Sunday, April 15, 2012
Not Again!
I can't believe I missed this awesome opportunity to participate in a festival of epic proportions! I mean, Old Town Clovis's Big Hat Days is the highlight of any Fresnan's social calendar. Oh well, I guess there's always the asparagus festival later this month in Stockton.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Some Questions
Some questions have come to mind lately as I've gone throughout my days planning highways. Here are some of the most important ones:
1. Since my grandfather was a professional jockey, does that give me horse-whispering powers? I think this would be genetic, right?
2. I know two people who are half-gypsy. If they got together at the same time and cursed someone, would it be like being cursed by one gypsy? If so, I think I have some uses for my connections.
3. Is it really worth it to vote this November? I already know California's going for Obama and there ain't nothing I can do about it.
4. Could I open up my own herbal medicine shop with products grown in my own garden? I think there are a lot of suckers out there who would pay $15/lbs for organic catnip (for recreational or medicinal use).
5. Is it weird that I want to go to Kansas this October tovisit my brother see Oztoberfest (a festival dedicated to the Wizard of Oz) and the last remaining munchkins from the movie? It's only less than a half hour from my brother's place...
1. Since my grandfather was a professional jockey, does that give me horse-whispering powers? I think this would be genetic, right?
2. I know two people who are half-gypsy. If they got together at the same time and cursed someone, would it be like being cursed by one gypsy? If so, I think I have some uses for my connections.
3. Is it really worth it to vote this November? I already know California's going for Obama and there ain't nothing I can do about it.
4. Could I open up my own herbal medicine shop with products grown in my own garden? I think there are a lot of suckers out there who would pay $15/lbs for organic catnip (for recreational or medicinal use).
5. Is it weird that I want to go to Kansas this October to
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Quote Unquote
An interesting article on Mormon history is found here, and I encourage you to read it.
From my great-great-great grandfather's history about having a family member arrested, imprisoned, and released for polygamy in the 1800s:
"May 18th 1888 I was arrested at Ogden on the charge of Cohabitation with my wife. The grand jury at Provo brough in an inditment against me Sept. 22nd and on Oct. 9th I pled Not Guilty but the questions put to the witnesses and the abuse they were put to induced me to change my plea to one of guilty, which I did on the 19th of October, and I received my sentence on the 27th to go to the Utah State Penetentiary for 75 days and pay the cost of the court which was $43.80. I served out my term in the pen and my experience there was not all unpleasant, for I formed many aquaintences and renewed old friendship with others, for there was about150 of our breathern there, and Brother G.Q. Cannon amongst the rest, and he was so good to me, God bless him. I shall never forget his many Acts of Kindness both to me and to others, I left the pen. On the 9 January 1889 and my family and Friends was indeed pleased to see me home again. The Saints of Santaquin Ward, made two feast to welcome me home, and the Sunday School Children and teachers Came to the Depot with Songs to meet me, and even Strangers on the train wept, as they felt the Spirit of welcome given me by the children, more love and respect could not be shown to me than was Manifested by all the people of the town, and in the midst of all the joy and gladness..."
Unfortunately, this type of harassment is not limited to the 1800s. My brother, who has a PhD in engineering from the #3 school in the US, was at a college for a job interview to be a professor there. The professors asked all sorts of questions, but most of the time they focused on minutiae of Mormon doctrine. Apparently, they saw the religion classes at BYU and started asking questions about it, most of which were biting and sarcastic. Why they were dumb enough to do that (it was only a second-tier school with a mediocre reputation), is beyond me because it is plainly illegal to ask about one's religion in a job interview.
I really don't care about the presidential race and want to hear no more about it, but I hope that Romney's chances aren't hurt by his religion. The Canadians, our friendly neighbors to the north, are confused by why it's an issue. So, why is it an issue?
From my great-great-great grandfather's history about having a family member arrested, imprisoned, and released for polygamy in the 1800s:
"May 18th 1888 I was arrested at Ogden on the charge of Cohabitation with my wife. The grand jury at Provo brough in an inditment against me Sept. 22nd and on Oct. 9th I pled Not Guilty but the questions put to the witnesses and the abuse they were put to induced me to change my plea to one of guilty, which I did on the 19th of October, and I received my sentence on the 27th to go to the Utah State Penetentiary for 75 days and pay the cost of the court which was $43.80. I served out my term in the pen and my experience there was not all unpleasant, for I formed many aquaintences and renewed old friendship with others, for there was about150 of our breathern there, and Brother G.Q. Cannon amongst the rest, and he was so good to me, God bless him. I shall never forget his many Acts of Kindness both to me and to others, I left the pen. On the 9 January 1889 and my family and Friends was indeed pleased to see me home again. The Saints of Santaquin Ward, made two feast to welcome me home, and the Sunday School Children and teachers Came to the Depot with Songs to meet me, and even Strangers on the train wept, as they felt the Spirit of welcome given me by the children, more love and respect could not be shown to me than was Manifested by all the people of the town, and in the midst of all the joy and gladness..."
Unfortunately, this type of harassment is not limited to the 1800s. My brother, who has a PhD in engineering from the #3 school in the US, was at a college for a job interview to be a professor there. The professors asked all sorts of questions, but most of the time they focused on minutiae of Mormon doctrine. Apparently, they saw the religion classes at BYU and started asking questions about it, most of which were biting and sarcastic. Why they were dumb enough to do that (it was only a second-tier school with a mediocre reputation), is beyond me because it is plainly illegal to ask about one's religion in a job interview.
I really don't care about the presidential race and want to hear no more about it, but I hope that Romney's chances aren't hurt by his religion. The Canadians, our friendly neighbors to the north, are confused by why it's an issue. So, why is it an issue?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Trail by Jury Selection
A couple weeks ago I was privileged to serve Sacramento County as a juror. Not a rural juror, but a regular juror (insert 30 Rock comment here). After an hour or so in a waiting room, I was selected to be one of the 30 jurors cattle-called into the court room. What followed was 6 hours of waiting to see if I'd be on the jury of an attempted murder case. It was nail-biting anxiety.
I tried thinking of ways to avoid jury duty. Most of them involved saying or doing things that border on the ridiculous or the offensive: phrenology ("He had the temple and eyebrow slope of a killer, he did!"), comments about racial hygiene ("You know, as I was reading in My Struggle..."), twitching or shouting things uncontrollably, possibly in German or Finnish, or dressing up as a celebrity - I was thinking of (bondage) Princess Leia or David Bowie (anatomically correct from the Labyrinth movie). In the end, after considering that my comments would be under oath and in public records, and after an unfortunate experience with a home waxing kit and prosthetics, I decided to go radical liberal and talk about Scandinavian prison sentences should they ask. For example, you can't be charged with a crime until age 15 and they really won't throw you in prison until your early 20s. Or that a life sentence is something around 12 years. I figured that would get a prosecutor to "thank and excuse" me.
When it was all said and done, and I didn't get called to be on the jury, I thought it was an interesting experience. I don't want to do it ever again, even if it were a B list celebrity as the defendant. But now I can say I've done my civic duty and share the pain with others who get called up. And write an awesome blog post, too.
If you don't talk to your Finnish child about crime, it doesn't really matter because they won't be criminally responsible until age 15. Have fun, kids!
I tried thinking of ways to avoid jury duty. Most of them involved saying or doing things that border on the ridiculous or the offensive: phrenology ("He had the temple and eyebrow slope of a killer, he did!"), comments about racial hygiene ("You know, as I was reading in My Struggle..."), twitching or shouting things uncontrollably, possibly in German or Finnish, or dressing up as a celebrity - I was thinking of (bondage) Princess Leia or David Bowie (anatomically correct from the Labyrinth movie). In the end, after considering that my comments would be under oath and in public records, and after an unfortunate experience with a home waxing kit and prosthetics, I decided to go radical liberal and talk about Scandinavian prison sentences should they ask. For example, you can't be charged with a crime until age 15 and they really won't throw you in prison until your early 20s. Or that a life sentence is something around 12 years. I figured that would get a prosecutor to "thank and excuse" me.
When it was all said and done, and I didn't get called to be on the jury, I thought it was an interesting experience. I don't want to do it ever again, even if it were a B list celebrity as the defendant. But now I can say I've done my civic duty and share the pain with others who get called up. And write an awesome blog post, too.
If you don't talk to your Finnish child about crime, it doesn't really matter because they won't be criminally responsible until age 15. Have fun, kids!
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