Drives Me Nuts/Jury Duty

dRiVEs mE NutZ

I had jury duty over the last two days, though I wasn't, in the end, put on a jury. I did get on a voir dire panel, but there is no way that a defense attorney is going to let me serve as a juror on an armed-robbery case -- since I've had personal experience with that particular crime. (No, not as a perp.)

What drove me nuts about the experience was observing so many people in the jury room, waiting to possibly be put on juries, just staring into space -- for hours on end. Newspapers and magazines were available. Many people (including me) brought books. Some people even had their laptops. But these people sat doing nothing, except sighing from time to time. I don't get it.

"What do you do?" "I'm a brassiere salesman"

"What do you do?"

In this season of parties, this question is likely to come up, though many people find it annoying. It's as if the person asking is trying to pigeon-hole you, to reduce you to your occupation and, by extension, your social class and status. (Of course, sometimes it's just a desperate attempt to jump-start a conversation.)

A friend of my father's always answered this question by saying, "I'm a brassiere salesman," with a straight face. (He was actually an insurance agent.) He would then act bewildered or insulted if someone said they didn't believe him, and he would keep insisting that he was, in fact, "in sales -- brassieres". His message seemed to be "what the hell does it matter what I do?" He was a very popular guy, by the way.

I usually say I'm "an editor," which is true enough -- and just vague enough to circumvent any hasty conclusions.

The Moon Is a Strict Dominatrix

The Moon Is a Strict Dominatrix

I like this list of Unpublished Sequels to Famous Science-Fiction Novels.

You can find more such lists here.

Mostly Muppet Dot Com - Javascript Haiku Generator

Why indeed?

stay here, be naive
fly away home, fly away
why do I do this

Hmm. Not too bad for a Javascript Haiku Generator.

Dinosaur Sounds

Let's hear it for...

Cool Dinosaur Sounds. Turn up your speakers and scare everybody.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Way I Feel

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Way I Feel

On Saturday, attended the WFMU Record Fair in New York. Got a couple of world-music CDs. I can't believe so many people are still into vinyl.... Attended a luncheon on Sunday, sponsored by my son's school. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until I got there that it was the "Mother's Luncheon." I was the only male, but was welcomed anyway. I guess I'm an honorary mother now.... This evening, got accosted by aggressive panhandlers claiming to be ex-Marines back from Iraq. It somehow didn't ring true, despite a "Marine" ID card (that looked more like a credit card) and I didn't give.... The dishwasher makes a sloshing noise that reminds me of the sound I make while "vigorously swishing" (as it says on the bottle) with ACT anti-cavity rinse.... Speaking of cavities, we have lots of Halloween candy left over, though not the kind I particularly like. You can have it if you want.... Why don't I.... check-up on the state of the memeosphere....