Witless for the Prosecution

In February, I received my first ever jury summons. In Illinois, you have to call a hotline confirming availability; I did that, and a few weeks later I received a second letter giving me a specific day and time to arrive at Dirksen Federal Courthouse in the Loop. I filled out an online questionnaire and called the hotline again. I arrived Monday morning, April 21st surrounded by coverage of Pope Francis' passing, but also surrounded by over a hundred other possible jurors. 

We filled out another questionnaire, watched two introductory videos, and after sitting around for an hour we were all escorted upstairs to a 17th floor courtroom. We were introduced to the judge and sat through the basic details of a federal trial. At 10:45, after the first 16 potential jurors were chosen for interview, the rest of us were told to come back in an hour. I had back to the second floor commons, where I had an outstanding cheeseburger for an early lunch. When I went back up to the 17th floor at 11:40, I was notified that the trial had been cancelled, and to call the hotline again after 5. 

Lo and behold, I was summoned again. I arrived before 8:30 that Tuesday, sat around for an hour (again), and watch the same two videos as before. It was a smaller group this time, maybe 30 of us. Just after 9:30, we were escorted out to the hallway, then notified that we weren't needed at all today, and told to call the hotline again. At 5 PM that night, I was told I wasn't needed anymore. So much for lives in the balance; at least I only missed half a day of work.

If anything of value came from this experience, now I know where to find a good cheeseburger in the Loop.

Other notes:

+ This lapsed Catholic is relieved by the election of Robert Cardinal Provost to Pope Leo XIV. American Catholicism is steadily pivoting harder to the right, and Leo is both a Chicagoan *and* a progressive in the vein of Francis I. It's also a sideways rebuke of Trumpism, following liberal victories in (wary) US ally nations like Canada and Australia. 

+ Where are those low gas prices?

+ With that said... this is my 750th blog entry. I stopped writing weekly in late 2012, but if I had the time and energy and kept it up, I'd be well past 1,000 by now. On top of that, next month marks 20 years of blogging, both here and on CNet. I've always had a modest number of regular readers, several of whom have come and gone, but I'm thankful regardless that you still check in. 

Next time: my annual "mindset list."

(750)

Weekly Update #400

Here we are, number 400. My baseball preview is still a work in progress, but because I refuse to let down my regular readers, enjoy these random notes:

+ I'm not sure what to make of Pope Francis. On one hand, being the first South American pope (Italian heritage be damned) in an indicator that the Catholic church is budging itself into the 21st century. He was not considered a favorite for the papacy by the media, either. On the other hand, his political beliefs indicate he's just as reactionary as Pope Benedict XVI, if not more. What's most puzzling is that the former Cardinal Bergoglio seems to have a wildly varying stance on social issues, especially gay rights and same-sex marriage. Francis was quoted in a 2008 interview as saying "gays are the devil's spawn," but there's now evidence that suggests he's wavered on that opinion. (As far as other issues go, I doubt he's pro-choice or a tree-hugger.) Benedict XVI was a hardliner from the get-go, but Francis seems a tad more ambiguous.

+ Over in Illinois, the wheels are already turning on what might be a wide-open race for governor in 2014. Incumbent Pat Quinn has proven too ineffectual and doddering, especially with the state budget crisis, and he is no sure shot for the Democratic nomination. With Rod Blagojevich finally out of the picture, the future of Illinois really is now. The question now is, will the next leader of the state represent a Democratic Party whose leadership that teeter-totters between tolerable and reckless, or a Republican Party that has been splintered and unfocused since the George Ryan era?

+ Finally, as some of you may have noticed, my blog-writing has been a tad erratic of late. I promise weekly updates, but I've been posting about three times a month. Admittedly, these last few months have been very hectic; since October I've been juggling a 35 hour-per-week temp job, improv classes and the accompanying lengthy commute, and three family members with health issues. I don't want to make it sound like an excuse, but it has been time-consuming; I've been averaging six hours of sleep per night for the last six months, and whatever time I spend online is to check e-mail and test material. Things will get back to normal soon enough.

Next week will be the 30 teams, 30 haiku, I swear. Thank you for your patience.