these are not the drugs you're looking for, move along

I need you to use your imagination for a second here. You're a drug addict and you need another hit. You know this guy who can score some for you. Picture him (or her). What does he look like? What is he wearing? Where does he deal out of? What color is his skin?

I'm going to venture a guess that most people's imaginary dealer looks much like a typical thug, deals out of a bad part of town and is likely a minority. Ok, here's a little quiz. Answer these questions about America's highest volume drug dealer (not supplier or transporter, just seller):

He is:
a) Black
b) Latino
c) White

His level of education:
a) Grade school
b) High school
c) PhD

He deals out of:
a) A gas station parking lot
b) An apartment in the slums
c) A million dollar home

The drugs come from:
a) Mexico
b) Columbia
c) US pharmaceutical companies

Again, just a guess, but I think most people would not have chosen c) for all four questions. Philip Mach, PhD of Franklin Park, NJ has been charged with issuing 72,000 illegitimate prescriptions for controlled substances in under a year. If he put in eight hour days, seven days a week that would be nearly one sale every two minutes. He teamed up with a high volume spammer to advertise the illegal service over the internet. And the addicts came in droves.

A study from Columbia University found that 15 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. That's more than the abuse of "cocaine, heroin and meth combined." And yet, the "War on Drugs" is still focused on street level dealers peddling to poor people, generally in black and latino neighborhoods. Only pot usage exceeds the prescription drug abuse and pot is a lesser offense than most of the controlled prescription drugs. Think about that next time you hear a news article about inner city drug problems. I'm not saying that crack dealers in Watts aren't a problem. But, I do wonder why the focus of the War on Drugs is often quite narrow.

In closing, I have a question for all those who advocate "profiling" in the fight against drug crime. How would you feel if new drug dealer profiling guides added the following criteria:

• White
• Educated in biology
• Licensed to practice medicine
• Member of the AMA

Yeah, that's what I thought.

feel free to adjust the volume

I had to not hear it to believe it. Standing in the yard I strained to hear the silence and much to my surprise I nearly did. Only the faintest of notes in the cool night air hinted that neighbors a few houses away were playing music. But, they weren't. The music was being played in our house about 15 yards away from me at floor-shaking volume. It worked. The 2 inch vinyl-core fiberglass soundproofing sheets actually worked.

Inside the room feels like something between a dance club and a padded cell for crazy people. Thick grey material covers each door and window. A custom built sound system takes up every corner of the room. On one wall is a white screen. On the opposite wall is a high definition projector. Between them are couches and pillows.

Who wants to watch a movie?

about. damn. time.

(photo credit: AP/Oded Balilty)
If you don't understand, read this. EDIT: Never mind about the link. Yahoo removed the picture and description. It was of a little Palestinian girl peering through the barred window of a refugee camp facility. It explained how refugees at the camp found hope in the recent withdrawal. Hope that they might finally be able to return to the homes from which they were forced out at gun point many years ago.