When I was a little kid, I went through a phase where I suffered mild dyslexia. I eventually outgrew the problem, and went on to become the successful super genius that I am today. But every once in a while, I do something that makes me think that my dyslexia is coming back.

For instance, whenever I read a telephone number, I need to be careful to mash the buttons on the phone in the right order. Today, I had to transpose a number into an email, and inadvertently read two of the numbers backwards the first time. I've also noticed a degradation in my typing skills. When I was in college, I could sustain more than 60 words per minute. Now I'm constantly backspacing and retyping words, and can barely type 45-50 wpm.

I used to think that it's just me getting older, or that my motor skills aren't keeping up with my brain functions. But now I find out that I actually have brain damage. That is, according to researchers at Vanderbilt.

Reuters reports that "heavy drinkers" suffer from the same brain damaging effects as alcoholics.

"The enrollment criterion for heavy drinkers was the consumption of more than an average of 100 alcoholic drinks per month for men over 3 years before the study (80 drinks for women)," they wrote in the report, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Now, 100 drinks per month is only about 3 to 4 a day. That may seem like a lot to you non-drinkers, but as a "heavy social drinker" I think it's a bit light. During my drinking glory days, I sometimes drank a quarter of that in a single day. I don't drink nearly as heavy now as I did then, but I'd bet that I still top 100 a month. (Especially since I drink pints now rather than 12 oz. bottles.) But now, I'm supposed to worry about suffering brain damage.

"Our message is: Drink in moderation. Heavy drinking damages your brain ever so slightly, reducing your cognitive functioning in ways that may not be readily noticeable. To be safe, don't overdo it."

Meyerhoff said that for most adults, moderate alcohol use translates to up to two drinks per day for younger men, and one drink per day for women and older people.

I usually preach moderation, but not when moderate is 2 drinks a day? (Only a pint and a half of beer.) My definition of moderation is enjoying something not into excess. As long as I'm not getting drunk every night, missing work, or delinquent on my bills, I don't see the problem. I can stop at any time, and usually about once per year, go an entire month without drinking. (Just to prove I still can.) Besides, I'd rather live fast and die young than lead a long, boring, long, dull, long life.