More on Lowering the Drinking Age

Definitely one of the few issues these days that the left and the right should be able to agree upon without too much trouble:

Silliest column of the week award, in vino veritas division by Roger Kimball at Pajamas Media

Old enough to fight, old enough to drink by Michele Catalano, also at Pajamas Media

Want to lower the drinking age? Hope you like spam by Andy Guess at Inside Higher Ed

all links via Instapundit

Weekend Activities

One of the primary causes of the below-mentioned lack of posting over the weekend was an all-day trip to the glorious Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria, Queens. The hour+ subway ride to this wonderful establishment has been a summer ritual at least once a year since I've lived in Park Slope, and every time it seems to get better.

We usually go with a fairly large group (best to get there early enough to ensure a large enough seating area for your friends, if you're responsible for the trek, one of the roomies and I were there at 2 pm), and this year was no exception. Probably around 15-20 trickled in at various points between our arrival and when I finally departed for the return trip to Brooklyn around 10 that night. One of the major drawbacks of not being well off in the city is the necessity of taking the subway, even when you're fairly drunk, at night, and you're facing over an hour ride. Good times.

Regardless, the visit featured seemingly endless pitchers of tasty (mostly) European beer. I we tended to opt for the sweeter Hoegarden or the heartier Spaten over the more pedestrian, prevalent and bitter Stella, although when the drinking games began, the Stella came in handy due to its lighter feel and easier chugability. And the drinking games did begin. One of the great aspects of the beer garden, aside from the enormous shaded patio and amazing food (more on that later), is the picnic bench communal-style seating, which allows not only for easy fraternization with the group that settles next to you, but also provides for an easy space on which to play cards, dice, etc.

In the past, the beer garden even allowed for more active drinking games such as flip cup and beer pong (aka beirut, I'm not going to get into the widely-argued difference - I know, beer pong is technically the game played with paddles, but that game is dumb and no one ever plays it, for most people, myself included, "beer pong" = beirut, so that's how it's going to be), but, I assume in the face of threatened litigation for over serving, they now crack down on such games.

In addition to the friendly atmosphere and the great beer, the beer garden also serves some great Czech food, including Klobasa and pierogies, as well as some more standard American grill fare. However, my favorite, which I enjoyed (twice) on Saturday, is the bratwurst. For $10, one receives about a foot long bratwurst, grilled to perfection, and a serving a fries. However, what sets the beer garden apart is the condiment table. Along with the usual ketchup and mustard, diners can also help themselves to as much rye bread, dill pickle chips and sauerkraut as they want. These really serve to fill out the meal, particularly when one has been drinking for a couple hours, and it's not unusual to see visitors going back up to restock on kraut.

As far as I know, the patio portion of the establishment remains open as long as the weather stays nice, so make time to pay a visit before it gets too cold.

College Presidents Want Drinking Age Lowered to 18

via Ramesh Ponnuru in The Corner

College Presidents Want Lower Drinking Age

Good grief - where were these presidents when I was in school? Having said that, I think this is a long overdue change (back), largely because as it is, getting alcohol and binge drinking when I was under 21 was never a problem. There were always house parties, frat parties, friends, and casual aquaintances and even bars that were more than willing to provide me with all the booze I could drink, well before I ever approached 21.

Interesting segments:

A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that 157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death between 1999 and 2005.

Not sure why this stat is thrown in there, it doesn't really seem to prove anything either way. 157 deaths due to over drinking in six years among a population of millions is incredibly insignificant, and without knowing what other factors contributed to the deaths, to blame them on the drinking age is silly.

Then there's always this argument in favor of the age 18 limit, which I feel is hard to refute:

But the statement makes clear the signers think the current law isn't working, citing a "culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking," and noting that while adults under 21 can vote and enlist in the military, they "are told they are not mature enough to have a beer."

I certainly would have no problem with changing the eligible voting age to 21, or even higher (I think the enlistment age is fine), but if the government things that people are adults at age 18, which they surely must be if they are allowed to vote and to join the military, then there is absolutely no reason why they are not adult enough to legally have a drink. To continue to insist on this policy is just another example of the nanny-state mentality.

I would rarely offer support for a college president, (particularly from Duke) but in this instance they are getting behind a worthy cause. This is one of those rare issues on which the right and the left, particularly the younger, as well as the more "extreme," factions of each, should be able to agree. I'd be surprised if this didn't come to pass within the next presidential term, no matter who wins.

They Needed a Study to Figure This Out?

'Beer goggles' are real - it's official via Jonah Goldberg in the Corner

And more importantly, how does one become part of future studies in this vein?

Oh Dear

New rules shorten Meadowlands tailgating time

Tailgate parties can only start five hours before games instead of seven. Season ticketholders who are ejected from the stadium or arena will have their tickets revoked.

Another new effort will have banners hung on the stadium's spiral ramps to prevent fans from harassing women. Security at Gate D had to be increased last season during Jets games when hundreds of men would gather at halftime and demand that women expose their breasts.

"Demand"?

Hee

Liver Problems? Paging Dr. Cuervo! from Wired, via Instapundit

Interesting, encouraging article detailing medical research that seems capable of basically cleansing and reinvigorating liver cells in the elderly.

All done by a "Dr. Cuervo."

The marketing opportunities are endless...