Miffed volunteer sets fire to radio station

Tue, May 13 2008

— We’ve all been around folks who thought theirs were the only opinions that matter.
The movie snob who acts as though a movie needs more than Rob Schneider, Johnny Knoxville or Milk Duds to be a cinematic triumph.
The self-proclaimed art critic who, after one semester studying sculpture at the University of Oklahoma, berates most anything painted on velvet, snuff cans or saw blades.
The music aficionado who swears perfect pitch is when a banjo lands in a dumpster and hits an accordion.
We all have our own preferences, some are just determined to force their tastes on us.
Like 24-year-old Paul Feinstein of Austin who set a radio station on fire because they changed his suggested play list.
Feinstein, who volunteered at cool jazz radio station KOOP, got into an argument with another volunteer about selections for the station’s overnight Internet broadcast.
Let me get this straight, the music fan-turned felon put a match to someone’s business over musical taste?
What does he do if his favorites lose in American Idol competition, fire off a heat-seeking missile to Simon’s house? Bash Randy’s windshield? Knock Paula off her high heels?
The AP reports the “personality conflict” resulted in Feinstein using a bootleg copy of a key to the building to get into the control booth, where he doused the board in gasoline and lit the blaze.
Because he didn’t like the other guy’s songs.
By the time firefighters extinguished the flames, the fire had done more than $300,000 in damage.
That’s a lot of ITunes downloads, Paul.
Feinstein admitted to investigators he was “unhappy” about the change in the play list.
Unhappy?
If you’re unhappy you pout.
You grouse a little at your co-workers. You walk around in a snit for a few hours. You use language you wouldn’t normally use.
But you don’t start a fire.
Fire starting is done when you’re, at a minimum, “mad enough to chew nails,” or “hot under the collar,” not just unhappy.
Here’s a suggestion Paul, next time a station disagrees with your programming plan, get an IPod. You can play whatever you like.