We've had a rolling crimewave through our Oakland neighborhood (if this is not a redundancy) that included a fortyish black guy who attempted bathroom window entrance into a home two doors up about three months ago and was only deterred when the resident, a rather slight female of about 26, clouted him on the head with a wine bottle. The same perp, or at least one matching his description, was confronted by the bold spouse behind our house this afternoon, and fled her challenge. I must say that had I been home I would have cheerfully run down to block his only exit and there taken up the nice metal bar hidden in the bushes and then belabored him about the ribs. Thirty years in Oakland have quite abraded the white liberal guilt I brought with me from Santa Cruz.