We may have been the only house on the block or maybe even in Louisiana to turn off our air conditioning and open our windows this week, but we did. For two comfortable nights with only a ceiling fan and our stick fan rotating in the bedroom, we slept with the windows open. We fell asleep to the night sounds of the Louisiana bayou country singing to us.
Yes, the days go hot. However, the cool front that dipped down from up north (thank you) lowered the daytime temperatures and the humidity to a tolerable level.
I learned something this week. See to me being able to ride my moped year-round also entailed mowing lawn as a component. Seems that is not true, My neighbor John pointed out to me that sometime in November we will mow the lawn for the last time in 2015 and not have to resume until May of 2016.
Yes, the days go hot. However, the cool front that dipped down from up north (thank you) lowered the daytime temperatures and the humidity to a tolerable level.
I learned something this week. See to me being able to ride my moped year-round also entailed mowing lawn as a component. Seems that is not true, My neighbor John pointed out to me that sometime in November we will mow the lawn for the last time in 2015 and not have to resume until May of 2016.
Mock Jury
Maria and I served on a mock jury this week. It might be a testimony to the justice system that the two combatants in this dispute, after almost eight years, preferred to submit to the whims of a "focus group" type of venue rather than risk the vagaries of an actual court hearing.
The case was a civil suit involving allegations of malpractice on the part of a doctor which caused the death of a young girl. We were presented with the facts of the case and asked to give a judgment and a settlement verdict.
The group was solicited through craigslist. I do not know how many they had to choose from but the twelve of us were a pretty diverse group. The notable absence was anyone of color. That could not have been deliberate since we were not asked what our race was in the application.
We spent close to two hours listening to the two sides present their case and then listened to the jury instructions. We came up with a verdict and a settlement in about three hours. Of course, none of us will know the actual outcome, but what was amazing was the seriousness and critical thinking that went into the process. Fortunately, we didn't need to have a verdict of unanimous consent and the bar was decided by the "preponderance of evidence", not reasonable doubt. I can guarantee we would have had a hung jury if not that latitude was available.
We meet in an upscale hotel meeting room in downtown New Orleans. Sweet rolls and beverages were at our fingertips all day. We received free parking and a check for our time. Best guess, this set them back three thousand bucks. Which begged the question, at what price justice?
Maria has a new job. Until the rest of her business has got deep enough roots, she decided to accept an offer to work for a local sewing machine distributor. She will not only assist in sales but she will be offering her own classes.
The case was a civil suit involving allegations of malpractice on the part of a doctor which caused the death of a young girl. We were presented with the facts of the case and asked to give a judgment and a settlement verdict.
The group was solicited through craigslist. I do not know how many they had to choose from but the twelve of us were a pretty diverse group. The notable absence was anyone of color. That could not have been deliberate since we were not asked what our race was in the application.
We spent close to two hours listening to the two sides present their case and then listened to the jury instructions. We came up with a verdict and a settlement in about three hours. Of course, none of us will know the actual outcome, but what was amazing was the seriousness and critical thinking that went into the process. Fortunately, we didn't need to have a verdict of unanimous consent and the bar was decided by the "preponderance of evidence", not reasonable doubt. I can guarantee we would have had a hung jury if not that latitude was available.
We meet in an upscale hotel meeting room in downtown New Orleans. Sweet rolls and beverages were at our fingertips all day. We received free parking and a check for our time. Best guess, this set them back three thousand bucks. Which begged the question, at what price justice?
Maria has a new job. Until the rest of her business has got deep enough roots, she decided to accept an offer to work for a local sewing machine distributor. She will not only assist in sales but she will be offering her own classes.
Reaching out to the Arcadians
She and her friend Linda are visiting the third member of the Acadian Coven, Milinda (Memi). Milinda lives in Sunset. This is that little town outside of Lafayette. That is the Lafayette of the recent movie theater shooting fame. Not to be outdone, Sunset made the local news this week when a domestic disturbance ended when a police officer and two women lost their lives. Don't you love guns? What would be on the news without them? By the way in hindsight, everyone knew the shooter had mental problems. Yet he was able to obtain the guns legally. Well, what the hell even madmen have rights. Right?
The ladies have sentenced us, (Linda's husband Danny and I) to a weekend of watching golf and football while guzzling non-alcohol beer and eating too much charbroiled red meat. It is a noble challenge to the male image. We will do the best we can.
The ladies have sentenced us, (Linda's husband Danny and I) to a weekend of watching golf and football while guzzling non-alcohol beer and eating too much charbroiled red meat. It is a noble challenge to the male image. We will do the best we can.
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