MORNING ROUNDUP . . .

The United States Supreme Court has just ruled, in Florida v. Nixon, that it is NOT ineffective assistance of counsel for a defense attorney to concede his/her client's guilt in a capital case, particularly in a case like Nixon, where the evidence of guilt was so overwhelming that it would have been utterly laughable for counsel to argue innocence. In other words, defense counsel can stand up before a jury, weighing all the aspects of a capital case that must be weighed -- in both the guilt and penalty phases -- and say "my client is guilty, sure he is, but please don't sentence him to death." Is this zealous advocacy?

Yesterday, the high Court ruled, in Devenpeck v. Alford, that a police officer's valid reason for arresting someone does not need to be closely related to the stated reason for the arrest. In other words, a police officer can arrest you for disorderly conduct, for example, and those charges can later be dropped for whatever reason, but the arrest can still stand if the officers also had probable cause to arrest you for impersonating an officer, for example, even if they did not TELL you this in the first place when they arresting you. So does this mean now we all have to be mind-readers and be wary just in case there's another reason for us to get into trouble, and we just don't know about it yet?

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IS SHE REALLY? . . .

Ironic that the woman who has been portrayed as a money-hungry, greedy, self-serving, vicious, child-ignoring, nanny-abusing, husband-leaving bitch is named GENEROSA.

Oh well. She's dead.

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SHAPE UP, NPR . . .

Driving home last night, I tuned into National Public Radio to catch their take on the recent news of Daniel Pelosi's conviction and Scott Peterson's death penalty verdict. The studio announcer asked the reporter-on-the-scene: "We just heard about Scott Peterson receiving the death penalty in California. Why is that Daniel Pelosi is not facing death after his conviction for the murder of Ted Ammon?"

Long pause from the reporter-on-the-scene. Finally, her pained response.

"Because New York State does not have the death penalty."

DOI!

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NEW YEAR COMIN' . . .

NHF faces lots of change in the new year ... I HOPE TO GOD.

I hope we come to love each other more, scold each other less, be more gracious and generous towards each other. I hope we laugh and talk more, complain and grumble less, roll our eyes at each other never, and humble ourselves before each other past reason. I hope the immature grow up, learn to put their egos aside, be unafraid to try new things and step away from the things they feel oh-too-comfortable in. I hope the selfish become selfless, the busy realize they really aren't, the stingy become steady givers, the lazy get off their behinds and start pulling their own weight, the reactive learn self-control, and the unaware learn to open their eyes and see the world -- or even just the room -- around them. I hope the hyper chill out a bit, and the super-mellow get excited. I hope frustrations are overcome by grace, I hope arrogance is overcome by self-knowledge, and shyness is overcome by friendship. I hope people are prompt to gatherings, responsive to invitations and question, calm in times of hurry, helpful in times of need. I hope we come to appreciate each other's skills and talents, but not rely on our own so much that we take offense, or are unable to raise up others in place of ourselves. I hope to hear less gratuitous noise, and in its stead more passionate praise. I hope to see Christ made the center of our church, not us.

Present company NOT excepted.

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Reading: "Lucrezia Borgia," by Sarah Bradford and "Magical Thinking," by Augusten Burroughs
Listening to: "Love.Angel.Music.Baby.," by Gwen Stefani