New York City in modern times disheartens me. The sanitized, more orderly civic state causes trepidation. Maybe because my most memorable times were during New York’s criminal heyday, or maybe it’s the juxtaposition of working with cops today and witnessing first-hand the diluted focus of what modern policing in New York has become. Either way, there is an ever-present reminder that the bad ‘ole days weren’t really that bad. Much like the dramatic reductions in crime, I have no explanation for the change, except to say that there is a demonstrable difference.

Prepping for another run for the White House, President Barack Obama recently launched an "African-Americans for Obama" campaign to target Black voters. It is expected that the Democrats would work to shore up their Black base right before the president's bid for re-election. The dampened enthusiasm among Black voters who are facing 15.8 percent unemployment and rapidly declining wealth levels is also expected. The Black unemployment number is more than double that of White Americans, which stands at 7.5 percent. Throughout the Obama presidency, White unemployment has improved, while Black unemployment has gotten markedly worse.

The great fear a year ago when President Obama unveiled his budget for 2012 was that he caved to the GOP and Tea Party hardliners, and axed dozens of vital programs and agencies. The screams were long and loud from liberal Democrats that the budget slashes would tar Obama as the first Democratic president to do what no Democrat or GOP president had dared do and that was to slash and restructure Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The fears have mostly proved groundless. 

After resuscitating the carcass of the New York Knicks in his last few games , the Jeremy Lin bandwagon is looking more like a cargo ship. But rooting for him now is about as timely as just telling someone about these amazing Korean tacos (Kogi Truck) or Japanese-inspired burgers (Umami). You’re so 2000-and-late. In a league that has seen a number of Chinese forwards and centers, it was difficult for the basketball powers-that-be to imagine that an Asian guy could play guard. 

East Palo Alto will be the gateway to Facebook for many commuters and may be the future home of some of the 9,000-plus employees that are expected to work at the new location. And while the rest of the Valley celebrates the expansion of the new company that is redefining how the world communicates and uses technology – East Palo Alto residents say they see more of the same – another powerful Silicon Valley corporation that will benefit at the expense, and perhaps displacement, of their city.

New fires are steadily igniting in different corners of the Mexican political system. As the country plunges head-long toward the July 1 elections, clashes over candidacies, bouts of negative campaigning and a new spying scandal are lighting up the political scene.

Dallas resident Thomas Pak recently appeared on a local African-American radio show to offer an apology. The 40-year-old Korean emigre had been involved in a December altercation with a customer at his gas station in a largely black Dallas neighborhood. The fallout from that incident has since engulfed the two communities.

The Brits are in a tizzy. “What on earth do they know about cricket and curries?” sniffed Tory MP Peter Bone when he heard France’s Dassault had emerged as the lowest bid for India’s $10 billion jet fighter contract.  India is sampling the world, looking for the best bargain on offer. 

Had Penn State football coach Joe Paterno not been embroiled in a child sex abuse scandal at the time of his death, would his passing have brought about the same deluge of media coverage? If his death did not come just 74 days after his hasty dismissal by the Penn State board of trustees, would the story suddenly be reduced to the single dimension of mourning? 

I am a 27-year-old transplant from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I run a creative arts program in Richmond, California, live with my best friend in Oakland and have a wonderful group of friends. I like to think that I have reached a point where I am super comfortable with myself and secure in who I am. Despite all of this I find that I am obsessed with checking my Facebook. It’s like a sick addiction, this need to stay updated on everyone's lives, including people I barely know or care about.