Gates and Crowley Beer Summit II

Professor Henry Louis Gates and Sergeant James Crowley apparently enjoyed their beer summit with the president so much that they've decided to have another round.  Minus the president. In a setting a tad less formal, with no president or national press on hand, the Harvard professor and the Cambridge cop at the heart of last summer’s White House “beer summit” met ...

Is Barack Obama Too Manly?

Mark Liebowitz had a piece for NYT over the weekend titled "Man’s World at White House? No Harm, No Foul, Aides Say." At first blush, it reads like some feminists are genuinely concerned about a male-dominated culture in the West Wing. After awhile, however, one begins to suspect it's a PR exercise to make President Obama seem more ...

Manly Thoughts

If you haven't been reading MANzine this week, here's what you've missed: Can a Real Man Drive a Minivan? (James Joyner) - Despite what the advertisements may tell you, manhood has little to do with what kind of cigarettes you smoke, what car you drive, or how white your shirts could be. Emergency Flank Steak (Stephen Green) - What do you reach ...

Manly Thoughts

What you've missed the past week if you're not reading Manzine: Features: Mad About Mad Men (James Joyner) - “Mad Men” is the hottest show on TV, having somehow captured the zeitgeist with its meticulous portrayal of early 1960s Manhattan. Guide to Homebrewing Beer (Tim F) - Brewing your own beer is pretty easy. Here are answers to questions would-be homebrewers often ...

CEOs Invited to White House for Lunch, Charged Them

While not that big a deal, this would seem to take the "appearance of impropriety" thing a mite far: Four of the most powerful business leaders in America arrived at the White House one day last month for lunch with President Barack Obama, sitting down in his private dining room just steps from the Oval Office. But even ...

Having a Beer with Obama

Conor Friedersdorf rightfully notes that Henry Louis Gates and James Crowley should be having their beer at a local Cambridge pub rather than at the White House.   Bowing to the inevitable, however, ABC News moves on to the weighty issue of what beer will be served. Crowley told the president he was more partial to Blue Moon. [...] Blue Moon, however, ...

Beer Beats Water After Exercise: Doctors

Steven Taylor passes along a (somewhat old) scientific report that may spur a health movement: 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 ...

Taxing Beer to Pay Doctors

USA Today reports on a proposal circulating in the Senate Finance Committee to fund health care through sin taxes on booze. Beer taxes would go up by 48 cents a six-pack, wine taxes would rise by 49 cents per bottle, and the tax on hard liquor would increase by 40 cents per fifth. Proceeds from the new taxes would help cover ...

Barefoot Running: Do Running Shoes Cause Injury?

Glenn Reynolds links a Popular Mechanics story on "How Barefoot Runners are Shaping the Shoe Industry." My initial guess was "Buying fewer shoes?" It's a wee bit more interesting than that.  Apparently, a Rick Roeber recently ran the Boston Marathon shoeless. And a number of people—ultramarathoners, biomechanics experts and doctors included—think that's probably the best way to run. Some go so far ...

Food Signaling

In separate posts, Tyler Cowen wonders why Heinz ketchup and Miller beer remain so much more popular in their home towns of Pittsburgh and Chicago* than elsewhere in the country and whether it's a good sign if cops frequent a particular restaurant. As to the first, he offers two competing alternatives:  "Do area consumers develop the brand habit and pass ...

Obama: Slacker President?

Reacting to a Rachel Lewis feature touting Barack Obama as a man-about-town in Washington, attending ball games and plays and dining out, Ann Althouse wonders, "Should the president be working harder?" Glenn Reynolds quips, "I think he should take as much time off as he wants."  Heh. Indeed. Aside from that, though, it's an absurd criticism. First, like all modern presidents, Obama puts ...

Alcopop Taxes Fizzle As Manufacturers Outsmart Lawmakers

The attempt by California to tax sweet malt liquors as spirits in order to extract higher tax revenues under the guise of protecting minors from themselves isn't working out so well. Substance-abuse foes cheered last year when state officials cracked down on sweet, sometimes fizzy, intoxicating drinks such as Mike's Hard Lemonade that -- save for their alcohol content -- bear ...

The Mommy Slur

Hilary Bok is rather bent out of shape at a Washington Whispers poll which asks "If you had a choice of four daycare centers run separately by Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi, which would you choose for your kids?" She suggests some alternative poll questions: If you needed some yard work done, would you hire Mel Martinez, Henry ...

Sam Adams Alliance

When Glenn Reynolds linked the Sam Adams Alliance Contest, I clicked hoping it had something to do with craft beers. I was disappointed. At least it doesn't involve Joe the Plumber.

NFL Games Not a Family-Friendly Experience

Thomas Barnett took his son to Soldier Field to watch last night's game between the Bears and his beloved Packers. Not surprisingly, his team lost a close one. He was, however, surprised about the atmosphere: the two spent the night being verbally abused by drunken buffoons who questioned their sexuality and threatened them with physical violence for ...