Hey all, I just returned from a wonderful music festival called Austin City Limits in Austin, TX and I thought I'd share a few thoughts about it. First of all let me just say that I was able to see Howie Day, The Wailers, The Roots, Jack Johnson, Wilco, and Ben Harper from THE FRONT FREAKIN' ROW!!! And I got the pick from The Wailers' lead singer!!!! Hurray for outdoor festivals and their ever appealing lack of designated seating! Nevermind the fact that the heat index was 102 degrees and everyone was sweating and smelling like there was no tomorrow!

I have to give a huge congratulations to the city of Austin and, more importantly, the Austin police force. There were 75,000 people at ACL three days in a row and not a single arrest. While I was there I saw no fights, no obviously drug-addled persons, and only two cases of heat exhaustion. Like I said, with a three day total of over 180,000 people that is no small feat. Granted the fact that we peace-loving hippies made up the majority of the crowd had alot to do with the low-key atmosphere but the laid-back Austin PD helped just as much in their own way - namely leaving everyone the hell alone. Had they decided to arrest every hippie they found smoking a joint there would have been 180,000+ arrests but they came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth it.....and a grand and timely conclusion it was. As a non-smoker I have several minor issues with grass (the wacky kind) including the affect is has on me in which I become quite positive that every law enforcement agency in the nation is right around the corner, but that doesn't take away from the fact that marijuana laws, like most all moral legislation in this country, are horrible antiquated and ineffective. Alcohol related accidents are in the top 10 killers in this nation....try to find a single death attributable solely to marijuana. So, I beg the rest of this country's police forces to stop for a minute and ask themselves......do you really think, had the 180K+ people been drinking (there was alcohol available but few people were drinking because of the heat) there would have been no arrests? I think not! You would have had fights, and DWI's, and all manner of asinine behavior. All I'm saying is this.....follow the APD's example and leave the long-hairs alone, all they want is to eat an organic sandwhich and watch the clouds roll by.....in the words of Ben Harper - "My choice is what i chose to do, and if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you. Your choice is who you chose to be, and if your causin' no harm, then your alright with me!"

I hadn't really intended for this post to turn into a moral soapbox but since its headed that way I will leave you with this, another Ben Harper tune for your consideration. There are no specific religious affiliations I represent here, your God (whomever he may be) and your beliefs are just as valid as mine, provided of course that they are not forced on others at the point of a sword. The need to project one's beliefs on another, coupled with intolerence, is the father of all that is ill in this world.

You say what's mine is mine
And what's yours is mine too
Now you've got more than you can spend
But all of the money
In the whole wide world
Is not gonna help you in the end
Now while there's still time to be saved
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Might be too late for you I'm afraid
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Don't you take it there

I hear helicopters
Over my house every day
Shining their lights and flying low
Treat a child like a criminal
From the day that he is born
And you're gonna reap just what you sow
Now while there's still time to be saved
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Might be too late for you
I'm afraid
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Don't you take it there

So you can move your court case
Way across town
You can move it across the whole wide globe
But it ain't gonna help your court case
Up in the sky
When you go to put on your white robe
Now while there's still time to be saved
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Might be too late for you I'm afraid
They don't want it there
Don't you take it there

And you dare the children
To stay off of drugs
Now I dare you to stop letting them (the drugs people, not the children) in
And how dare you point your finger
At a gang out on the street
While it's you who is committing the sin
Now while there's still time to be saved
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Might be too late for you I'm afraid
Don't take that attitude to your grave
Don't you take it there
They don't want it there
You know your mother taught you better
Don't take that attitude to your grave

Pictures from the festival to be posted soon so stay tuned!