New York open thread

So I was looking out the window at one point last night and saw a guy walk by, and I exclaimed “Hey, there’s a guy walking by with a cat on his head!” and the person I was talking to, without looking up, said “Yeah, I hate that guy.” And I remembered I was in New York.
I saw “Hair” last night on Broadway. It’s in previews and I think it’s just about 95% there. Really good show. Had the entire audience on their feet clapping and singing at the end, with about a hundred audience members on stage (and I’ve still got those tunes going through my head).
“Hair,” of course, was about the counter-culture in the 60’s and the show’s message of peace, love, and psychedelic drugs was controversial then — much less-so now. It’s time for “Hair” again – not only as an historical piece, but as an opportunity for a new affirmation. I loved seeing the audience — multiple generations, from those who may have seen it when it first opened in 1967, to the 10-year-old kid brought by his mother. There were teenagers with flowers in their hair as well as folks with white hair or no hair. And nobody had any trouble with the nudity or the pot smoking. Of course, while the nudity was real, the pot smoking was fake (stage cigarettes for the cast) and I did have a couple of moments when I realized that this would be an amazing show to watch while high, and I thought about the fact that you can drink a six-pack and go enjoy a sporting event, but you can’t smoke a joint and go watch a musical. Why?
“bullet” There really is a buzz in the air. Legalizers are being kept busy. LEAP’s Howard Wooldridge debates Ron Brooks on Al Jazeera (some audio problems)

“bullet” Drug Czar Appointed, Makes Ridiculous Remark

For too long, we have operated, as the Vice President said, in silence when it comes to making our country drug free and reducing the demand for drugs.

“bullet” Time Magazine: Can Marijuana Help Rescue California’s Economy? Halfway decent article, but Joel W. Hay is a real moron:

Joel W. Hay, professor of Pharmaceutical Economics at USC, also foresees harm if the bill passes. “Marijuana is a drug that clouds people’s judgment. It affects their ability to concentrate and react and it certainly has impacts on third parties,” says Hay, who has written on the societal costs of drug abuse. “It’s one more drug that will add to the toll on society. All we have to do is look at the two legalized drugs, tobacco and alcohol, and look at the carnage that they’ve caused. [Marijuana] is a dangerous drug and it causes bad outcomes for both the people who use it and for the people who are in their way at work or other activities.” He adds: “There are probably some responsible people who can handle marijuana but there are lots of people who can’t, and it has an enormous negative impact on them, their family and loved ones.”

What a load of crap. I guess Joel’s OK with people getting killed in the streets, then, and drug gangs getting rich. He doesn’t mind that as long as we’re able to jail people who get high responsibly.
“bullet” “drcnet”