The future of sustainable energy likely depends on the invention of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR), sometimes referred to as "cold fusion." From space exploration, geo-economics, and geo-politics to solving the world's climate and energy problems -- such a device, by itself, could revolutionize the world.

When Illinois became the last state in the country to adopt concealed carry, many on both sides were left unsatisfied. Chicago grandfathered in its assault weapons ban. Other towns of at least 25,000 had ten days to enact their own bans under home-rule provision.

Look, I get it. I was big into Ayn Rand too when I was in college. Atlas Shrugged is high on my list of favorite works of fiction, but it is just that -- fiction. It shouldn't be used as a manual for how things should be and the idea of a laissez-faire market cannot be applied to every aspect of life.

The election process has a direct impact on the outcome of any election. Those setting the rules can determine what outcomes are more likely.

In our first-past-the-post, majority-wins system, whoever gets the most votes in a district gets the chair. This gets a little insidious when considering the gerrymandering phenomena: the selective redrawing of districts, and, therefore, the redrawing of who gets elected.

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But, for he knew his title not allowed,

Would keep him still depending on the crowd;

That kingly power, thus ebbing out, might be

Drawn to the dregs of a democracy.

—John Dryden, “Absalom and Achitophel” (1681)

For John Dryden, and just about everybody else in the 17^th century, “democracy” was a dirty word. It had about the same connotation then as words like “anarchy” and “mob rule” have today, and all Dryden had to do to discredit the plots of his enemies was suggest that they might have been democrats.

As the debates roar on and a concrete decision looms nearer, opponents to the national minimum wage increase have spoken at length of its unintended consequences.

After the California Legislature introduced their 2011 plan to realign inmate numbers with the population capacity of prisons, the Californian correctional system has seen drastic changes. One of the most visible changes in corrections, however, is within the parolee population.

When realignment began on October 1, 2011, the system shifted the responsibility of monitoring non-serious, non-violent parolees to the counties.

Christine Quinn in 2012 // Credit: David Shankbone