Friday’s ad is for Colt 45 malt liquor, from 1969. I guess they were playing off the popularity of the space race in 1969, when Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. It’s a pretty weird ad, and I’m not sure about a lot of it. Why, for example, is the man just wearing a conservative black suit? And why is he surrounded by two odd-looking alien women in space suits behind a wall of Colt 45 cans. It certainly is “out of this world,” as the cheesy ad suggests.
Here’s another study you won’t see reported by Alcohol Justice, because it goes against their propagandist mantra. A study conducted at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland essentially found that the moderate consumption of alcohol might lessen chronic pain, especially in people with fibromyalgia, defined as a “a syndrome characterized by fatigue and chronic pain in the muscles and in tissues surrounding the joints.”
Drinks Business summarized the findings:
In a study of over 2,000 sufferers of chronic widespread pain, those who often consumed above average amounts of alcohol had lower levels of disability than those who never or rarely drank.
The research into sufferers of fibromyalgia — a rheumatic condition that causes muscular pain and stiffness — surveyed patient’s eating and drinking habits to determine the effect of diet on their symptoms.
Of the 2,239 people surveyed, those who drank 21 to 35 units of alcohol per week were 67% less likely than to experience disability than those who didn’t drink.
The study itself was published on the July issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research under the title “Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower risk (and severity) of chronic widespread pain: Results from a UK population-based study.”
Aberdeen also put out a pdf with the basics of the study and here’s the Abstract:
Objectives: To determine whether reported level of alcohol consumption is associated with the likelihood of reporting chronic widespread pain (CWP) and, amongst persons with CWP, the associated disability.
Methods: A population-based study in two areas of the United Kingdom. Participants self-completed a postal questionnaire. They were classified according to whether they met the American College of Rheumatology definition of CWP and whether the pain was disabling (Chronic Pain Grade III or IV). They reported their usual level of alcohol consumption. Potential confounding factors on which information was available included age, gender, cigarette smoking, employment status, self-reported weight and height and level of deprivation.
Results: 13,574 persons participated (mean age 55 years; 57% female) of whom 2239 (16.5%) had CWP: 28% reported never regularly consuming alcohol, 28% consuming up to 5 units/wk, 20% 6-10 units/wk and 24% more than 10 units/wk. Amongst persons with CWP, disability was strongly linked to level of alcohol consumption. Prevalence of disability decreased with increasing alcohol consumption up to 35 unit/wk (Odds Ratio (OR)21-35 units alcohol/wk v. never drinkers 0.33 95% CI (0.19,0.58)) adjusted for confounders. A similar relationship was found between reporting CWP and level of alcohol consumption (adjOR21-35 units alcohol/wk v. regular drinkers 0.76 95% CI (0.61-0.94).
Conclusions: This study has demonstrated strong associations between level of alcohol consumption and CWP. However the available evidence does not allow us to conclude that the association is causal. The strength of the associations means that specific studies to examine this potential relationship are warranted.
So while the researchers believe more study is necessary to confirm a causal connection, they do believe there are “strong associations” between moderate drinking and chronic widespread pain, and that those are robust enough to warrant additional study.
Today in 1917, US Patent 1234255 A was issued, an invention of Charles S. Ash, for his “Process of Treating Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to a process of treating beer; and has for its object to stabilize beer by eliminating the causes of cloudiness and turbidity therein, and also to prevent the development of color and the development of a cooked taste in the beer following pasteurization.
In the brewing and finishing of beer, the aim of the brewer is to obtain a product which is brilliantly clear and transparent and which will so remain under all conditions of subsequent handling.
Beer is rendered turbid or cloudy on standing, particularly in the cold, by reason of the precipitation of nitrogenous bodies. In the process of mashing the grains and making the wort, which is subsequently fermented, a portion of the nitrogenous bodies of the grain is brought into solution. After the fermentation and the aging or lagering to which the new beer is subjected some of these nitrogenous bodies are precipitated and are removed by filtration. After the final filtration the beer is brilliant, but upon storage in the case of keg beer, and upon pasteurization and storage in the case of bottled beer, the beer gradually becomes cloudy and finally turbid.
There are two ways in which this cloudiness and turbidity can be prevented; first, by the absolute removal-of the nitrogenous bodies still held in the lagered beer, which are susceptible to subsequent precipitation through storage or heating or cooling; and, second, by treating the lagered beer in such a manner that these, nitrogenous bodies remain in solution. The first method has never been hitherto successfully accomplished. The second method has yielded results of more or less value and is accomplished by adding to the beer substances known as enzymes, which have the power of rendering these insoluble nitrogenous bodies soluble and hence the beer remains brilliant.
Today in 1877, US Patent 193371 A was issued, an invention of Clement Labuethe, for his “Improvement in Pumping Apparatus for Raising Wine, Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
My improved apparatus consists of a special construction and combination of devices, hereinafter described, for transmitting liquids from one cask or vessel to another, and of delivering it for use.
Thursday’s ad is for Brigg beer, a brand from Norway. From the 1970s, with the simple tagline “Vårt Brygg!,” which translates as “Our Brew.” You’ve got to love the trio of serious sweater monkeys. They look like the original reporters from Anchorman that they based the movies on, especially since the dude in the ascot on the right is a dead ringer for Will Ferrell.
Today in 1974, US Patent 3825145 A was issued, an invention of Richard W. Reynolds, for his “Beer Keg.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
A beer keg having plastic top, bottom and side walls that are of integral unitary construction, and a tapper mounting member cast in position in the top wall and a filler plug mounted in the side wall.
Today in 1985, US Patent 4530631 A was issued, an invention of Elton G. Kaminski and Carl F. McEldowney, assigned to The Stolle Corporation, for their “Pull Tab For Easy Open Can End — Method Of Manufacture Thereof.” Here’s the Abstract:
An easy open can end having a retained tear strip extending diametrically partly across the can end defined by a score line, and a graspable pull tab adjacent and outside the open end of the score line. The pull tab is provided with a nose portion to initiate a tear along the score line upon lifting of the pull tab. The edges of the nose portion are curled into a cylindrical cross-sectional shape to provide a high beam strength and to rigidize the nose portion and to prevent failure by bending before the tear strip is opened. A method for manufacture of the pull tab includes forming at least one relief notch in the peripheral edge of the pull tab blank at the nose end thereof, whereby to relieve compressive forces when the edge is curled, and curling the peripheral edge of the nose portion in successive steps to form an edge portion of continuous cylindrical cross-sectional shape.
Today in 1912, US Patent 1033730 A was issued, an invention of William G. Peacock, assigned to the Perfection Bottle Stopper Company, for his “Self-Sealing Bottle-Stopper.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
In bottle or other receptacle stoppers of that kind embracing a hollow elastic bulb that constitutes the sealing portion of the stopper which is arranged to be longitudinal y stretched to thereby reduce its diameter when it is inserted into the bottle neck and to thereafter resume its. normal length and diameter to automatically adjust itself to the bottle neck to seal the bottle.
Among the objects of the invention is to simplify and cheapen bottle stoppers of this character and to arrange the parts thereof to be readily assembled.
A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and efficient combined stopper and bottle cap remover.
Wednesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1954. When you’re dressed up in your white jacket and ascot, playing shuffleboard on the cruise ship, you’ll need a Schlitz to complete the scene. I love the tagline in the inset upper right, which reads. “Your judgment is respected when you order Schlitz.”
Today in 1973, US Patent 3896001 A was issued, an invention of James Barrett, Brian Heys Kirsop, and Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer, assigned to Brewing Patents Ltd., for their “Malting Processes.” Here’s the Abstract:
A process for the production of malt comprises removing a part of the husk of the barley, steeping the barley, treating the barley with aqueous mineral acid and with gibberellic acid, and allowing the barley to germinate. The combination of treatment steps is claimed to improve the rate of germination.
