Post by kaphwan on Aug 3, 2009 16:45:53 GMT 10
I'll forget for a moment who I percieve my target audience to be. Nothing annoys a young person quite like the insinuation that their age closes doors for them - though, you'll find over time, that ageism is one of the bigger frustrations to the elderly as well. You'll find this point even more salient when you become one of them.
A few of you drink. Most of you have tried alcohol at some point. What place would you say that you're at with the stuff?
I had a friend's party the other weekend. It was fun towards the start more than the end. A kid's theme, and various party games. The universal social lubricant added to the fun when something required quick thinking or coordination. Semi-tipsy has been enough for me for more than a year now, and the story for why is one all of its own, but a few shots here or there when peer-expected isn't what I'm talking about.
There is a binge drinking culture. It's not said enough, at least not by the right people. Those fortunate enough to live in Australia (though this shitarse winter made me pause while writing that) should be familiar with the alcopop tax. For everyone besides Tovvy, it was essentially a proposed raise of price on premixed drinks. The argument was that teenage drinkers, especially the majority that legally are below drinking age but do drink anyway (with police tending to try and reduce harm rather than prohibit), find these drinks more appealing. In turn, they are said to more quickly get hammered on these than otherwise due to tasting the sugary goodness* more than their poison of choice.
The politicians aren't looking to raise revenue, or actually dent the problem. The latter, I just tell myself because the moment prices rose, everyone moved on to spirits. Teens looking to get magged will follow the path of least resistance. House parties clubs aren't an option, and for the first time kids will pay attention to the government-dispensed Standard Drinks chart, and apply their hard-earned mathematics proficiency, but only to combine these two to determine the most fucked for their buck they can get. Either the bushy eyebrows (now replaced by a stupid grin) are hopelessly out of touch with youth, or they just want to throw money at something to seem like they care about the issue.
Parents might flirt with responsibility, yes, but more often than not they think that buying drinks for their kid will afford them control over how much they drink. All it does is give them a bare minimum total alcohol content. Imposed by peers is a bare minimum of their own - in content which is not theirs that they must drink (they are also blamed for "spiking" when a blood test reveals the child had about a dozen more drinks than they told Mum when they came home). Imposed by the child as well is a bare maximum of time to consume. Skull! Skull! Skull! Not enough parents will agree to supervise their child's house party, and not enough kids understand the value of this. Five people vomited, half a dozen passed out and without people to take care of these people, who defined magged (which, by the way, is an Aussie slang I can use hereafter because you understand it), the house would have been a biohazard zone and there's a good chance someone would have done a Bon Scott, and I'm not talking about basing a career as a vocalist on a near-zero "in key" value.
Almost any drug that alters mindstates and capability simply requires a sober babysitter. Pot or acid without someone there in the case of a bad trip is a recipe for disaster (I'm told *whistles*), and while legal, alcohol is the same in this regard. This touches on a whole host of issues. The inherent distrust between teenager and parent, where the hell that came from, why everyone pretends that this doesn’t break down the system while achieving nothing. The way parents will not partake in ensuring the safety of their child’s life choices as a way of denying that those choices are made, or of diminishing the perceived danger of those choices- a strategy that works brilliantly until the next hammed up news story of a glassing is shoved down their mental oesophagus where the hot air might be better suited to a trachea instead. A parent around would dampen your chances of hooking into someone, but that in turn links to further down, where I block quote the hell out of someone and talk for a few moments in reply.
Young people drink. An obvious fact washing about in this sea of obviousness that is what's written above. Why? There is an expectation that we're meant to. Men who can hold their drink without vomiting or God knows what else are respected. I can ingest poison with an adverse effect which is lesser than some particular criteria. I am a fucking hero. Expressed better than I am capable of, Ken McMasters nails the other side of that coin, the "head" of course being the rugged, invincible, "manly" man. It touches on other issues I could probably write about. Even granted how interconnected they all are, for the sake of conciseness I'll try to introduce with context without needing to give a primer on the emotive man.
Finding that closeness while sober allows it to actually be felt. This fear of closeness, built on socially learnt inhibitions (which is how it erodes away so quickly after drinking) relates to a lack of confidence while drinking. The common strategy I’ve seen among guys is to get at least tipsy, preferably more, wait until she also is there and make your move then. I still can’t fathom it, but there are a lot of aspects of my culture that I don’t understand. I’m sure most people don’t get me in return. Dependence doesn't sit well with me, but the idea of being dependent on a chemical to be able to function (romantically in this case) downright scares me.
So where do you stand? Do your parents know that you drink? Would you say that your representatives are doing their best to be informed about your drinking? Do you feel more confident in courtship with a tinge of Dutch courage? If you’re planning to get magged, have you considered who isn’t drinking who can be compos mentis should shit hit the fan, go all over the carpet, walls and not even to mention your good shirt?
* As an aside, I'm really not a soft drink person. The closest I get to enjoying soft drink is the beautiful double shot vodka lemonade - which incidentally costs the same as a single in most places. That's telling for its own reason.
A few of you drink. Most of you have tried alcohol at some point. What place would you say that you're at with the stuff?
I had a friend's party the other weekend. It was fun towards the start more than the end. A kid's theme, and various party games. The universal social lubricant added to the fun when something required quick thinking or coordination. Semi-tipsy has been enough for me for more than a year now, and the story for why is one all of its own, but a few shots here or there when peer-expected isn't what I'm talking about.
There is a binge drinking culture. It's not said enough, at least not by the right people. Those fortunate enough to live in Australia (though this shitarse winter made me pause while writing that) should be familiar with the alcopop tax. For everyone besides Tovvy, it was essentially a proposed raise of price on premixed drinks. The argument was that teenage drinkers, especially the majority that legally are below drinking age but do drink anyway (with police tending to try and reduce harm rather than prohibit), find these drinks more appealing. In turn, they are said to more quickly get hammered on these than otherwise due to tasting the sugary goodness* more than their poison of choice.
The politicians aren't looking to raise revenue, or actually dent the problem. The latter, I just tell myself because the moment prices rose, everyone moved on to spirits. Teens looking to get magged will follow the path of least resistance. House parties clubs aren't an option, and for the first time kids will pay attention to the government-dispensed Standard Drinks chart, and apply their hard-earned mathematics proficiency, but only to combine these two to determine the most fucked for their buck they can get. Either the bushy eyebrows (now replaced by a stupid grin) are hopelessly out of touch with youth, or they just want to throw money at something to seem like they care about the issue.
Parents might flirt with responsibility, yes, but more often than not they think that buying drinks for their kid will afford them control over how much they drink. All it does is give them a bare minimum total alcohol content. Imposed by peers is a bare minimum of their own - in content which is not theirs that they must drink (they are also blamed for "spiking" when a blood test reveals the child had about a dozen more drinks than they told Mum when they came home). Imposed by the child as well is a bare maximum of time to consume. Skull! Skull! Skull! Not enough parents will agree to supervise their child's house party, and not enough kids understand the value of this. Five people vomited, half a dozen passed out and without people to take care of these people, who defined magged (which, by the way, is an Aussie slang I can use hereafter because you understand it), the house would have been a biohazard zone and there's a good chance someone would have done a Bon Scott, and I'm not talking about basing a career as a vocalist on a near-zero "in key" value.
Almost any drug that alters mindstates and capability simply requires a sober babysitter. Pot or acid without someone there in the case of a bad trip is a recipe for disaster (I'm told *whistles*), and while legal, alcohol is the same in this regard. This touches on a whole host of issues. The inherent distrust between teenager and parent, where the hell that came from, why everyone pretends that this doesn’t break down the system while achieving nothing. The way parents will not partake in ensuring the safety of their child’s life choices as a way of denying that those choices are made, or of diminishing the perceived danger of those choices- a strategy that works brilliantly until the next hammed up news story of a glassing is shoved down their mental oesophagus where the hot air might be better suited to a trachea instead. A parent around would dampen your chances of hooking into someone, but that in turn links to further down, where I block quote the hell out of someone and talk for a few moments in reply.
Young people drink. An obvious fact washing about in this sea of obviousness that is what's written above. Why? There is an expectation that we're meant to. Men who can hold their drink without vomiting or God knows what else are respected. I can ingest poison with an adverse effect which is lesser than some particular criteria. I am a fucking hero. Expressed better than I am capable of, Ken McMasters nails the other side of that coin, the "head" of course being the rugged, invincible, "manly" man. It touches on other issues I could probably write about. Even granted how interconnected they all are, for the sake of conciseness I'll try to introduce with context without needing to give a primer on the emotive man.
The only time touching or intimate disclosure seems to be acceptable is either on the sports field or after having too much to drink. It seems sad that these situations appear to be the only legitimate times that men can have this level of intimacy with each other.
Finding that closeness while sober allows it to actually be felt. This fear of closeness, built on socially learnt inhibitions (which is how it erodes away so quickly after drinking) relates to a lack of confidence while drinking. The common strategy I’ve seen among guys is to get at least tipsy, preferably more, wait until she also is there and make your move then. I still can’t fathom it, but there are a lot of aspects of my culture that I don’t understand. I’m sure most people don’t get me in return. Dependence doesn't sit well with me, but the idea of being dependent on a chemical to be able to function (romantically in this case) downright scares me.
So where do you stand? Do your parents know that you drink? Would you say that your representatives are doing their best to be informed about your drinking? Do you feel more confident in courtship with a tinge of Dutch courage? If you’re planning to get magged, have you considered who isn’t drinking who can be compos mentis should shit hit the fan, go all over the carpet, walls and not even to mention your good shirt?
* As an aside, I'm really not a soft drink person. The closest I get to enjoying soft drink is the beautiful double shot vodka lemonade - which incidentally costs the same as a single in most places. That's telling for its own reason.