Friday, December 29, 2006

Drinking without a picnic

This blog was inspired by the crime blotter of the Sunnyvale newspaper in 2005. Amist the clips of "theft" and "disturbing the peace" was a single entry that stated "drinking without a picnic". It seems that a couple of dudes in the local park were fined for consuming alcohol...

...without a picnic.

A couple pieces of white bread sandwhiches and sliced apples would have saved them from a hefty fine. The police wanted to get a couple of guys out of the park. After all, if there had been a serious problem, they could have arrested them for disturbing the peace, drunk in public, or something of the like.

Why did the lack of a couple pieces of bread make a difference?

Like a lot of things in life, small "inside" cultural clues made the difference between an enjoyable afternoon and a several hundred dollar problem. If you know the clues, you are a member of the part of society that does not get arrested, that does not get sent to war, that does not have to worry about where your next meal is coming from. And don't get me wrong, it is not just about knowing the clues, it is also about access to the clues.

With these musings, I welcome you to my blog. I hope you will stay tuned to my political thoughts and everyday occurances.