It is boilerplate in CopLand that oleoresin capsicum, aka pepper spray or OC, is the best thing next to a baton or a blackjack (aka tump) for getting someone’s ‘tenshun. You get a face-full of this stuff and you will be guaranteed to have an awful day (I have sprayed myself just to see what […]
peter eichenberger
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Remembering Trone, who died in police struggle
The room was cool, dark and smelled of dying flowers. There were just a few people in it, sobbing quietly, some eyes shiny with anger. ” I hope those police see ‘zackly what he saw last,” a woman cried out, being led from the viewing room at Haywood Funeral Home in Raleigh. Inside the majestic […]
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The clockspeed of human perception
The clockspeed of human perception I won’t go into the “why” of the hideous details, but four years ago it was heal myself or die. I lay in bed for days, thinking of nothing, bearing witness to the slow death of a hornet. When the life force finally left this beautiful, dangerous creature, an event […]
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Raleigh assault on bicyclists getting nasty
Compared to everywhere else I have lived, including Manhattan, the steeped in hostility/ignorance displayed by Raleigh motorists and the ruling oligarchy (despite the pretty talk) on the matter of non-motorized transportation constitutes criminal behavior. When former co-morons Bob and Madison thought it was “funny” to make light of assaulting bicyclists with automobiles on their little […]
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Dan Neil tests L.A. Times’ safety features
For obvious reasons (many of you not generally being “car” people), some of you may have missed the continuing antics of former Indy writer and former sometime drinking buddy Dan Neil in his career with The Los Angeles Times. Dan, some of you may remember, distinguished himself by getting fired from the N&O for writing […]
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City-sponsored terrorism in Southeast Raleigh
The question in the wake of the city inspection department’s latest ritual public relations self-disembowelment is this: Were a series of terroristic, now-scuttled inspections in Southeast Raleigh some sort of “trial balloon,” a test shot to gauge reaction to the latest affront to the people? Or, more likely, are the inspectors and their bosses merely […]
Posted inBest of the Triangle
An ode to freaks
“Big man with a gun, huh?” Charlene sneered. “You such a bad-ass, why don’t you pull the trigger?” I’m fine with that. People who wave guns about need to be castigated–except for one detail: the 38 was pressed into my temple. But that’s Charlene: no-bullshit, fire-baptized native of the Green Swamp who forsook her Christian […]
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Hunter S. Thompson, 1937-2005
My initial response was more “no shit” than “holy shit.” Hunter S. Thompson was a sort of a toxic, literary mayfly who burst forth on the scene when conditions were just right, to torment for a short time the falsity of the American picnic. And when his day was over, he joined the parade of […]
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Another four-letter word for January’s gridlock: City
One would have to be devoid of a sense of irony to not note the fantastic confluence between the feds’ downgrading of the need for the planned TTA light rail system and the recent Ice Follies. What we saw was a glimpse of a potential version of the future–people stuck in their cars for hours, […]
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Going on the record against lies and greed
Security: $66 million. The party: $40 million. Flipping Dubya off: Priceless. Wednesday’s surprise storm almost aborted the mission. Our third attempt at departing succeeded; the previous terminated at 10:30 in a wall of taillights to the horizon at 401 and U.S. 1. We killed some time sledding and hanging out at the Berkeley Cafe. Finally, […]
