I am definitely feeling this – a decreased tolerance to alcohol – the last couple of years. More so the last six months. My recovery time from any drinking is longer – noticeably longer. Not good news for a guy with an extensive wine cellar. There are very few upsides to getting older.

***

In reading this article I also noticed something new in editing, something I’m not so happy about. The gender fluidity movement has many repercussions for those of us writing and editing, and here’s a new one.

Some people—including those who are elderly—may get wobbly after one alcoholic beverage, while others need a few drinks to feel any impact. “Body size and composition are significant factors in alcohol detoxification and tolerance regardless of age,” says Dr. Schwartz. “Many [people who identify as] men tend to have larger bodies, which indicates more area to distribute alcohol in lowering the overall alcohol content. They also tend to have more muscle, which in turn leads to a higher water content, helping to dilute and diminish the effect of alcohol on the body. Also, some [people who identify as] women have less alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, leaving more alcohol in the bloodstream for longer periods of time.” This is why the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend keeping drinking habits to a minimum, which they define as no more than two drinks per day for men and one per day for women.

It’s that [people who identify as] phrase that caught my attention. Must we always now put that in as a disclaimer for the things we write? I think not – if someone identifies as a gender different than that defined by their chromosomes, that’s their business, not mine. They can do the translation for themselves when they read the material.

***

Doing research for the potential Africa trip is daunting – there are a lot of possibilities, at a lot of different price points. It occurs to me that this isn’t like my usual Europe or even Central America trip. In those trips I feel completely OK doing the detailed itinerary myself, and if I make a mistake on connections, cost or quality, I can deal with it. But with Africa, I have zero experience, it’s a huge continent with major variations by region and country, and some areas just aren’t stable or safe. It’s that safety thing that has gotten my attention – for a couple of weeks we’re putting our complete safety and trust in whoever we hire to escort us around the continent. Physical safety, food, trust in subcontractors…I’m leaning toward paying more to be sure we have a 100% reputable tour operator.

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In updates on this week’s Speaker of the House election debacle, Kevin McCarthy continues to give concessions to his opponents without getting anything in return. That’s some seriously bad negotiating, but we already knew he is a moron.