Brand presence.

I really do not think of myself as all that smart. Yes, there’s that whole med school and looking at brains for a living thing. But it doesn’t take much more than an IQ of 100 and discipline and persistence to get through med school and subsequent specialty training.

I suppose that my self-perception distorts my understanding of the intelligence and aptitude of the average citizen consumer. It’s probably safe to say that I have forgotten the level of medical knowledge possessed by Jane and John Patient since I don’t interact with patients on a regular basis (I’m not a real doctor, I just look at pictures, as my son once famously said).  Every once in a while, though, a sobering reality check comes along. (more…)

Reality Check

Voices from the past can not only make us revel in memories but nudge us – however inadvertently – to view our current circumstances in a new light. This can creep up on us unexpectedly. It can happen as a tangent to the catching up.

I recently re-connected with a fraternity brother. He was not a typical fraternity guy. Shiro came to the U.S. from Japan to study at my university. A stalwart friend and a dedicated brother, he immersed himself in American culture – down to buying a ’66 Mustang with a straight 6. He also shared his culture by teaching me a few Japanese turns of phrase, some of which I still remember. We had a lot of good times together and I was very sad the day a group of us saw him off at the airport.

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George W. Bush

Today is a big day for our country. A President disliked (even despised) by many is passing control of the helm to one in whom some have placed unrealistic, messiah-like expectations. Nevertheless, the country, as a whole, seems hungry for a new direction and looks to brighter days ahead.

If the past eight years have given political pundits numerous “Bushisms” to mock and ruminate over (and provided fertile fodder for The Global Language Monitor), they have also seen the rise to prominence of some “winoisms”. The latter are a group of words and concepts which have found their way into common parlance despite the fact that they are simply incorrect usage of terminology. (more…)

Wine service.

We wine lovers sometimes like to pick little situations or annoyances to criticize. Sometimes, these topics get henpecked. Foremost among these is restaurant wine service. It’s almost a stock, or formulaic scenario in which arrogant, supercilious wine servers condescend to restaurant patrons.

I am sure that, on occasion, people get a server who is a jerk (or is having a bad day) and some restaurants just have crappy wine service for reasons stemming from the internal culture of the establishment. However, I am at a loss to recall any instance where the server in a restaurant treated me or my party like second class citizens.

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Hair of the Dog

It’s that time of the year again: The Holidays. Many people will imbibe this season if not because of the economy then in spite of it. What they will drink this season is much the subject of blog chatter this year as the financial roller coaster is having a marked impact on the wine and spirits industry.

No matter the economic climate, the day after the celebrations – be they with family, friends or in the office – brings regret and discomfort for many. So it is only natural that people seek out remedies and antidotes for these consequences of their hedonism.

I have decided to take on the myths that surround preventing and treating hangovers because I am doubly qualified to do so: I am a physician and I am Polish (’nuff said).

The causes of hangover symptoms are a consequence of a number of physiologic derangements including: dehydration, electrolyte loss, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, loss of REM sleep and possibly insufficient oxygen. It should also not be overlooked that some elements of a hangover fulfill the clinical criteria for withdrawal symptoms. (more…)

Cheap Drunk

Chris Rock jokes that the best way to reduce gun-related deaths is to make bullets so expensive, potential offenders would think twice about using them. That seems to be the logic underlying the results of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study which found that increasing alcohol taxes reduced alcohol-related deaths.

This study tracked the relationship between changes in alcohol prices (as affected by increased excise taxes) and the incidence of “alcohol poisoning and alcoholic liver disease, and deaths linked to alcohol, such as cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis” in Alaska. It did not track alchol-related traffic fatalities. (more…)

Paradox. From: http://dedroidify.blogspot.com

The last few weeks in the wine blogosphere have seen a large number posts taking the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain to realms previously unseen in political discourse. While some offer pretty humorous takes on comparing wines to the candidates, it is undeniable that others are stating their support for a candidate.

More often than not, that candidate is Barack Obama. That is fine by me (hey, the blogosphere is a free and unrestricted medium). But there is a painful philosophical paradox which many bloggers must face.

I would like to hear how many in the wine producing, wine writing, wine selling and wine promoting sectors explain the following paradox. (more…)