why couldn't I have been born rich instead of beautiful ...?
I feel ya. I've only been unemployed a few weeks and I'm getting a bit of unemployment, but I'm nevertheless feeling a trifle angsty about not having a source of income. I've had interviews with a couple places but nobody has fallen in love with me yet. I've been eating my feels a bit and my weight is creeping back up, but fortunately I'm still down 30 lbs. from my weight in October.
Last night, it was 99. It was 99 again this morning. After lunch it was 103. And just a little while ago, 94. I have defeeted diabeetus for now. And all it took was a big change in diet, giving up alcohol, and a metric buttload of physical activity, way more that I thought I was capable of.
I'm scheduled for a two hour diabetes education session this Friday.
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Sleep - the most beautiful experience in life - except drink.--W.C. Fields
So if anyone asks whether Elvis Costello still has it, the correct answer is "yes." We saw a strong-as-hell 30 minute performance from opening act Larkin Poe followed by over 2 hours of Elvis, a piano and a wide assortment of guitars. LP joined Elvis on stage for several songs toward the end of the set as well as the final encore, and the chemistry was top notch. EC is a superb showman and his voice is better than ever. At one point he sang the final strains of Brother, Can You Spare A Dime acappella and with no mic. Amazing.
10/10
Would see again.
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"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis D. Brandeis
"Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are." ~ S. Gecko
It's National Library Week and I think I've finally gotten the hang of this thing. All the cookies were finished by 3:00pm yesterday with just one or two gifts left to wrap. I even loaded three of the baskets into the car when I took the trash out last night, since it was cool enough. The sloppy toms I'm making for the pot luck are done and I just have a cake to bake tomorrow night.
The amazing thing about all of this is that I'm not exhausted and in pain. I was actually in more pain on Saturday night when we had a concert at the library and I spent a solid five hours on my feet working it. Baking was a doddle compared to that.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
It's a sloppy joe made with ground turkey instead of beef.
Sneaky in-between poster beat me to it.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
On Monday afternoon, four hours spent in jury selection. I was not picked.
Tuesday, selection continued. One juror was found to be ineligible. I got picked in their place. Was questioned about a number of things, it came up that I supported legalization of marijuana but I stated that I would not let that affect me. Apparently my response was acceptable even though others got removed for the same reason. After lunch, we listened to the testimonies of a number of Sheriff's deputies. Basically a guy came to the Sheriff's Dept and offered to work as a paid informant, which then led to them setting him up with some cash and a wire. He purchased a small amount of pot from the defendant. A transaction for 1lb was then set up and an undercover deputy went in to the head shop and purchased the stuff. Defendant is then arrested, waives his Miranda rights and names names, probably trying to get leniency. At some point in the future he realizes his mistake and tries to fight the charges, which of course is in impossible task at this point. But day ends with officers' testimony.
Wednesday, we don't get called into the courtroom for awhile. Turns out the guy changed his plea to guilty and case is over. but... we get put back in the juror pool and have to start over at 11AM. I got picked again, first name called - all in all five of the original 13 (including the alternate juror) got selected and impaneled again. This case is a domestic violence case.
I think you can understand this is a TW
We listen to the victim describe how she got off from night shift as a nurse and shortly after, her ex-husband came out of the woods near her house in a camo jacket and armed with a shotgun and a handgun (turned out later to be a pellet gun) and knocked her down. She screamed and struggled and even managed to get the pellet gun away and threw it down the driveway. He was able to drag her to the carport where she wrestled for the shotgun until her puppy came out and mounted the guy's leg which defused the situation enough for her to talk him into a calmer state. This led to her being kept outside in the rain for some time as they talked. She managed to convince him to leave slightly before their children were to arrive home from school.
Deputies came to the scene, took photos of the site of the struggle and her scrapes and bruises and what was likely his makeshift waiting spot in the woods. The suspect turned himself in the following day.
We also got a recounting of a time he turned violent during their marriage which the defense attorney really didn't want us to here. (we had to leave the courtroom while it was discussed.) It was never stated formally but it was clear in context that there had been some sort of no contact order put in place during or after their divorce and that the victim had recently made it clear that the kids (who had no contact with the defendant) were no longer to visit with the defendant's parents unless the victim were present.
We heard from the deputies yesterday evening and this morning while the defense called no witnesses. All the defense could really muster seemed to be nitpicking about about timing and expecting the victim to always be totally consistent in her story (she was up for 30 hours straight by the time she talked to the deputies) and a few weaksauce explanations that maybe the guns were for defense against animals.
The jury consisted of 6 women, 5 men and myself. We retired to the jury room and pretty much all agreed on his guilt though there was some discussion and a request for clarification on a 2cd degree kidnapping charge. Eventually we returned a verdict of guilty to: Assault on a Female, Domestic Trespass and the aforementioned 2cd Degree Kidnapping.
During the sentencing we learned from the perp's mother that he had an informal diagnosis of PTSD dating to his service in the USMC during the first Gulf War. The VA would not help as long as he was incarcerated. (However, after the sentencing, the DA told us that during their marriage, the victim had tried to get him to get help even setting up appointments that he then refused to go to.) We also found out that his cellmate d had just this Monday reported him making rather nasty death threats against his ex-wife when he got out.
The judge sentenced him to what seemed to be the maximum, 21 to 25 months for the kidnapping, 6 months for the other two with supervised parole to follow that. Additionally he is to receive medical and psychological testing and whatever help can be offered in that regard.
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Much of MADNESS, and more of SIN, and HORROR the soul of the plot.
and a few weaksauce explanations that maybe the guns were for defense against animals.
Yeah, that leg-humping puppy sounds like a real throat-ripper.
But hey, when the prosecution won't deal, defense counsel is stuck trying to defend the indefensible and preposterous nonsense is often the result. That's probably what happened here. In any event, sounds like you did a first rate job as a juror, YB.
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"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." ~ Louis D. Brandeis
"Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are." ~ S. Gecko
Motorcycle wreck Thursday. Idiot in Toyota RAV4 tried to make left turn from right lane, leaving me in the left lane no time to react. Impact threw me off the bike to the ground into oncoming traffic lane. Had I not been wearing my helmet, I would probably not be able to post this. I am typing one-handed because my left clavicle is borked and arm is in sling. I also have bruised ribs (autocorrect tried to make me have braised ribs), a large purple bruise on my left hip, and some minor road rash. The motorcycle is probably ridable, but stuck in 2nd gear because of bent linkage. The handlebars are bent, there is damage to the beautiful plastic (Tupperware), the faring stay is probably toast, and I need a new helmet. I was transported to the ERS by ambulance. The idiot was most apologetic, and seemed quite concerned about my injuries. Episcopal church employees witnessed the crash and gave assistance. Not once did anyone offer prayers for me, so I had that going for me.
Edit: I was going less than 20 mph, I know this because the traffic lights are synchronized for 18 mph.
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Sleep - the most beautiful experience in life - except drink.--W.C. Fields
I'll pray for you Ding. That ought to fix your wagon but good.
__________________ Old Pain In The Ass says: I am on a mission from God to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; to bring faith to the doubtful and doubt to the faithful.
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