furiously angry and sad

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/316879

The comments are even worse. I can't believe that people can argue against tougher punishment or more treatment for drunk drivers claiming that it's political and limiting their rights.

Driving is not a right. It's a privilege that should be taken away if you drink and drive. I tend to agree with the comments that say that we should be putting breath analyzers or some other measuring instrument in EVERY SINGLE motorized vehicle to lock the ignition if you're about to drive drunk. I know these are easily defeated, and that's a problem.

Your car should be seized for a repeat offense, and it's too bad if you lose your job because you can't drive to work. Fines should be much higher. Hundreds of dollars? You have to be kidding. Fine these first time offenders thousands of dollars and maybe it will discourage them.

The problem is that people will still drive without a license and without a car. If they can't pay the fines then they'll owe money and they'll probably never think about it again.

The man in this story is a 10x repeat offender who says he WILL do it again, and rationalizes this because he grew up drinking and running his car into trees. If the fact that this man will be out driving again doesn't make you furiously angry, then something is wrong with you.

Veteran Dane County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Moeser, for example, said there is a difference between drunken drivers and other offenders -- a difference that prompts him not to classify drunken drivers as criminals.

"To me, drunken driving is very different from breaking into a building or purposefully harming somebody," Moeser said. "These people are not criminals. Most learn. They are not career criminals."

It IS potentially purposefully harming someone. It is a choice to drink and a choice to drive, I don't care how impaired you are. If I walk around the mall with explosives is that ok? I'm not purposefully harming someone, but maybe I'll accidentally set them off. Oops.

This has been a week of good food. Thanksgiving was great. Brian let me eat at Chipotle on Saturday. I had Indian buffet today. I made cranberry fritters for breakfast and I'm making quiche (ham, swiss, onion) and chocolate chip cookies tonight. I'm going to explode!

We tried the NYT chocolate chip cookie recipe from back in July. The cookies are turning out to be pretty crunchy when they're cooled, but maybe we need to make them larger.

This week: beer cheese soup and turkey curry (not at the same meal).

*side note: for whatever reason, whenever I make quiche it takes about 2x as long to bake as the recipe suggests. I've started heating the cream or milk to cut down on the time in the oven - but I have to be careful not to make the eggs curdle.

A relative of mine (from another state) died this weekend in a car crash. Please stay safe, everyone.

There's a reason I need pictures of my kitten on my desktop and the ability to hug my kitten at home. You may think I'm exaggerating here, but I assure you, I am not. EVERY SINGLE DAY I have to do something defensive to correct for other peoples' stupidity on the road, or I'm in a car where we're nearly killed. This morning I nearly got run off Verona Road by some crazy b*tch on her cell phone who didn't care that I was there and was going to get into the right turn lane no matter whose car was in her way. Last night someone pulled out and turned left (without stopping at a stop sign) in front of me and Brian on our way home. I am NOT exaggerating when I say that Brian and I have very nearly been in a serious accident TWICE in the last month because people pulled out in front of us, seemingly as if they couldn't see the car. I'm talking slamming on the brakes, landing inches from the other person's car, and being lucky to escape unharmed (and both times we had friends in the car). I'm tired of it. And there's not a god damned thing I can do about it. If I were to stop driving defensively for one week, I guarantee you my car would be totaled by the end of the week. There are so many f*ing idiots on the road it's not remotely funny. Stop eating, stop talking on the phone, stop doing your hair, stop whatever else you are doing and focus on your f*ing driving, people. It is NOT FAIR that I have to spend my time in the car dodging stupid idiots. Who gave you the right to put other peoples' lives in danger? My life... my husband's life... my family's lives... my friends' lives?

NOT FAIR. Your dumb ass phone conversation is NOT more important than someone's life.

I'm very angry because my life and the lives of people I love are being threatened - every single day. As I see it the only thing I can do about it is stop driving and stop riding in cars and try to convince everyone else to do the same. But bicyclists will tell you it's worse for them, and I can't walk everywhere I need to go.

I'm angry, and there's nothing I can do about it.

even though I have pictures of my cat on my desktop.

They cheer me up :)

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