Year: 2010

Good news in (ending) the war on drugs

From the UK’s Observer (sister paper of The Guardian). One. Two. And three articles about the war on drugs, or lack thereof, in Portugal. Excerpts: Drugs have not only been decriminalised for almost a decade, but users are treated as though they have a health and social problem. … Nor has it seen its addict…
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Not a good way to go

Just doing your job. Delivering bread in the hood. Driving in your bakery truck. Minding your own business. Next thing you know. You’re dead. Shot. Just like the bad old days. Seems like some idiots were playing with guns on the roof of the Marlboro Projects. Probably just shooting for kicks. Who would think that…
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911 is still a joke

So late last night a saw a man (who was not a worker) walking on the elevated subway tracks around a parked subway train. I saw him duck under the train and go to the other side. Perhaps a graffiti guy. But I don’t know. I figured he was up to no good. As the…
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American Ethos

“In America, individuals, not groups, act; and individuals, not groups, should be held accountable.” Most of you would probably agree with that statement. I do, too. But I would be quick to add that culture and background matter. A lot. Background isn’t destiny, but it’s a damn good predictor of your future. You can tell…
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News Bueno or News Malo?

You want the good news or the bad news? Good news! “Mexico arrests drug trafficker Edgar ‘Barbie’ Valdez.” Pop the corks! But I wasn’t even going to post on that cause who the f*ck cares? It’s not like it will change anything or win the war on drugs. From the NYT: Mr. Valdez, who was…
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My Hood

Of all the places for heaven on earth, people rarely think of Queens. I was just about to get to work when a friend called and said to meet him in the park for a picnic. So off we went to meet him and his son. My friend, a restaurant owner from Egypt (he’s been…
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Las Vegas Shooting “Justified”

As predicted, the killing of unarmed Trevon Cole in Las Vegas, based on bad tactics, a bad warrant, bad flashlight batteries (?!), a bad track record, misinformation, mis-identification was found to be justified. Despite contradictory statements by nearly everyone else who testified, Yant stood by his story that he fired the fatal shot only after…
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Mayor Mike’s Mosque Matters

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg usually makes sense. I particularly like it when he berates citizenry over common sense issues. “People,” he whines, “You gotta stop [fill in the blank].” Makes me all sheepish and look at my toes and mumble, “Sorry, Mister Mayor.” And I didn’t even do what he’s complaining about! Of course…
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14-year-old girl killer

She must have “hated Mexicans,” too. Two men were sitting on their stoop when, Peter Hermann writes: When a young girl armed with a silver handgun approached and announced a robbery. “Because of the age of the suspect the victims began to laugh at which time the suspect fired one shot grazing the victim Wilmer…
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Inner-Harbor Cop Fired

This is the officer (not “man” or “dude”) who got pissed at a young white skateboarder. Peter Hermann reports: Last month, a three-member police panel called a trial board held a hearing and found Rivieri, a 19-year veteran, guilty of failing to issue the youth a citizen contact receipt and failing to file a report,…
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