A lack of inspiration

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I admit that when I first went off into uncharted grounds with this blog, I had been under the impression that I would be updating a lot more. Unfortunately, my job has been getting in the way of my going out and I haven't had many experiences worth noting. I have, however, decided to look for a new job that will allow me to spend time with my friends here in the scene.

This decision came very suddenly. And I will tell you the motivation behind it. Last Saturday I decided that my fate was in my boyfriend Kets hands, he owned me for the night. Any tom-foolery I got up to would not be my responsibility (even though I had work in the morning). After going out to watch a movie, Ket dragged me to the last couple hours of Juicy. I was greeted enthusiastically by V when I got there, I suppose I haven't been around nearly as much as I thought. And also by everybody else, inlcuding Fluer and Fae. I danced in my gothic finery and had a grand old time.

Ash brought with him a blow up sea horse and a butterfly net, in Kets words "He is hunting for bar flys!" I am not ashamed to say that the second time some unknown boy tried to catch my head with it, I sent him flying into the wall. Note to everybody out there- dont try and touch my head. Other than that though, the crowd was comfortable and fun. There for a good time, not for drama, generally what made me fall in love with the scene in the first place.

Afterwards we went over to Fae's for an afterparty. V had told us that it was going to be a small get together with just friends, similar to gatherings at the Womp-Factory or Purgatory. When we arrived though, it was a full out house party. Beer pong, people (Ket) pissing in the bushes, and strangers. Fortunately NEDM was there to give us entertainment and music.

Parties like that usually make me uncomfortable, so I was surprised when I ended up having a really great time. It helped that I was sober (and therefore not running around and making an ass of myself). I walk out into Fae's wildnerness of a backyard, (basically a forest of lush undergrowth with one narrow path thro the middle), and find her sitting on a lawn chair with just her shorts and her bra on.

And that was my first hint as to what kind of party I had really stumbled into.

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Remember when I mentioned before that I had attended an impromtu "naked-party"? Well, maybe its time to give you the background on that. Basically, at an afterparty we were all chillen in Purgatory. (We were all children in purgatory?)

Anyway, Leroy Jenkins got it into his head that everybody should be naked. He issued the "7 Dollar Naked Challenge". At first, we paid him no mind, but the effects of determination on a crowd on drugs is hard to ignore. Every few minutes or so he brought it up again, "who wants to get naked? I've got 7 whole crisp american dollars for the first person to strip down completely". Until finally Zelda got fed up, and ran in stating that she didn't need seven dollars, she would do it for free. And then she stripped down, did some booty bounces while we cat called and hooted and then got dressed as the rest of us dissolved into laughter.

I thought that would satisfy Leroy (who I would like to mention wasn't acting like this because he is perverted and horny, but simply because he likes to cause trouble and stir up craziness), but no. His witty little mind was un-appeased. Because Z did the challenge for free, the challenge was still issued. Nobody had collected the money. In the meantime, Bambi and Fae both stripped off their shirts, at least down to the bra.

Bambi looked pretty darn cute with her tube dress pulled down over her breasts. (Later she did my hair in very cute braids. I remember now that I was tripping that night, because when I saw my face in the mirror later that night at Kets house, with my eyes all glossy and black, and my hair pulled into otherwordly, dainty feminin and wild braids, I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror. To feminine, petite and alltogether lovely. That girl was not someone I allow myself to be, she was me with no barriers. It was quite an experience).

At any rate, eventually Fae got up the courage to get naked. But she wouldn't do it alone. Pace by pace both she and Leroy stripped down to just underwear. And then, standing back to back they counted to three and pulled that off too, immediately cupping their hands over their genitalia. It was so perfect it looked rehearsed. I am ashamed to say that I looked away in thrilled embarrasment from Leroys man-parts. I am still very much a product of our American society. Although to be honest, I only just got used to seeing penises very recently. Perhaps it is an effect of never seeing porn, but up until recently they gave me spooks! I resolved that night, not to look away again. After all, even if we have different parts, were all human. And I shouldn't be shy to see a naked human body, its entirely natural.

Leroy, Z, and Fae understood this. I feel like I was being taught a lesson that night, like a child learning something new in the classroom. I ended up wanting Ket to get naked (just so I could show him off) but that didn;t happen. And by the time Bambi, Fluer, Fae, and Zelda, had bared at least half of their skin, I refused to participate on the grounds that Leroy didn't deserve to have the credit for getting every single girl at the house out of her shirt!

Admittedly, Fluer was very elegent about it. Showing just half of her simple black bra, her shoulder draped with a luxurious plush blanket, lounging gracefully on the couch. Ciggarette propped daintily between her fingers :)

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Well, I hope you all had a good time on the magic school bus. That field trip is over, and its time to get back to the present story at hand. Anyway, turns out saturday night was a semi planned version of the naked party. I know that they held one soon after the first night, and this was apparently a nother of the series. The girls had their nipples taped and ready and the boys... they had their preperations as well.

Once Zelda got into the house the girls all dissapeared into Faes room to get ready. (I, sadly, was not invited). The boys dissapeared too. Or at least Matt and Leroy (the founder of it all) did. The girls come back through dancing around in the living room in their panties and pasties. And the next time I saw Leroy he was baring it all out in a thong "banana hammock". (Still wearing his customary YES! swagga-hat of course:) But the best part was seeing Matts outfit for the night. His cover-item was in the style of a tuxedo! With a little bow tie and everything. He had two little triangle flaps covering his rear end which confuced me until I realized what they were- coat tails!

I do believe Naked Parties are going to become a thing in columbus :) They are fun, silly, and not at all sexual. I'm actually a fan already, although I have not yet participated. After all the nakedmess (or I suppose during all the nakedness) Ket and I left and went back to my place. It was 6 before I got to sleep, and with work the next day I was exhusted. I almost called in sick (Which I am under no circumstances allowed to do), and I spent the day dragging myself around. Depressed at how hard my job is.

And that is why I think it is important to find a new job. One that I can still go out with. The whole point of the one i've got now was that i could travel with it to different states and discover the scene in those places. But I haven't even been able to maintain my own scene here in columbus! (The point was also to save money for my big investment, but my new apartment has put a damper on that!) So Now I'm looking into new money making jobs. Ones with a sunday off every now and then, and maybe a thursday. We'll see :) Wish me luck!

Oh, btw. The Seven Dollar Naked challenge was never completed. Fae was not awarded the prize because she was aided by Leroy. Before I left that night I saw it laying on the table, I took its picture and considered making of with the money itself. I mighta had it framed :P Anyway, it may still be possible to go up to Leroy, get naked and get handed 7 bucks. Just a thought <3

A Community

Last Sunday was the most caring and important show that I've ever been to. It really gave me hope for Columbus, and it really meant a lot to several people. The show: "Booty Bounce". The Cause: a charity event to raise money for one of our own.

Our bouncer "Handcuffs" has been with us only a few short months, and to be honest we weren't too sure about him right at first. See, the handcuffs threw us off, we thought he was a cop. But that didn't stop us from really putting in time to get to know him, didn't stop us from being friendly and it didn't stop us from getting involved when he needed help.

The sad story behind that is that his brother died recently, only months after Handcuffs spent all of his money to bury his mother. So we stepped in. Steve and Nice Entertainment threw a show in honor of him, all door proceeds going directly into Handcuffs wallet.

It was a good night for a multitude of reasons. For one, it was Stevens first party and he was ecstatic at its success. For another, Handcuffs couldn't get over how many people showed up for him, the day after St. Patricks and only hours after a terrifying tornado warning. Halfway through the night we had raised half the money that he would need to bury his brother. It was not a huge event, but a fair amount of people came and they donated good sized amounts of money. One guy gave Steve 300 dollars, and I think many of us would have been willing to donate that if we had the funds to do so.

What was interesting was the fact that none of the "key" players in this scene came to show support. Well, except for Push. I want to give him credit for that. And maybe they did pop in with some money, but I didn't see them. I think it would have been really good to have them there in person to show that they honestly care about the people that keep them and their people safe.

However, I'm pretty excited about the people that did in fact come. It was everyone that could make it out and that really cared. My boyfriend Ket and I didn't hesitate as soon as we found out about the show, did not consult our schedules, did not even hardly have to talk about it. Simply, we knew we were going to be there.

And the people that threw the party, Steven and Derrick and his partner (names are not changed) are really getting into the scene deep. Steven I know, is certainly doing it. He's only been with us since this winter and already he is deep into our local radio show, throwing parties, considering his own production company, and learning as much as he can about the scene as possible.

I can't tell you how glad I was when he told me that "The scene is 20% the music and 80% the people." I couldn't agree more, and I'm glad that he is being such a go-getter. Steven is what is coming up hot in Columbus, and he is what we need. He's humble, and in it to get people to have a good time. Our conversations often revolve around how unhappy we are about how the scene is so profit-based.

If you ask me, certain players in the scene are trying have more than their share. And Steven may be the guy to found a subculture within the EDM subculture. A group of revolutionaries, intellectuals, and free thinkers. People who know its about the environment and the people. Who still believe in the concept of PLUR. And I am damn excited to be part of it. Look out Columbus, I think this may be happening. Led by the people that I not only respect, but admire. But don't blab about it too soon, apparently Nice Ent even asked for permission from A and C to do the show. So that he wouldn't tick them off. As if doing a charity show for one of our own was stepping on their toes. Big things are afoot, keep your eyes and ears open and hopefully you wont miss them!

We are the true scene in Columbus. I don't care about making the columbus EDM scene into a "legitimate business" I care that my friends and my business partners are legit fucking people. And we are, so watch out!

New shit

I am pretty tired and I have work tomorrow so I'm going to write pretty quickly. I may come back later but for now, here are some thoughts for tonight...

V was telling me about a lot of crazy VJ stuff that he plans on doing in the next few weeks and the next who knows when. Lots of fun stuff like live camera feeds and live filtering. 3-D Projector screens and some more stuff that I didn't fully understand. The point is that even though he is very new to visuals he already has a vision. I find his visuals much more stimulating than any others I have seen, and he's about to make shit kinda crazy. Very interactive.

Which got me to thinking about the scene as a whole, and I believe that I have stumbled upon a truth. Columbus has spent years focusing on just the DJ's. Probably that is because all of the party companies are run by music makers and players, but keeping that in mind, its no wonder my local scene is a flaccid 2-D disappointment. Columbus's only focus is on the music, not the party.

I'm glad V got into visuals though, because I think he's about to change all that. His vision is something exciting and hopefully the people "up top" will notice. Parties shouldn't be just about the music, but in columbus that just about covers it.

The end, I am going to go back over this and rewrite it for sure, i'm certian the writing sucks. But thats my thoughts for now, and I do believe they are important ones.

What I will in fact be writing about, and why I am writing again at all.

So this decision to start writing again came up somewhat suddenly. Like a whole half hour ago. Why am I writing again? Because I don't want to forget. I don't want to let all of my experiences be lost to the void. Because I want there to be an accurate and honest portrayal of the scene somewhere. And when I say accurate, I define that as "a truth in perception."

In context with that, I am also writing because I think that there will be a lot to say in the upcoming years. I have decided to go on an adventure. I plan on visiting and living in many cities and discovering what their scene is all about. I am on a quest, a journey to find a place that has a local scene that I connect with. Its going to take a long time, but thats the beauty of it, now I have a kind of purpose that lasts longer than a paltry goals of my peers. Maybe then, I can imagine following through with my larger aspirations.

I have fallen totally out of love with the local scene, but I do have hope for other places. Columbus is corrupt and hostile. Local parties should be a refuge for like minded people, a safe place. But it is an alien environment for most of us. Even once we get comfortable with what we have, it still doesn't feel right. When I say us, I do mean other rave-y individuals, the colorful ones who expect to find great things in the scene, and find only confusion. We shut out others, I do it too. We don't let new people into our lives (even our scene-life) Even people we have seen around for years we refuse to get to know better. It is an envoronment of mistrut.

But I have hope that it is better elsewhere. Cleveland maybe, or pittsburg. I may travel down to california or new york. I'll visit them all and live in them all, but no schedules, Ill travel and leave when the time is right.

What? Don't believe me? Just because I still haven't tried living on my own yet? I've got news for you, I'm an independent. I am happiest by myself and my job lets me travel wherever the hell I want, for however long I want. So this is about to happen, this is my new life.

But I'm not ready yet to break free. I do still have to try that living on my own thing first, here in columbus. I plan on moving out soon, within a few months down to campus.

In the meantime, I'm not writing about the scene as a whole anymore. Its a waste of my time and it doesn't interest me. Instead I will write about the people I know and are friends with. Core members of the scene that the "scene leaders" don't really have much respect for. These are the real deal type people. New to the scene and veterens.  People who care about community. These are the friends I have found, these are the people worth paying attention to.

Your welcome. The columbus branch of this blog is about what really goes on behind the scenes. I can couldn't care less for what dj is getting popular or what party companies or planning on doing in the future. I never really did. This is about the people, this is about a part of this scene that more than likely, you will never experience or even be exposed to.

Next post will be a rememberence of a recent impromtu "naked party".

Independent

Alright, so Rave Bright is going back up, but not the way it was before. I'm writing this blog for myself now, nobody else. I'm not posting articles, i'm not posting about people in the scene. I'm writing about myself. This means that my readers (thats you, if your out there) can go fuck themselves. Because I dont give a shit what any of you have to say about my writing or my opinions. If you want to read this shit, do it. But if you don't, X out and shut the fuck up.

We have the right to free speech in America, and I'm going to use it. We have the right to opinions, and I am going to have them. Not only that, I will post all the shit I want about drugs, I
 will be as negative as I want, and I will certainly mention if there is some bad shit going on in the scene if I feel like it.

Basically, the people of columbus are trying to take the fun out of the rave scene, but they don't want me to bring that up. Maybe, if I walked into a club and saw a bunch of ravers having a good time, getting along, and feeling colorful I would have more good things to say. However, the Columbus EDM people are trying to make "raves" gritty again, but not in the good way. It seems like the leaders of the "scene" and many of the Dj's want people to go for the music, and only the music. And possibly the drinking. I think they could care less for the people that dance, socialize, do party drugs, laugh, discover something new, make a new friend, etc. They aren't worried about fun, they are worried about profit.

Walk into a Leboom someday, or just flip through the photographs posted about the night, your going to find a room full of black. The photographers in the scene take wide shots of the whole room. Presumably to show just how many people a DJ got into the venue, guess how much they made in door fee's?! Drinks?!, The pictures say, "don't you see how successful the scene is? We are generating loads of faceless people, we are legit because we bring in cash."

I would be much happier with a smaller amount of people that actually matter. An actual scene in Columbus, a community. However, the amount of like-minded people that go to these events is dwindling. We all have different goals, and it seems not enough time to share them with eachother or find common ground.

What you don't see in most photographers work is people having fun. I could look at albums of pictures from the Electric Daisy Carnival, because they all have their own story. You get to glimse a moment in some other persons life. Shots of individuals just don't make it into the albums as much as they should. (However, to be fair, there are some current photographers that are doing a bang up job. But these are not the local photographers that are getting work in columbus, they are not in league with the people that "run the scene").

I'm seriously fucking tired of worrying about what the other people in the columbus scene are going to say about what I write, what my opinions are, etc. Because it is very rarely accepting. Even when Rave Bright first began, it wasn't for the main players, it was for the fans. My target audience was really the glow babies, the raver kids, the kandi kidds, the dancers, the people who take electronic music, and let it become just a part of their culture.

So yes, Rave Bright is back up. Read it if you want, but don't try and use gossip to blow it out of proportion. To all of you "scene leaders" I'm not a threat anymore, I'm not marketing my blog to anybody, or even going to mention it to anybody. Rave Bright is going underground.

To everybody else, if you are indeed reading this, welcome aboard. Shit is about to get real.

Sabbatical

I'm taking a break from Rave Bright in order to learn the ins and outs of my new job. I also would like to re-evaluate my goals for this blog and consider what I really want to write about. I should be back on-line in one or two weeks. See you then!

-Tigris

13. Mr. Oblivious

I first met Mr. Oblivious after watching his set at Circus a couple weeks back. He and Splicer threw down some hard core electro all night long and gave Columbus a much needed reprieve from dubstep. It was a great night, and I think it really put the duo on the map. This friday they are playing an event with Dj Rocketnerd and Dj Moniker at Tipsy bar, don't miss your chance to see them! EMC Presents Splicer/Mr. Oblivious Event Page

I was inspired to make Jason Rau my first featured citizen when we were chatting one day over facebook. I noticed immediately how much passion he had for the music and the scene. I recognized in him the same kind of soul I have, one that understands that we are building more than a music industry here in Columbus, we are building a community.

One of the first things he said to me was, " Ohh, I have my inner geek. If you really look at society and what they consider nerdy... I would say every huge producer fits that. Yet look at how many people go and embrace it!! Its unreal. I geek out hard trying to learn production. Its an art of its own but if you don't have a passion, geek out, and wanna learn it- it will never happen! Call me a geek, I love it (haha) because I'm already doing what I love."

When did you first start mixing?

Mr.Oblivious: Well I started mixing dance music about a year ago. But the production aspect of music is what snagged my interest in the EDM scene about 3 years ago.

I got a few music programs for my computer and some small midi based controllers and started working on making music.

Is that mix you sent me your own?

Mr. Oblivious: The ideas and transitions are our own but the songs chosen are others. When it comes to Original tracks the production of our own tracks are slowly getting to the point where, in the near future we will be comfortable mixing them in with others.

When you say "our" are you talking about Splicer?

Mr. Oblivious: Yah Splicer. We both produce in our own studios. Yet we also work on projects together. Being close friends has helped us both learn the ins and outs of production. We both see a lot of potential in each other and in projects to come in the future, whether its solo or a collaboration.

Mixing is always fun. Alone or together. We have just found a good niche together and hope to take it as far as we can.

What are your plans for the future? What do you aspire to?

Mr. Oblivious: We hope to mix out as much as we can. Splicer and I have been asked to play the 13th at Tipsy Bar so we are looking forward to that. For me, I know I am going to finish up this Trance Electro Dance project I have been working on for quite some time now. My goal is to design an amazing Dance show that goes hand and hand with the visual aspect of life. I feel like when you can create an audio and visual experience for the viewer its a double kill! They go so well together that it creates an experience of a life time, an experience one won’t forget:)

I say this because there are many shows and festivals that I have been to have left such a huge impact on my life. No where else will you find so many beautiful people coming together all for the same reason.

Their stories are all different but the Music is the common interests. Its what we can all relate to. It moves and inspires so many people and in so many ways.

What’s one of your best rave-memories?

If i didn't go to EDC 2010, I would have never started mixing. I was inspired to move people. To create the flow of music through me to move people.

No where else have i ever seen 200,000+ people come all for a common intrest everyone indirectly relates to one another. One person puts their hands up and everyone else follows because that emotion start to flow through one another. Creating this endless vib that is powerful:) I love it. You put your hands up with everyone and you feel powerful. Its this power running through everyone called Love.

And thats why i mix and produce a lot more now. I have found my love

How did you discover EDM?

Mr. Oblivious: Well my cousin when I was younger always had turn tables and would go out and Scratch and flip live. I found it to be sooo interesting but always was intimidated by it. Yet me being me, I asked a lot of questions. She would show me old beats and i was awesome. But it wasn't until 2002 when I heard pendulums first album all the way through. It was like Drum and bass. Blew my mind!!!

Who are your influences?

Mr. Oblivious: The prodigy had a huge influence on me. I played bass guitar growing up. I still dabble on it every once in a while. Ill also record my own bass lines for dance music. But when  saw they used a band live i was inspired to start applying what i know in music and on Bass to the dance Genre.

Great! Thank you so much. Is there anything else you would like to say before I close the interview?

Mr.Oblivious: Well I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for friends and family. They have taught me so much and I’m extremely grateful. I love them always!

 

12. Surprise Drugs Are Bad

The Problem

An epidemic has started right in the heart of the club scene and has wormed its way into even our most beloved electronic venues. It is a disease that renders us all equal, whether we worship electro or hip hop, dubstep or top 40’s. Men and women are falling prey to accidental and intentional dosing of illegal substances. Even the sage wisdom of our elders has failed to protect us from these random and sometimes terrifying highs. People have been getting dosed, not only with the traditional date rape drugs like Rohypnol, GHB and Ketamine, but also with club drugs like MDMA, researched chemicals like rocketdust, and even hallucinogens, including liquid LSD. 

My first question is, who are the plague rats that are carrying this disease? For, certainly it is not the victims that are propagating this black magic. No behavior that I can think of is grounds for such foul play as getting dosed with date-rape drugs, or any drug that he or she doesn’t know about. 

My second question is why it is suddenly such a craze to slip drugs in drinks. In years past people wanted to hold on to their drugs, keep them for themselves, all of a sudden that has changed. Not only are people suddenly “generous” but they also don’t even seem to have an ulterior motive. Girls have been getting dosed surrounded by their friends, standing next to who is obviously their boyfriend. They aren’t going to be leaving the club with a stranger! Men have been getting dosed nearly as much as women have, and I often doubt they are in much danger. There aren’t even particular targets anymore, it doesn’t seem to matter who your with, what you look like, what gender you are, or what your drinking. People have just been randomly and wildly getting dosed. 

So how to we protect ourselves from this infection? Do we cover our mouths with scarves so we don’t have to smell the contagion? Stuff out pockets with posies? Draw symbols on our doorways to ward off evil? Maybe not quite. 

First of all I think we need to discourage creeper behavior in the first place, whether these are the men that are giving out drugs or not, we have a message to send to the general populous, “Don’t fuck with our women”.  If you are a woman, the message is “Don’t fuck with me, AND don’t fuck with our women”.

There are a lot of creepers out there, and most are really just regular guys, out “hunting” at the club. Staying sober most of the time has helped me recognize some of the strategies that these men use to pick up girls. For one, when somebody offers you a drink, they are not just trying to be nice and start up a conversation. I’m not saying nobody is like that, but in general they really are just trying to get you drunk. I know this because when I am offered a drink I always ask for a redbull, and I very rarely get it. These men come up to me randomly, offer me a drink, and when I ask for something non-alcoholic I’ve had  them look at me with a baffled, almost angry/wounded expression  and simply walk away without saying anything more. They apparently don’t have the game to pick up a girl without her being wasted, which is why they stalk the clubs where (who knew it?) girls go and get drunk. 

A second game-play I’ve seen used, is the “Repeat-Approach”. This is where strange seeming men (the kind that most girls instinctively avoid) try dancing with a girl at various points in the night. And by dancing, I do mean grinding, humping, and sometimes even attempting to bite and kiss her neck/shoulder/wherever they can reach. They do this, in hopes that the girl is getting drunk enough to accept that kind of behavior. Almost every time I go out I have at least one of these guys dancing beside me. Then behind me… then up on me… then (after I push them away) beside me again… and behind me… The joke’s on them, I’m having a water-and-redbull, but they still make me uncomfortable and I have a harder time having a good time. 

The Solution

So the problem is that we have dosers and creepers. The solution is a simple one, if somewhat aggravating and does require some amounts of effort. Basically, take care of yourself and take care of others. Girls can be very timid about rejecting men, hell, even I can be timid. I won’t chase someone away just for making me uncomfortable, I feel like it’s only polite to wait until after they’ve attempted to touch me. Newsflash, if someone is making you uncomfortable by being too close (even if he’s not touching you) and paying too much attention to you (even if your not positive or if they are trying to hide it) you have every right to ask them, or demand that they leave. Kaitlyn Hedges got it right on the money when some creeper dude was dancing too close to us girls, “Go away now. I don’t like you, leave”. That guy had been getting too close to me for comfort, too close to all of us and Kaitlyn fixed the problem, simply by stating to the perpetrator that there was one. 

I learned a lot from her that night. I learned that it is okay to stand up for yourself, even if the person you’re standing up against isn’t even really doing anything wrong or outwardly aggressive. 

It’s also important to do your best to take care of other girls that you see, that might not know how to say no. Its much easier for me to get between a girl and an assaulter than take care of just myself. I have a protective streak a mile wild. I’m not suggesting that you throw every man that is dancing with his hips up on somebody’s ass out the door, I mean, that is a legitimate way that people dance together. But if you see some guy forcing a girl to dance with him, or you notice that she is completely sloshed and trying to move away from him, but still keep dancing. It hurts nobody for you to come up to her with a glass of water, separate the two of them for just a moment, and simply ask her if she is alright. And then, depending on what she says, you take it from there. Let me repeat that, it does not hurt anybody to go up to somebody and double check that they are okay.  With all the drugs going around lately, it only makes sense to look after one another.  We are a community, lets act like it. 

The same goes for actual dosing. If you see somebody slip something into somebody’s drink, call them out on it please. Don’t just shrug and walk away, or assume that the other person knows about it. Sure, you don’t want to get in the middle of a good time, but please please please ask the person if they know that something is in their drink. In some cases, they might be doing the drug on purpose. But in others, you could be saving their night, or their life. According to the stats lately, I’m going to say that most of the time, the victim is getting dosed unknowingly. VJ Oz has the right idea when he says, “If I ever see that I am going to beat the fuck out of the guy. People don't listen to reason, they listen to punishment”. Whether that punishment is violent or authoritative, whether you choose to hit him or send him to the cops, don’t just walk away. 

I’m going to end this post with a list of ways I keep from getting dosed in the clubs, just some hints and tips I’ve either come up with, or picked up from somewhere. I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard the normal tips, “don’t accept drinks from strangers”, “keep an eye on your drink” and “just stay sober!” As far as I’m concerned that’s just stale air, good advise that is not always all that likely to be used. For many girls, going to the club and getting free drinks is all just part of the fun. I don’t want to take that away from you, just make it a little bit safer. 

1)      1) First of all, if you do get dosed, or you think there is something in your drink, don’t throw it away. Give it to a bartender to keep safe, make sure he knows you think there are drugs in it.

2)      2)When I get a drink from a stranger (no-matter what it is) I always say Thank you, and then lift the pro-offered drink towards my beneficiaries lips, look them right in the eye and say “Have some”. If they refuse to drink it, or if I get any reaction from them that makes me suspicious, I don’t keep it. ( Being slightly offended is okay, but they should obligingly take a sip after).

3)      3) If you do allow somebody to buy you a drink, look to see if one of your friends is close by and drag them over and introduce them. Hey Ted, this is Jerry, he was just OH SO NICE ENOUGH TO BUY ME A DRINK. Haha, you don’t have to lay on the sarcasm like that, but just make sure he knows that this guy gave you something. 

4)      4) Keep a tally of how much you’ve had to drink. No, this isn’t to make sure you “stay within your limits” its so somebody else knows how much you’ve had in case something happens. Either tell somebody each time you get a new one, or keep a pen on you and make a mark on your wrist. That way, if your 5 deep but acting black-out drunk, your behavior won’t get shrugged off as “oh, she’s just had too much to drink” like I have seen happen dozens of times.

5)     If you want to be extra cautious, find some kind of marker for each person that buys you a drink. A tattoo on his left shoulder, neon shoe laces, etc, so you can find him again if you need to.

6) (Compliments of Liz Hawk) "Most of the time I don't drink at raves, but if I do I never put it down, it will always be in my hand. Also, If I'm on the dance floor with one I usually throw it out after and get a new one. Just in case ya know? Also, I don't share them with anyone, even my friends because they are not always paying attention and I'm not either".

Out of all of these, I tend to always use Tip #2 and Tip#3. Now, you don’t have to be as rude or as obvious as I wrote them out. You can just say, “Thank you, would you like some?” for instance and gauge that reaction, or introduce him as “This is my new friend Jerry, he was just nice enough to buy me a drink!” You can maintain your cuteness and your politeness and still look after yourself. Oh, and tip #3 and #4 always works better with a “wingman” who knows what’s up and what you’re doing.And that’s all for now! Lets make a new years resolution to stay safe and party hard!