8/22/2007 Add a comment

as real estate agents. Okay, not quite, but this great story from NPR talks about how gang members are learning all about mortgage fraud from their white-collar criminal peers while in jail. And now the gangs of Chicago are committing mortgage fraud left and right, even setting up fake businesses in the process. Who says you don't get an education while in prison anymore? And though the usual story is that prison "hardens" you, it's interesting that their new crimes are less violent than the old.

I forgot to mention it last week, but we finished watching season 3 of The Wire. This is the best drama on tv ever. Yes, even better than the Sopranos, although I haven't seen any Sopranos episodes after roughly season 4.

Anyway, if I haven't hyped The Wire in this space, it's the story of the drug trade in Baltimore and the cops who are trying to bring it down. You have to start with season 1, episode 1: in the first episode they introduce about 20 characters, some from the gangs, some from the cops, some from the neighborhood, all of whom are multidimensional and believable. By the end of the episode you'll be hooked. If you're on Netflix, put season 1 on your queue. Or go out and rent the first DVD, and you won't be disappointed. /end{proselytizing} ben

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