33 Comments

Haha Evan, okay, fair enough. Great piece by the way. ;)

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Let’s try that again.

“I’m mad. Boy, I am sooo mad. Have I told you how mad I am lately? Grr. Mad, mad, mad.” https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

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Guaranteed voting rights are an existential threat to the Republican Party.

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Not actually off topic

Mitchell: How did you resist Baal's brainwashing?

Teal'c: To resist the influence of others, knowledge of oneself is most important.

Mitchell: I'm still working on it.

Aren't we all?

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Given the trouble Congressional Republicans have in agreeing amongst themselves about getting legislation passed, when they controlled both Congress, and the White House, I’m not sure they are capable of passing anything on their own.

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"Massive hardening... instant gratification... nothing moving." Mitch McConnell.

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Turtle soup! 🐢🍵👌

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Mixed messaging!!

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Who else would like to know ...?

https://twitter.com/Beschlo...

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Shorter McConnell: end the filibuster and those non-White people will have power!

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Turtle tears.

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In re Fernand Braudel Capitalism and Material Life 1400 -- 1800

Alcohol

Braudel notes that from 1400 to 1800 alcoholism -- or at least alcohol consumption -- grew more or less steadily in Europe. 

He doesn't speculate why, but it's hard not to. 

So here's my wild speculation:

Braudel also noted that the price of wheat also grew -- with many ups and downs -- during the same period, and meat eating declined. 

Indeed, it seems that the generation or so after the Bubonic Plague was a boom time, but as the population recovered times became harder. 

But at the same time, the production of alcohol expended and increased, and trade (in all things including alcohol) became more common. 

So, is it possible that the declining standard of living among the peasants and urban poor combined with the increasing availability of booze to produce ever increasing alcohol consumption? 

And, might that trend have continued into the 19th century giving rise to the Temperance movement?

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In urban areas in those days water was not fit to drink. So people drank beer instead.

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AOT, K

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That's well known and simultaneously not true. Bringing water into urban areas waded a huge business employing thousands. It's how Perrier got started.

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