Is the insanity excuse getting old?

Ariel Castro was recently sentenced to life in prison without parole for kidnapping and subsequently ‘raping’ and torturing Amanda Berry (and fathering a daughter with Berry), Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight. He was sentenced to serve a whopping 1,000 years. As the hearing went on, Castro blamed his misdemeanors on him being addicted to many substances (like…

On Smiling and Spoken Word Poetry

When I finally returned home this summer after seven weeks of being away, I found something rather surprising waiting for me.  I suppose you could take it as a “welcome back” present from my mom.  The object itself is actually rather commonplace- one of those solar flowers that moves its petals when exposed to sunlight…