Author Archives: Pete

Via Radley Balko and Philip Smith: Meet 59-year-old David Hooks, the latest drug fatality This has all the classic features. With just a modicum of investigation, police could have learned that Hooks “was a successful businessman who ran a construction … Continue reading →

I’m back from the north woods and thrilled to have reliable wifi again. It’ll take me a while to catch up with the news. Thanks to everyone for your good wishes and concern for my family with my brother-in-law’s death. … Continue reading →

I’m out of town this week to be with my sister following the death of her husband. Way up in the north woods of Wisconsin, and with limited WiFi access. Not able to do much posting or keeping up with … Continue reading →

A tale of two Eric Holders Eric Holder Was Great on Drugs: Will his successor throw it all away? by Ethan Nadelmann. Holder’s Drug Policy Record is Much Weaker Than Many Believe by Eric Sterling. I suspect that they’re both … Continue reading →

Haven’t had a bizarro anti-legalization post from Cliff Kincaid linked here in a while. I think you’ll find this one quite entertaining. The Potheads in Our Dopey Media

A ghoulish shade from the past has come forth to haunt us once again. Yes, it’s John P. Walters! [cue: cheesy scary music] Former ‘drug czar’ warns against marijuana use Walters, the former Director of the White House Office of … Continue reading →

I’m playing the piano this week for a production of Noël Coward’s high-farce-comedy-of-manners Hay Fever at Illinois State University, and having a delightful time. Pre-show, intermission, and a few things directly involved in the show, playing music from the 1910’s … Continue reading →

Aaron Malin has a rather disturbing article at Reason: Drug War Propaganda Counts as State Police Training In Missouri, sworn law enforcement officers are required to take 48 credit hours of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) continuing education every … Continue reading →

Drug paraphernalia is one of the truly absurd subplots of the drug war. Its mere existence seemed to infuriate prohibitionists and resulted in a hodge-podge of strange and hard-to-enforce laws. I remember when Chicago Alderman Robert Fioretti tried to ban … Continue reading →

Who decides what a serving size is? And are they talking about real people who actually eat food? I’ve been reducing carbs in my diet and watching what I eat a bit. So I find myself checking those nutritional information … Continue reading →