Monthly Archives: August 2011

Justice For None

I was sitting in Chengdu back in 1995. The streets were lined with people watching the passage of several trucks loaded with condemned prisoners. Each had his head lowered in shame. His family had paid for his bullets. If they had money, they gave the executing officer a bonus to deliver the coup de grace. […]

Soldiers With No Names

August 2011 was ‘deadliest month’ for US in Afghan war. The death toll soared with the crash of a Chinook Helicopter. A rocket grenade hit the twin-engined aircraft during a raid on insurgents. The big copter is capable of speeds up to 190 MPH, but its vulnerability during landings and take-offs have cost many casualties […]

Poor Mexico

Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States – Portifiro Diaz, President of Mexico 1876-1911

Dama La Pistola

“Dama la cuete.” is ‘gimme the gun’ in slang Mexican and guns have flooded across the Rio Grande to fuel a wicked murder spree by the vicious narco-bandidos of the drug cartels. Slang expressions for the dead are many. According to a Fox Latino News report of Apr 14, 2011 “Encobijados” are bodies wrapped in […]

The Fury of the Unnature

I had expected my flight from Tokyo to JFK to be delayed by the storm. I landed ahead of schedule. The A train was running on time. The sky was beautiful. Walking down my street from the subway station, I saw little sign of the storm’s passing. I thought New York had been lucky, for […]