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I can't imagine it sucks quite as much if you have a job you hate that provides jury day pay. That's a thing, if your company is big enough.
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Not if politics are involved.
Bro! Your tea leaves are showing.
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I don't know how politics are involved, but best of luck to you. It's jury duty. It always sucks.
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Interesting morning...
I took Nyquil last night so I woke up with fuzzy Nyquil brain. When the scale said 179.6, dropping me into the 170's for the first time since 1999, my brain could not process this information. I checked to scale to see what was preventing it from registering my correct weight. I banged on it a couple of times. Nope. Everything was OK. I'm down into the 170's.
Jury duty today. I can't talk about the jury selection process without going far, far too far beyond the "no politics on FaWtL" rule, so I'll just say that I am displeased...
The one and only time that I was chosen, during my interviews with the judge and attornies I just kept repeating "If the cops picked him up, he's guilty"
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I can't imagine it sucks quite as much if you have a job you hate that provides jury day pay. That's a thing, if your company is big enough.
That was me about 7 years ago. I was working a dead end corporate job that had full jury duty pay. I figured it would be a good change of pace, so I decided to try to get myself selected and was successful.
Then I found out it was a child abuse case. I would rather not have had to hear all that testimony. I was glad to go back to my drab cubicle after that.
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My old assistant used to love jury duty. He only served once but he said it was the best thing ever. He even tried volunteering but of course you can't do that. He even changed to studying law in the hopes of being involved in more cases. I still wonder about him now and then.
I never get selected for a jury. As it turns out, I'm somewhat opinionated, and rather well-educated. Both cases I've been asked on had eyewitness testimony, and I came out and said that I did not trust eyewitness testimony, because memory is very fallible. Apparently, the prosecution does not like it when you cite scientific studies about how unreliable memory is in criminal cases before the trial even starts.
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I never get selected for a jury. As it turns out, I'm somewhat opinionated, and rather well-educated. Both cases I've been asked on had eyewitness testimony, and I came out and said that I did not trust eyewitness testimony, because memory is very fallible. Apparently, the prosecution does not like it when you cite scientific studies about how unreliable memory is in criminal cases before the trial even starts.
indeed it is. But as much as people love forensics, that is a particularly slow moving and still growing field. Then again, that may just be my dislike of nyc based alphabet soup cop shows talking.
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I was visiting Wales once, and we went to see a trial for our language course. The lasting impression was that of the people that were going to make up the jury, the only two who could read their own names on a sign without faltering were deemed unsuitable by the defense.
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+1 to that. Stay sane out there, NH.
Isn't that a little too late for that?
He's one of the FAWTLies after all...
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I served on a murder trial. It was very interesting, but the deliberations were frightening. I had to make people show me evidence for each of the counts -- real evidence, not "any woman who would cheat on her husband would kill him" statements. We had an exciting 11-hour 12 angry men thing with me being Henry Fonda. In the end, she was guilty, but we all damned well knew how and why. A couple of the other jurors even thanked me as we walked out to the car.
Moral of the story: go for a bench trial. Juries are... yeeeesh.
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Xcom: enemy unknown is a fine game. Intuitive, fun, and nerve wracking. Also buggy a bit, but solid, nonetheless.
Well, I have to admit, the judge proved me wrong.
Got there at before 9, the jury pool people started promptly at 9, and told us that 92% of us would see a courtroom (MUCH better than the usual 25-30% I see when reporting on a Monday. "Thanks for sitting on your butt in a boring room all day. Now go home.") At 10:00 am sharp, we started getting assigned to courtrooms. Very efficient and pleasant for my obsessive-compulsive self.
I went into a court with 79 other prospective jurors. The judge was awesome. "Here are the charges, here's how long the trial is going to take. Here are legitimate hardships."
For those of us who stayed for the hardship portion (already-paid-for out-of-state travel for me, to some backwoods called "Seattel" or something...), he explained that he brought in 80 jurors, granted 30 hardships, let each lawyer boot 10 (the process I utterly despise and wish were illegal) and then determined which 18 of the remaining 30 were best-suited.
Far, far more efficient than I've ever seen before, with clear explanations the whole way.
Would have been nice to see how he managed the trial (a quintuple attempted murder plus a felon in possession of a firearm, to which I gotta ask, "Work on your aim, much?"). But as it was I've got an out-of-town trip that can't be moved, so I was excused.
Honestly, working from home 5 days a week it would suck to commute to Hayward for a trial, but since I'm fully-reimbursed by my company for up to 10 days, I wouldn't mind doing shorter trials. It just seems that lately I don't get picked for any that are under 6 weeks long, and I can't be away from work and family for 6 weeks, much less commute that many times in rush hour traffic!
And for those wondering about the "politics" side of things, I simply find the jury selection system appalling, and the $15/day and $0.34/mile (one way) insulting.
The one trial where I was a juror was quite an eye-opener: Straightforward, honest, quick decision, all done in 4 days.
But the jury selection process and the downright insulting pay? I could go on quite the tirade on those...
Let's just say that when an under-18 McDonald's trainee makes more in half a day than you do in a full day, and you're paid well-below the government mileage standard (currently around $0.52/mile) and for only ONE direction, you're just being insulted.
Pay me nothing, or pay me decently. Don't throw some pittance at me to assuage your virtually nonexistent conscience and call it good.
What did you expect from the United States Government? Says a US citizen!
I've heard different reasons given for the low pay. Some say it's to keep collusion from occurring with certain long cases, others say it is to ensure people want this to be over with as soon as possible. I think it should be raised myself.
I don't think it should be any pay, but they should come pick you up, drop you off, and buy any food you want, as well as provide adequate entertainment during the off time if it's a multi-day case.
It's not meant to be a job. It's meant to be a responsibility.
Oh, wait. Does that count as political? If it does, they started it!
~shrugs~ If you keep it in the spoilers text, I don't mind (for the most part).
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And, at last, my finals are complete. God bless Spanish being easier than German.
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I get to work tonight, and play my new favorite game, 101 ways to tell people we're out of Pie Face.
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I love that game.
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I get to work tonight, and play my new favorite game, 101 ways to tell people we're out of Pie Face.
If you're still trapped at Toys R Us next year I'm SO flying out there just to give you **** so you can yell at me and throw me out of the store and appall your manager...
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I get to work tonight, and play my new favorite game, 101 ways to tell people we're out of Pie Face.If you're still trapped at Toys R Us next year I'm SO flying out there just to give you **** so you can yell at me and throw me out of the store and appall your manager...
~GASP~ Nobody would do that!!!
Everyone tells me that but no one ever does.
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Watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Netflix. This is some heavy stuff for a kids cartoon. We got actual discussion nf the ethics of using a slave army, people getting lit on fire and flailing around screaming before dying, wounded seperatists getting put out of their misery so they don't burn like the aforementioned poor bastards, good guys getting killed all over the place, people getting cut in half, and more.
I rented the whole series one disc at a time, and I thought it was masterfully done-- on par with the original trilogy, only about 60 hours long. And I don't really even like TV shows. The writing was that good.
Watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Netflix. This is some heavy stuff for a kids cartoon. We got actual discussion nf the ethics of using a slave army, people getting lit on fire and flailing around screaming before dying, wounded seperatists getting put out of their misery so they don't burn like the aforementioned poor bastards, good guys getting killed all over the place, people getting cut in half, and more.I rented the whole series one disc at a time, and I thought it was masterfully done-- on par with the original trilogy, only about 60 hours long. And I don't really even like TV shows. The writing was that good.
one of my all time favorites.
The homage ep to seven samurai was wonderful.
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Scint is at Star Wars. I don't get to see it until Sunday. Furthermore, I am still at work for another 30 minutes. So much Envy.
If you come in and ask "Can you help me find a toy that laughs" don't get mad when I say "have a look around, I'm sure you'll find something"
There is nothing about me that says "I'll be your tour guide, oh don't worry, take your time, over here we have..."
I'm trained to coddle stuffed animals, not people.
Scint is at Star Wars. I don't get to see it until Sunday. Furthermore, I am still at work for another 30 minutes. So much Envy.
is she the first fawtl to see it? If so, she carries the dreams of an entire thread with her.
Yay!
The panic shoppers are out in force.
No one knows what to get and expect me to pick it out for them.
Lol!!!!.... ahhh, no.
Not me, I've been doing my Christmas shopping at the last minute for so long, I actually do worse when I have more time.
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Might be seeing Star Wars in two weeks. If so, it'll be the first movie I've been able to afford going to see in... a really long time. Tickets are f@@#ing expensive these days, doubly so if you're living off of loans, temp jobs, and freelance illustration work like I was up until July.
Still, if everything works out, I'll be getting to see two of my five best friends (and the two members of my first D&D group that I'm still friends with) at the same time.
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Burglary update #3: no break-ins since the last one. GC is convinced that it's because of her new "lock some of the doors but not all of them" anti-theft scheme, but I'd venture a guess that it's because the thieves have realized that pretty much everything we have is f$~+ing garbage. Either that, or they finished their ship and were able to return to their home star system.
Ticket prices have gotten pretty expensive.
The theater here, to justify their prices, has added full size recliners for every seat, and a full bar in the theater. Kinda makes it worth it. I don't drink, but that's impressive!
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full bar in the theater
Where do you live? Big Rock Candy Mountain, or Valhalla? Please tell me so I can track down this place and live there.
We have a full bar theater within walking distance, it's as beautiful as you can imagine.
Too bad we can't get anyone to watch the kids, so we can go there, still it's nice to have it there, just in case.
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full bar in the theaterWhere do you live? Big Rock Candy Mountain, or Valhalla? Please tell me so I can track down this place and live there.
Jacksonville, Florida.
It's also not been below 50 all winter. Today was like 80. Seriously, I was sweating walking to my carpool yesterday.
I sweated yesterday too, but that might've been because I was wearing 7 layers, which was a couple too many.
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I may have shared this, by my wife is a dwarf monk. She's lawful enough to make Hellknights jealous, has a heck of a punch, and is REALLY religiously devoted. She's also five feet tall, so there's that. We've taken a long time to analyze this.
Sadly, we concluded I'm a bard with perform oratory as my specialty...I'm a Jack of all trades, repository of useless knowledge that is seemingly endless, and I don't really study or work to do what I'm good at like a wizard, even though I'm smart. It's been disappointing to learn, but I've accepted it.
And then, tonight, this happened.
Wife - What are you doing at the fridge?
Me - Looking for anything vaguely dessert like.
Wife - You mean like that cookie and cinnamon role I brought you home from work?
Me - Oh, yeah...ah, but that was hours ago!
Wife - So, you mean, you want second deserts.
Me (in my best Pippin impression) - Oh but what about second breakfast?
Wife (laughs)
Me - Oh no!
Wife - What?
Me - I'm obsessed with food, relatively lazy, and I form close friendships with people who are nothing like me. I'm a great big halfling!
Wife - OH MY GOD YOU TOTALLY ARE A HALFLING!
Me - Ah, man, I'm a dexterous, charismatic halfling.
Wife - I can see the charisma bonus, but dex?
Me - How fast can I type?
Wife - Yeah, but you're clumsy.
Me - No acrobatic skill ranks.
Wife - Yup. You're a halfling.
Today was cold tho, 5 layers just don't cut it.
Also the newbie at the service desk forgot to give me my break, so I'm seeing how long until I can't handle it. That way the last hour and forty five minutes (or less if I can make it past 8) fly by.
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Also, conversations like that are why I love her. You marry that kind of person. Well, I did at least. :-D
I just put the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated Movie in the DVD player. I should be able to watch 30 minutes or so before I have to head to work.
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Just remember that Nobody is paying for our Star Wars movie tickets.
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In a Hellfire Compact.
Wocka wocka wocka.
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It's all true, Gorteholek is especially fond of his, he's such a catty diva for a Pit Fiend.
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Rocket ScienceLance the Dragon Master, One-Man Pain TrainDespite All My RageSituation NormalTime to trim the pyramid again =)
And I am now actually caught up to as far as I've actually played! Time to resume playthrough and get this game going again =)
Nope, not done yet =) Just got busy with other things for a bit. More coming!
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Awesome!!!
I get off work exactly when the Star Wars countdown clock hits zero.
It's a TRAP!!!Awesome!!!
I get off work exactly when the Star Wars countdown clock hits zero.
You always say that, of course it almost always is.