New Years

I had to do a show for the midget up in San Francisco. It was for PSAV who (I'm trying to say it gently) really don't know how to plan an event.
They insisted sound load in at 8:00am on a thursday morning for a Saturday evening show. At the same time they had staging, lighting and video loading in. DUH! we spent more time sitting around doing nothing because our rig goes up fast. Groundstacked KUDO's with Midas FOH and Mons. Backline and bands weren't even going to show until saturday afternoon.

DUI stupidity

The law's obsession over drunken drivers just really pisses me off. They use statistics of number of alcohol related accidents to fuel public fear and wage their witch hunts. If you study those alcohol related accidents you'll find many really stupid things that they don't mention or tell the public. Of those accidents included are:

1) a moderately tuned individual is in a left turn lane waiting for the light and is rear-ended out-of-the-blue by a sober woman in an SUV while talking on her cell phone. Because the guy was at the legal limit by the law (irregardless if he can still drive okay or not) he is given a DUI and the accident goes on the list of statistics.

2) a guy is broadsided by someone running a red light. Even though he has nothing to do with the cause of the accident he is also cited and the accident is added to the statistics.

3) a person realizing they shouldn't be driving pulls over off the road to wait for sobriety or call for a ride is suddenly slammed into by a driver not paying attention who drifted out of the lane. Of course alcohol is blamed and the statistics increased.

The inflated statistics are then used to inflame the public and force laws that just generate more revenue while adding to our bureaucracy and tormenting individuals with such intense financial penalty it actually places a burden on society itself.

Sounds too stupid to be true? It is, as well as many other incidents of a similar nature. Cell phone users and tired sleepy drivers are impaired possibly more than some "illegal" drunks. I've driven home so dead tired that I'm more out of control of the vehicle than I ever had been while intoxicated, yet there is no thousands of dollars and days of time served for being pulled over tired!

Another example of stupid revenue generating laws that are way too excessive and overstated. Drunk drivers aren't evil like they are portrayed. If it's such a bad thing they need to ban alcohol altogether, it's a legal substance that makes its users feel invincible -why then are we so shocked that there are drunk drivers?