Jury Duty Again

This is the third time I've been called in the three years I've lived in East Texas. I was called twice during the 10 years I lived in North Texas, and six times while living in Washington.

I've more than done my share of jury duty, and my attitude is such that any lawyer with half a brain will recognize it and excuse me from the panel. The last time I was called in Washington, I was asked by the judge during voir dire questioning if I had ever served on a jury. When I told him I had been on several, he asked if I enjoyed the experience. I said no, and when he asked me why not, I told him that I had seen lots of law being practiced, but not much justice being dispensed. I was excused.

What really burns me is the low number of Hispanics summoned. The Hispanic population is approximately 25% in Smith County, yet out of 300 citizens summoned the last time I served, during roll call I counted less than a dozen with Hispanic surnames. If jury duty was to represent a cross section of society, there should have been over seventy, so I have to conclude that either most Hispanics in the county are illegals and ineligible to serve, or they are not doing their civic duty.

If there isn't a somewhat representative Hispanic turnout tomorrow, I'm going to contact the paper and ask them to do some investigative reporting. After all, since almost half of those charged with crimes are Hispanic, they should have a jury of their peers deciding their guilt or innocence.

Just remember, if you are ever charged with a crime, your fate will be decided by 12 people who weren't smart enough to figure a way to get out of jury duty!

A Spring Teaser

The thermometer on our deck crawled all the way up to 72 degrees today, so I took advantage of the spring-like weather and spent most of the day catching up on outdoors chores.

I took down the Christmas lights, drastically pruned the weeping cherry, picked up trash and fallen branches from our last windstorm, cleaned gutters, removed and stored tomato supports and cleaned the garden, dug compost into the garden, filled the bird feeders, watered hanging plants, picked up two weeks worth of dog poop from the back yard, cleaned leaves and trash out of the septic tank pump housing, filled the treatment tank dispenser with chlorine cakes, and finished off the day by poisoning several fire ant hills. Now, the yard should be in good shape until the next warm day arrives.

I imagine I'll vividly recall all that exercise when I try to get out of bed tomorrow, but with a cold front moving in, I'll have some time to recover in front of the computer. With tax time just around the corner, I have to get all the financial records updated and ready to go.

Will it Come to This?

http://europenews.dk/en/node/38344

The author makes a comment about already being in a fight, and when you look at what has happened around the world in the past decade, it makes you think.

A Little Bit of Catching Up

I'm gradually getting over my annual bout with the common cold, but the weather today sure made it easier to live with. I spent about three hours reading a book and drinking coffee on the patio. Not the usual activity for the winter solstice, even in the sunny south, but who am I to argue with 81F. It will be cooling off about 15 degrees tomorrow, but even that is fine with me for the week before Christmas.

Even the birds are confused about the date. I finally got around to setting up the feeders and have seen very few customers. One nuthatch visited several times today, and gave me a scolding each time he arrived. I guess he doesn't know who paid for his lunch.

Speaking of birds...the baby whooping cranes made it to Florida well ahead of their normal arrival. Usually, the migration team has to take a holiday break and finish after the first of the year, but this time the weather was more cooperative and they arrived about a week ago.

The house is sure empty without Belle. The big, lumbering oaf was such a wonderful dog...funny, well mannered, gentle, loving, loveable, playful. There just aren't enough complimentary adjectives to describe her. She had a puppy mind encumbered by a body that was too old, too broken and too tired to keep up with her happy spirit. I'm just glad that we were the ones blessed to share her all-too-short life.

Grandma Got Molested at the Airport

November 6th

November 6th, has always been a day to remember, as it was my dad’s birthday and for some reason it was the one birthday I never forgot. Now, that date will be etched even deeper in my memory, but not for the joy of celebrating someone’s birth.

My first wife…the mother of my children…passed last night. Barely seventy, in a time when octogenarians are the rule, she was far too young to go. I’ll leave writing her eulogy to those who are more deserving and more talented, and will only say that the world is not a better place with her gone. Too many people will miss her kindness and selflessness.

The second loss of the day was our oldest Shar Pei, Belle. If those who believe in reincarnation are correct, somewhere a loving, happy, gentle, soul arrived on this earth the moment she left. Only minutes before she died, she found the strength to wag her tail when I stroked her head. She was a good dog, and we loved her like a child.

Be it human or animal that is stricken, cancer is indeed an evil disease.

Good Listening