My Parents Won't Go to Busch Gardens

Most of my general alcohol annoyance stems from the fact that it remains an accepted recreational drug while so many others (that quite frankly are better, less damaging, whatever) are so vilified.

If I can't smoke next to you or get high in general, then I'm not so sure I want you drinking around me or getting drunk in general. ;)

Seriously, I'm all for people doing whatever the hell they want, but I hate that certain vices are ok, while others aren't. Why can't we enjoy it all in moderation?

(so yeah, personal agenda :) )

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eightdotthree said:
Its exactly like Sea World actually, except Sea World has a beer tasting tent where you can taste a lot of their beers where Busch Gardens does not.

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I believe both Busch Gardens parks have a Hospitality House where you can sample Anheuser Busch brews.

-Nate

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Spinout said:

It doesn't bother me whether I support the beer company or not. Isn't it so funny how beer is so great, but smoking is evil? You say it's because smoking get you lung cancer, but with beer, people get into tons of accidents, and deaths occur probably everyday. They are both addicting to people that have them.

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I see your point but the difference is that according to a number of these so-called health experts alcohol in moderation is good for you like drinking wine is supposed to be good for the heart or something, of course that doesn't make things better for the thousands of people who have been the victims of drunk driving or had family members whose lives were destroyed by alcohol.

Smoking, well any tobacco use, nothing good comes out of it other than the money factor. That was one argument that took place in the 60s with TV cigarette ads as to why such ads should be banned but not beer /wine ads. I still remember those cigarette ads. Virginia Slims had an ad I remember where women were seen changing their clothes while puffing away to the sounds of "..you come a long way baby". To me that is no different than some beer ad where the women are doing the same only they are drinking Coors. But many people think otherwise.

Under pressure, the goverment passed a law banning cigarettes from advertising on TV & raduo. At first some cities like Baltimore, Denver, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and I think even Pittsburgh, their local television and radio stations banned such ads beginning in 1968 then in 1971 the TV cigarette ad ban went nationwide. Cigars were banned from TV & radio in 1980 and products like Skoal, in 1986.

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coasterdude318 said:
I believe both Busch Gardens parks have a Hospitality House where you can sample Anheuser Busch brews.

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BGE does not, they have a beer "school" where they teach you why they are so awesome. You have to sign up for it.

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Lord Gonchar said:
If I can't smoke next to you or get high in general, then I'm not so sure I want you drinking around me or getting drunk in general.

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The difference to me is, your smoking next to me damages my lungs and ruins the flavor of my food. Me drinking next to you does nothing to you but annoy you (if I have one too many). :)

I can respect people who vote with their wallet on any issue. I also realize (as one who tries to vote with his wallet as much as possible) that it's very difficult to be totally informed about every company's practices and where your dollar will eventually end up.

I also know that it's very tempting every now and then to sacrifice moral standing for convenience and lower price.

So my conclusion: It's impossible to always do "the right thing" with money, but it's better to try and fail than to not try.

Sacrifice moral standing? Is that why people shop at Wal-Mart?

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eightdotthree said:
The difference to me is, your smoking next to me damages my lungs and ruins the flavor of my food. Me drinking next to you does nothing to you but annoy you (if I have one too many). ;)

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And the stress of that annoyance is leading me to an even earlier heart attack than if I just smoked. ;)

Seriously though, I think we've gotten too smart for our own good. Every last choice has to be overanalyzed and quantified and regulated.

How much has to be banned before it gets silly and we all have to live the same way doing only things that are deemed safe for us?

What I'm against is picking and choosing what is ok to do and what isn't. How about all the options are available and we make our own decisions - natural selection still works. :)

Until then, I see a lot of hypocrisy in what society accepts and doesn't. Like I said - that's my agenda.

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Jeff said:
Sacrifice moral standing? Is that why people shop at Wal-Mart?

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See, Wal-Mart is a whole different beast to hate.

I blame Wal-Mart (or the Wal-Marting of America) for the way everyone seems to expect everything for nothing.

Everytime someone complains that an amusement park costs too much, I'm pretty sure it's an indirect result of the Wal-Marting of this country.

We're willing to accept 'good enough' if the price is right and once you get used to the price being right - any price that is more than the lowest is bad...even if the value is technically greater.

(my soapbox hasn't gotten this much use in quite a while :) )

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eightdotthree said:
[
BGE does not, they have a beer "school" where they teach you why they are so awesome. You have to sign up for it.

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Interesting. BGA has the Beer School, but they also have a Hospitality House where you can get a beer without the lecture.

-Nate

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Lord Gonchar said:
Everytime someone complains that an amusement park costs too much, I'm pretty sure it's an indirect result of the Wal-Marting of this country.

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Or how much gas costs, its still cheaper than most everywhere else in the world.

They tried to ban smoking in restaurants in Pittsburgh, but its been delayed a number of times. The awesome thing is a lot of restaurants/bars said screw it, we are going non-smoking without the law. I go to those places.

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ApolloAndy said:
I can respect people who vote with their wallet on any issue. I also realize (as one who tries to vote with his wallet as much as possible) that it's very difficult to be totally informed about every company's practices and where your dollar will eventually end up.

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That is one reason why some many of these boycotts end up not working. People don't look at the whole picture. Like those who boycott Disney but still watch ESPN, they are still supporting Disney.

A few years back in Virginia I remember reading one of those letters to the editor that appeared in a local newspaper. She wrote that she is launching a boycott of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana because of that city's stance on the issue of gay rights like allowing businesses to offer benefits to same-sex couples and the fact that Indy is one of the few American cities that still allow gay bath houses. She begged people not to support the Colts and Pacers teams, not to watch One Day At A Time on TV ( that was funny !!! ) and to boycott all sponsors of the Indy 500. The woman even had a website about this. Its gone now of course so I guess not too many people in Virginia or elsewhere were interested in boycotting Indianapolis.

But remembering her website, in her mind all one had to do was just not follow Indy sports and watch a sitcom that didn't even film there in the first place and Indianapolis would get the message. Ok.... Should one boycott all of the retail chains and restaurants that do business in Indy? Boycott the airlines that fly there? Should the state of Indiana be boycotted as well because Indy afterall is their state capital?

Well even though there is a good 500 mile distance between Indianapolis and Virginia, be kinda hard to do such a boycott ( Indy is a big city and chances are the chains in your town do business in Indy as well ) much less get others to take it seriously. *** Edited 5/13/2008 6:36:44 PM UTC by Chriscub***

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eightdotthree said:
They tried to ban smoking in restaurants in Pittsburgh, but its been delayed a number of times. The awesome thing is a lot of restaurants/bars said screw it, we are going non-smoking without the law. I go to those places.

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Isn't it nice that the business is allowed to make a choice? To decide what makes the most sense for them.

Too bad the ones that would prefer to keep smoking won't have that same choice once a law is passed banning it - no matter how much the owners or what majority of the patrons prefer it.

Yeah, that annoys me. Even though I detest smoking environments, and bars are more fun without the smoke, it still annoys me that the voters of Ohio wrote it into their freakin' constitution. Could be worse, I guess, like in Florida where they wrote a super train into the constitution.

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Lord Gonchar said:

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eightdotthree said:
They tried to ban smoking in restaurants in Pittsburgh, but its been delayed a number of times. The awesome thing is a lot of restaurants/bars said screw it, we are going non-smoking without the law. I go to those places.

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Isn't it nice that the business is allowed to make a choice? To decide what makes the most sense for them.

Too bad the ones that would prefer to keep smoking won't have that same choice once a law is passed banning it - no matter how much the owners or what majority of the patrons prefer it.

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Exactly. Nobody ever forced anyone to patronize a place that allowed smoking. I'm sure if enough customers complained or started taking their business elsewhere, the business would change their policy. That probably is what happened in a lot of places.

Why don't we just create a society like in the movie Demolition Man? :)

Problem solved.

You mean one in which Ahnold is prez? Please god no!

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coasterdude318 said:
I believe both Busch Gardens parks have a Hospitality House where you can sample Anheuser Busch brews.

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Speaking of better quality for a little more money... I'd rather pay 7 bucks for a Sam Adams than get a Busch brewed beer for free.

Just sayin'.

Heh heh. Gonch doesn't know how to use the three seashells!

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Spinout said:

It doesn't bother me whether I support the beer company or not. Isn't it so funny how beer is so great, but smoking is evil? You say it's because smoking get you lung cancer, but with beer, people get into tons of accidents, and deaths occur probably everyday. They are both addicting to people that have them.

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It's a good thing Marlboro doesn't have an amusement park! Oh the horror!

Whenever I go into Busch Gardens the LAST thing I think about is the beer. When I think "Busch Gardens" I think "Apollo's Chariot" and "Griffon" and I think any alcoholic or recovering alcoholic would agree.

Trust me. I know. :)

I still have my "Beer School" Diploma somewhere. ;)

-Tina

*** Edited 5/14/2008 1:48:17 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

kpjb, I'll have your Sam & raise you a Yeungling becuase we still can't get the wonderful nector in New Hampshire!!!

Back to the point, I suppose that there are people who won't watch NASCAR becuase there are cars sponsord bu Bud, Crown Toyal, & Jack Danial's