THE ANCIENT ART OF ALCOHOL ABUSE
A brief history of the art of alcohol abuse throughout the centuries from the prehistorical hunter-gatherers upto and including modern mankind (and beyond) from absinthe till zombie cocktails.
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Relevant video's;
- Laïs (De Wijn);
- Jan Boezeroen (De Fles);
- Gerrit Dekzeil (Geld, Drank en Lekkere Wijven);
- Alexander Curly (I'll never drink again);
- The Kinks (Demon alcohol):
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (Brother my cup is empty):
- The Dead Kennedys (Too drunk to fuck):
- Cypress Hill (Insane in the Brain):
- Underworld (Born Slippy):
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PREFACE
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This is not something about encouraging drinking alcohol.
Let it be completely clear; There are far more disadvantages to drinking than advantages and let it even be more clear that if you drink large amounts of alcohol; you will die a horrible, painful death in the end ! But still...
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There are people (like me) who drink amazing amounts of alcohol and, although these people are - by society's standards - complete losers (outcasts even), they are amongst us and they also deserve an accurate historiography about their addiction.
And the funny, sometimes even romantic and touching, stories accompanying that historiography should be told by someone.
Read it if you want to, or just don't; it's all up to you.
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INTRODUCTION
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Usually you write the introduction at the end (or at least after you made your chapter division) and then you place it at the beginning. I'm writing this blog without any master plan at all and therefore there is no chapter division (yet) I can use to introduce the different subjects in the right order.
So the proper way would be to write everything first and then post it all at once. But this is not a book, just a simple blog and it would be silly to leave it like this for months (years) till it's finished. For that reason this is not a very good introduction (yet) and will be changed several times. Nevertheless it is some kind of introduction so here are some things I will write about;
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Throughout history and all over the world there have always been people misusing alcohol. It seems evolution hasn't selected alcohol abuse out, so it must have some advantages or at least not too many disadvantages to the individual to withhold him from reproducing. So somehow the gene for alcohol abuse must have some advantages for society and maybe some advantages for the individual as well. One of the chapters will be about that.
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Since these advantages and/or disadvantages not only concern the physical and psychological aspects but moral and ethical aspects as well (especially for society), there will be a chapter about what's right and what's wrong (IMHO).
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There will be a chapter about alcohol and religion. With for example the question why did Jesus change water into wine?
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There will be a chapter about famous alcoholics like Hemingway and Joyce.
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And of course there will be a chapter about the different kinds of liquor and alcoholic beverages containing history, taste, effects etc. etc.
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Last but not least there will be a lot of stories (made-up or otherwise) about alcohol (abuse( rs) ). Not sure though if that will be a separate chapter or in and/or between the other chapters.
WHAT IS RIGHT? WHAT IS WRONG?
Like I said; no real chapter division yet, so it starts with this one. Simply because I managed to write a bit about it.
First of all, nobody has chosen to be here on earth. Your parents have chosen that for you in love and/or passion.
So suddenly one day you're there. You're thrown into society and without anything to say about it you have rights and obligations. And one of these obligations is to stay (suicide is illegal in most countries and subjected to strict rules in some others).
Well, that seems strange to me.
Suppose there's some kind of club where they have rules. If you go into that club voluntarily it's perfectly understandable you have to obey those rules (and perhaps have some rights as well), but if you don't like those rules you go out again or don't enter that club in the first place. But regarding life as a club it's more like you've been forced to go into that club, have to obey the rules, and have no rights at all to leave the club.
To me this seems very unfair and according to unwritten rules (in society you have the written-down laws and also the unwritten ethical/moral rules about what you should do or think) I'm not even allowed to think, let alonne say it's unfair, because you have to be grateful for life given to you.
But what if you simply don't like the gift given to you?
Then you're ungrateful, you're a bad person and shouldn't be in this society.
Right!
But that's the problem in the first place; you're not allowed to leave this society. You have to, willy-nilly (nolens, volens), be grateful and have to live the life given to you.
But what if you're still not grateful, not willing to change your opinion?
Then you're really bad to the bone.
Right!
But what if you think you're a good person, at least in your own opinion, You have no intention at all to hurt other people. You have no intention to break down society (or to improve it because you think it's impossible). You have no intention to be a burden whatsoever.
Then you have a serious problem and have to see a shrink.
Right!
So now we have a new situation.
Under construction; hope to write more soon.
THE TERROR TOOL
