Musings of this paper's editor - sunnica's Blog - The Bakersfield Voice

The fabulous Jordyn

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:14:38 PST

Jordyn doesn't really like dogs. She's more of a cat person, but even in that, her affection is pretty particular to her own cat, Lucky, whom she has raised since birth.

So last night, as I was tapping furiously at my laptop, Jordyn came sailing through the door in her typical flurry of blond, exuberant fluffy feminine excitement. Think: Legally Blond, but not so airy.

"Wyatt was just out walking the streets!" she said indignantly, building up to the incensed crescendo of her point. "I had to get him back and put him in the gate!!"

Wyatt is our family dog. Any of us would have done it, but being the anti-dog person, I suppose she felt either magnanimous or superior in her effort to help a member of the canine family.

Accustomed to her dramatic flair, I nodded and mumbled my thanks, then kept typing.

**********

We finally poured concrete to increase the size of our patio yesterday. I told Rob that it was great but perhaps bad timing considering the impending rain. But it's poured now, and we have a huge patio. The dogs had to be locked on the side-yard for a couple of days until the concrete dries, else we'd have puppy prints in all the wrong places. There is no way for them to get out from behind the iron gate, which means that for the time being, they are reduced to pooping in cramped quarters in front of one another, rather than enjoying the entire pool deck and related various family areas to generously distribute their business in the way Medieval kings may have scattered gold coins to the peasants.

**********

I stopped typing. Concrete... dogs... iron gate.

I jumped from my chair and ran to the backyard, yelling for Jordyn to help me get Wyatt away from the fresh concrete (no matter how illogical it seemed that he could have left the yard to begin with), all the while wondering how much damage the enormous white Labrador had done to our precious new patio.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Wyatt with Jenny behind the iron gate, even as I was running around the pool to the fence that led to the front yard, where I heard Rob yelling ...

"WHOSE DOG IS IN OUR BACKYARD??"

**********

Not only does Jordyn dislike dogs, but she evidently can't tell a male from a female white Lab, and if it's walking the street, it must be our Lab. WOW. Wyatt has been in our family since Jordyn was 8 years old. She is now 17, and she put someone else's dog in our backyard.

The female dog was happy and willing to become part of our family and went enthusiastically into our yard. Luckily, Rob grabbed her before she hit the concrete.

**********

Forget what I said about Legally Blond but not airy; I think Jordyn has now earned that description, too.

My pride is on the "lane"

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:13:31 PST

My husband has a unique family. I can say this with authority after knowing them 20 years. They are the typical family in many ways: they fight, love, support, and spend time with each other. Nothing unique there. What didn't take long to figure out about them, though, is how important sports are.

In the way some folks may respect a Harvard grad or brag about having a doctor in the family, my in-laws respect athletic prowess above all other physical, mental, or occupational attributes. Former wallflowers in the family can quickly take center stage after a game-winning goal or making a varsity roster. After Jarret's grand slam, phone lines lit up and news reached relatives in Texas before his foot hit home plate at Centennial High School. It's like that.

You can imagine, then, the pressure of being a Martin. You have to be good. You have to be competitive. You have to be the best at any sport you play. You can't stink at bowling (just an example).

That's where I come in.

**********

All my life I played sports. I played AYSO soccer before anyone in the Martin family knew the league existed (they are Los Angeles ilk). I ran track for North High (no one in the Martin family was a sprinter). My athleticism, I am convinced, is what made me attractive to my husband. I think he looked at me and saw future generations of Olympians, or at the very least, children who were built for sports.

**********

So, I'm just going to say it: I stink at bowling. We are in a Sunday league that plays 26 weeks and culminates in Vegas. When my sister-in-law asked us to join, all I heard was, "We finish in Las Vegas," and I said YES before thinking through all possible repercussions. Had I used better judgment, perhaps I would have weighed my options: Say no and preserve my reputation as an athletic stud horse, or say yes and risk weekly humiliation, watching my stock fall in the Martin family like shares in Ford Motor Co.

**********

I stopped having fun last week when it became apparent that sports successes aren't the only achievements telegraphed along the familial grapevine. My utter and complete failure as a bowler has evidently become weekly fodder for long distance phone conversations, made obvious when, emerging from his retirement digs in Arizona, my father-in-law saw me last weekend and asked how "the gutter ball queen" has been doing lately.

**********

Athleticism aside, my team loves me. Because of my shockingly low average (the lowest in the league), I have the highest handicap: I bring 80 pins to each match. We are currently in 7th place of 18 teams.

Evidently, it pays to stink at bowling.

Former UT law grad Berg sues Obama, questions citizenship

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:10:45 PDT

You asked for it, and I found it! Here's what I could find on Barack Obama's citizenship question:

Here's the new stuff:

Philip J. Berg, a former University of Toledo School of Law graduate, has filed a lawsuit against Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. He's claiming the Illinois senator is not a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to run for president.

If elected, his selection to the presidency would cause a crisis within the U.S. Constitution.

"If we can't enforce our constitution, especially a candidate for president, we're in real trouble in this country, more trouble than you really want to believe and it's frightening," said Berg from his offices in Lafayette Hill, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia.

Berg, a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of Pennsylvania, filed the lawsuit in federal court Aug. 21 (Berg vs. Obama, Civil Action No. 08-cv-4083), "seeking a Declaratory Judgment and an Injunction that Obama does not meet the qualifications to be President of the United States."

Three qualifications must be met for someone to become president under the Constitution. You must be at least 35 years of age, a resident of the United States for at least 14 years, and a natural-born citizen.

Berg believes the 47-year-old senator from Illinois does not meet the last qualification. Although the Obama campaign states he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Berg believes Obama was born in Kenya. Further investigation reveals he may still be a citizen of Indonesia.

A school registration Berg has obtained lists Obama's name as Barry Soetoro, after his Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, and lists his citizenship as Indonesia.

Berg said Obama's mother sent him back to the U.S. when he was 10, and one of two things would have happened then. If he went through immigration, he would be a naturalized citizen, not a natural-born citizen.

"He today could still be a citizen of Indonesia and could be an illegal alien, which would mean he could not even hold his Senate seat from Illinois," Berg said in a cell phone call from Pennsylvania. "So, it's really important that we all look at his records."

Factcheck.org claims it has proof of Obama's U.S. citizenship. Berg has questioned that proof because the Web site is owned by Annenberg.

According to the site, the "Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels."

"That is a group where Obama sat on the board a number of years dispersing funds, so I would think there's a little conflict of interest there."

The proof, Berg said, needs to be in the hands of a judge.

"Senator Obama, if I'm wrong, prove me wrong, produce the documentation," he said. "If you have nothing to hide, stop hiding behind legalisms, lets avoid a constitutional crisis in this country."

Lucas County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Rothenbuhler, who didn't know of the lawsuit, questioned Berg's intentions.

"If it's not a vendetta, then it must be somebody challenging somebody's right to either privacy or questioning the information they've already received," Rothenbuhler said.

Did you name your GPS?

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:12:28 PDT

So ... let's hear it. Did you name your GPS? You know you did! Some are made by Garmin, some are Magellen, TomTom, but you undoubtedly have a name for your system.

Ok, so let's hear her (or his!) name, and the story behind why you chose that name.

Mine's name is Judy.

My son and I were in Cape Cod in line for our rental car, late to an event, and sweating the fact that were in an unfamiliar state and had no idea where we were going. When the rental car agency asked if we would like to rent a GPS, I said YES and we left.

We set the address and were on our way, and when the pleasant female voice told us we were heading in the right direction, Jarret said, "Thank youuuuu, JUDY!" -- exactly the way Tim Allen said it to the waitress in "The Santa Clause" movie. I laughed so hard that from that moment on, all GPS units were called Judys.

Your turn!

Wacky web site - sorry!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:46:59 PDT

From randomly locked posts to the inability to log hit counts, I apologize for how our Web site has been behaving lately. The builders (of our community of sites) are aware of and working on the problems.

I know it's irritating, but thanks for your patience during this time.

~Dana

Sarah Palin stops at Wal-Mart to buy diapers!

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:44:12 PDT

Palin surprises local shoppers with visit (Wal-Mart)
Daily Sentinal ^ | Oct. 15, 2008 | Kevin Kelly

GALLIPOLIS — Gallipolis Wal-Mart shoppers were at first surprised and then excited on Sunday to find a national political figure in their midst who was, just as they were, picking up a few things she needed.

Accompanied by her youngest son Trig, security, staffers and a small pool of news media, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stepped off the “Straight Talk Express” bus to enter the store around 1:30 p.m., where she purchased a bag of Parents’ Choice brand disposable diapers and a toy.

But it was also an opportunity for the first-term Alaska governor to meet the public at large and win some votes for the ticket on which she’s running with the GOP White House nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Palin did not have time to answer questions from the media following her trip through southeastern Ohio, but left some folks exhilirated at meeting her.

“It was so exciting,” said Pat Miller of Patriot, accompanied by her daughter Amber, a student at South Gallia High School. “She seemed to be very sweet, and if she could stop and take the time to buy some diapers for her son, it tells you that for her, family is first.”

Palin was to speak at a rally in St. Clairsville later in the day. After arriving at Tri-State Airport near Huntington, W.Va., Palin boarded the bus for the what would be her single stop for Gallipolis.

“I told the governor when she arrived at the airport she would see the most beautiful part of Ohio when she traveled up this way through Lawrence and Gallia counties,” said former Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who with his wife Fran traveled with the Palin entourage.

The other announced stop was for Marietta, and reports Palin would make a stop at the last day of the Bob Evans Farm Festival proved incorrect as the entourage was seen traveling north on Ohio 7 after leaving Gallipolis.

“I think it’s a great thing for us,” said Andy Fisher of Gallipolis, present with his wife Jo Ellen and daughter Ashley when Palin stopped. “She has a good Christian heart and will make a fine vice president.

“She really cares about people with special needs and she’s not afraid to stand up to big business,” he added.

“She was really down to earth,” Ashley Fisher said. “There was no ego and she treated us with respect, which sometimes you don’t get from political people.”

Chad Vegas & Bob Hampton!

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:55:31 PDT

The Bakersfield Californian threw its hat in the political ring Sunday and endorsed (surprisingly!) Chad Vegas and Bob Hampton, the encumbants, for KHSD Board of Trustees! I don't know about anyone else, but I about fell out of my chair this morning as I was reading the paper!

Any comments?

Read the article here.

Non-partisan chit-chat

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:04:02 PDT

Did anyone watch the debate tonight? Care to weigh-in? It's on right now, and I have to say... I like them both.

The only thing I've laughed at so far is when Joe Biden referred to himself in the 3rd person. I was just sitting down to write this, and I heard him say from the other room, "No one in the United Staes Senate has been as much a friend to Isreal as Joe Biden."

LOL I never thought in a million years that I'd hear a candidate speak about himself in 3rd person.

I love the political process. No matter on which side of the fence you sit, you have to at least appreciate that we live in a country where we are allowed to vote on our leaders.

So... what did you think of the debate? Does it matter what a vice presidential candidate says? Does anyone think that we should kick out the two presidential candidates and vote on the VPs instead? :)

Volkslaluf training: MAN DOWN!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:20:43 PDT

Rob and I joined a Sunday bowling league, which is a great source of amusement to our three children. They hadn't stopped laughing over our new Saturday ritual of enjoying our coffee and reading the newspaper in the spa before we pulled this new shenanigan.

"You're turning into grandparents!" they said.

Was it true? I had to mull it over, which itself is an act that mainly older people do. They mull. I didn't have my answer yet, but I would soon.

**********

Volkslauf training, Days 9 through ... who knows. The last time I went to official mud run training with my group on Truxtun extension, I thought I did very well. Some issues, though, began to arise, lingering issues that had originated on Day 1.

Day 1, ah yes.. fresh with possibilty. I hadn't exercised with any regularity since January, but that didn't stop me from the superstar, cross country, decathlete-type pace I maintained on Day 1. As you'll recall from previous entries, I paid dearly for my over-achieving enthusiasm. I injured my hip.

Besides injuring my hip, it became increasingly more difficult to make my 6:00 practices because Jaisyn is on Centennial's volleyball team. Her games were on 2 of the 4 training nights.

So, I couldn't go to official training, but that didn't stop me! I began running my neighborhood and hitting my gym in the mornings, increasing my pace and my miles, intent on keeping up with my Truxtun counterparts.

**********

On our second night of bowling (we're in a 24-week league that, ahem, culminates in Las Vegas), my already terrible bowling form took a turn for the even worse when I strained a muscle in my back. Who DOES that, you might be asking. Evidently, it's people who have a cross-arm bowling throw style that lends itself well to left-side gutterballs.

**********

I am not making excuses, I am still hoping to run the Volkslauf. I heal pretty quickly. I've been throwing a lighter bowling ball and trying to stay upright more when I throw. Maybe I could get a hip replacement and be in the mud in 10 days. The fact that I mention hip replacement, and that Rob keeps insinuating that if I continue to run on asphalt I will need my knee replaced, I'm beginning to wonder if the kids aren't right.

One day you challenge your kid to foot race, and the next thing you know, you've joined a bowling league and are chatting about hip replacements. What's next? Prescriptions and canasta? Is this how it begins? This... getting old thing?

Look out! Next thing is that I'll be getting tickets to old Motown groups and looking forward to seeing them at the Fox Theater. ;) If THAT ever happens, book me a room at Rosewood.

Goodbye, Yankee Stadium

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:11:30 PDT

The house that Ruth built.

Whether or not you are a New York Yankees fan, you have to pay just a little homage to this great ball club and the greatest collection of players that has ever passed through the game of baseball. From 1923 (think about that!) to today, players like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Roger Maris, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, and, of course, the Jeters and A-Rods and Giambi players, too.

Baseball... from WWI to the present.

The Cold War to 9/11.

Can't get enough of it. So long, Yankee Stadium and all the history that went along with it.

I'm a Red Sox fan, but above all... I am a fan of baseball.

For Sale: Anything Palin?

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:11:17 PDT

I was just listening to the news, and in a special report (more like an entertainment report), I learned that Sarah Palin merchandise is being manufactured (and selling!) at unbelievable rates! I think the news is curious--in that by all reports, this country is supposed to be experiencing tough times (or so we keep hearing), and yet buttons, mugs, shirts, undies (yes! undies!), signs, stickers, sweatshirts, and even a Sarah Palin $1 bill (for $10) are flying off shelves.

Matter of fact, have you tried to eat out at a sit-down restaurant lately? No matter the side of town you try (Outback, PF Chang's, BJ's, or Tahoe Joe's), there's always a long wait. Very curious spending habits for a country falling on such hard times. IMO.

I don't know... seems like a curious study in human nature Here's the article I found about the Palin mania:

Bev Flaherty, of St. Paul, holds up buttons for sale at her son’s store in the Xcel Energy Center. (Photo: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)

ST. PAUL — “Palin Power” may represent conservative principles and women’s ascension, but it could just as well mean purchasing power. After Gov. Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech last night, merchandise with her name or likeness is super hot.

The auction site eBay offers Palin pins, pouches and paperweights, magnets and mugs, caricatures and clocks, window decals and license plates, T-shirts and iron-ons. Rosie the Riveter revisits, and pink bumper stickers scream, “It’s a Girl!”

A 1982 Wasilla High School yearbook is going for $150. An autographed pass to a Republican National Convention event starts at $49.99.

Real estate in cyberspace costs a little more. A handful of Palin-related domain names are being sold on eBay, with starting prices that range from $500 (for PalinRSS.com) to $7,000 (for SarahPalin.me).

Opportunistic sellers are ascribing Palin endorsements to ordinary items. A yellow Sprint back pack is being billed as a “Sarah Palin VP back pack” (”look good while traveling”), and a legend knife appears under the capitalized headline “SARAH PALIN COUNTRY!!”

The demand for Palin merchandise underscores the velocity of her ascent. Marketers are scrambling to catch up to the woman whom Mr. McCain introduced one week ago.

Amazon.com is “temporarily out of stock” of the only Palin biography, “Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down.” Only 7,000 copies were printed this spring, and the publisher is now rushing a paperback edition.

Still, the Alaska governor has pulled off a remarkable coup, snagging a higher Amazon sales rank than the Democratic memoir writer she scorned last night. The Palin biography now sits at No. 13, while Senator Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope” is No. 26.

Governor Palin costume masks are not available just now, but they will be in a few weeks, said Jim Berg, co-owner of Twin Cities Magic & Costume Co. in downtown St. Paul.

“It’ll be a popular choice for Halloween,” Mr. Berg said.

He predicted some costumes will incorporate baby dolls and pillow pregnancies, while others will lean on hunting props, “everything from a weapon to dragging a bear over your shoulder.”

Source: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/for-sale-anything-palin/

September 11th

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:05:17 PDT

By the time some of you read this, it will be past September 11, and we will all move on again and go about the lives we are meant to lead -- good lives, happy for the most part and blessed beyond measure. But each year, even though I don't know anyone personally who suffered from the attack, I seem to mourn our shared loss on that dreadful day all over again.

I know everyone has a story about what they were doing when they found out, but mine is different because I feel like I took part in a haunting moment that had nothing, and yet everything, to do with Sept. 11.

I was listening to the Bob & Tom syndicated radio show that morning, and I will never forget it, as I am sure they won't, either. It was a "slow news day," or so the DJs said, as they rattled off one insignificant newsy story after another. Finally, one Dj made a statement that has probably haunted him every year since. He said, "What we need is a big news story -- another O.J. Simpson!"

It wasn't 10 minutes later that we began receiving word of the horror taking place in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

**********

All three of my children were in school, and all three were late that day as we all sat watching -- I in utter horror, and they in confusion and wondering why mama was crying. Thinking back to that moment as we stared at the TV screen in unabashed horror, those mental images now burned into our personalities in what is known in the science community as "flashbulb memories." In just the same way many of us hold a mental picture of the space shuttle Challenger exploding, so do we remember the smoke and the frenzy of 9/11 like the flash of a picture in our minds.

I wish I could forget, but in some ways, I don't think we are supposed to.

**********

My daughter, the high school junior, came home from Centennial today and mentioned that her history book already had Sept. 11th in it. What?? Already? I couldn't believe it. Wasn't it just -- wait. Wow... it still feels fresh, but it was 7 years ago. She had been in the 4th grade when it happened.

Turns out that Michael Phelps is on the cover of that book, too.

I am getting old.

**********

Thank you police, firefighters, EMTs, and everyone who went INTO harm's way when most people were running out. We, indeed, will never forget.

Volkslauf training: Let the excuses begin!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:25:23 PDT

Seriously, this Volkslauf training is a lot harder than I imagined. Wait, it isn't what you think. It isn't all THAT difficult once I tie my shoes, get in the car (more on that later), pin on my "next of kin notification" bib, and hit the pavement.

It's the getting there part that I am finding is my true enemy.

**********

Last week out of sheer curiosity, I set my odometer in the driveway and drove to our Truxtun meetup location. It was 7 miles. Calculate that it's a 14-mile roundtrip I'm making in order to put myself through dirt, ants, spurs, sand up to my knees, and 100 degree heat. That's 14 miles/13 miles per gallon in my environmentally unfriendly SUV, so not only did I pay a sizeable fee that only God and my personal drill sergeant know, but I'm also paying an additional $4.00 a day in gas to get there. I think that might be considered masochistic or lunacy at best.

**********

Days 5-7 went well, except for the Sunday I showed up over an hour early by mistake, so my new friend Linda asked me to join her in the "Body Combat" class, where young and virile Mike, the instructor, proceeded to punch, jab, cross, and lunge me to the point of noodle limbs. I had to leave immediately afterwards and couldn't move from bed the next morning. Linda, you're a dear.

**********

Today would have been Day (I lost track), but all day I kept forgetting (forgetfulness seems to be a recurring theme in this blog) to get gas in my car, so when I finally left my tract, I discovered that the fuel indicator line was edging jussssst past the "E." I was running too late to stop, so I felt energized by my new reason to skip training! I knew I had more than 7 miles to go, because there are no gas stations on Truxtun (have you ever noticed that?). I'd have to drive to Total Woman, workout in the 120 degree heat, then drive at least 3 miles back to a gas station. Can you feel how I was able to justify not going?

**********

I didn't go to my official training, but I am proud to say that I DID workout at my gym (less than a mile from my house---shout out to Fitness 19!) and learned that all of this Volkslauf training HAS made a difference! I was able to run farther and lift heavier weights than before, and I actually did my situps (prior to Volkslauf training, the last situp I did was a timed situp in junior high).

Afterwards, I dragged my weak limbs to the gas station then stopped by Heidi's Deli to pick up dinner.

No mayo, please. I'm training for the Volkslauf.

The Dean and Rachel Show is gone!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:36:02 PDT

Hey all ... I just found out some news, courtesy of Bakersfield.com blogs:

The Dean and Rachel Show is no longer. The morning duo on 101.5 KGFM gave their final broadcast Friday morning. Dean Novak said he was fired right after the broadcast, while Rachel Legan apparently was told to hang on until further notice.

All this after another morning show host, Brent Michaels, was fired from KSMJ 97.7 FM The Breeze a few weeks ago so the station could focus on a positive, brighter tone. Today they debuted Bob & Sheri, a nationally syndicated duo with a parenting bent to their talk. I can't imagine Michaels was exactly local radio's Grim Reaper.

KGFM’s general manager, Roger Fessler, would not comment on the D&R drop or the station's direction. He said the station will announce its plans later this week or early next week.

source: http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/sbranco/33224

As some of you know, Dean & Rachel were columnists when The Northwest Voice was first published, and their column was well-received by our readers. We wish them both good luck and hope they occasionally stop by this site.

What is the GU patch on NFL pro football uniforms?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:07:35 PDT

Here's the answer! I looked it up for you:

All the players sported a new patch on their jerseys. The new uniform item this season is to honor NFL Players' Association leader Gene Upshaw, who died August 20, of pancreatic cancer.

The patch will have the initials GU and the number 63, which Gene wore while playing for the Oakland Raiders. Gene Upshaw died at the age of 63. The Oakland Raiders will also honor Upshaw in their opening game Monday night with a video tribute, and a replica of the uniform patch will be painted on the field in Oakland.

At Giants Stadium, the Upshaw family participated in the coin toss to kick off the season. The New York Giants returned as Super Bowl champs and won the game that night defeating the Washington Redskins (NY 17 - Wash 6).

Gene Upshaw was the only player in Pro Football history to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. He is the older brother of Marvin Upshaw, who was a defensive lineman with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals.

Gene Upshaw played his entire 15-year career with the Oakland Raiders. After retiring in 1983, Upshaw became the executive director of the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) and held that post until his death. Upshaw was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 for his achievements on the field and as a union leader.

Upshaw's position as offensive guard (G) earned him a reputation for fiercely protecting the quarterback and leading the running backs on sweeps. He was affectionately nicknamed Uptown Gene.

Gene's good reputation for protecting the players in his capacity as union leader was not always without controversy. Upshaw dealt with one strike in 1987, and later negotiated free agency and salary cap provisions. It was also reported that Gene made dismissive comments regarding retired players complaining about their benefits.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1014574/nfl_players_wear_gu_63_patch_to_honor.html

Jury duty: Some people should not serve

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:11:46 PDT

The judge tells us during "voir dire" (the questioning of perspective jurors) that if we don't think we can judge a fellow human being, then we should be honest and say so. Nothing wrong with it, just let the judge know. But no one on my Kern County Superior Court panel of 12 jurors raised a hand during this questioning, so I had no reason to believe that there was a mole among us.

It did, however, become scandalously obvious when during deliberations, this person refused to see ANY evidence as acceptable and would see no theory as reasonable. From what this juror said, it is my opinion that had the defendants surprised us all by standing in the courtroom and admitting to the crimes, this juror would still harbor doubt.

This juror made it clear from the start of deliberations that nothing would change this juror's decision, which clearly indicated that this juror was already biased from the beginning --- in other words, choosing willingly to leave common sense at home. The reason I know this is because this juror said the following: "I know (the defendants) are guilty, but I just don't think the prosecutor proved his case."

What??

The prosecutor in this case could only have presented more evidence if the weapon in question could form a mouth and speak. The judge, habitually as pleasant as a bird with a worm, was noticeably shocked when the jury could not reach a verdict. From the look on his face, I got the impression he was almost too stunned to speak, wondering how we couldn't reach a verdict based on the preponderance of evidence against the defendants.

However, it takes all 12 jurors to convict, and that's a nice safeguard and a benefit of living in this free country. It is curious to note, though, that in this case, when the votes on one of the counts were split, only the jurors with birthdates in the late 1980s could not vote to convict. And it wasn't as if we were deciding on a crime as complicated or as horrifying as in the O.J. Simpson trial. By comparison, these defendants were angels.

To me, the inability to distinguish reasonable doubt from possible doubt signals a problem of greater import than can be explained by a mere generation gap.

There will always be possible doubt -- but, is it reasonable?

It is possible that the young jurors were not equipped to handle the pressure involved in making such a big decision, so they handled it the only way they were comfortable: NOT GUILTY! They created far-fetched scenarios that "could have happened" instead of paid attention to the witness testimony and the evidence found at the scene. The defense attorneys knew their clients were guilty but they wanted to win (of course, it's their job), and they knew exactly what to say to these particular jurors to place doubt where it didn't belong. In truth, they talked circles around these jurors, who didn't have enough life experience to ward off the manipulative attack. In other words, they never suspected they were being worked... and probably still don't realize it.

I suspect that a few years will pass, or maybe it won't take that long, and those few jurors will grow a little, learn a little, and perhaps even read the names of the defendants in the newspaper one day and discover that our jury probably made a mistake in letting them get by with a mistrial.

Or, maybe I'm wrong ... maybe these outstanding defendants will stop leading lives of crime and become law abiding citizens.

Don't hold your breath.

Volkslauf training: Day 4 (the Gold Bond Powder day)

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:46:13 PDT

Serving on jury duty (maybe I should rename this blog entry) gave me the perfect excuse not to go to my Marines Corps mud run training tonight. I still have all the work to do that I didn't get to while I sat there listening to jurors being dismissed for all manner of illegal activities (who knew that in 2008 it would be so rare not to know someone in jail or not to have a child incarcerated for the 3 Strikes law). Back in the day, we used to get dismissed for having merely worked in a law office; today, you serve on a jury even if your husband is a Sheriff's deputy. That is desperation.

But I digress. I did get called to be an actual juror this time, so I felt I had the perfect excuse not to attend my training. I needed to get home and do all my Northwest Voice work that didn't get done while I was serving. HOWEVER... I did not skip my workout.

I wish I had.

**********

After about the second mile of running through sand (it was a cardio day), over tables, up hills and down, I began to feel that pain in my hip from last week. I determined that I was dying. I wore shorts tonight for the first time, and if my thighs had rubbed together with any more fury, I'm certain I'd have burst into flames.

I took the short route today. Leigh lets us decide which course to run -- a double line indicates a much longer route (for our "I ran 11 miles this weekend!" comrades), while the single line is in place for those of us with a singular goal: to survive.

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I am forced to take the day off tomorrow, but I'll be back on Wednesday. It isn't every day that my friends in Lonestar come to Bakersfield, so that's where I'll be -- the Crystal Palace, exercising my vocal chords.

Volkslauf training: Day 3

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:02:04 PDT

Get a stretcher.

The morning of Day 3, I couldn't get out of bed. Day 2's activities (the weights, hill climbing, rubber bands, push ups, jump ropes, lunges, medicine ball, squats, and presses) took a toll on me. It is at this moment, as I'm struggling to pull the sheet gently off my arm, that I realize my age. But let's be clear: There is a 75 year old woman out there running circles around me. 75 years old!!! When I was born, she was 31.

I am spectacularly out of shape.

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Jarret's birthday is today, so with work and my Volkslauf training, 2 baby showers, and our amazing Pet/Shelter drive on Saturday, I wasn't exactly prepared on Day 3. Not only was I walking funny (Orlando, one of The Voice's graphic designers/ photographers called it my 'Pimp walk'), but I could barely turn the steering wheel. I would stiffen up sitting at my desk, and a wheel chair was in order after about 10 minutes of typing emails.

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So, I skipped Day 3 for physical and birthday-related reasons. I am also on jury duty this week, which is relevant only because at midnight, I remembered I was supposed to check the Kern County Superior Court's web site to see if my group number had been called. Guess what?

So, at 6:00 my alarm went off, but even before that, I had been laying there in a semi-conscious state rubbing the lactic acid around my shoulders. I had to take 3 Advil just to turn the steering wheel into the jurors parking lot today.

To make matters worse, I asked for a butter croissent at Starbucks this morning, and when I finally opened the bag in the jury waiting pool, it was one of those maple bars.

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Its only 11:00 in the morning, but Day 4 of Volkslauf training isn't looking too promising so far.

I WILL continue. It WILL get better. But lest I overdose on the gross amounts of lactic acid being dumped like raw sewage in the pit of my stomach, I will have to continue it next week when my previously neglected muscles have had a chance to recover.

Volkslauf training: Day 2

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:15:12 PDT

I don't know if I can keep up this pace.

That can mean anything: this pace with my daily journal or this pace in my Volkslauf training.

Today, it was circuit training --in a strength sort of way. It wasn't supposed to be a cardio workout, yet there was a lot of running involved. Yesterday, I felt something go wrong in my hip as soon as I returned to my car. Today, when I returned to my car, I could barely lift my arms to steer.

Can you imagine? I get pulled over by the BPD because of erratic driving, but instead of a DWI, they issue me a... DW...L? (limp) DW...E? (exhausted)

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Natalie, the new Southwest Voice editor was out taking photos today for an upcoming article, and I selflessly offered to take the pictures myself to allow her to join the exercising.

She declined.

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Today I realized that my strength is in my thighs. I can do any amount of climbing on or over anything, but ask me to do riceps push-ups, and I can do 2 of 10. Pitiful.

Tomorrow is another cardio day. Leigh, the drill instructor, advised us to wear old shoes or to be prepared to get our shoes dirty. Mud will be involved.

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At work, Teresa and I have a bet going for who can lose 10 pounds first. She is already 2.5 pounds ahead of me, but at this rate, I may beat her by Friday.

Volkslauf training: Day 1

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:58:11 PDT

"What was I thinking?"

That was my first thought as I saw about 30 people (of around 50 total) removing their running shoes to soak themselves in a swimming pool to "lower the body temperature" before the start of our collective training session outside of Total Woman near Truxtun.

I should have returned to my car the second I had to fill out a flag to wear on my back with my first and last name on it. It wasn't for fun--it was in case I became incapacitated and was unable to respond with my own name at some point during the training.

If you've been on Truxtun, or will be soon, at around 6:00 Mon.-Thurs. you will see a cavalcade of runners crossing to the park for a 60-minute cardio conditioning or strength training workout, all to prepare for the annual Marine Corp Volkslauf Mud Run held in October.

That's about 9 weeks and 60 miles (of weekly running) away. If I make it that far.

The Southwest Voice's new editor, Natalie Erlendson, talked me into training with her--said, "It'll be fun!" I said, "Will I be ready for the Volkslauf (I'd heard all the horror stories) by October??

Her eyebrows raised. "Ohhhhh yes," she said, but she may as well have added "You may be in a wheel chair afterward," for all the innuendo in her sly smile.

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I'll keep you updated on my progress. I'm going to pay the total fee due tomorrow to ensure that I continue the entire 9 weeks.

When I got home, I sat in the spa until my toes shriveled up into my feet.