Wire Roundup

David Simon spoke in Austin last weekend. You can read the article here. I'm not sure, but it's almost as if he's on a speaking tour right now. Here's the Harvard Crimson article about his speaking engagement there last week. If he's ever coming to LA, I'd appreciate it if somebody could drop me a line.

- And here's a recent article from the SF Chronicle that mirrors the talk on "The Wire" about the new generation of hoppers - the Marlos of the underworld - refusing to abide by a code, and not following the rules of the game. Money quote:

"Shootings in that part of Oakland have become so brazen that some Baby Boom-era street
hustlers have complained to Oakland police officers about an increased level of violence from emboldened youngsters.
One of them told police that he was terrified.
'He was saying the (street) game is all twisted and these youngsters aren't playing by the
rules, and he was more concerned for his life now than he ever was,' said Lt. Ersie Joyner,
head of the Police Department's homicide unit and an East Oakland native. 'I had a couple of
guys call to say, 'Please do something about them, because I'm scared.' '
Joyner said he has seen the seeming disdain some suspects have for arrest, incarceration or
conviction."

I don't believe that the murder rate is skyrocketing nationwide or anything - NY and LA both had the lowest numbers of homicides in 2007 in a very long time - but it seems as if violence is getting more concentrated in certain communities and the violence perpetrated is dispensed more casually, like it's just a normal part of life. Like we saw in the Baltimore of "The Wire," it's just so entrenched.

- The actor who played Savino on the show was stabbed recently. Fortunately, his injuries were not too bad. Guy sounds like a real committed actor though judging by the article.