This sentence from an article about Debra Nelson, the judge in the George Zimmerman trial, caught my eye:

The Orlando Sentinel described Nelson’s toughness by noting that she once sentenced a robber to 27 years in prison after he rejected a 20-year deal from a prosecutor.

This is not "toughness". This is an increasingly common tactic adopted by ( Read more... )

To ( Read more... )

No Science Friday again today because I just don't have the time and I have other things on my mind. Among those things is the NRA breaking its silence today in the wake off last week's shootings in Newtown. Since the gun control issue is one that I've recently struggled with, I was waiting patiently to hear what they'd have to say ( Read more... )

The arguments in the Supreme Court over several states' lawsuits against the federal government over President Obama's health care plan are rather interesting and go to the heart of some very thorny constitutional issues. Also, for those who choose to take a truly intellectually honest look at the merits of all the arguments, it can be a great ( Read more... )

Senate Democrats have refused to allow Senator Roland Burris, the junior senator from Illinois to take his seat in the Senate. The senator showed up to be sworn in only to be met by the Sergeant-at-Arms and security officers who escorted him to the office of the Secretary of the Senate, where he was told in a private meeting that he would not be ( Read more... )