March 18, 2011

"[P]eople who had tasted the bitter drink were more likely to register moral disgust, suggesting that having Cherry Coke in the jury room may be a smart move for good defense lawyers."

David Brooks opines on a study in which people were given "sweet-tasting, bitter-tasting and neutral-tasting drinks and then asked... to rate a variety of moral transgressions."

And Althouse opines that the liberal political nannies who want to ban "sugary" soda in schools and get kids to eat broccoli may live to regret it. All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives.

35 comments:

Henry said...

Plain water and iceberg turns you into a libertarian. At least in my case.

Revenant said...

If sweet makes you liberal and bitter makes you conservative, what makes you libertarian? Sour? Salty?

My guess: savory!

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

Enh. There are non-sugary sodas, though you'd never guess it from the hullaballoo about sodas. (I'm a big fan of Safeway's house brand diet lemon/lime soda, once called "Diet Ditto" and now cloyingly renamed "Refreshe.") And if your broccoli is "bitter," there's something deeply wrong with it.

wv: nisto. Maybe a patent nasal spray?

Sofa King said...

If sweet makes you liberal and bitter makes you conservative, what makes you libertarian? Sour? Salty?

Bacon.

Scott M said...

All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives.

When have negative unintended consequences ever stopped liberal policy in the past?

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Guinness Stout turned me into a conservative who was disgusted with my drinking.

sniklacg said...

And Brussels Sprouts would turn me into an anarchist.

Anonymous said...

Ever seen a liberal drink Cherry Coke, Mandrake?

Carol_Herman said...

First, most people drink beer.

Moral opinions don't really come and go because you're sipping soda.

Did love once come to teenage couples because they shared an ice-cream soda together?

I guess you can get money to do all types of studies. As to being in trouble, and needing a good defense attorney ... I can tell ya there are only a few of them at the court house.

Way back in the mid-1970's I was called for jury duty. Manhattan courtoom. Where I got seated as a juror. Len Arye was the defending counsel. (He's like Roy Black. Or Gerry Spence.) Once you've seen them in the courtroom your respect for talent grows! (It was like watching a performance of Pavarotti at the Met.)

You know, if a lawyer told me (during a free consultation) that they believed in "feeding the jurors" diet sodas. I'd fly out that door so fast, you wouldn't see me as a customer.

Back before computers, there was a rule, that if you wanted to apply for money for a grant, you had to use glossy paper. I guess the "process" hasn't gotten any better!

granmary said...

Granmary opines that David Brooks is a twit and that Ann's opinion should go from her lips to God's ear.

Carol_Herman said...

OT!

It shows up at Drudge:

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ... has issued an injunction against applying the new labor law, signed by Governor Walker, on the issue of "open meetings" rule violation.

I'm going to guess that "circuit court" is the LOWEST court you go into. And, above this sits APPEALS. And, then a State Supreme Court.

Yes, it takes a long time for the courts to act on anything. Because a lower court's decision can be appealed "to a higher authority" not involving God.

You know, I think Judge "Sue-Me" has just inserted a whole new pair of legs onto this story. It's like Betty Grable's legs once being insured for a million dollars.

Ann, please detail what it means to be in "circuit court." How many judges sit on the APPEALS bench? And, how long this would take to make it up to the State's Supreme's. I really don't know.

Sofa King said...

If sweet makes you liberal and bitter makes you conservative, what makes you libertarian? Sour? Salty?


Bacon!

Unknown said...

Hey, Bush 41 didn't banned broccoli and look what happened to him.

"Althouse opines that the liberal political nannies who want to ban "sugary" soda in schools and get kids to eat broccoli may live to regret it. All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives."

It's how the West was won.

Wince said...

Brooks should know, he's imbibed the NYT Kool Aid.

Carol_Herman said...

When vaudeville went to hell.

It wasn't because talent became unwilling to travel to "Podunk." The theaters housing vaudeville closed down because of lack of customers.

History repeats. Only in this go-round it's the people with journalism credentials who can't find work.

As to Trial Lawyers, the good ones are few and far between.

Did you know how large the disparity between the incomes of great trial lawyers, and the journalists who get their gigs from the NY Times?

Let alone what we do with the football, when it gets kicked over here.

vbspurs said...

Ann Althouse wrote:

All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives.

No kidding. But then there is something very stern and forbidding running along the vein of most US politics, don't you think? Disapproval is high in our cultural totem pole, and outrage is not far below.

These are not rolly-polly Catholic traits, or laissez-faire Anglican ones, but good old-fashioned Puritanism. Just people wanting to tell you how to run your life for you, because the alternative is EVIL.

Phil 314 said...

I'm surprised Brooks didn't cite the oft repeated economics research finding that we'd rather not have the other guy do a lot better than us even if it means less for ourselves.

That explains a lot related to our tax policies and the lately never ending discussion of income disparity in America.

Unknown said...

Should have been "Bush 41 banned broccoli".

Last time I use Sherlock as a proofreader.

vbspurs said...

Ann Althouse wrote:

All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives.

No kidding. But then there is something very stern and forbidding running along the vein of most US politics, don't you think? Disapproval is high in our cultural totem pole, and outrage is not far below.

These are not rolly-polly Catholic traits, or laissez-faire Anglican ones, but good old-fashioned Puritanism. Just people wanting to tell you how to run your life for you, because the alternative is EVIL.


I would submit, mum, no one is more Puritanical than the Lefties and the PC crowd.

vbspurs said...

Well, Edutcher, that's because puritanism's latest incarnation in the American cultural scene is political correctness. But let's not kid ourselves. We conservatives are the reason US networks don't show soft-core porn at noon, like they do in Europe. :P

former law student said...

Sugary soda in school?

We had plain white milk to drink,and we liked it!

Colin said...

I'll just be sticking to my distilled water. Or Rain water. Or pure-grain alcohol.

Unknown said...

bspurs said...

Well, Edutcher, that's because puritanism's latest incarnation in the American cultural scene is political correctness. But let's not kid ourselves. We conservatives are the reason US networks don't show soft-core porn at noon, like they do in Europe. :P

I must bow to your superior logic, mum.

vbspurs said...

Aww. :)

wv: nonsiss (What radical politics are)

The Crack Emcee said...

It's also worth noting that, as every complains about obesity, life expectancy has risen both here and overseas. Also they've found that why fat people will die from specific illnesses, skinny people die in greater numbers - from everything.

Saying "no" to the cultish dietary bullying is The Macho Response.

paul a'barge said...

Wow.

Am I the only one who has noticed the marked change in Althouse's political positions? She is really getting more and more Conservative.

Of course I salute her for this. But you know the old saw about a Conservative being a Liberal who has been mugged?

Not that Althouse ever was a Liberal, but apparently once you get physically threatened by crazy, toxic, neo-violent Liberals you get ... well, more Conservative.

Right on, Althouse. Hit back. Hard.

BJM said...

@Rev

You're not quite there...it's umami.

"Umami has a mild but lasting after taste difficult to describe. It induces salivation and a furriness sensation on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth. By itself, umami is not palatable, but it makes a great variety of foods pleasant especially in the presence of a matching aroma."

ricpic said...

A touch of lemon juice counters the sweetness of cherry coke just enough to make it a satisfying drink.

Scott M said...

Maybe, but so does 80 proof rum.

ricpic said...

Am I the only one who has noticed the marked change in Althouse's political positions?

It's called The Meade Affect, paul.

Phil 314 said...

Colin;
I'll just be sticking to my distilled water. Or Rain water. Or pure-grain alcohol.

Ahhh, the slippery slope.

And don't get me started on flouridated water!

ricpic said...

Maybe, but so does 80 proof rum.

Why not both? ;^)

BJM said...

@ricpic

A touch of lemon juice counters the sweetness of cherry coke just enough to make it a satisfying drink.

Yes, and lots of crushed ice...it must be very cold or the sweetness is too cloying...same with RC...we used to partially freeze the long neck bottles.

Carol_Herman said...

So when a person says they take something they hear with a "grain of salt," ... it's a way to make bullshit taste better?

Ya know, I can just see sweeping changes heading into jury rooms, across this country. (Not).

Heck, today's jurors get shut off from their laptops and cell phones. So, I doubt that a diet soda would be such a pressure on their moral sensitivities, all that much, either.

Do lawyers talk about this among themselves? Isn't that what jury consultants are for?

Big Mike said...

All that plain water and bitter greens could turn the next generation into social conservatives.

In that case I withdraw my objection.

Emil Blatz said...

Splenda (tm) flavored Diet Coke (tm).