Silence of the Lambs:

The New York Times reports that Tuesday will mark the fifth anniversary of the last time that Justice Clarence Thomas has spoken during oral arguments during a Supreme Court case. Thomas, whose wife owns an extreme right wing lobbying firm in Washington, is best known for staring at the ceiling in either boredom or extreme anger while cases are being argued.

In the meantime, Justice Scalia with whom Thomas shares ultra right wing political views, asks more questions than any other member of the court, averaging 25 questions per hour, peppering litigants with questions about the infallibility of the founders' intentions in creating the divinely inspired constitution.

Speculation about Thomas's many years of silence include his admission that he is self-conscious about the manner in which he speaks, an attitude he attributes to his experiences as a youth. Others, however, believe Thomas is simply following orders to keep his mouth shut or face ridicule at home.