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POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKING…When I was back in college—I think it was the third or fourth of the five I attended before finally accepting that I wasn’t cut out for institutional education—I remember one of the professors in a future sociology class (or some such thing) saying that in the coming years (that have since come and gone) Americans would have so much leisure time they wouldn’t know what to do with it.

I’d like to find him and ask him what happened.

Everyone today is so harried our attention spans are diminishing daily as time speeds up and the demands and distractions pile higher. One of three things is bound to happen: the whole societal mechanism will crash to a grinding halt; our biological, psychological and sociological functions will speedily evolve; or most of us will dissolve and fizzle in the foaming frenzy.

Tequila helps. Find out a little more about the hows, whys and whats Thursday, Aug. 24 at the second installment of the Seminar Series put on by Surf ‘n’ Sand in Carmel. This series takes place on the upstairs patio at Piatti’s, on Junipero in Carmel. For a modest $20 fee, taste a number of great tequilas, like Patron, Corazon, Sauza, Chinaco and more, plus enjoy delicious appetizers, fresh air and the chance to hang with RYAN “HOOP DREAMS” SANCHEZ, JOE “STICKS” PETERSON and FERMIN “THE KING OF JUNIPERO” SANCHEZ and their friends. Call Surf ‘n’ Sand at 624-1805 to get with the program.

FOOD WEB… Digital Dining is a program for restaurants and hospitality businesses that helps with employee check in, inventory, reports and other transactions that occur in the biz. They’ve got hand-held order machines for servers, fingerprint identification terminals like the one Hog’s Breath uses, plus other high-tech stuff. I ran into ART CARLSON a few weeks ago and he was telling me about what he does—sounds interesting to an old restaurant dog like me. For you current ones, give him a call at 408-206-0089 or check out digitaldining.com or e-mail him at acarlson@posspecialists.com.

Another form of digital dining is available at Dinners Ready, the new take-away meal business in the Country Club Shopping Center on Forest and David in Pacific Grove. Dinners Ready is set up so you can log onto the site, dinnersready.com, then choose what menu items you’d like to have from their diverse list of entrées. You then go in, assemble the meals with the help of the staff, then take the meals home to either cook that night or freeze for later. Another option is to have the staff assemble them and you just pick them up. For now, they’re organizing meal-making sessions Wednesdays through Saturdays. Call 645-9100 to set one up.

It’s a fascinating idea for folks who are too busy (see above), too inept in the kitchen or too tired to think about fresh meals. The store is located right next to GEORGE EDWARDS’ Wine Market, and it just so happens that George specializes in matching wines to all types of food. George told me about a gentleman who came in, picked up 25 meals, then told George to pick out all the wines for him, saying, “This is a blast.” Check it out.

Also check out Shane’s Irish Bistro in New Monterey on Lighthouse, adjacent to Nevada Bob’s. It’s a fun, casual, authentic joint with Irish food, the requisite Irish beers and a spot of the Blarney. Andre Vadas, owner of Dishes Bistro, the in-spot for the in-crowd in Marina, says Shane’s is “a fun place to stop anytime, a great refueling station.” And if Andre says it, Andre means it.

SAY WHAT YOU WANT… We were having a discussion the other night about ordering martinis. As a former longtime bartender, I understand their pain when it comes to serving martinis, especially in today’s drinking culture where anything served in the traditional glass is categorized as a martini.

Purists, whatever they are, will argue that a martini is simply gin with a little vermouth. Next comes the option of vodka. You want it up or on the rocks, olive or twist—that’s it. Well, it has gotten a little more complicated these days. To help clear up communications, not to mention get the drink you really want, when ordering anything with the word martini in it, try to be specific.

BY THE WAY… A couple of weeks ago we ran the lovely wedding picture of KERRY AND ALLISON LOUTAS here and regrettably forgot to include the photo credit. I’d like to thank JANICE GISTINELLI for supplying us with that photo…

FORE FUN… Go him ‘em at Pasadera with the AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF WINE & FOOD for the annual AIWF Golf Tournament. There’s a gourmet appetizer luncheon before and a gourmet dinner after, along with auctions, contests, all types of fun. Call 624-0830 or 655-0970 now, you’re running out of time.

Monterey Beer Festival coming Saturday, Sept. 9, montereybeerfestival.com…Aug. 9 at Pier 35 on the Embarcadero, join AIWF members and guests for a tour aboard the Silver Shadow, an innovative, five-star cruise ship. There’s a champagne reception, four-course gourmand lunch with wines, what else do you need? Call SAL GARGONE at 722-6580 or salgargone@aol.com or e-mail msmastrocola@sbcglobal.net…Great happenings at Quail Lodge. Summer Nights at Edgar’s, Five at Five at the Covey. Summer Nights is a Sunday barbeque and Bloody Mary bar from noon to 4pm, Five at Five is five different wines and five different appetizers each for $5. Call Covey at 624-8860 and Edgar’s at 620-8910…according to Zagat guides, tipping nationwide is on the upswing, with a US average of 18.7 percent and Philadelphia in the lead at 19.2 percent. Come on, let’s help get that average up there…cheers.