Public Demand

 

I remember the days when there was a public demand to charge heavy smokers for their lung treatments. Nowadays , there's a demand / suggestion to charge non-vaccinated people for treatments, or even better , not treat them at all. (The virus,  will luckily disappear somehow, but it will not be  due to vaccines and vaccination).

Anyway, I would like to add a few more categories to the above list of those who should be charged :

Parents that send  their kids out without a mask. Kids are considered big virus spreaders; most of them are symptomless.

Large families.  Schools, hospitals and other public facilities are practically blocked by large families;  there is constant shortage of beds, school rooms, staff. These families are paid generous allowances which help them stay ...large ( have lots of kids). 

Maybe the pandemic will bring about  a change in demographics, as hospitals and schools are collapsing; teachers and doctors are on the run (at least in my neck of the woods).

People that practice bad nutrition habits: eat out often, cook and bake with unhealthy ingredients, and then....go for  "doctor's appointment".  Nutrition  is crucial to one's health.To ignore this is to fall 'heavy' on the medical care system and on the public budget.

Dog owners should be charged for their dog's loud, intensive barking which could cause an aged passerby to have a heart attack. It's  not theory. I once witnessed such an unfortunate happening. 

Musicians that practice in an apartment of a complex, should be charged with a tiny fee by the neighbors who have to put up with something that interferes with their daily life. I've had a pianist as neighbor, and I know all about it. I myself didn't mind the music, but the others felt very relieved when she moved out.

 

Red Wine

 

The High Holidays are approaching, and wine is an essential element on every family's festive table.

I'm used to drink with my meals (not only on holidays) , red wine, which is actually 100% red grapes juice, with no addition of water, sugar, coloring.  It's produced by Carmel winery, the largest brand in the Israeli wine market, and it's called Tirosh Carmel. 

I like to mix it in my glass with some sparkling soda water  (mixture known as 'spritz'), and it's almost like drinking champagne. Tirosh Carmel is very popular as it is considered a 'family wine', suitable even for children.

 Tirosh red  wine

I've often asked myself why is it marketed in a glass bottle and sold at the supermarket in the wine department?  After all, it's different from the other bottles  on the shelf, which have alcohol, and perhaps other additives.  Even in the Wikipedia, it says "wine is an alcoholic drink, typically made from fermented grapes".

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                               wines and beers at the supermarket

Well, alcohol is just one factor regarding wine. There are other important factors such as : variety and quality of grapes, fermentation reactions, the whole wine production process, of which I know very little.

Anyway, red wine is said to decrease risk of cardio-vascular disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. That sounds great!  It's due ,however, to the polyphenols (anti- oxidants) in the red grapes, not due to the alcohol.  Alcohol might block them from working effectively.