wouldn't waste so much time arguing with him.

We actually agree about a lot of stuff, we just tend not to talk about it when we do.

 

[Igloo]

I don't drink, now i'm going to look at everyone suspiciously trying to figure out whether they're judging me for it or not.

Thanks guys

 

[fairdinkum]

I don't 'loathe' Caesar on SRP; over there we tend to agree on most things.

It is the General Board where we seem to have run-ins and generally even that is only in the threads I create.

Funnily enough I agree with him on his comments about alcohol in this thread (and he has stated his position in other threads on alcohol several times in the past; this topic gets done about once every six months on the GD board).

Not only do I think it an obvious truth that teetotallers are generally deemed suspicious in our society, I think there is good reason for this. What justifications do most teetotallers have for not even drinking a few drops? A solitary beer will never hurt anybody - they aren't avoiding it merely for health reasons.

So what is it that brings about their absolutist stance against consumption? Religion (ie fear of a sky fairy)? Lack of self-control? Deliberate non-conformism? All things that many/most people are (often understandably) suspicious of, particularly in a work environment.

FD and I are fine (I think). We enjoy a robust relationship of frequent and spirited disagreement. If I didn't respect his intelligence so much I wouldn't waste so much time arguing with him.

We actually agree about a lot of stuff, we just tend not to talk about it when we do.

Pretty much this. Although it would be remiss of me to fail to mention that I did once PM the Chief, the most stable genius, to complain about you trying to torpedo my threads on this board.

Worth noting that there are few if any people more despised on TLC than Caesar and myself. Even Silent Alarm and @Wona, despite how much they mock them, don't seem to draw the vitriol that we do over there.

On that note, hai to all of my TLC followers reading this right now. I know you all think about me. It warms my heart. xoxo

 

[fairdinkum]

I don't drink, now i'm going to look at everyone suspiciously trying to figure out whether they're judging me for it or not.

They are.

If you just say, 'Oh, I normally drink a fair bit, I'm just off it tonight for (some bullshit reason)' then they will mostly let it pass.

But if you proclaim that you are a teetotaller by nature then yeah, you are being marked down by your peers every time you get another lemonade from the fridge/bar.

It's a different type of judgement, though, if you are a chick.

If you are attractive then they are wishing you would drink to make it easier to get into your panties.

If you are unattractive then your boringness is second only to your unattractiveness in the heirarchy of why they don't give a shit about what you think about anything.

The guys, I'm talking about here. I'm not sure what the girls would think about a fellow lady who doesn't drink. You'd have to ask them. I wouldn't bother.

 

[Igloo]

Not only do I think it an obvious truth that teetotallers are generally deemed suspicious in our society, I think there is good reason for this. What justifications do most teetotallers have for not even drinking a few drops? A solitary beer will never hurt anybody - they aren't avoiding it merely for health reasons.

So what is it that brings about their absolutist stance against consumption? Religion (ie fear of a sky fairy)? Lack of self-control? Deliberate non-conformism? All things that many/most people are (often understandably) suspicious of, particularly in a work environment.

While I can't speak for anyone else, I believe my reasoning is perfectly legitimate. I realise the majority of people may just make assumptions about it, which doesn't bother me, but it does bother me if people take those assumptions further, and judge without knowing a persons reasons.

But that's life I suppose.

 

[fairdinkum]

The only good reason I've ever heard for complete abstinence is that of recovering alcoholism. I've heard that one from one or two blokes well into their middle-age and respect it.

I've never met a young (late teens or twenties) person who was a recovering alcoholic. The only teetotallers in that age group are doing it for other reasons.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

I drink espresso martinis because;

a. they're delicious, and
b. they're less fattening than wine

I really envy all the people in this thread who talk about how responsible they are with alcohol - seriously, good for you

How very Matt Scudder of you. I like the idea of caffeine & booze together, beautiful bedfellows

 

[nicky]

Plain martinis are also a favourite of mine, nothing cuts the chase like straight vodka or gin


Wtf is Matt skudder?

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Plain martinis are also a favourite of mine, nothing cuts the chase like straight vodka or gin


Wtf is Matt skudder?

Scudder Nicky, Scudder. Unless you're a fan of crime fiction, he'd mean nowt to you. To me, he's up there with Marlowe or Sam Spade in terms of great literary characters.

An alcoholic, his favoured drop was whisky in coffee

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Get on MCC, worth the wait just for the actual beer

... that you have to drink in a bar, and not in your seat or standing room.

Terrible rule, worse than having to drink the shit they serve in the outer. Might as well be watching the game at a pub.

 

[treefingers]

... that you have to drink in a bar, and not in your seat or standing room.

Terrible rule, worse than having to drink the shit they serve in the outer. Might as well be watching the game at a pub.

Nothing better than getting to the game 3 hours early for a big final, hitting the bar, basically being at the pub for a couple of hours before walking out 2 mins before the game starts.

Then repeat at half time



Although I do agree that it is annoying that drinks can't be taken out - it is supposed to prevent people being drunk and rowdy, but that definitely doesn't stop anyone (case in point the absolutely smashed West Coast supporter last week who thought it was a good idea to stand up and yell insults at anyone and everyone in the crowd )

 

[Duffman95]

... that you have to drink in a bar, and not in your seat or standing room.

Terrible rule, worse than having to drink the shit they serve in the outer. Might as well be watching the game at a pub.

Yeah, I'm with this. I like actually having the beer while watching the game. Racing off to the bar at half time, waiting 5 mins to get served, smashing it down then racing back out to the seat* isn't exactly worth the ridiculous wait and expensive fees.

As an aside, is it wrong that my first reaction to Carlton's woeful performance this year was "yes, we should get more day games next year"?


*not that I actually sit at the footy, it makes it far too hard to frothbag and get rowdy.

 

[Roobs321]

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just telling you how it is out there in society.

In a lot of workplaces, if you won't go out and at least have a drink with your colleagues (if not get drunk together) then there is something a bit iffy about you. It might be narrowminded, it might be stupid, but it's also reality.

It's quite sad isnt it, that people see it that way. Probably some defence mechanism. I think it is narrow-minded and stupid. And as I have said, there are other social lubricants such as coffee and tea which I partake in and dont see as any better or worse than socially drinking alcohol. A bit like the distrust of Tom Scully for instance, partly because he isnt really into drinking. But Mark Williams the coach doesnt drink either.

I view hangovers the same as bad sleep. If I feel less than 100%, like im only running on two cylinders, im pissed off about it and feel like i've wasted a day. Removal of alcohol from my life accompanied a number of other life-changing decisions, like removal of red meat and healthy diet, early to sleep and rise, and my inevitable need to transition. I love my life now, I really do, and im in no way trying to find myself, I have myself figured out, so I know what I need to do to be happy in my life, instead of stumbling blindly through my 20's. I've never been called a teetotaller before, and I was drinking from when I turned 15 right through to turning 22, so im not one of those johnny come lately types. The fact is, I dont need alcohol in my life to be happy, so why drink? It's easier to not drink at all if you are absolute about it as well, because you then dont even think about it anymore.

It might be reality to look down on a non-drinker for some reason, but people that do that imo cant be trusted to think for themselves. If someone isnt terribly keen on a particular element of social activity (but still takes part except for the alcohol part), I dont see the issue. I've worked in the military, I know how non-drinkers can be viewed (I was still drinking at the time). I did the quiet glass of wine a few nights a week in the year before giving it up, so it's not like a reaction to a bad hangover or anything either lol.

Simply, im not following any trend or anything, I just believe in myself and what I need to do and what I dont need to do to remain happy. Alcohol isnt needed in my life, but if it works for you, then thats totally cool with me and not an issue. But looking down on someone like me because we dont want to spend our time drinking alcohol is pathetic, regardless of how accepted it is. It's not like I look down at people who drink, so I find that one-way street unfair.

 

[Caesar]

But looking down on someone like me because we dont want to spend our time drinking alcohol is pathetic, regardless of how accepted it is. It's not like I look down at people who drink, so I find that one-way street unfair.

I don't really look down on people who don't drink... I mean, everyone makes their own choices. I just don't really understand it.

I understand not wanting to get drunk/drink excessively, but having the odd drink now and again is pretty harmless and serves a fairly useful social purpose (especially for men). Going out of one's way to abstain altogether mostly just seems bloody-minded/perverse.

 

[Password is Taco]

After reading some of these post's I feel like most of you would judge me as a raging alcoholic! I started when I was at parties at 16, every weekend once I turned 18 and when I was at uni Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and the occasional Sunday were full of alcohol. Now I have a full time job I drink at least once a week, sometimes doubling up on the Friday/Saturday.

I don't get hangovers, don't put on weight from alcohol and enjoy my ciders/champagne/vodka's so why not have a little fun whilst I can. One day I will have kids and there will be no alcohol consumption from me, until then, partying is what I will do.

 

[The Passenger]

One day I will have kids and there will be no alcohol consumption from me

that's really the time to ramp it up imo