“Uruguayan president Jose Mujica will send to Parliament a bill to liberate the production, trading and consumption of marihuana as part of a package of drastic measures to combat crime which he will discuss with security area cabinet minister before making them public.” Read more.

What? Instead of building a prison-industrial complex as in the land of the free, with not only the highest number, but the highest per-capita number of prisoners of any country in the world, largely based on the victimless crime of possessing a plant that grows naturally?

What if they end up acknowledging the health benefits of cannabis?

Could be a slippery slope into sanity.

My son’s friend proudly pulled off his cap to show me his new haircut yesterday…

…perfect camouflage for an ugly scar from a motorcycle accident.

Uruguay may once again prove to live up to its official motto of “liberty or death.” Already considered one of the freest countries in the world in terms of economic and political liberties, the Uruguayan government has agreed on draft legislation that will legalize possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal consumption.

Meanwhile, prisons in Uruguay are at almost double their capacity, resulting in (politically motivated?) riots and fires recently.

What does it mean, in February, when you hear someone whistling Christmas carols or Happy Birthday To You?

It means the postman, on his motorbike, is nearby. I thought of this just now because on a mobile loudspeaker somewhere nearby someone is playing Christmas carols: Deck the Halls, We Wish You a Merry…

A friend of my son works in a filling station on a busy intersection of the Ruta Interbalnearia.

Yesterday he was a little shaken, having seen a man struck by a speeding car and killed.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I was. I have nearly hit pedestrians in the same intersection, when they step into the road without looking at either the light, nor to see if vehicles are approaching. The question is, how can you be hit by a car there if you’re paying any attention? Even if the light says ‘walk,’ don’t you still check for traffic?

Apparently not in Uruguay.