Top 25 Most Dangerous Cities: L.A. is Number 158!

Good News! We didn't make the list. Good thing it is not based on crimes like driving under the influence or celebrity paparazzi attacks, then we might have been in trouble. Check out the whole article on Gawker.com..


1. St. Louis, MO (This worries me since one of my best friends lives there) 
2. Camden, NJ
3. Detroit, MI
4. Flint, MI
5. Oakland, CA
6. Richmond, CA
7. Cleveland, OH
8. Compton, CA
9. Gary, IN
10. Birmingham, AL
11. Baltimore, MD
12. Memphis, TN
13. New Orleans, LA
14. Jackson, MS
15. Little Rock, AR
16. Baton Rouge, LA
17. Buffalo, NY
18. New Haven, CT
19. Hartford, CT
20. Dayton, OH
21. Kansas City, MO
22. Washington, DC
23. Newark, NJ
24. Cincinnati, OH
25. Atlanta, GA

Trial of Conrad Murray: The Short Version

Ok, So I know I have totally missed the boat in my coverage of the Trial of Conrad Murray. You would think I would have been more present in my discussion of this given that it causes me to be at least 10 minutes later in the morning with it's venue being in my backyard. #dtla baby! 

Anyway, here are some major points to get you caught up if you haven't been paying attention. 

So, the cast of this play are as follows: 

• Defendant Conrad Murray, 58-year-old cardiologist, personal physician to Michael Jackson
• Judge Michael Pastor
• Prosecutor David Walgren (L.A. DA's office)
• Prosecutor Deborah Brazil (L.A. DA's office)
• Defense Attorney Edward Chernoff
• Defense Attorney Nareg Gourjian
• Defense Attorney Michael Flanagan

So far, Act I and II have gone something like this: 

• Los Angeles County coroner ruled Michael Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication."
• Conrad Murray is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter. He could face four years in prison and lose his medical license.
• To convict on involuntary manslaughter, the district attorney must prove that Murray was recklessly doing something illegal (or doing something legal but in an illegal way) that was likely to and did in fact kill Michael Jackson. The DA does not need to show that Murray intended to kill Jackson, just that he acted recklessly. 
• Legal experts say that administering the powerful anesthetic propofol in a home setting simply to fall asleep could definitely count as reckless and a gross violation of medical norms. Although propofol can legally be prescribed by most doctors, it's used in hospitals during surgeries or in rare cases to help dying hospice patients, but NOT to treat insomnia.
• Murray is contending that he left MJ alone for only 2 minutes for a bathroom break. Other experts have stated that MJ must have been alone for a longer period of time and that he must have injected himself with the fatal dose. 
• Prosecutors contend Murray is criminally liable for Jackson's June 25, 2009 death because he recklessly administered the propofol, a potent surgical anesthetic drug, and was negligent in properly monitoring Jackson.

Conrad Murray has stated that he will not take the witness stand. If Murray decides not to take the stand then 

closing arguments will probably take place tomorrow, Thursday. 

We may be very close to a resolution. FYI, The jury consists of seven men and five women. Six white, five Hispanic and one African American.

I will post more details as I get them.

Crackdown on Crack Sentencing

For years there has been an upset in the legal community regarding the unequal treatment of sentencing amongst defendants caught with crack cocaine v. powder cocaine. The fact is that the punishment for consuming or selling crack cocaine is 100 times worse than that for powder cocaine. 

Many have linked the disparity to a deliberate prosecution to "round-up" those in the African American community. The stereotype has been that Americans plagued with a lesser economic disposition are more liable to use the less expensive crack cocaine than it's more expensive counterpart, powder cocaine. "What was clear was that the rules disproportionately affected African-Americans, leading civil rights leaders and other public officials to level harsh criticism against the criminal justice system. That's why in 2010 Congress passed and the Barack Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act which lowered the sentencing ratio of crack to powder crimes from 100:1 to 18:1." See "Inmates Set for Release After Changes in Crack Sentencing" by Gabriel Roxas

I will admit it is slightly embarrassing that we are using legal time to discuss the fairness of sentencing for drug dealers and crackheads but someones got to fight for them too, I guess. Also, the concern that should touch everyone at home is that the prisons are wasting capital on housing these offenders. There is even a advocacy group for this. see The Sentencing Project. 

Under the new Fair Sentencing Act, thousands of federal prisoners nationwide are now eligible for early release after changes in the way sentences for crack cocaine are calculated. The overall effect will be spread out over years, but almost 2,000 federal prisoners will be eligible for release on Tuesday. It could take longer for paperwork to go through and allow the inmates to walk free.

Now the U.S. Sentencing Commission is applying that law to past cocaine convictions. Officials estimate about 12,000 inmates could eventually benefit.

Getting Off My Ass...Halloween Relief

Getting some steam under my ass to start writing again. To be honest, I have been so consumed with life and the choices that I have before me that the additional stress has not allowed me the clarity to write in this blog. Forgive me.

I find myself wanting to do this:
(see right)

When I should be facing my stress head-on, like a joust.

So, Halloween is my favorite holiday. I know last year I had the Halloween party for the kids at the house which was followed by a post with pictures of family fun. See "Halloween Fun Party: For the Little Monsters" and "Halloween Party Maddness And The Fall of Super Mom"  and read again about last year's antics. 

This year the NuNu took one look at the decorations for the party and proceeded to tell me to place them back in the garage. What a bummer. What a relief. I'm disappointed that she was scared by the decorations but I can't lie, I was relieved that I didn't have to orchestrate a Halloween party. I have just been too on edge lately to deal with any of that.

Instead, we dressed her in her Princess costume and took her to meet the princesses at Disneyland. She enjoyed every minute, including seeing the Mickey Parade for the first time. priceless.

Easy peezy. Now, to get through Thanksgiving.

Touched by an Angel

Two weeks ago I lost a friend in a tragic car crash. She was a friend from work that I saw everyday of my life and lunched with at least 3 out of 5 days in a work week. She was killed by a drunk driver on the freeway. Survived by her 17 year old daughter, she was as far as I know a single mom. I am shocked and devastated. 

Prior to this, I hadn't given much thought to drunk drivers. I knew it was wrong, of course. I was aware of the destruction that could be caused by drinking and driving. But it wasn't a cause I put a lot of focus in. Until it affected me directly.

I felt silly crying over a co-worker. I felt like her family and close friends deserved to be more upset than I was. I felt as if I was taking away from them by being upset because I have only known her for a short time. But the truth is that she touched my life in a big way during the small amount of time of knowing her.

As a Latino Lesbian woman, she was out, proud and strong. Not just about her sexual orientation, but her  ethnicity, her New Jersey origin and being a single mom. She was out front and center about who she was. She was also determined to make anyone that spoke to her, just as comfortable as she was in her skin, in theirs.

Without me even telling her and without her knowing me longer than a few months, she tuned into my weaknesses. She could tell that I was a giver and at most times strong and controlled. Not because I want to be, but because I have had to be for so long. She noticed how I am nurturing and overbearing in my relationships with others because I am afraid to let go control to the other person. Not because I want to, but because I fear that others will not be able to pick up the slack I extend. As a control mechanism, I hold it all down so I don't have to feel disappointed. That's pretty deep conversation to have over onion rings. But that was Karen.

She was a counsellor at heart but would sandwich her sessions with hilarious antidotes and wise cracks. She would produce jokes that would make me belly laugh even after I went home for the day.

She made me realize that wanting to accomplish my dream of having career and family was admirable. That I shouldn't feel like I am being selfish in wanting both. She reassured me that it was myself that was torturing myself (Fight Club Style). I should let go, just live life and see what happens. It's refreshing to hear this from a stranger. Without any prior inhibitions or previews of who I used to be clouding her opinion. Worth it's weight in Gold. 

When I heard of her death, I went to the bathroom at work and cried for what seemed like hours. Because I wasn't ready for her to leave this earth. There was a beginning blossom of a beautiful friendship happening. But after time passed, I realized that I was meant to have her in my life for just the amount of time that I did.

I was truly touched by an Angel. Her inspiration has been given. It's up to me to take it from here. And now she can be an Angel to the Universe and help so many other people. Thank you, Karen. Rest in Peace, Friend.

Happy Fourth of July!

First, a thank you to our founding fathers for declaring our Independence and creating a country where we can openly change and develop our government.

"Fourth of July", "The Fourth" and "Independence Day" are all names claimed for today. In my duty of education, here are a few points about the history of today.

• July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941.
• The tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83).
• In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain.
• On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.

 What I love about today:

Barbecue, Yummy apple pie, Family and color scheme.

What I hate about today:

Fireworks.

I hate fireworks. They are loud, annoying and scary. They cause fires. Upset children and dogs. Maintain an influx of burn victims and cost enormous amounts of money. So my question was why do we need them? When did this start? I didn't have to look long to find out that fireworks have been a part of the tradition of Fourth of July since the first anniversary of the Fourth of July. Instead, at the time it was cannons and fire squads.

 

I have included a video below for the history of fourth of July:

 

 

 

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