Apr 11, 2011
I'm smart enough to know that the customer is not always right. After all, I'm a customer. However, the customer is always accommodated. Twice now, in a very short span of time, I've been correctly accommodated by a restaurant that served me bad wine, but in the process there was an intimation that the wine was not "bad", just not preferred by me. This blog post is about ego. My ego. This past weekend, while getting together with friends I'd…
Mar 30, 2011
The term "Hoodwinked" reportedly originates in the 16th century. It meant then the actually covering of a person's head with a hood to prevent them from seeing anything, such as when an executioner would cover the head of a doomed criminal prior to execution. Today's usage of the term "hoodwinked" refers to tricking someone. And this is exactly what is happening in Washington, DC as America's beer wholesalers attempt to convince lawmakers to support one of the most radical proposals…
Mar 18, 2011
What lies and fallacies lie ahead in the effort to prevent America's beer wholesalers from passing HR 1161 and keeping craft beers, wines and a spirits out of consumer hands? This one: "the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution created a state-based system of alcohol regulation that effectively balances local community control, tough consumer protections as well as choice and variety." This particular lie is told by the National Beer Wholesalers Association in their press release applauding the introduction of…
Mar 17, 2011
Now alcohol wholesalers aren't content with working as hard as they can to keep you from the wines you want. They don't just want to slap down free trade. Now they want to slap down Free Speech. The National Beer Wholesalers Association, the middle men behind the Wholesaler Protection Act (HR 1161), have squatted on the following domain names: StopHR1161.orgStopHR1161.comKillHR1161.orgKillHr1161.com Last year after HR 5034 (the predecessor to HR 1161) was introduced, the Specialty Wine Retailers Association decided they would…
Mar 17, 2011
As promised, America's beer and wine wholesalers have again convinced a congressman to introduce what can only be called the "Wholesaler Protection Act". What was hr 5034 last year is now HR 1161. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R) from Utah is the main sponsor. HR 1161 is identical to the second version of last year's bill. If passed, HR 1161 would give states complete protection from legal challenges if they pass laws that: -Discriminate against out-of-state retailers from shipping wine into…