Civil Responsibility
While I consider civil responsibility to be a lot more, tomorrow I report for Jury Duty at my local county courthouse.
Self-Importance
I know a lot of folks think that I have a big head, and in many ways they’re right. However, I have always found it very important to participate in our government and judicial system as much as possible. I take exception to folks that think they are too busy or too important to serve on a jury.
I have some strong reservations about our judicial system, but I also don’t have any better alternatives, so I participate enthusiastically when called.
Current Knitting
Earlier this week I finished the back of the Bulky Lavold-inspired pullover.
Sorry for the poor photo quality, but the garment is going to look very nice. It’s soft and much more colorful than my camera will capture. I think it has a nice drape for a bulky knit as well.
Since I didn’t bring my hem stitch pattern with me, I had to resume work on the colorblock cardigan. I didn’t make enough progress to provide a picture.
Current Reading
I don’t know if this book is representative of all Pulitzer Prize winning books, but if it is, I want to read more.
Middlesex
I give this book my highest recommendation, so if you’ve read it and didn’t like it, you probably wouldn’t like many of my reading choices.
Readers’ Comments/Questions
Barb B. writes, “I thought you were knitting a scarf? when did it turn into a sweater?”
I was crocheting a scarf and knitting the bottom of a sweater. Even though the Lavold stitch pattern was long and narrow, it was always meant to be a sweater. I guess that’s what I get for working on multiple projects.
bjrest asks, “Will you be attending the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival?”
No, not this year. Despite my distaste for last year’s crowds, I will probably go back to Rhinebeck this year, and I try to limit myself to one or the other each year.
Sweater is gorge. Just take your knitting to jury duty. A paperback novel wouldn’t hurt either. For me, jury duty is an utter waste of time; my background as a lawyer (criminal lawyers hate me b/c I interned for 2 federal law enforcement agencies; plaintiffs’ lawyers hate me because I did defense work for a big company with product liability claims) so I always sit there all day only to get disqualified.
Delurking here. I read Middlesex a couple of years ago and loved it. I am so glad to see that someone else loved it as much as I did. I love books that haunt me for weeks. if youo haven’t read Sebastian Faulks try him. Birdsong is wonderful. Thanks for all the knitting info, I have learned so much.
Good for you! I feel the same way about participating in jury duty. I have always said, if I am ever in the position of standing trial (unjustly of course, I don’t really break any laws except speeding), I want honest, hard working people with open minds on the jury. The only way that happens, is if we serve when called. Plus, the added bonus of all that down time is time to knit (when on jury duty, I had not taken up knitting, so I read ‘No Exit’ over and over until the trial was done….I was a brooding 23 at the time, so it worked well.
Umpty zillion years ago (late 1970’s) Connecticut had you on Jury Duty for a month, 4 days per week. I got a sweater knit 🙂
Went this last October in Massachusetts and the whole pool was dismissed at 10:30 because everybody settled. Got a square knit for Warm Up America.
I’d rather have a jury than some politically appointed turkey wearing a black robe judge me. (gee, can you tell I worked a few years in a Mass. District Court??)
One of my biggest peeves are people who try to wiggle out of jury duty with lame excuses. I had a huge argument with a coworker who thought women with kids under 3 shouldn’t have to go. Isn’t that a whole demographic that would be missing from a trial of peers? If she can work is jury duty that different?
If someone works and has child care already in place, yeah, that’s pretty lame. However, if you are a stay-at-home like myself, it is next to impossible to find temporary short-term child care for a few kids under 3. Especially when the county pays you a measly $9 a day. (You may well pay more than $9 an HOUR for babysitting, if you can find it — which is a big if.) Not that there should be a blanket exclusion, though; it would be easy enough to deal with that on a case by case basis.
While you’re in Rhinebeck you should swing by the CIA (south in Hyde Park) and visit for dinner!
YOU have a big head?
to me (and I don’t even know you except thru this blog), you are down to earth, humble, self-aware, and confident. if these traits are indicative of a BIG HEAD, well, more power to ya!
I have never had that impression of you.
confidence in oneself rules!
Big-headed? That says to me that you have a large brain. And possibly a larger ego, which is why I love ya.
I have never been called for jury duty, ever. I have no idea why, since in NJ, you’re picked by your driver’s license. I would happily serve on a jury, any time.
Going to CIA for dinner is a great idea. I’ve often passed it and thought how nice it would be to try the students’ cooking.
In Baltimore, we have “one day, one trial”, so if you don’t get picked, you go home and wait to get called the next year. I never get chosen, so it is a day off for me, but much less enjoyable since we are no longer allowed to take dangerous knitting needles into the jury room.
rosesmama
By appearing for jury duty and participating, you will be taking part in the most basic form of tort reform (assuming that you are put on a civil jury). The thing no one every mentions about frivolous lawsuits is that it is the jury that awards the damages. If we have responsible jurors, then the system works. Unfortunately, many intellegent people work hard to avoid jury duty and really dumb down jury pools. This is as much a part of civic duty as voting, in my opinion. I appreciate your participation and support for governmental processes, even though I don’t always agree with your point of view. At least you have one, and use it. Bev
Oh, Bev, you rock. As a lawyer, it drives me crazy to hear about tort reform, when the two simplest ways to stop frivolous lawsuits are (1) for people to stop going to lawyers every time they break a toenail in the hope of getting “free money” and (2) for jurors to seriously think about the evidence and actual damages and find for the defendant if that’s what’s fair.
Did someone say CIA? My nephew and his partner are both CIA graduates. They visit their mother (my sis) for Christmas every year and fix dinner.
Let me tell you… YUM!
Do follow Glen’s advice and have dinner at the CIA!
While you are waiting to be called, see if you can get your hands on the new Interweave Knits (Summer, 2007) so you can give us your opinion. My absolute first thought after I saw this was…I wonder what Queer Joe will have to say about THIS??? Let’s just say…I hope Eunny can do better…