I'm guessing that most of you are neither lawyers nor career criminals, which means that, like me, your most significant role in the criminal justice system is probably going to be juror. As Norm Pattis explains, this means you're going to be kept in the dark: When we refuse to let juries know the truth about the consequences of a conviction in a criminal case we hamper a … [Read more...] about Keeping the Jury in the Dark
Scattershot 2009-11-20
Random shots around the web: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been returning overhead photos of the Apollo landing sites. Cory Maye is getting a new trial. Steve Landsburg slams Krugman and then praises Krugman. Sounds right to me in both cases. It just kills me that teachers grade students all the time, but their unions fight anything that suggests some teachers are … [Read more...] about Scattershot 2009-11-20
The Public Option to Healthcare Reform is Stupid
Putting a public option in the comprehensive healthcare reform bill is a stupid idea. Note that I'm not saying that the public option is a stupid idea, nor am I saying that comprehensive reform is a stupid idea. Either or both of those things could be stupid, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm saying it's stupid to have a comprehensive reform bill and a public option. … [Read more...] about The Public Option to Healthcare Reform is Stupid
Blawg Review #238: Celebrating the International Day of Tolerance … and the NRA’s Birthday
"We tend to idealize tolerance, then wonder why we find ourselves infested with losers and nut cases. -- Patrick Nielsen Hayden "I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance." -- ColeridgeCue the music. The United Nations has proclaimed today, November 16, as the International Day of Tolerance. This came in the wake of the UN proclaimimg 1995 the International … [Read more...] about Blawg Review #238: Celebrating the International Day of Tolerance … and the NRA’s Birthday
Shoot Them In The Head
The anonymous multi-author blog Popehat has a lot of good stuff, but earlier this week, blogger "Patrick" posted some irresponsible alarmist claptrap that I cannot in good conscience allow to remain unanswered. I'm talking, of course, about his long-winded and poorly-reasoned discourse on the so-called "zombie apocalypse." Patrick tries to frame the debate as a … [Read more...] about Shoot Them In The Head