I’m still here.
I haven’t been called into any courtroom yet and probably won’t for the rest of the day. I might have to come back tomorrow. If I wait tomorrow, like I did today, I’m going to puke at how boring it is waiting around. At least I’ll know to bring my laptop to get the WiFi – which I ran out to get during the lunch break to get.
I’m actually doing some work in between blogging so I’m not a total slacker. But I’m only responding to emails that get directed to me and nothing else since my laptop is Ubuntu and none of my apps run on it.
But its been nice to catch up on some much needed RSS reading.
I didn’t know about the perks for jury duty. Next time, I’m going to come prepared.
First, they pay you! Five dollars a day is the rate unless I’m here for four days or more and then its fourty dollars a day. I’m only going to be here two days at most so that’s an extra ten dollars I get to pay taxes on.
While you wait, you get to read, watch TV, or talk to other potential jurors. The magazine selection is pretty good with two whole racks filled. I don’t know if they are current, though. They also have several shelves with novels on there for one to read. You get to take the books with you if you like – its a free service they offer. Its actually nice to see they encourage reading and welcome people to take the books they start after their service is over. Of course, there are newspapers around and you can always find someone else’s lying around to browse through.
The facilities are nice, too – for a government building, anyway. They offer free coffee and tea, there are soda and snack machines in the room, and there is a cafeteria on the first floor. They give you a list of local eateries to go to if you can or want to leave for 10 minutes or so. They also have ohone booths – the old Superman style ones with the sliding doors – that people can use to make a call if they don’t have a cell phone. Using cell phones is ok while we wait but not in court which is SOP for all courts. The bathrooms are in the room we wait in so I don’t have to walk far if I need to.
If I get called to come back tomorrow, I will bring in my Ubuntu laptop because they offer free WiFi! I wish they told me about that sooner or I would have blogged using it instead of my Blackberry’s tiny keyboard.
So aside from the waiting, the process hasn’t been that bad. In fact, if I had my laptop, I’d be happier than a pig in slop.
Maybe I’ll grab a cab and pick it up on my lunch break…
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Now they are showing a video on how trials work and the history of the jury system.
Probably because no one is educated in the system as they once were.
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
I’m blogging live from the local county courthouse where I’ve been summoned for jury duty. This is the first time I’ve ever served. The other times I was called, I was in school so I was able to get out of it. Now is not a good time for me (but is there ever a good time) because I’ve got a lot going on at work. Yet, I’m still excited for the experience.
I don’t know what the day will bring but if I’m allowed to use my blackberry, I’ll blog about what has happened. Note that if I am used for some kind of a trial, I won’t be able to discuss it with anyone (or so they tell me).
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless
Homer had it right.
This holiday season, as I snuggle up to my wife in our new home which is being cleaned by our maid and furnished by stores like Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel, I can’t help but not be in the holiday spirit. See, I’ve come to feel guilty about what I’ve accomplished in life knowing that there are so many others who don’t have what I have. My wife will say I’m becoming a Democrat; I say I’m nothing of the sort. But while I won’t vote for robbing/taxing someone to feed someone else, I will look back on myself and wonder if I really need everything that one may normally want or “need” and, instead, do what I can to help out a good few who have less than I.
Continue reading ‘It’s True!! The Jar Is Empty! Christmas is Canceled.’
