General Music Chat

you ever feel shunned for not getting into a band because of your age, or turned down for a job for the same reason?

you ever feel like your position in the band as a guitarist is always up for grabs, simply because guitarists are "a dime a dozen"?

You ever feel like a venue treats you like sh*t, bartender ignores you, etc.. just because you are "with the band"?

I've certainly felt ALL of those things. I've been told I'm too old to be in a band, I've been told I'm easy to replace because of so many other guitarists, and I've stood at the edge of the bar for 20+ minutes (aka ENTIRE breaks) while the bartender ignores me and takes care of anyone else regardless of how long I've been waiting, and just to get a bottle of F!n water. It's called discrimination.

The reason or specifics of the case are pointless- it's all about intention, assumption, and stereotypes.

Imagine those things OUTSIDE of the musical realm, at jobs, clubs, on the streets, and even when you are legally driving your car down the street...

I'd be pissed as all hell if sh*t like that happened to me all day, every day, everywhere I went just because of the color of my skin.

Score +1 for Kramer

As far as I'm concerned, the sheriff should be spending some time alongside the other criminals, cuz he's breaking the law of the land, even worse, he's doing it with the power of a badge behind him, & his victims have no recourse.

While I can understand ppl being up in arms over the illegals issue, it gives no lawman the excuse to break the law in order to "enforce the law." It makes no sense to me. A person with a badge used to be under MORE scrutiny than the average citizen, but now, anything one does seems to be okay, as long as the job gets done, eh?

Ppl talk about how sports personalities are "role models." Howzabout those uniformed ppl who are there to protect us? Should they not be under far more scrutiny than a mere baseball player? Or should we all emulate their fine examples of citizenship & lawlessness in our zeal to have a better society?

I ain't buying into his hype. He loves those cameras, doesn't he? He loves to flaunt how "tough" he is on crime, even as he breaks the law, himself. What a crock!

The only thing that road blocks are good for, is catching ppl who are acting normally, & fitting into society's rules & norms, at least on the surface, while they may have a left-handed cig in their pocket. Of course, when all of these ppl get arrested, the crime statistics go up, & we can order more cops, more surveilance equipment, & we can catch even MORE ppl who are contributing members of our society & turn them into criminals, if only by the definition of law.

The actual drunk driver, the guy who weaves all over the road & bumps into stuff, is far more likely to be "caught" i.e., reported to the police for pickup, by a regular Joe with a cell phone. The road blocks catch all sorts of ppl doing all sorts of disgusting things, but I'd bet there are no more actual drunk drivers being caught than there were before.

I say actual in italics, because, well, many ppl who are arrested these days aren't really all that encumbered by drink. They keep lowering the allowable amount of alcohol & you won't be able to gargle in the morning with your favorite mouthwash.

I was arrested awhile back, because they didn't have a breathalyzer in the cop car. When we got to the station, & I blew a .046, it became obvious to all that I was stone-cold sober. At that time, the allowable amount was .10, but they've dropped it to .08 since then. In some cases, I've heard rumors that if one has ANY alcolhol showing on the infernal machine, it can be construed to mean that you are impaired in a court of law, particularly if you decide to represent yourself. They know that they hold all the cards, & can do pretty much as they want to with anyone, anymore, & the frightened rabbit-like public follows along & says "yes - ANYTHING to keep us all safe! If only ONE life is saved, it's worth it all!"

BULLSPIT!

In my case, btw, since I was representing myself, the judge & the prosecuter forced me to accept a reckless driving charge, instead of a more reasonable one, to help the arresting officer keep yet another big frikken notch in his belt. This resulted in 6 points on my license, & a $330 fine. It would still have cost more for a decent lawyer, though everything would have been either tossed or reduced to a single point misdemeanor if I had had the bucks.

The cop, btw, went through my guitar case AND my bass case, looking for drugs. He also searched my car. I did not give him any reason to think there were drugs in or on my person. As far as I'm concerned, my rights were violated, since he did not ask my permission to go through my things.

But that's okay, right? As long as ONE LIFE CAN BE SAVED, we'll continue to conveniently forget that our rights exist, & allow ppl to do whatever the hell they want with us, our time, & our property.

PPPFFFTTT!

wow philby... that is some real bullcrap. those bastards. we have a law that .08 is illegal which means .07999999999 is legal. IOW you did nothing wrong and they still stick you with something? that's just terrible.

I did touch the center line on a curvy-assed road, so technically I was in the wrong, as they tail-gated me for 4 miles that night. Still, "justice," in my case, was not served in any way, as far as I can tell. They got their pound of flesh, & that's really all they frikken care about, ya know. We're all just numbers to the lawmakers & law-protectors & lawyers & judges. Just something to tap for more funds & better funding, & to further their own careers. "Justice" has very little meaning in our courts. It comes down to who can afford the best representation, NOT what's right or wrong. Of course, if I'd have said that in court, my observations, true or not, would have landed me in jail for disrespecting their honorable presense, for showing the contempt that I truly feel for the entire system.

Nah...they can't handle the truth!

I didn't mean to piss ya'll off with my bleeding heart comment. I just don't beleive jails and prisons are full of innocent people. They are there for a reason as Sans said don't do the crime if you can't do the time and IMO the time should not be pleasant. Example my oldest son was out partying with his buds while driving one of them home after consuming to much alcohol he made a turn to wide a cop was watching and pulled him over. This resulted in a DUI. While in jail he told me about how hard the Texas Sherriff guards make it on them there. Once he got out (30 days later) with the stuff he saw in there he said he is never going back. It was not pleasant and that is the deterrent. Now he doesn't drink and drive. In society there are consequences for your actions and there is a reason for that, it maintains civility.
I don't beleive cops should have check points and inconveinence the public to have DUI check points. IMO with todays technology (cell phones) if someone is driving under the influence a cop should see the signs just like they did with my son and the public should call a cop when we see a drunk swerving all over the road. On the other hand you could be a diabetic and have a condition that us diabetics get when by watching our blood sugar to much we can go the other way and become hypo-glysemic (low blood sugar) this can make you light headed and appear to be intoxicated. If I were to be pulled over because of something like that I probably shouldn't be behind the wheel and would not have a problem with being pulled over for that reason. I carry a card the doctor gave me in my wallet explaining that I am a diabetic in case anything like this ever happens.

I didn't mean to piss ya'll off with my bleeding heart comment. I just don't beleive jails and prisons are full of innocent people. They are there for a reason as Sans said don't do the crime if you can't do the time and IMO the time should not be pleasant. Example my oldest son was out partying with his buds while driving one of them home after consuming to much alcohol he made a turn to wide a cop was watching and pulled him over. This resulted in a DUI. While in jail he told me about how hard the Texas Sherriff guards make it on them there. Once he got out (30 days later) with the stuff he saw in there he said he is never going back. It was not pleasant and that is the deterrent. Now he doesn't drink and drive. In society there are consequences for your actions and there is a reason for that, it maintains civility.
I don't beleive cops should have check points and inconveinence the public to have DUI check points. IMO with todays technology (cell phones) if someone is driving under the influence a cop should see the signs just like they did with my son and the public should call a cop when we see a drunk swerving all over the road. On the other hand you could be a diabetic and have a condition that us diabetics get when by watching our blood sugar to much we can go the other way and become hypo-glysemic (low blood sugar) this can make you light headed and appear to be intoxicated. If I were to be pulled over because of something like that I probably shouldn't be behind the wheel and would not have a problem with being pulled over for that reason. I carry a card the doctor gave me in my wallet explaining that I am a diabetic in case anything like this ever happens.

I, for one, forgive the comment about bleeding heart... it just sounded like you were writing off my/our arguments based on a generalization that we were liberals. I am pretty liberal... and am not exactly ashamed of that... but I don't like folks using that fact to devalue my perfectly valid position on things.

anywho, I agree that prison shouldn't be fun. But we all agreed years ago that we need to stop short of torture. I find it hard to believe that anyone finds prison fun now.

seeing 'locked up' is enough to keep me from wanting to go there! With the violence and male on male rape...

I believe the reason you see repeat offenders is not because prison is too nice, but rather we've given up on all attempts to 'reform' inmates/give them some sort of job skill.



more importantly to me... the issue of immigration and again: how come I see raids every week and hundreds going to jail but never one biz shut down? how come the cops can immediately verify if someone is illegal but it's "impossible" for employers to do it??????? Forgive me but I'm gonna keep asking this question till I get an answer.

The problem with reforming an inmate sometimes is they don't want to be reformed. They are frustraighted with society for putting them there in the first place and when they get out they are going to make society PAY! and then they become repeat offenders and the cycle just keeps repeating itself. I came from a very poor family and upbringing and I know the frustraitions from being poor. I was an angry young man and pissed off at society when I was young but thank god for my children. As a young man I had to get with the program and work to support my family to get ahead in life. If you try to give these people a trade and they don't want to recieve that knowledge their is nothing you can do for them, they are a lost cause. On the other hand I guess that should not keep us from trying.

I don't want to ever make anyone feel that their opinions are invalid. I have the utmost respect for everyone (well almost) on this site and have always been very impressed by the intellect and experience of all you guy's and gals on here. Even when I don't agree with your opinions. Healthy debate can be fun and stimulating. One thing my Pops told me when I was younger, Son never discuss politics or religon unless you want to debate and argue.

well said haley.

I'm sure your comments are true for many of the inmates... but not all. When we talk percentage of repeat offenders I'm certain that some attempts to rehabilitate would drastically change that percentage... but this is not an argument I care to develop because it really strays from my original focus.

Okay back on topic then. How else are they suppossed to find the illegal alien criminals? Wait for them to turn themselfs in?
The one thing that is really frustrating the citizens in this country is the fact that our socalled representatives are really representing big buisiness. What a crock we vote the politicians into office and the politicians take care of big buisiness and they all rob us blind. The Feds won't enforce the immigration laws in this country because it benefits the untouchables (big buisiness) and the illegals know this and they are just playing us stupid gringo's against one another by playing the race card. It is my opinion that they really love to play the race card and are the masters of doing so. I mean are white people from south of the border that are causing the immigration problem if so how many? As soon as someone starts checking their immigration status they pull out the race card YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWNNNNN!!!

You ever notice how you never hear anything on hear from, dare I say the name! YES I DO DARE! Stringdancer untill this topic comes up!!!!

Can anyone say Race Card YYYAAAWWWWWNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem with reforming an inmate sometimes is they don't want to be reformed.

This goes to the core of all human behavior. The only person that can change you, is you.

Reforming a person who engaged in illegal activities and disobeys societies laws is no different than trying to reform a smoker, or an alcoholic, or an overweight person. You can try all you like to exert external pressure on them and force them to change, but in the end it will be a failed effort. The only person who can change them is them. They have to want to change.

The problem with our prison system is that we either (a) don't do anything and just make them "pay their dues" or (b) we grasp at this false idea of "reforming" them. Both approaches are doomed to failure.

To get someone to change their behavior requires a lot of help; you have to be able to get them to do some self-analysis and give some deep thought to the reasons they engage in the behavior they do; and then you have to guide them to the point where they accept responsibility for their behavior; and then you have to hope that through that process they decide for themselves that they really want to change; and then you have to put in place a system that actually makes it easier for them to go about making those changes. Just throwing someone back to the street with the clothes they came in on and enough money for a cab fair is not a solution...

Prison is an ideal place to do this sort of thing - to get people to perform self analysis and to create the desire to change and then to put in place mechanisms to help them change. But we don't use our prisons that way. We just feed them food and Oprah.

Okay back on topic then. How else are they suppossed to find the illegal alien criminals? Wait for them to turn themselfs in?
The one thing that is really frustrating the citizens in this country is the fact that our socalled representatives are really representing big buisiness. What a crock we vote the politicians into office and the politicians take care of big buisiness and they all rob us blind. The Feds won't enforce the immigration laws in this country because it benefits the untouchables (big buisiness) and the illegals know this and they are just playing us stupid gringo's against one another by playing the race card. It is my opinion that they really love to play the race card and are the masters of doing so. I mean are white people from south of the border that are causing the immigration problem if so how many? As soon as someone starts checking their immigration status they pull out the race card YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWNNNNN!!!

You ever notice how you never hear anything on hear from, dare I say the name! YES I DO DARE! Stringdancer untill this topic comes up!!!!

Can anyone say Race Card YYYAAAWWWWWNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

hey haley... why don't we search for criminals by doing raids on poor poeple? that's just as fair right? cause we all know poor people are more likely to commit crimes. what r we supposed to wait for those poor ppul to turn themselves in? you wouldn't have a problem with that right?
smell what I'm stepping in?

it funny how you talk about big biz and in the sm sentence turn around and say it's the immigrants taking advantage of you stupid gringos... why isn't it big biz taking advantage of both of us?

I'm not saying your a racist, but that comment speaks volumes about your disposition. It's easy to sit and demonize these folks and look past the big biz and u r a prime example of them successfully getting you to put your focus off big biz and on to the faceless masses of immigrants.

Mr. Mike, The difference between poor people that are citizens of these United States and illegal lawbreaking gimmegrents is the poor citizens did not break the law to come into this country illegally and steal the job that the poor citizen needs to put food on his table and feed his family. They were born here and have the right to be here be they brown, yellow, black, white, or red. IMO if you were not born here and you broke the law to come here you have no right to be here and should be deported untill such time as you decide to come here legally and become a productive law abiding citizen. I thought I made it pretty clear that I beleive that big buisiness is taking advantage of both peoples. That is what I said isn't it. But that does in no way dismiss the fact that the illegals are using the race card to get the U.S. to not be able to check their immigration status. I hope this word does not offend you but you liberals are the ones that are going to give this country away. So its hip to hate whitey, hell even the liberal crackers hate whitey right?
Please don't be offended that I called you a liberal you said it yourself earlier that you are a liberal. While there is nothing wrong with that I WILL NEVER agree with you!
I am not ashamed of being of native American/caucasion desent and I am proud of who I am and where I came from and I am sick to death of my fellow liberal Americans calling me a rascist because I expect people to abide by and respect the laws of this great nation. If we make exceptions for the illegal gimmegrents where do you draw the line. My Step mom who immigrated here from Columbia in the 60's with 4 kids and she did it the legal way would turn over in her grave if she saw the state of immigration in this country today.

Mr. Mike, The difference between poor people that are citizens of these United States and illegal lawbreaking gimmegrents is the poor citizens did not break the law to come into this country illegally and steal the job that the poor citizen needs to put food on his table and feed his family.

what about the immigrants here legally who get picked up just cause they are brown? that was my point haley. we are treating the LEGAL american citizens like they are illegal before we have any idea that they have broken the law. so in short... stopping folks just cause they are brown is just as bad as stopping folks just cause they look poor - see?

you just assuming all mexican are illegal is the same as me assuming all poor people have committed a crime, see?

the legal immigrants and non-immigrants who happen to be of latino heritage are every bit as american as these 'poor people'.

I hope this word does not offend you but you liberals are the ones that are going to give this country away. So its hip to hate whitey, hell even the liberal crackers hate whitey right?

I hope this doesn't offend you: you uneducated folks are going to give away our civil rights and soon the police will be equiv power of the gestapo. Now I say uneducated because by itself it isn't a negative term. You have mentioned that you haven't been to college and most who have tend to lean more liberal. Please don't take offense to that.

Mr. Mike I love how you assume that I am not edumacated I work with Dr. with PHD all day long. That Means you are right in your mind right, because you are educated and you assume we are not makes you better huh! I heard that sh!t all my life from my dear ole pops 12 years of college from the university I now work at LOL! so it doesn't bother me. You ever here the term nutty proffesor, there is some truth to that cause I work with them all day long. I think that you liberals are the ones taking our rights away. Anyway just because we don't agree politically doesn't mean we have to be enemies. I think your music and pedals are pretty cool especially the Mesa Boogie one. I would consider even purchasing one of those from you but you would prolly sell me the one with toe jam on it right! just kidding.