Jack Curtin’s LIQUID DIET

From a just received news release:

Thanks to beer, according to a new government report, food is finally welcomed at fine dining establishments and no longer stuck in the ghetto of fast food chains and awful neighborhood diners in which it has languished for decades. After years of decline because of mass market domination by faceless corporations which drove all aspects of taste and flavor out of the category, hand-crafted food is sweeping the nation because of its affiliation with good beer. Freed from its image in the public mind as something only fit to be paired with the limited white or red options of wine, it has become one of the fastest growing categories in dining.

Many factors play into the appeal of food. The category is particularly attractive to younger consumers looking for something new and different. Those concerned about the environment and energy issues especially appreciate that hand-crafted meals using locally grown vegetables and spices eliminate the need for cans, jars and other packaging and reduce fuel usage for shipping food products long distances. Others are delighted by learning that, enjoyed properly and with appropriate restraint, food can be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, the nutritional benefits of food are being cited more and more often by respected sources. “Food appears to be a major contributor to human sustainability,” said the report. “People who consume food regularly at moderate levels live considerably longer than those who do not.”

Aside from one adjective-less writer who will probably think that calling beer an “alcoholic beverage” is a sinister plot, most beer fanciers will find this report from London a wonderful “I told you so!” item to wave in the faces of the folks who just don’t get it:

According to the experts from The Beer Academy, London, if people consume beer moderately, it is good for health

Experts have stated in their report that if consumed with restraint, beer is the healthiest alcoholic beverage accessible with less calorific-value.

Dr. George Philliskirk, a biochemist and co-founder and Director of the Beer Academy said, “We are trying to help people understand what beer is, what it’s made of, and that when drunk in moderation it actually has a lot of positive health benefits,”

According to the experts, their reports will give a confidence to people, while purchasing beer and will also take away their misconceptions about drinking beer.

This February an online study had been carried out in which selected 2,004 adults aged 18 and above were interviewed. They results of the survey revealed that 68% people considered beer as the national drink of Britain.

On the other hand, 10% people considered that the drink contained fat and another 13% had a false impression about beer that it was made from chemical elements rather than malted barley and hops.

But the research has revealed that beer is fat- free and it consists of antioxidants compounds and minerals like silicon, which are not harmful for health.

A report released by the Center for Disease Control last month reports (shocker!) that twice as many adult Americans are regular drinkers as are regular exercisers:

Regular drinkers outnumber regular exercisers, says a new report on health behaviors in the U.S.The CDC study shows that six in 10 American adults were regular drinkers in 2005-2007, but only about three in 10 regularly exercised….

White people were more likely than African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, or Alaska Natives to be drinkers.

The more educated people were, the more likely they were to drink. Seventy-four percent of people interviewed who have a graduate degree were drinkers, compared with 44% of people with a high school diploma.

Nobody defines “regular,” you might notice.

Sometimes I don’t think these things through.

This guy Anthony, who is the owner and proprietor of this site and the product it promotes, contacts me and asks if I’d be interested in sampling and reviewing his hangover cure.

Why not?

A small box containing these two vials arrived on my doorstep in due time. And so it was shortly thereafter that I found myself contemplating the one thing that makes this project more than a bit dicey.

I don’t get hangovers.

Rarely did, even when I drank enough to warrant them, and these days I can’t/won’t/don’t drink even close to excess on most occasions and when I do, I still awaken perfectly fine.

In short, I can’t accurately test the efficacy of the stuff because I won’t really know if it works or not.

So I am kinda/sorta looking for volunteers, assuming such a thing could be worked out in any feasible fashion. My ideal would be two of the Usual Suspects, should any of their membership be inclined to offer their bodies to science, because I am pretty sure they all drink to excess.

Plus also, participants for whom THC proves beneficial will be in a position to Twitter Anthony and inform him that his product will enable and inspire  you to pursue your drunken ways with added fervor in the days and weeks to come. Fame and fortune cannot possibly trail far behind.

This thing really looks like a Win/Win situation.

Pints for Prostates Kicks Off Prostate Cancer Awareness Month at Livestrong Global Cancer Summit and Eight Events in Five States

Program Uses the Universal Language of Beer to Reach Men with a Critical Health Message

Charlotte, N.C. – September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the Pints for Prostates campaign will salute survivors of the disease at events in Dublin, Ireland; Shasta Lake, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Durham, N.C.

The awareness effort kicks off with Pints for Prostates participation at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, then continues with events at beer festivals and tastings spread across the United States.

“Each week 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these men is detecting the disease in the early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful,” said Rick Lyke, a 48-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. “The mission of Pints for Prostates is to reach men in a friendly and non-threatening way when they may be willing to listen to a message about prostate health screening and PSA testing.”

Pints for Prostates uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health. The grassroots effort is focused on building awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing through appearances at beer festivals, social networking, publicity and pro bono advertising.

“All men should start getting screened for prostate cancer when they reach 40 years old,” Lyke said. “The death rate from prostate cancer has declined in the last two decades because of improvements in testing and treatment. Still, thousands of men die needlessly each year because there is a lack of information sharing. Prostate cancer occupies the same social standing as breast cancer did in this country 30 years ago. Thanks to the pink ribbon campaign’s impact on early detection, scores of women have survived breast cancer. Men need to talk to other men and shake off the stigma of prostate cancer.”

As part of the effort to increase attention for the disease during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Pints for Prostates will:

· Take part in the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, from Aug. 24-26. Rick Lyke will serve on a panel moderated by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN and a practicing neurosurgeon, with Dr. M.R. Rajagopal of the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Care, India; Dr. Alejandro Mohar of the Instituto Nacional De Concerologia, Mexico; Xishan Hao of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association; and Molebatsi Pooe-Shongwe, a breast cancer survivor and founder of Breatsens, South Africa.

· Attend a benefit hosted by the North Star Craft Brewery at 3501 Iron Ct. in Shasta Lake, Calif., on Sept. 12 from 3:30-11 p.m. Live bands, food and beer. http://www.northstarbrew.com/homepage/NorthStarBreweryFestivals.html

· Participate in an event at Rocco’s Café & Pizzeria at 1925 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 13 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. celebrating the success of the SEA Blue Walk, a joint venture between two 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network and Wellness Place, Cancer Education and Support. http://www.ustooevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2009_Chgo_Splash

· Attend the benefit Men’s Night Out for Pints for Prostates at The Pub in Polaris Fashion Place, 1500 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 17th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Beer, Scotch and Bourbon tastings, live music, food, silent auction and raffles. www.pubs4prostates.com.

· Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Blind Lady Ale House, 3416 Adams Ave. in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 20th from 11:30 a.m. to Midnight. A portion of the day’s sales and donations to a raffle for some great prizes will be donated to the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network.

· Have a booth staffed by prostate cancer survivors at the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo., from Sept. 24-26. http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/.

· Attend the Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit Pints for Prostates presented by All About Beer Magazine in cooperation with BeerAdvocate.com at the Wynkoop Brewery at 1634 18th St. in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. www.allaboutbeer.com/pints.

· Attend the Pints for Prostates benefit at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery at 215 Southside Dr. in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 30th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Beer sampling, brewery tours, food and live music.

· Have a booth at the World Beer Festival at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 3 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00-10:00 p.m. http://www.allaboutbeer.com/wbf/tickets.html

About Pints for Prostates

Pints for Prostates, a campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health, was founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots effort raises awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. All funds generated by Pints for Prostates benefit the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. More information is available at www.ustoo.org/pints. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation

At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. That’s why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at www.LIVESTRONG.org.

Lots of fish-in-a-barrel stuff to shoot down here.

I can hear Bryson and Brooks panting in the other room, just waiting to get it on.

Five…four…three…two…one…

We knew this all along, but it’s nice to have it verified by a fine educational institution:

Researchers at Granada University in Spain have come across a discovery that will undoubtedly please athletes and sports enthusiasts - a pint of beer post-workout or match is better at rehydrating the human body than water.

Professor Manuel Garzon, a member of Granada’s medical faculty, made the finding after tests on 25 students over several months. Researchers believe that it is the sugars, salts, and bubbles in a beer that may help people absorb fluids more quickly….

This news from overseas, however, is very sad:

Ireland’s oldest brewery, a landmark in Cork since at least 1650 and home to Beamish and Crawford since 1792, ceased operation yesterday.The taster’s room was opened for one last time yesterday morning as head brewer Rory Bevan and a group of other employees sampled a glass of Beamish to ensure its consistency and quality for the very last time.

Production of Beamish is being transferred to the Heineken Lady’s Well brewery in Cork following a decision made last year. This means that Beamish and Murphy’s, once bitter rivals, will now be housed under the same roof.

Heineken Ireland meanwhile has presented the Beamish archives – probably one of the most complete brewing archives in Ireland or Britain – to the Cork city archives.