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Post by mrfatso on Oct 9, 2016 7:26:18 GMT
I know it's a cultural thing in the UK, going to the pub on a daily basis, but I've always found it a bit sad. Even if you don't get drunk every time, just the fact that you can't go a day without ingesting alcohol at a bar - in my view - makes you an alcoholic. A functioning one perhaps, but still an alcoholic. I think a part of it is that pubs are where guys tend to go to hang out in the UK and to a degree in the US. here we have a variety of bars, nowadays - probably the case in the UK, as well, but before, UK pubs were more of a gathering place whereas US taverns were more of a drinking place. but I kind of share the opinion that if a person cannot have leisure without alcohol, then they have too much of a priority on alcohol. It was a place to play darts, dominoes, bar skittles, meet mates, organise a pub football team or a darts team to,play against other pubs etc. Now some pubs serve breakfast, lunch and dinner you can go in and have just tea, coffee and soft drinks with those meals no problem they can just be places to hang out. You are not an alcoholic unless your brain has become dependant on alcohol to function, you may like a pint or two but that's not quite the same thing. |
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Post by silverdragon on Oct 9, 2016 13:07:07 GMT
I know it's a cultural thing in the UK, going to the pub on a daily basis, but I've always found it a bit sad. Even if you don't get drunk every time, just the fact that you can't go a day without ingesting alcohol at a bar - in my view - makes you an alcoholic. A functioning one perhaps, but still an alcoholic. I think a part of it is that pubs are where guys tend to go to hang out in the UK and to a degree in the US. here we have a variety of bars, nowadays - probably the case in the UK, as well, but before, UK pubs were more of a gathering place whereas US taverns were more of a drinking place. but I kind of share the opinion that if a person cannot have leisure without alcohol, then they have too much of a priority on alcohol. "Not so much as it used to be" It wasnt an every day thing, but more a couple of nights per week, as a social gathering place, entertainment, "job centre" and a lot more, you got to find out the local news and whats happening. The invention of TV kind of put a dampener on that. Its not an "alcohol" thing either. The pub was invented for before that days when Water was all that fresh, the beer was healthier for you than the water was. the "small beer" was a light almost only just alcoholic less than 3% alcohol... just enough to kill anything that might upset your stomach. You have to go back a few centuries, but the cultural thing, this was where you went for food, drink, entertainment, and a lot more. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 9, 2016 13:10:06 GMT
No, alcohol can never be used to make your brain function. You're an alcoholic if you have to use alcohol to make your brain NOT function.
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 9, 2016 14:06:50 GMT
You are not an alcoholic unless your brain has become dependant on alcohol to function, you may like a pint or two but that's not quite the same thing. You're right, of course. Unless you have withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, you're not medically speaking an alcoholic. If you drink a pint or two a day but otherwise function in day to day life, it's "just" alcohol abuse. |
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Post by the light works on Oct 9, 2016 14:33:41 GMT
I think a part of it is that pubs are where guys tend to go to hang out in the UK and to a degree in the US. here we have a variety of bars, nowadays - probably the case in the UK, as well, but before, UK pubs were more of a gathering place whereas US taverns were more of a drinking place. but I kind of share the opinion that if a person cannot have leisure without alcohol, then they have too much of a priority on alcohol. "Not so much as it used to be" It wasnt an every day thing, but more a couple of nights per week, as a social gathering place, entertainment, "job centre" and a lot more, you got to find out the local news and whats happening. The invention of TV kind of put a dampener on that. Its not an "alcohol" thing either. The pub was invented for before that days when Water was all that fresh, the beer was healthier for you than the water was. the "small beer" was a light almost only just alcoholic less than 3% alcohol... just enough to kill anything that might upset your stomach. You have to go back a few centuries, but the cultural thing, this was where you went for food, drink, entertainment, and a lot more. Trivia bit. one of the bylaws of the Knights Hospitaler was that each knight should drink no more than three gallons of beer a day, lest the excess lead to inebriation. which gives you an idea of the potency of "small beer" |
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Post by the light works on Oct 9, 2016 14:35:35 GMT
You are not an alcoholic unless your brain has become dependant on alcohol to function, you may like a pint or two but that's not quite the same thing. You're right, of course. Unless you have withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, you're not medically speaking an alcoholic. If you drink a pint or two a day but otherwise function in day to day life, it's "just" alcohol abuse. the gray area is those who will never know if they will have withdrawal symptoms or not. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 9, 2016 15:27:00 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread.
In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol.
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Post by silverdragon on Oct 9, 2016 16:03:04 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread. In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol. Then you have never seen anyone getting work buy just being there?. One of my good friends from the bar that I work for is a mechanic, a bloody good one, and a Biker as well. He gets most of his work through people he knows, from the club. Or word of mouth from those people at the club recommending him to people they know. This is the cultural side of the Pub in UK. If I want a decent local plumber, electrician, or anything like that, first place to ask, is the Pub. The social media thing that everyone gets today is built on the idea of "Everybody knows someone" that was born of the social scene at the local pub?. And every single job I got working behind a bar came from me working in a bar?. |
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Post by the light works on Oct 9, 2016 16:04:49 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread. In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol. some might argue that the slide guitar technique is good and is related to alcohol. |
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Post by the light works on Oct 9, 2016 16:08:01 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread. In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol. Then you have never seen anyone getting work buy just being there?. One of my good friends from the bar that I work for is a mechanic, a bloody good one, and a Biker as well. He gets most of his work through people he knows, from the club. Or word of mouth from those people at the club recommending him to people they know. This is the cultural side of the Pub in UK. If I want a decent local plumber, electrician, or anything like that, first place to ask, is the Pub. The social media thing that everyone gets today is built on the idea of "Everybody knows someone" that was born of the social scene at the local pub?. And every single job I got working behind a bar came from me working in a bar?. the argument to that would be that the good thing is the result of the networking, rather than the alcohol. so the big picture analysis is that alcohol can facilitate things that can facilitate good things - but you want a step of removal, because alcohol can also turn things that could be good into bad things if it is too closely involved. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 9, 2016 16:15:24 GMT
Then you have never seen anyone getting work buy just being there?. One of my good friends from the bar that I work for is a mechanic, a bloody good one, and a Biker as well. He gets most of his work through people he knows, from the club. Or word of mouth from those people at the club recommending him to people they know. This is the cultural side of the Pub in UK. If I want a decent local plumber, electrician, or anything like that, first place to ask, is the Pub. The social media thing that everyone gets today is built on the idea of "Everybody knows someone" that was born of the social scene at the local pub?. And every single job I got working behind a bar came from me working in a bar?. the argument to that would be that the good thing is the result of the networking, rather than the alcohol. so the big picture analysis is that alcohol can facilitate things that can facilitate good things - but you want a step of removal, because alcohol can also turn things that could be good into bad things if it is too closely involved. Thanks for the advice SD. I guess if I want a drunk plumber, electrician or mechanic, I'll know where to look. The Pubs in GB may be different than the bars in the US, but the LAST place I will go for any advice is a bar. Like TLW says, it's the networking, not the alcohol. You can have networking without alcohol. At least some of us can. |
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Post by the light works on Oct 9, 2016 21:56:05 GMT
the argument to that would be that the good thing is the result of the networking, rather than the alcohol. so the big picture analysis is that alcohol can facilitate things that can facilitate good things - but you want a step of removal, because alcohol can also turn things that could be good into bad things if it is too closely involved. Thanks for the advice SD. I guess if I want a drunk plumber, electrician or mechanic, I'll know where to look. The Pubs in GB may be different than the bars in the US, but the LAST place I will go for any advice is a bar. Like TLW says, it's the networking, not the alcohol. You can have networking without alcohol. At least some of us can. he didn't say hire them to come from the bar to do the work. I have heard rumors of some of the more high end bars now hiring professional counselors to tend bar. the theory is if you're going to have drunks telling the bartender their problems, the bartender might as well be qualified to give them advice. which brings to mind the story of the psychologist's husband sitting at the bar complaining "my wife understands me." |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 9, 2016 22:04:22 GMT
Thanks for the advice SD. I guess if I want a drunk plumber, electrician or mechanic, I'll know where to look. The Pubs in GB may be different than the bars in the US, but the LAST place I will go for any advice is a bar. Like TLW says, it's the networking, not the alcohol. You can have networking without alcohol. At least some of us can. he didn't say hire them to come from the bar to do the work. I have heard rumors of some of the more high end bars now hiring professional counselors to tend bar. the theory is if you're going to have drunks telling the bartender their problems, the bartender might as well be qualified to give them advice. which brings to mind the story of the psychologist's husband sitting at the bar complaining "my wife understands me." I'd last about an hour as a barkeep. When someone started to dump their troubles on me, I would tell them that the first step to solve their problem is to stop drinking. It's kind of sad, but the first thing that crosses my mind when I walk into a bar is, "Well, here's a fine room full of losers." |
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 9, 2016 22:20:43 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread. In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol. I'm a result of alcohol. In more ways than one. Okay, point taken...  |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 9, 2016 22:23:56 GMT
Funny that this discussion is taking place in the "It's All Good" thread. In my lifetime, I've seen plenty of bad things come of drinking. I have NEVER seen a single good thing as the result of alcohol. I'm a result of alcohol. Okay, point taken... OK, now I've seen my first. Reminds me of the slogan on Old Spice after shave. "If your grandfather didn't use it, you wouldn't be here." |
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 9, 2016 22:39:31 GMT
I'm a result of alcohol. Okay, point taken... OK, now I've seen my first. Reminds me of the slogan on Old Spice after shave. "If your grandfather didn't use it, you wouldn't be here." Exactly  And I'm sure there are better - or at least more important/influential - people out there than me who wouldn't be here either if their parents hadn't been drunk the night they were conceived. |
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Post by silverdragon on Oct 10, 2016 6:40:53 GMT
the argument to that would be that the good thing is the result of the networking, rather than the alcohol. so the big picture analysis is that alcohol can facilitate things that can facilitate good things - but you want a step of removal, because alcohol can also turn things that could be good into bad things if it is too closely involved. Thanks for the advice SD. I guess if I want a drunk plumber, electrician or mechanic, I'll know where to look. The Pubs in GB may be different than the bars in the US, but the LAST place I will go for any advice is a bar. Like TLW says, it's the networking, not the alcohol. You can have networking without alcohol. At least some of us can. Thats the HUGE cultural difference between UK and USA. In UK, you dont go to the Pub to get drunk. |
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Post by GTCGreg on Oct 10, 2016 13:54:08 GMT
Thats the HUGE cultural difference between UK and USA. In UK, you dont go to the Pub to get drunk. Having never been to a British pub, I will have to take your word for that. |
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Post by OziRiS on Oct 10, 2016 20:32:27 GMT
Thats the HUGE cultural difference between UK and USA. In UK, you dont go to the Pub to get drunk. If the reality/documentary show about UK paramedics I saw the other day is anything to go by, I'd say you're at least a little bit wrong there. One of the paramedics said he'd recently had a night shift on a Thursday where he answered 9 calls, all of them alcohol related. Some of the injuries were from drunk people falling over on their way home, some were from bar fights and two were for alcohol poisoning where the patients had to get their stomachs pumped. Of the last two, one was actually picked up inside the pub. The other had kept drinking after she got home. Her 9-year-old son found her in the middle of an alcoholic seizure and had to call the paramedics to come get her at 2 am. And this was on a Thursday! As the guy said, weekends are usually worse. I'm sure there are some people in the UK who - as you say - don't go to the pub to get drunk, but that's definitely not true for everyone. I read an article not long ago that said an increasing number of UK pubs are closing because people can't afford to go there anymore. Contrary to the picture you're painting of people going to the pub for the company rather than the drinks, increased beer, wine and cider sales in supermarkets all over the UK seem to paint a picture of the former pub patrons now drinking at home instead. Tell me, if the company really is more important than the alcohol, why are these people finding new ways of getting the alcohol they apparently don't care that much about, but not making much effort to find new ways of getting the company they seemingly crave so badly? |
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Post by the light works on Oct 10, 2016 23:29:41 GMT
Thats the HUGE cultural difference between UK and USA. In UK, you dont go to the Pub to get drunk. If the reality/documentary show about UK paramedics I saw the other day is anything to go by, I'd say you're at least a little bit wrong there. One of the paramedics said he'd recently had a night shift on a Thursday where he answered 9 calls, all of them alcohol related. Some of the injuries were from drunk people falling over on their way home, some were from bar fights and two were for alcohol poisoning where the patients had to get their stomachs pumped. Of the last two, one was actually picked up inside the pub. The other had kept drinking after she got home. Her 9-year-old son found her in the middle of an alcoholic seizure and had to call the paramedics to come get her at 2 am. And this was on a Thursday! As the guy said, weekends are usually worse. I'm sure there are some people in the UK who - as you say - don't go to the pub to get drunk, but that's definitely not true for everyone. I read an article not long ago that said an increasing number of UK pubs are closing because people can't afford to go there anymore. Contrary to the picture you're painting of people going to the pub for the company rather than the drinks, increased beer, wine and cider sales in supermarkets all over the UK seem to paint a picture of the former pub patrons now drinking at home instead. Tell me, if the company really is more important than the alcohol, why are these people finding new ways of getting the alcohol they apparently don't care that much about, but not making much effort to find new ways of getting the company they seemingly crave so badly? I think at least part of that is on us yanks. there have been drunkards as long as there has been alcohol, just ask Noah's kids. but American culture kind of built the fun-by-alcohol meme and then exported it in our entertainment. addendum: oh, and they get the alcohol cheaper at the grocer and the company cheaper on fakebook. |
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