This is partially in response to Little Lord Baltimore --

The assertion that Omar is some kind of Robin Boyz in Da Hood hero is one that I had embraced. After season 3, however, it was clear to me that Omar, like D'angelo, Stringer, Frank Sobotka, Zbignew Sobotka and the rest would meet an unfortunate, violent end.

I knew that Freamon was too good to be true, Prez as too dumb and yet too smart to be a cop, and the McNulty would finally paint himself into a martyr/hubris corner that he was too clever-by-half to get out of (just like Stringer Bell).

Yet all these characters try desperately to do right by the restricted rules of the institutions they inhabit. And in either breaking those rules or going along with them there is great moral ambiguity, and peril.

Even Namond, who seems to have overcome the overwhelming odds against him, could, in some future life, face the kind of uphill rhetorical and propagandistic battles that Barack Obama might face if he were to win the Democratic primary: a history of drug use, a questionable past, associations that are both innocuous and hard to explain away to those who cannot understand them.

But that Omar Little has become a modern-day folk hero to many "Wire" fans speaks volumes about the contempt that many of us hold for the real-life institutions we inhabit and struggle against.

Omar said it best himself:

Maurice 'Maury' Levy: You are feeding off the violence and the despair of the drug trade. You are stealing from those who themselves are stealing the lifeblood from our city. You are a parasite who leeches off the culture of drugs...

Omar Little: Just like you, man.

Maurice 'Maury' Levy: Excuse me? What?

Omar Little: I got the shotgun. You got the briefcase. It's all in the game though, right?

Indeed.

As a long-time wire-watcher and fan I am perplexed by something: wouldn't freamon and mcnulty have *known* that anything they acted on as a result of having a wire-tap without a warrant would be thrown out of court?

Of course. I mean, McNulty was fucking the now ASA for Christ's sake. Freamon said it himself: "the case is in the phones, but we need a title 3."

Yes. The case is in the phones, and they need a title three warrant to look at them.

Did you not pay attention during the episode?

Their paperwork, to date, is based on a non-existent confidential informant (CI). The CI is their illegal wiretap.

But in court, the prosecution is not compelled to reveal their CI if the title-3 evidence backs it up. The title-3 warrant would be signed by a judge who reviews the evidence stated by the "CI".

But in this case, the defense has to prove there was no CI, which is difficult since that evidence would be sealed, in an effort to invalidate the title-3 warrant -- ON APPEAL.

The discovery phase would exclude the CI testimony unless the case hinged on it, and it wouldn't, since Freamon is betting on it hinging on (an illegally obtained) title-3 warrant to enter the phone calls, data and logs in evidence.

Two big "IFs" break the case for the prosecution: IF McNulty and Freamon get caught and IF the brass and the state's attorney and police reveal anything. We know Freamon and McNulty are busted, but will the BPD and the SA cover it up? My guess is most likely yes.

Donors Choose is at http://www.donorschoose.org. To specifically designate a Baltimore school, people should select advanced search, then choose "identify a community" and Select Maryland, then Baltimore City. Donors can specify "high level of poverty" or age level or anything else that they might want.

This is a great idea, but..

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland now leads the nation in foreclosures. Before Katrina, Cleveland was the poorest major city in America in 2005.

If you can afford to contribute money to Baltimore, do it.

But, before you send money to Baltimore, Cleveland, Gary, Buffalo, New Orleans, Huntsville or Hope, consider contributing some money to your own back yard.

The fact is that municipal school systems are underfunded almost everywhere. Even in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where I grew up, formerly the richest suburb in America.

One other way to support the Baltimore School System is to vote for whichever Democratic candidate wins the nomination in the coming days or weeks.

Only Democrats will spend less money arming our children and the children of other countries and spend more money educating them. If you do not believe this, just listen to John McCain wax rhapsodical about a century of warfare in the Middle East under US hegemony.

That's where our money is going. I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I can think of better ways to spend 40% of my paycheck.

..and that's pretty much where most of the jingoists stop. I believe there's more to it than that, but damned if I can remember with all this flag this pin that talk.

Can someone point me to the dress code in the Constitution?

Judge Phelan, duh..

That kid was the hopper that stole Namond's drugs in season 4, and subsequently got the snot beat out of him by Michael.

Why? Because he's a little psychopath, that's why. Much of the violence on the Wire is wantonly, explicitly senseless.

The kid was trying to light a cat on fire, for Christ's sake.