Grant

That's my take exactly nowadays. I am long over the "drink to get drunk" days. I'd much rather have one or two very good beers than a dozen crap ones.Also, many of the really good microbrews here have an alcohol content of 8 - 10%, so one or two is plenty.

Next year we are thinking about staying trackside for the weekend, in a rented RV, starting Thursday night. Next to the stand we were in are a series of RV sites that are right on the side of the track. These are US$800 for the 4 days which covers the site itself and the three days of action on track. We got to the track early on Sunday, and I was rather jealous of the people in their RVs cooking up breakfast on their BBQs and easing their way into the day. Failing that we will most likely go to the race at Long Beach (in LA) or are even contemplating going to the Indy 500 (which could be costly as it is the other side of the country) to get some variety and see more than just the Sonoma race.

Hi All I went to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday. This is held on the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma in Northern California (about an hour away from where I live). Those with Grand Turismo should be familar with the track (although I can't recall, it may still be called Sears Point in the game). It was a very good race. Of course three of the four of us there were supprting Scott Dixon (my father in law was the exception, he wanted Danica Patrick to win - he stopped watching IndyCar when the non-American drivers started to dominate). Scott Dixon started 6th, and worked his way to 2nd with some very good driving, and pushed race winner Will Power right till the end, but Will Power was too strong (as he has been all season on the road courses). Here is a link to my photos from the day. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2751...mp;l=2b4594734d In addition to the race, I loved seeing the Shelby display which had three fully restored immaculate cars, an original GT40, a Shelby Daytona Coupe (one of six ever built, and one of the most successful race cars of its era) and a Shelby Cobra. I also loved the display (and then race) for the old Formula 1 and IndyCar's that ranged frim the 1960's (an old Ferrari F1 car) to the early 1980's.

I don't see the point either I must admit. The world, and even New Zealand now runs 24 hours a day, so therefore there should be amenities to cater for this. When I lived in St Benedicts Street in Auckland, the pub on the corner to Khyber Pass Road and Upper Symonds was open 24 hours a day. It would often be busy at 6am, 7am or 8am when I was going past. Also when our oldest son was a very young baby he would wake up at between 5 and 6, I'd often let my wife get some sleep and take him out for a walk in his stroller. We would always go the length of K Road, and a lot of the bars were still open and there was never any trouble that I saw. Walking K Road at that time of the morning was always good fun. Pushing a baby got a lot of attention from the hookers who used to fuss over Ash and rush up to come and see him in the stroller.

New Zealand Beer = Emerson's Organic Pilsner or Epic (the original - although I have not ried the recent variants they were onlt released since I lived here) US Beer = Pliny the Elder When I was living in New Zealand my mainstream everyday beer was Mac's Hoprocker. My mainstream everyday beer here is either Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Ranger IPA When I was a student I pretty much stuck to Lion Red or Waikato. Then when I started working graduated to Heineken and Stella, and then graduated up the next level of the beer chain to my current preferences. The one thing that annoyed me not long before leaving New Zealand was the fad that the NZ breweries had to bring out a new standard beer, package it up to look fancy, advertise it heavily and then sell it at a crazy premium. There is no way that a very average beer like Steinlager Pure and the like should sell for any more than standard Steinlager. What I also find interesting is that I can buy Steinlager here cheaper than you can in NZ. I do buy it from time to time, as I do quite like it as a change. Last time I bought it I got it for US$4.99 a six pack. Here is my Facebook US Beer appreciation photo album (this link should let anyone view the album): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5687...mp;l=cecb2f69d8

I'm drinking now. I am drinking a New Belgium Hoptober Golden Ale. It is very good! It is 105 degrees here today, so the beer is hitting the spot

Which is why the other substances that they may or may not have been under the influence of are illegal.

You are reading this incorrectly, or looking at it from the wrong angle. No one anywhere has said that drinking is a problem. The issue is drinking responsibly. Drinking respnsibly requires a certain level of maturity, a level that a lot of under 20 year olds don't possess.

Out of interest, what would you say the demographic is for the average RTD buyer compared with say 1) spirit buyer or 2)beer buyer?

I didn't read the article, but I suspect you are confusing heavy drinking with binge drinking. They are two different animals.I don't doubt that most heavy drinkers for over 20, with the majority of them being over 25. I also think that most binge drinkers would fall into the under 25 year old, and a high proportion of these being under 20. I suspect that the logic is that by reducing the binge drinking in the under 20 year olds, the flow on effect will be that there will be less heavy drinkers in the future (as the binge drinkers become heavy drinkers).

I think you have hit the nail on the head.New Zealand and its binge drinking mentality makes it a bigger issue there than most other places.

Too true!

Stop your whinging, the minimum alcohol purchasing age is 21 here and very strictly enforced. I still get ID'ed nearly everytime I buy beer and I am significantly older than 21. I think that the blanket mimimum age of 18 is too young. I quite like the split drinking age that is being proposed, and the reasoning behind it. It makes sense to me and seems to be a fair compromise. I have no issue with people drinking when under the supervision of their parents (or the like). Way back when I was a teenager we would often have a few beers when at functions that were supervised. My experience also shows that there is normally a massive maturity difference between an 18 year old and a 20 year old.

That is the opportunity cost of owning an old cheap car isn't it. I own an old cheap car and have it insured for liability olny. I accept that if I am in an at fault accident, it gets stolen or damaged by vandalism that I have no recourse. It makes huge economic sense for me to only have it insured for liability only.

It happens, thats why we have insurance. I'm picking that it was just a coincidence that it happened at an RSA. I don't think I know of any elderly people who are into vandalism, they seem to have respect for personal property.

I was just thinking that.I'm showing my age here but nearly everyone my age I knew had one of these, or a Toyota Corolla,Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Mirage or Ford Laser as their first car. I had the 1300cc Mitsi Mirage.

Took the words right off of my keyboard

That's the one

Was the Porsche bright yellow?If so, I remember watching that a few years ago. Was amazing.

The Onion

^ Very funny!

Assuming the 335i checks out OK, I would go for that in a heart beat!

It has been over for quite some time.The US Car makers are now back to making huge profits, so it served its purpose

Stigmata? Was owning a boxter a religious experience?

That was a very cool video!