Saturday, 30 September 2017
Here’s What Happens When You Have Two Work Spouses
Work is stressful.
We have to finish this article by this deadline. We have to buy this stock and sell this other one. We have to erect this tower of speakers in time for sound check. We have to pretend our souls aren’t dying when our boss asks the same question for the eighth time.
No matter what our jobs are, the tensions are there. Even if you are incrediblypassionate aboutwhat you do, it’s hard to end the workday with your sanity completely intact.
But we find a way to persevere. How? We connect with a network of coworkers who are there for us to lean on. We need people we can vent to at the drop of a hat people who will buy us a beer after a rough day or come along for a walk if we need a breather.
Enter the work spouse.
Your work spouse is that one person at your job whom you can count on no matter what. You have inside jokes. You can communicate an entire encyclopedia of information with only a quick glance from across the room. You always want to take afro-yo break at the exact same time.
It’s also important to note that in a work marriage, you aren’t attracted to one another. It’s completely platonic. You know, much like a long-term real marriage (kidding).
These are the hallmarks of a work marriage. It’s an essential relationship. It usually takes some time to lock down, but once you find that special someone, you’re partners for life. Yet there are some who don’t just strike gold once in the work spouse department. These are the people who find themselves with two work spouses.
But the awkwardness that ensues when you have two work spouses proves that two things are not always better than one. Here’s whathappens when your work spouse love knows no bounds.
You have to hide the fact that you have two work spouses.
Having two work spouses is really exhausting. You can’t let either of them know the other exists. You’re basically a work polygamist. Or maybe you’re even worse: a work cheater.
Because the work marriage is such a special relationship, you can’t risk losing it by admitting your cheating tendencies. I mean, what are you supposed to do when Karen from accounting sends you a passive aggressive emailand one of your work spouses is in a meeting? The answer is simple: You need to turn to your other spouse so they can tell you that nobody likes Karen.
That privilege is something you can’t risk.
You hear twice the gossip.
At my last job, I had two work husbands. (It’s safe to admit this now since I no longer work at the company.)
Anyway, I found that when you have two work husbands, your pool of office gossip gets much wider and deeper. Having two discrete networks naturally brings in a better crop of information.
And since the best way to get ahead at your job is to know the ins and outs of the office, it really is an amazing perk. The more intel you collect, the easier it gets to maneuver and win people over.
Manipulative? Perhaps. Necessary? Absolutely.
You forget what you told one work spouse and didnt tell the other.
It gets really awkward when you assume that you told one work spouse about something, but the blank look on his or her face leads you to realize that you actually told the other work spouse that piece of info. You have to stumble and think of an excuse on the spot, and then it gets even weirder.
Having twice the gossip is good, but that power is best wielded when you can keep track of who knows what.
When they find out youre cheating, it can get ugly.
When my two work husbands found out about each other, things got dicey. Tempers flared. Arguments erupted. Legitimate questions were raised. Who was the original work husband? Who was the interloper?
It didn’t come to blows, but the timeline disagreement did linger for the rest of my tenure.
Of course, if the truth does come out and let’s be real, it always does youdo have the option of entering into a polygamous work marriage. Maybe your work spouses are a future partnership waiting to happen.
It is possible for all work spouses to coexist peacefully just don’t count on it. Jealousy may run even more rampant in the workplace than it does in romance.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/30/heres-what-happens-when-you-have-two-work-spouses/
Friday, 29 September 2017
Thursday, 28 September 2017
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Whats Worse For Your BrainDrinking or Playing Football?
I woke up Sunday morning with a throbbing headache. Id spent the previous night heavily sampling a selection of rare whiskeys with some friends.
That may have been fun, but now here I was, still in bed at 11 a.m., barely able to keep my eyes open, hardly able to think, certainly not wanting to turn on the days NFL games.
A parent cant consent to giving their kids a cigarette or a beerwhy can they consent to him playing tackle football?
And I thought this cannot be good for my brain.
The effect of NFL action on the brain is one of the hottest topics of the moment, with the movie Concussion opening this Christmas weekend.
In that film Will Smith portrays Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who first brought to light the appearance of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in American football players.
Thanks partially to Omalus work, nowadays when we watch the constant brutality on the football field, when we see players crashing their heads into each other down after down, when we notice aging players getting dementia (and worse) once retired, many of us have even started to wonder, Can I ethically enjoy football any more? Myself included.
At the same time, though, I often put my own brain in serious jeopardy too.
Yes, I am a professional drinks writer. Mid-day cocktail tastings. Evening scotch samplings. Beer festivals on the weekends. Trips to breweries, distilleries, and wineries. You should see how much free liquor gets delivered to my house on a daily basis!
People often tell me I must have one of the best jobs around. But they arent the ones that have had to drink literally every single day for hell, who knows how many days in a row it has been now. They arent the ones that wake up many mornings with a hangoverjust another occupational hazard.
So, with all this in mind, I decided to ask some football concussion doctors about the effects of my equally dangerous profession on my own precious brain. I wondered, how bad is my drinking compared to playing football?
Was a single whiskey shot equal to a QB sack?
A night of heavy beer drinking equal to a half of football?
Did my brutal Sunday morning hangover feel worse than it did on a Monday morning for a running back?
Neither Dr. Omalunor Will Smithreturned any of my calls, but luckily I had other accomplished doctors willing to answer my questions.
Dr. William Barr is the Director of Neuropsychology at NYU Langone Medical Center.
He is a clinical expert on epilepsy, forensic neuropsychology, and sports concussions. He has testified in numerous cases involving forensics and in civil cases involving MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury). More importantly, from the mid-1990s until 2004, Barr was a neuropsychological medical consultant for the NFLs New York Jets.
He quickly understood the somewhat silly concept behind this piece, and even why a professional drinks writer had reason to be concerned.
I used to think about boxers, he told me, noting that this was before all this concussion talk was in the mainstream. People used to say boxing was the only way for a kid to get out of the ghettobut he had to put his brain at risk. How terrible it was that society forced them to do this! But I also thought about the typical Mad Men-era businessmen. They had to do the three-martini lunches for their workthey too were pickling their brains just to get ahead!
Barr is a bit of a firebrand when it comes to talk about concussions. In fact, he believes concussionswhether from football or otherwiseactually have a fairly minimal impact on future cognitive functioning.
When you look at the studies and what happens three months after a concussiondo you know what meta-analysis is? he asks. I dont. He explains that, In science, rather than making conclusions based on a single study, you look at all the literature. Put it into a similar metric. Whats the overall effect based on many, many studies? So now, maybe, youre looking at 300 people over 10 studies. What it shows is the overall effect (on your brain) of a concussion after 30 days is lower than the effects of intoxication.
The study Barr is citing is Grant L. Iversons 2005 paper Outcome from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Iverson didnt study alcohols traumatic effect on the brain per se, but he did find chronic cannabis use to be worse on overall neuropsychological functioning than an MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) was on a person just one to three months after the injury had occurred. Likewise, he found chronic cannabis use to be slightly worse on future memory functioning than an MTBI.
For Barr, that was enough for him to deduce for me that alcohol abuse would be probably likewise worse on the brain than head injuries from playing football. Uh oh.
Barr isnt completely speculating, as he has co-authored his own significant studies. With a team of other doctors and PhDs he helped pen Cumulative Effects Associated with Recurrent Concussion in Collegiate Football Players and Acute Effects and Recovery Time Following Concussion in Collegiate Football Players.
Ive studied athletes more than the general population. With them we can get information before their injury and then after, he tells me. And what that shows is that 95 percent (of athletes who have a concussion) recover back to normal in 7 days or less.
He tests alcoholics brains in a similar manner to how he tests concussed athletes. He interviews them and then gives them a series of tests, ones mainly based on memory functioning (they have to remember a certain story).
So I might notice, this person has problems with attention and remembering things. In the past theyve been a 10-drinks-a-day alcoholic and now it looks like theyve pickled brain.
Though well-honored and quite thorough, you can probably see how Barr is considered a bit of a contrarian for his thinking on concussions.
Barr was even dismissed from the NFLs MTBI committee in 2004 by then-chairman Elliot Pellman, another former New York Jets team physician who is not without his own controversy.
I wanted another doctors opinion on my potentially pickling brain. Dr. James Paci, a professor and orthopedic surgeon, specializes in sports medicine at Stony Brook University Medicine. Hes also the football teams doctor.
First, he clarified that he was neither a neurologist nor brain physician. Despite that, he was trained to deal with concussions on a day-in, day-out basis in his own role as team doctor.
My expertise is how do we treat these athletes, Paci told me. What do we look out for? How do we prevent long term consequences?
However, unlike Barr, Paci somewhat struggled with the comparisons I was hoping he would draw for me.
Certainly there is some connection between alcoholism and Alzheimers, brain diseases. Drawing a parallel between drinking and football though? I dont think anyone has made that correlation. Though he does note, The rock n roll lifestyle and athlete lifestyle certainly do have some comparisons.
A man like Paci believes that both football and drinking are inherently dangerous, but thats OK, so long as we acknowledge the risk involved in both activities and, thus, let potential participants make informed decisions.
Ive had concussions before, Paci tells me. Anyone who plays sports has had one before.
Paci is about my age, having played football at Yale University in the late-1990s, while the slightly-older Barr played during a time head injuries werent treated all that seriously.
Back in the day when I played high school football, Barr tells me, you pretty much had to be in a coma before they did anything about it.
So both men had played football at a fairly high level, had head injuries on the field, and were still able to become prestigious doctors. But did they drink?
Not routinely, but I do, Paci tells me. Most doctors do. There are certainly benefits to some alcohol.
(Ive been saying that for years.)
I do, Barr also tells me. Everything in moderation. A little bit of alcohol can be good for the heart. Theres good data for the red wines. Some scotch in moderation, a finger a day maybe.
So you guys drink, but now knowing what you know, would you let your own children play football?
On that point Paci is fairly strict, believing young children simply dont have the body control and should stick to flag football or two-hand touch.
A parent cant consent to giving their kids a cigarette or a beerwhy can they consent to him playing tackle football?
Barr has a six-month grandson he absolutely wants to play football some day.
Should that boy play football or not? My take, from what we know right now: the chance of getting dementia, the prospect of a 13-year-old boy who starts football getting dementia one day is, lets say, 1 to 2 percent. Im being liberal, Barr tells me. But lets say that boy is not allowed to play football. Instead junior becomes fat and gets diabetes and high blood pressure. Now he has a 30 percent chance of dying of dementia.
So to Barr inactivity in this country is a much bigger problem than helmet-to-helmet contactinteresting, because drinkers on the whole are statistically much more active than non-drinkers according to the Center for Advancing Health.
That papers lead author, Michael French, a professor of health economics at the University of Miami, found that alcohol users not only exercised more than teetotalers, but the differential actually increased with more drinking.
I dont fully understand the relationship, Barr admits, though he has a speculation. Maybe people feel like after visiting the gym, they deserve to do something bad.
Its true enough anecdotally for myself, though Im a bit more of the reverse. I do something bad the night before, then feel the need to go jog five miles the next day.
I ask Barr point-blank, It seems like you ultimately think its safer to play in the NFL than to drink heavily?
Yeah, you could say that, he confirms.
This did not sound good for me. But what exactly did heavily mean? This week alone I sampled new whiskeys on Monday, drank wine with dinner on Tuesday, visited a hot new cocktail bar on Wednesday, went to a brewery opening on Thursday, and hit happy hour with friends on Friday.
Luckily, Barr relieved some of my concerns about any sort of future with dementia, simply telling me, You would not be on the phone with me, or even able to write this story, if you were drinking too much.
Regardless, I think Ill start trying to be more cognizant of my intake. As Paci ultimately summed up for me: The brain is an amazing thing. Your head hurts when you bang it. So you try not to bang your head again. With a hangover, theres obviously something similar going on there.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/28/whats-worse-for-your-braindrinking-or-playing-football/
6 Guys Youll End Up Dating When Youve Been Single For Too Long
I’m writing this post from my bed.
I’m un-showered, even though I came home from CrossFit three hours ago.
I’m slugging back red wine and crushing a party size-serving of chips and salsa.
I turned my phone on silent an hour ago, just so I would stop checking to see if the guy I like has responded to the text I sent earlier.
Needless to say, I dont think you get much more single than this.
There are nights when I rejoice in it, and there are nights when I sulk in it.
Tonight, its the latter.
But as I sit here, elbow-deep in a bag of Tostitos and knuckles clenched around a topped-off glass of wine, I cant help but be grateful for this single life Ive been living for almost a year now.
Its an unexpected and for me unwanted learning experience.
I say its “unwanted” because Im the relationship type.
Ive never had a one-night stand (nor will I ever).
I like commitment.
Dating gives me anxiety because I never know what to say or do.
Should I text him first? Will he text me?
Whats the right emoji to use? Should I even use an emoji?
Let me screenshot this and send it to all my friends to see if its okay.
What should I wear?
Unwanted or not, Im on one hell of a self-learning curve.
I think its so important for every woman to have this bittersweet journey, especially in her20s.
Im learning when to keep my guard up and when to let it come crashing down.
Im learning how to be patient.
I’m learning what I like and what I dont.
Im learning so much about myself because Im finding time for myself.
Im trying new things.
I’ve joined CrossFit and hot yoga, and I quit some unhealthy habits that were crippling my self-esteem.
Ive tried tons of new restaurants completely free, thanks to first dates.
But besides learning about myself, Im learning a lot about the dating pool.
Let me tell you this: When they say there are plenty of fish in the sea, it’s true.
But the ones you want to catch are really, really hard to find. They’re borderline nonexistent.
Ive met tons of guys ranging in age, profession, personality, height, hobbies, etc.
However, after dozens and dozens of dates and hundreds of right swipes that have amounted to nothing, Ive been able to put a label on just about every single one.
Ive boiled them down to six main categories:
1. The Ex
When one relationship ends, its so easy to look back at a previous ex and question why that relationship didnt work out either.
Call it delusion or curiosity, but it always seems like a logical first step when youre single.
So, if youre both single, why not give it another whirl?
Its comfortable. Its fun.
Its your opportunity to double-check hes really not the one who got away.
When my high school sweetheart found out that my recent ex and I had ended things, he came back into my life the same way he left it: like a tornado, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
Without getting into details for his sake (and his girlfriends, whoops), the verdict was we broke up for a reason.
Thats always a validating feeling.
In the words of my inner spirit animal, Taylor Swift, we are never, ever getting back together. Like, ever.
But hey, like I said, it cant hurt to double check.
2. The Non-Committal Charmer
Hell tell you youre exclusive, but he won’t ever make you his girlfriend.
He’ll monopolize your free time to ensure you dont spend time with anyone else, but he wont commit.
Youll never meet his friends or family, so dont even try.
He is in complete control of the relationship because you let him be.
His charm, wit and personality compel you to stay.
His goal is to perpetually keep your relationship in a hostage situation.
You want to see other people, but you dont want to put what you have at risk because its comfortable and fun.
Youre convinced that at some point, hell come to his senses.
He wont.
So, youre going to want to quit while you’re ahead. Dont waste any time.
3. The Egotistical PrickWho Plays On Your Heartstrings
Is it rough to call these people sociopaths?
Theyll do everything they can to make you like them in a short period of time.
Theyll cook you your favorite dinner, buy you nice wine and compliment you on the weird things you wish people would notice.
They make it so easy to let your guard down.
Then, one day, theyll just stop talking to you.
Theyll give you some bullsh*t excuse like theyre just “not ready for a relationship right now, or they really like you, and “it scares” them.
No, you just needed an ego trip. Or, you needed to get laid.
Or both.Whatever.
These types of guys are the reason all women are a little hesitant, confused, broken and yes crazy.
There are plenty of them out there.
4. The Former Frat Guy Who Just Cant Let Go Of College
In my opinion, these guys are the absolute worst.
This is mainly because they dont even realize theyre being the absolute worst. The naivety isnt at all charming.
He doesnt have to be a frat guy. Hes just the guy who loves college.
He cant grow up.
He loves his boys and beer pong more than he loves his job. He knows more about chugging beers than investing in a 401(k).
He has no idea how to start or maintain a conversation. His career path is questionable.
He most likely has the life goal of being a stay-at-home dad.
Thats what she said jokes are far too common, and he finds them far too funny.
While I personally havent gone on a single date with one of these guys, they exist in the masses.
So good luck, female young professionalsof America who thought men matured after college.
AsI say to my dad, “Im looking for the smartest idiot over 25.”
5. The One Youre Just Not That Into
These, for me, are the most common.
Then again, I think they’re common for everyone.
If we were into every person we met, there wouldnt be anyone special, right?
But sometimes, you really want to like someone.
He hasa great job. You love hisfriends and family. He’s funny.
You have everything in common. You can text all day and never run out of things to talk about.
Your Snapchat exchanges keep you laughing all day long.
He’s proud of you. He cares about you.
Youre even a perfect match (according to the stars).
But, you just arent into this person, no matter how hard you try to be.
While relationships take effort, you should never force yourself to fall for someone because you think you’d be great together.
It’s a recipe for disaster and heartbreak, and that’s one sad situationI won’t ever willingly walk into.
So when you find yourself in this kind of mess, you have to break the ice.
It’s unfair to string the other person along when he’s clearly feeling all the emotions you wish you could.
When you’re dating someone youre not into, but whom you love as a human being, breaking the ice is a double-edged sword.
You both end up hurt and bummed.
6.The One
Every person I talk to tells me the one will walk into my life when I least expect it.
It wont be because I spent my entire lunch break swiping left and right (mostly left).
It wont be because I asked my co-workers, friends, family and acquaintances if they know someone else whos completely exhausted by the routine dating scene.
It certainly wont be because I got drunk enough to get the nerve to walk up to a guy and strike up a random conversation.
No way, not me.
Im told Ill meet someone in a sweet form of serendipity.
Ill accidentally spill my coffee on him at Starbucks.
Well bond over the fresh produce at Trader Joes.
Well be at the same bar for happy hour.
Something will happen.
When that something does, in fact, happen, all those heartbreaks, mistakes, moments of weakness and feelings of guilt will wash away.
You won’t question whether your guard should be up or down. What or when to text won’t be a thought.
Everything will slip into place.
Because as everyone always says, “When you know, you know.”
So until then, my advice to every single woman out there is this: Be a lady.
Be fearless, but not careless.
Be willing to love and unafraid to get hurt.
Put yourself out there. Learn to love yourself.
Discover hobbies that fill your time.
But this is the most important piece of advice of all: Never ever settle for any of the five who come before “the one.”
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/27/6-guys-youll-end-up-dating-when-youve-been-single-for-too-long/
Tuesday, 26 September 2017
Travel + Leisure reveals America’s least and most attractive cities | Fox News
Head to Hawaii to see the country’s most attractive people. (iStock)
Baltimore is known for its stunning inner harbor and historic landmarks but do the people match the city’s beautiful sites?
Well, maybe inner beauty because if were only looking skin deep, the answer, according to Travel + Leisure, is no. They’ve compiled their annual ranking of America’s most and least attractive cities– and yes, we’re talking about the people– and Baltimore scored the number one slot on the least attractive list. The city was actually demoted (promoted?) from the fourth position in last years survey to earn the unenviable position this time around.
But, the travel authority notes, Charm City still has a great personality.
So what other cities made the least list?
Sacramento, Calif. offers a wide range of outdoor activities while Spokane, Wash. has an emerging distillery scene (known as the Cork District) and excellent wineries. But you may need those beer goggles. Spokane was third on the list for least attractive. Sacramento was second.
So where can one find America’s hottest people? It turns out, you have to get off the mainland. The publication deemed the most attractive city in the country Honolulu, Hawaii. Great weather, awesome surfing and an array of gorgeous guys and gals abound in the popular honeymoon destination. Sure, they may not get high grades for those Hawaiian shirts but have you seen them on the beach?
More of a skiing fan, instead? Well youre in luck there, too, as the list deems Boulder, Colo. as the second most attractive city in the country. If you prefer a dry heat youre covered with Scottsdale (number three on the list).
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So take a look at the top eight most attractive and least attractive cities in America. Did your city make the cut?
Most Attractive Cities
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Boulder, Colorado
3. Scottsdale, Arizona
4. Salt Lake City, Utah
5. San Diego, California
6. Nashville, Tennessee
7. Charleston, South Carolina
8. Denver, Colorado
Least Attractive Cities
1. Baltimore, Maryland
2. Sacramento, California
3. Spokane, Washington
4. Charlotte, North Carolina
5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
6. Cleveland, Ohio
7. Tampa, Florida
8. Atlanta, Georgia
Check out the full list of America’s most attractive— and least attractive— cities on Travel + Leisure.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/26/travel-leisure-reveals-americas-least-and-most-attractive-cities-fox-news/
Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Testicles
Balls, cojones, nuts, your local sidekicks, bollocks, nads, family jewels whatever you call them, testicles are very important and so is their well-being. April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, so to get into the spirit of all things ballsy, heres a quick guide on how to keep your balls nice and healthy, along with some facts that show just how special testicles are.
Unlike many cancers, testicular cancer is particularly common in younger people, usually affecting men between ages 15 to 35. American Cancer Society estimates that 8,720 new cases of testicular cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year alone. Out of these, 380 men will die.
The most common symptom is a painless lump on the testicle. Other less common symptoms can include a dull ache, discomfort or an unusual feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. If youre ever unsure, its always best to pay your doctor a visit.
Medical professionals recommend men of any age give their testicles a small self-examination at least every month. Heres how you do it.
- It’s recommended you do it after a hot bath or shower as the skin is more relaxed and loose.
- Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle with the thumbs places on top. Firmly but gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and fingers to feel for any bumps on the surface.
- Find the epididymis, that’s the soft, rope-like structure on the back of the testicle. This can easily be mistaken foran irregular mass due to its odd shape. But, if you get to know it, it should be easier to spot anything genuinely irregular.
It takes just a few minutes and it could save your life. The statistics might be scary, but if testicular cancer is detected early there is a 95 percent survival rate.
Not that youd need more reasons to take care of your testes, but here is a selection of facts in celebration of these awesome little organs:
1) Testicles create 200 million sperm every day.
2) Proportional to their size, the animal kingdoms biggest testicles belong to the tuberous bush cricket, with its testicles accounting for 14 percent of its body weight.
3) The word avocado derives from the Aztec word for testicle. The same is true for the word orchid, which is derived from the Greek for testicle.
4) Howler monkeys with smaller balls tend to have louder and deeper vocal calls. Any comparisons you want to draw are up to you.
5) Hows it hanging? Its thought the testicles are outside the human body despite the risk of having such an important organ extremely exposed to cater for their sensitivity towards temperature assperm survives best a few degrees cooler than normal body temperature. However, many mammals such as elephants, have theirs tucked up inside, neartheir kidneys.
6)Each sperm contains around 37.5 megabytes of data. Thats around 15.8 terabytes of data per average ejaculation.
7) Male right whales have testicles that weigh around 1 tonne (1.1 ton) and can produce 4.5 liters (1 gallon) of semen.
8) Theres an Icelandic brewerythat brews beer with smoked fine whale testicle.
9) Testicles have the most diverse proteins of any organ. A study found that 77 percent of all human proteins are expressed in the testicles, 999 of which were unique proteins. Thats pretty impressive, considering the human brain has around 318 unique proteins.
10) Most testicles hang at different heights. For around 65 percent of men, the right testicle always hangs higher and is marginally larger. Weirdly, the majority of Greek statues of naked men nearly always featured a larger lefty. No one’s quite sure why, although its thought to be something to with cultural beliefs about fertility and left-rightness.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/26/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-testicles/
Monday, 25 September 2017
Reporter’s Notebook: South Florida empty, eerie as stray holdouts await Irma
MIAMI – This city of sand and skyscrapers is rapidly emptying out as Hurricane Irma chugs toward it, but an eerie calm and a nervous curiosity abides in the stubborn and stranded folks who remain.
Benjamin Garcia is in Miami on a work exchange program. He’s learning management skills at an upscale downtown hotel and has been in the Sunshine State for a little more than two months now. Earlier this week, his girlfriend Mia traveled more than 4,000 miles from Argentina to visit him.
“This is crazy. I can feel the wind shake… beneath my feet.”
On Friday night, both were about three beers in when Fox News caught up with them.
“This is crazy,” Garcia said. “I can feel the wind shake… beneath my feet. You can feel it. Can you feel it? I need another beer, man.”
Mia quipped, “You said that yesterday.”
As weather forecasts and warnings about Hurricane Irma increase in intensity, the monster storm that’s beaten up the Bahamas and pounded a corner of Cuba, is heading straight for Florida.
Irma’s expected to take her wrath out on the state early Sunday with speeds that could snap trees and cause catastrophic damage to the area.
People up and down the coast – as well in other parts of the state- aren’t taking chances.
By early afternoon, several had called it a day. Almost all of the big name chains had closed shop. Boarded up businesses and homes could be seen for miles. The interstate, going in the direction of Miami, was wide open.
Naples, known for its high-end shopping and rich-green golf courses, looked more like a ghost town than a shopping hub.
Many stores had closed early, letting employees go home and prepare for Irma.
There were a few holdouts. At the 7-Eleven in Estero, Fla., one employee told Fox, “I’m here until the boss comes in himself and tells us to go home… and he’s not coming in any time soon.”
Ft. Lauderdale was also a shell of its normal activity.
But perhaps most jarring was Miami. Usually, lit up and vibrant, entire city streets sat quiet and eerily empty.
Across from the Port of Miami, there were several police vehicles lined up.
“We’re waiting for her,” one officer said of Irma.
So was the rest of the state.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/26/reporters-notebook-south-florida-empty-eerie-as-stray-holdouts-await-irma/
Colorado convenience store is the first to offer weed and gas
Gas stations already sell beer, cigarettes, magazines (dirty and clean), and groceries. So what’s wrong with them selling you a little weed while you fill up your car?
The new Gas and Grass in Colorado Springs, Colorado, sees nothing wrong with it. The gas station, which sits next door to a marijuana dispensary, opened last weekend and is the first convenience store of its kind.
Marijuana shops in Coloradowhich legalized the drug in 2012can’t sell non-marijuana products, so the gas station and the weed store have different entrances. But because it’s all about synergy, the pot shop has learned from grocery stores that offer customers discounts on gas: People who buy marijuana at the Native Roots shop pay a reduced rate on their fuel.
In order to buy the marijuana, however,one has to have a license, because the shop only sells medical marijuana.
“It’s really just kind of pairing the convenience in one specific stop,” Native Roots spokesperson Tia Mattson told KOAA. “I believe we’ll have lottery tickets, beverages, cigarettes and similar things that you would pick up in a convenience store. … We definitely are leaders and we’re visionaries. It’s just one more thing for us to pair up the shopping and convenience of gas with a stop for somebody who is a patient, to knock off both errands at one time.”
Now you can buy pot and petrol in the same placealong with all the munchies you could ever want.
Screengrab via KRDO
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/25/colorado-convenience-store-is-the-first-to-offer-weed-and-gas/
Sunday, 24 September 2017
Saturday, 23 September 2017
Friday, 22 September 2017
Axe-wielding man demands radio station play ‘My Axe’ by Insane Clown Posse
There’s no better feeling than cruising around in your car and having your favorite song suddenly come on the radio. But you can’t force it. It has to happen naturally. You can’t, for instance, go down to the local radio station with an axe and demand that they play “My Axe” byInsane Clown Posse.
Yetthat’s exactly what 38-year-old Richard Newton did on Monday afternoon. Police were called to the offices of the Kiss 108 radio station in Medford, Massachusetts at around 1:30 pm after Newton, brandishing an axe, approacheda secretary and requested the song. He then returned to his car, perhaps expecting to hear the tune.
Instead, he was surrounded by police.
Police tried tasing Newton, and even shooting him with a beanbag, but to no avail. A witness told CBS Bostonthat the police negotiator even offered to get the ICPsong played on the radio station in question which, it should be noted, is a top 40 pop station.
Newton threw the axe, along with several large knives, out of his vehicle, but still refused to surrender, at one point saying, “I guess you’re just going to have to kill me.” Eventually, after over three hours of tense negotiations, Newton finally gave himself up.
“It was a peaceful resolution for everyone involved, ” said Lt. Joseph Casey of the Medford Police Department. “Nobody got seriously injured, and we’re grateful for that”
Newton, who witnesses say was drinking beer and huffing something from a bag, has yet to be charged with a crime and will undergo a psychological evaluation.
H/T UPROXX
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/23/axe-wielding-man-demands-radio-station-play-my-axe-by-insane-clown-posse/
5 Things You Do Every Day That Are Lowering Your Sperm Count
Bad news, dudes.
Odds are, seemingly harmless, everyday activities are actually weakening your ability to procreate.
Several studies found you can lower your sperm count simply by being a creature of habit, and these habits tend to be pretty enjoyable.
Here are five things you’re probably doing on a regular basis that may be killing your sperm in the process.
1. Watching too much TV
Research conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found men who watchedmore than 20 hours of TV a week had 44 percent less sperm than those men who watched lessTV in the same time frame.
The sperm samples came from 189 men, ages 18 to 22, who recorded how much time they spent in front of the TV in a given week.
It appears the decrease in sperm comes from the excessive sitting, since the participants who exercised regularly had 73 percent more sperm than those who got the least exercise. So you might want to get up every now and then.
2. Drinking
Shocker: Drinking a lot of alcohol isn’t very good for you. According to researchers, you only need to drink five units (less than three pints of beer) a week to reduce the quality of your sperm.
Astudy published in the journal BMJ Openinvolving 1,200 Danish military recruits, ages 18 to 28, found the amount of alcohol consumed was directly correlated to sperm count.
The averageamount of units participants drank in a week was 11. Researchers found the more alcohol consumed in aweek, the greater thedecrease in levels of reproductive hormones and sperm count the following week.
Those who drank significantly more than 11 unitscrippled their sperm counts, with a 33 percent decrease observed in those who drank 40 units a week compared to those who drank less thanfive units per week.
3. Wearing boxer briefs
Over the course of a year, 12 men were instructed to wear boxers for a certain period and then boxer briefs for the same amount of time for a study on the effects of underwear on sperm counts.
The sperm counts from each time period revealed wearing boxer briefs cutthe participants’ sperm counts in halfwhen compared to periods of wearing boxers.
Wearing boxer briefs also decreased sperm quality by about two-thirds. Guess this means everyone should stick to boxers?
4. Being a vegetarian
Men who do not eat meat apparently have a lot less sperm than their carnivorous counterparts.
In a four-year study, researchers at California’s Loma Linda University School of Medicine discovered 26 vegetarians and five vegans hadan average of 50 million sperm per milliliter compared to the average of 70 million per milliliter for 443 meat eaters.
Just one-third of the meatlessgroup’s sperm wereconsidered active, while meat eaters had nearly 60 percent active sperm.
Researchers believed the difference may be attributed to vitamin deficiencies and an abundance of soy, which may negativelyaffectsperm. Moral of the story? Eat meat.
5. Smoking weed
If you usually smoke weed just two times a week, your sperm count may be 29 percent lower than those who don’t smoke as often, according to a study from the University of Copenhagen.
Sperm samples from 1,215 Danish men, ages 18 to 28, also revealed a 55 percent sperm deficit in those who regularly did drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine in addition to marijuana.
It isn’t clear how exactly marijuana affects sperm, but researchers mentioned the possibility of THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana, interfering with receptors in the testes.
The study’s researchers could not, however, establisha causalrelationship between marijuana and sperm count, since regular marijuana users tended to have an increased intake of cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine, and acombination of those three factors couldpossiblyhave a bigger impact on sperm count than marijuana alone.
Subscribe to Elite Dailys official newsletter,The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/23/5-things-you-do-every-day-that-are-lowering-your-sperm-count/
Is the Airport Food Trap Inescapable?
After successfully passing through the airports security check-in, why do you feel the sudden urge to grab a beer and a greasy meal? Is eating healthy even an option at the airport?
Lets be real. Hardly any of us, me included, have the mental focus to prep and pack a meal ahead of flying, as author Jeanne Kelley writes about in her new book Portable Feast. Bravo to those who do.
Instead, we opt to grab a Lucky Dog at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport or dine at Salt Lick Barbeque at Austin-Bergstrom International Airportcarrying no guilt about our decision because lets face it: Were at the airport and there are no good eating options. Might as well splurge!
The food situation at airports is a form of Stockholm Syndrome. Airports have the upper hand. They kidnap our sense of reason about whats good for us to eat, and they rapture our olfactory system with Cinnabons and hot pretzelswhich undoubtedly smell better than the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Yet, for the sake of our healthand we cant forget that heart disease is still the leading cause of death for men and womenthe food we eat plays the biggest role as to whether we catch this non-communicable disease.
So, the question is simple: Where ought we dine when we fly?
Eater.com reviewed a majority of food and beverage offerings at airports worldwide in their Airport Dining Guides. Thrillest evaluated Americas 40 largest.
But these options are assessed, for the most part, through the lenses of a glutton who tries to cancel out eating through CrossFit, a person with money to spend, or a snobby foodie.
The wine bar at the Delta Terminal at New York Citys LaGuardia Airport, albeit very pleasant, is too hoity-toitya scene, if you will. People are either doing business while drinking an obnoxious pour of wine or pretending they are someone important doing business (in reality, theyre texting with their grandma).
Penn Jillette, of the infamous magicians Penn & Teller, recently lost 120 lbs the old-fashioned way through diet and exercise. He eats almonds when he has to travel, according to his podcast Penns Sunday School (episode 179).
Lets face it, hunger sets in at the airport and if you need more than a bag of nuts to hold you over while traveling, consider The 2015 Airport Food Review, a healthful eating guide to help travelers navigate food courts at 24 of the nations busiest airports.
Composed of dietitians from the nonprofit Physicians Committee, the group collected and reviewed restaurant menus from the busiest airports in the United States, based on passenger data from the Federal Aviation Administration. Excluding breakfast, airport restaurants received a point if their menu included at least one cholesterol-free, plant-based, high-fiber vegan entre, which had to be clearly labeled on the menu. Side dishes didnt count, even though they can be or indeed are the healthiest option on the menu.
Surprisingly enough, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) came in first, for the first time. According to the review, the airport had 90 percent of its restaurants offering healthful, plant-based meals, including Real Food Meals at Real Food Daily, gourmet broccoli and edamame salads at Lemonade, Marthas Salad at Homeboy Caf, tofu tacos with kimchi at Kogi BBQ Taco Truck, and fresh fruit and vegetables, whole, at The Farmers Market.
On the other side of the ranking list was Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). If you find yourself on a layover in the Midwest and want to eat healthy, then good luck if its in Minnesota.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)located in the land of 10,000 lakes and home to beloved Princecame in last place this year, receiving a failing grade by offering plant-based entres at just 56 percent of its restaurants.
But lets be real. Whos going out of their way to find a plant-based healthy meal these days, apart from the vegans and vegetarians, while traveling?
Most people actually prefer the unhealthy offerings.
How do we know this?
A new ranking of airport restaurants filed this year by the makers of AirportXP, a market-research smartphone app, allows travelers to share their experiences at the 30 largest American airport hubs. The results are based on 88,326 food and beverage evaluations from July through December 2015.
Whats the take-away? Passengers prefer airports that offer more of the over-priced, salty, greasy, unhealthy foodstuffs.
Despite it having the healthiest offering of food and beverages according to the 2015 Airport Food Review, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had the third-lowest passenger satisfaction for food and beverage offerings according to the AirportXP survey. Evidently, you cant have your vegan carrot cake and eat it, too. People dont care that LAX has healthy options. They want the grease.
And this is probably why MSP was ranked among the top-three airports in passenger satisfaction for food and beverage offering according to AirportXP. Despite the fact the 2015 Airport Food Review ranked MSP lowest in its offering of healthy food and beverages, passengers didnt seem to mind.
In the end, the airport is travelers purgatory, composed of rich, calorie-dense, unhealthy food options, of which we somehow seem to consume too much of and admittedly enjoy. Its tough to say no when the cards are stacked against you.
If you want to be healthy at the airport, try to get full on the peanuts once airborne, and order a fizzy water if you want to feel fancy.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/22/is-the-airport-food-trap-inescapable/
Thursday, 21 September 2017
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Democratic town hall: Clinton, Sanders poised to face off
(CNN)Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will appeal directly to voters in Iowa on Monday night during an intimate CNN town hall meeting, as they seek a critical edge in a neck-and-neck race, exactly a week before the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Watch CNN’s Democratic town hall, airing live from Iowa on Monday, 9 p.m. ET
The rivals, as well as long shot candidate Martin O’Malley, will unveil their final arguments at the town hall in Des Moines, as their campaigns crank up ground games in a state with huge implications for the nominating race.
The forum, at 9 p.m. ET, will showcase the contrast emerging between Clinton, the national front-runner and President Barack Obama’s first secretary of state, and Sen. Sanders, the self-declared Democratic socialist from Vermont who is mounting a stronger than expected challenge.
Clinton bills herself as the only candidate qualified to lock in progressive reforms ushered in by Obama and ready to be commander-in-chief in a dangerous world. Sanders, meanwhile, implicitly suggests that Obama did not go far enough and proposes sweeping new government initiatives on state-run health care, regulating Wall Street and addressing in income inequality.
The candidates will appear one after the other for half an hour each at the town hall meeting at Drake University, which will be broadcast worldwide by CNN, statewide by local television affiliates and live-streamed online and on CNNgo.
Latest polling shows Clinton and Sanders locked in a tight contest in Iowa. In the most recent CNN Poll of Polls, Sanders edges Clinton 46% to 44% in Iowa, with O’Malley at 4%.
But Brian Fallon, spokesman for the Clinton campaign, made the case on Monday that his boss would make an electability argument, speaking to reservations Democrats may have about Sanders’ capacity to win the election and perform effectively as president.
“Hillary Clinton is best positioned to protect the gains we have made under President Obama,” Fallon told CNN’s “New Day.”
He went on: “I think voters are going to contemplate who is the fighter with the tenacity to get results on the issues that keep voters up at night, who can do all aspects of the job, keeping them safe from terrorism but also ensuring the prosperity is shared economically up and down the income ladder.”
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/09/20/democratic-town-hall-clinton-sanders-poised-to-face-off/