Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[nokat]

2 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

I read an article a few years ago about how they get names for jury duty

That's so interesting, where they get names. I don't know why I get selected once I show up.

[emma675]

I never got called for jury duty until I bought my house and then it snowballed for a few years. I got called for state, federal, county, and traffic court (which I didn't realize was a thing!). I've made it down to the pool of people where they pick the 12 jurors but I've never actually sat on a jury.

My mom got put on a grand jury years ago and it was a big commitment. I think they had to be in court at least once a month for 6 months or a year? She actually volunteered to be the foreman of the jury and had to sign her name on all of these criminal documents, some of which were public. I was so pissed off she did that because our last name is very unique and she could have been easily found by an angry criminal/relatives/friends.

Edited September 6, 2023 by emma675

[nokat]

21 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

I read an article a few years ago about how they get names for jury duty, and it's never been just voter registration, as @theredhead77 says. Or the DMV. Those are obviously two rich resources, but since jurors are supposed to be selected from across the whole range of citizens, they also cull names from the tax rolls, from property ownership records, rental lists, unemployment recipients, etc. I've been a licensed driver since I was seventeen and voting as soon as I was eligible, and I've never been summoned once for jury duty. My husband's been called three times. A friend at a magazine where I used to work served six times, and she never held a driver's license. It's not just one source--it's a bunch of them. But somehow it's still the luck of the draw.

I had the census come through. They got a bit aggressive in having me answer their questions. I waited until they actually showed up at my door and I could select which questions to answer.

[theredhead77]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

She got on the radar by getting her citizenship. That's why I was saying what I did.

She was summoned during the 80s. She became a citizen in 1994.

My point is registering to vote is not directly tied to, or the only source of data, for jury summons.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

It used to be if you registered to vote, then the DMV in California. When I got my new license, I was registered, so I'll probably get a summons.

We both have WA state driver's licenses and we're both registered to vote. 🤔

[nokat]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

We both have WA state driver's licenses and we're both registered to vote. 🤔

As others have stated, that is not the only source. Why then, am I on a jury way too often? No traffic tickets? 

Edited September 6, 2023 by nokat

[nokat]

I just about had a heart attack. I'm watching weather channels and got the warning.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

@shapeshifter your screen name reminds me of True Blood (tv show)

I've never seen that show. 

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I think of the character played by Rene Auberjonois on one of the Star Trek TV sequels. 

I've seen a few episodes with that character.

But my screen name hearkens back to an OG Roswell character.

 

About jury duty:
Although all my information about actually serving is second hand, I've consistently heard over the decades that once you've served on a jury, you will likely get called and be selected again.

 

[nokat]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

About jury duty:
Although all my information about actually serving is second hand, I've consistently heard over the decades that once you've served on a jury, you will likely get called and be selected again.

I was wondering about that. Once they know I'm not a complete idiot they call me back again.

Edited September 6, 2023 by nokat

[nokat]

Back to jury duty, once you're called up to the jury box, you are asked so many questions. They can all look at your history.  Never been arrested, served on a jury before. I was watching the judge on his laptop.

[nokat]

18 minutes ago, nokat said:

I was wondering about that. Once they know I'm not a complete idiot they call me back again.

I added the L. What is it called,  malicious compliance.

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, nokat said:

As others have stated, that is not the only source. Why then, am I on a jury way too often? No traffic tickets? 

It's literally random selection. There is no rhyme or reason as to why you are called more than others. 

[nokat]

2 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

It's literally random selection. There is no rhyme or reason as to why you are called more than others. 

Here I was thinking it was my charm.

[nokat]

13 minutes ago, nokat said:

Here I was thinking it was my charm.

Why are you winking? I am laughing so hard here.

[Sweedish Fish]

I was summoned and chosen for Grand Jury.  After that -my name was picked from a hat to be foreperson. 

Great. 😕   Who me?  You're kidding, right?

It was interesting, but would not want to do it again.   It lasted for 6 weeks.

 

[isalicat]

9 hours ago, nokat said:

Any recommendations for winter clothes? I have a few fall jackets, but winter is going to hit me hard. I have my California winter clothing.

Assuming you are now living in a cold climate with rain/snow...get a parka, because umbrellas are useless if there is any wind and you want to have both hands free (particularly if it ever gets icy where you are) and keep your neck warm. I have a parka made by Eddie Bauer with good insulation and I've literally worn it for over 40 years - it layers over a heavy sweater for super cold days and has lots of pockets (interior pockets are a must!). It may be the most expensive thing you buy this fall, but if it a good one, you will have it for the rest of your life.

[graybrown bird]

At least 20 years ago, facing another Wisconsin winter, I bought a long down-filled coat ("PremiumDown") from Eddie Bauer.  It is like walking in a toasty-warm sleeping bag -- but the down weighs so little it is a floaty warm joy to wear.  It is the best clothing investment I ever made.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, isalicat said:

and you want to have both hands free (particularly if it ever gets icy where you are)

Yes! 

[nokat]

This wraps up what I think of winter.

Edited September 6, 2023 by nokat

[StatisticalOutlier]

This discussion got me curious about how they come up with the jury wheel (the list from which names are randomly drawn to be called for jury duty). 

The statute governing federal courts says names for the jury wheel come from either voter registration lists or lists of actual voters. 

https://codes.findlaw.com/us/title-28-judiciary-and-judicial-procedure/28-usc-sect-1863.html

However, the statute allows courts to use alternate sources in addition to voting lists, if necessary to achieve a fair cross section of the community where the court convenes.  Some use alternate sources, and some don't.  (See North Dakota, below.)

At the state level, I looked at just a few.  In Texas, the jury wheel consists of people who are registered to vote, hold a Texas driver's license, or hold a Texas identification card.

https://www.txcourts.gov/about-texas-courts/juror-information/jury-service-in-texas/

California uses DMV and voter lists, and also the list of people who file state income tax returns (Texas doesn't have a state income tax).

https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/Court_and_Community.pdf

(I'll note, however, that Los Angeles County's website mentions only DMV and voter lists, and not state tax filers.  https://www.lacourt.org/division/jury/JR0015.aspx )

New York state casts a wider net:

Quote

Potential jurors are randomly selected from lists of registered voters, holders of drivers’ licenses or ID’s issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles, New York State income tax filers, recipients of unemployment insurance or family assistance, and from volunteers.

https://www.nyjuror.gov/juryQandA.shtml#Q2

North Dakota also casts a wide net.  It draws its list from the usual DMV and voting lists, but also lists of utility customers, property taxpayers (but interestingly, not income taxpayers), motor vehicle registrations, and tribal registries.

https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t27c09-1.pdf

As noted above, some federal courts use only voting lists.  The District of North Dakota is one of them, even though state courts there go so far as to use lists of utility customers.  Here's a law review article arguing that the federal courts in North Dakota should mirror the District of Minnesota's plan, which uses voter lists, DMV lists, and tribal enrollment lists (leaving out the lists of utility customers, property taxpayers, and motor vehicle registrations, that the state of North Dakota uses).

https://law.und.edu/_files/docs/ndlr/pdf/issues/95/3/95ndlr605.pdf

Finally, I noticed in the federal statute that the Massachusetts District can use something called a "resident list" instead of voter lists.  Sure enough, every year, cities and towns in Massachusetts have to compile a list of all residents 17 years old or older.  That list, instead of voter or DMV or tax filing lists, is used as the master list for juries in Massachusetts, and indeed, the federal courts there use it, too.

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleII/Chapter234A/Section10

And then we have municipal courts, which I'm sure have methods of their own.

Edited September 7, 2023 by StatisticalOutlier
formatting

[JTMacc99]

14 hours ago, graybrown bird said:

At least 20 years ago, facing another Wisconsin winter, I bought a long down-filled coat ("PremiumDown") from Eddie Bauer.  It is like walking in a toasty-warm sleeping bag -- but the down weighs so little it is a floaty warm joy to wear.  It is the best clothing investment I ever made.

I bought a long parka type coat back when I was commuting to work. Standing on that damn train station and then walking from the train station to the office wouldn't seem like it was a reason to dress like I was climbing Mt. Everest, but it definitely was. 

Like you, I highly recommend making that investment. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

Perspective; A lesson

[nokat]

I wrote this after looking out the window:

 

There was a thick heavy fog this morning. It was a bit eerie because the trees were not moving at all, I couldn't hear traffic, and I had a brief moment of "did I die, and what the hell do I do now."

 

Yeah, just a heavy fog.

[Browncoat]

Y'all.  I am getting a big fat check (cheque?) from British Airways because they held us on a plane at the gate in Heathrow for five hours last June.  It took them long enough to process the claim, which I made as soon as I (finally) made it home, more than 15 hours after I should have done.  They did give me a meals voucher at the time, but I missed out on the hotel vouchers (they ran out!).  That was just as well, though, since they were able, at midnight, to get me on a 6:00 am flight -- I would have had barely enough time to get to a hotel before I had to return to the airport.

Woo hoo!  Free money!  (Sort of)

[Cloud9Shopper]

I cannot wait until this weekend to clean my house. The kitchen and bedroom are the biggest offenders, but I have not had a chance to do much due to being out of town, working weekends due to events at work, and then pet sitting all last weekend. 

(I do of course keep up with kitchen cleaning after dinner during the week but I need to tackle my pantry and the fridge to clear out old leftovers and any chips that went soft.) 

I swear I’m not a slob. Life just got away from me. But the mess is making me uncomfortable.  

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I bought a long parka type coat back when I was commuting to work. Standing on that damn train station and then walking from the train station to the office wouldn't seem like it was a reason to dress like I was climbing Mt. Everest, but it definitely was. 

When a daughter had to wait at bus stops in the winter for her job (before she bought a car) I sent her about half a dozen pairs of wool socks. She said they made a big difference.

[isalicat]

20 hours ago, graybrown bird said:

At least 20 years ago, facing another Wisconsin winter, I bought a long down-filled coat ("PremiumDown") from Eddie Bauer.  It is like walking in a toasty-warm sleeping bag -- but the down weighs so little it is a floaty warm joy to wear.  It is the best clothing investment I ever made.

Down is so much better than synthetic fillings, but if the outside is not water proof and you get into a heavy rain, the coat will quickly become a sodden mess. Do you wear a raincoat over the down coat, or does it not rain much where you are in the winter?

[chitowngirl]

One could acquire this puffy dress that SJP wore in And Just Like That! 😆 Of course, I would have it zipped up all the way and would wear gloves…

Edited September 7, 2023 by chitowngirl

[nokat]

2 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

One could acquire this puffy dress that SJP wore in And Just Like That! 😆 Of course, I would have it zipped up all the way and would wear gloves…

While I like the drama, I think I'll go practical. 

For those on the  East Coast, please stay safe.

[graybrown bird]

3 hours ago, isalicat said:

Down is so much better than synthetic fillings, but if the outside is not water proof and you get into a heavy rain, the coat will quickly become a sodden mess. Do you wear a raincoat over the down coat, or does it not rain much where you are in the winter?

This coat is for the seriously cold days -- 10 or 15 below zero up to 20ish above.  Maybe 25 above if there's an icy wind.  But if it's warm enough to rain, this coat is too much (you'd roast).

[Laura Holt]

I knew I had officially left my young adult years behind me when I went out and bought a puffy down filled coat and didn't give a damn if it made me look like the Michelin man.  I live in Canada and where I am it gets too cold to mess around with adorable jackets!

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Laura Holt

[oliviabenson]

On 9/6/2023 at 11:38 AM, kristen111 said:

Whaaat?  No Yankee Jacket?

Not a fan of baseball. Or paying a lot of $ for licensed merchandise. 

[isalicat]

3 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Not a fan of baseball. Or paying a lot of $ for licensed merchandise. 

I'm a baseball fan but entirely with you on not paying through the nose for poorly made polyester garments to advertise that I root for this or that team. And one absolute rule (I have for myself - everyone else, you do you) is that I will not purchase or wear anything with the designer's name boldly emblazoned on it, which rules out a lot of fine purses, for example (like Coach, Kate Space, etc.). If you want me to advertise your product, pay me!

[PRgal]

6 hours ago, isalicat said:

I'm a baseball fan but entirely with you on not paying through the nose for poorly made polyester garments to advertise that I root for this or that team. And one absolute rule (I have for myself - everyone else, you do you) is that I will not purchase or wear anything with the designer's name boldly emblazoned on it, which rules out a lot of fine purses, for example (like Coach, Kate Space, etc.). If you want me to advertise your product, pay me!

But not all designer anything have huge logos - some are quite subtle and I can’t think of many that do not have anything.  

[oliviabenson]

@kristen111 I’m not paying $105 for a ny Yankees jacket lol

[isalicat]

7 hours ago, PRgal said:

But not all designer anything have huge logos - some are quite subtle and I can’t think of many that do not have anything.  

Yes, and the ones that do not have anything are fine by me! Cole Haan, Cartier and many other great designers do not emblazon their name on the outside of their purses so I am happy to buy and wear their products (although not being a rich person, I generally acquire them secondhand on eBay...). I just resent paying for something that makes me a walking billboard for the maker of the thing without recompense. Pay me, darn it! 😸

[ginger90]

5 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

@kristen111 I’m not paying $105 for a ny Yankees jacket lol

As a Mets fan, I agree!

But, if it’s an actual MLB product that’s not a bad price.

[theredhead77]

For those who are Costco fans, they usually have a nice selection of licensed merch for local teams. I got an official NHL licensed "jersey" style hoodie for my favorite hockey team at Costco for $25 or so.

Hell, even Target has licensed t-shirts and hats at "Target prices".

Edited September 9, 2023 by theredhead77

[kristen111]

9 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

@kristen111 I’m not paying $105 for a ny Yankees jacket lol

I don’t blame you.  Everything is out of hand now, unfortunately.

[Ancaster]

On 9/6/2023 at 3:48 PM, graybrown bird said:

At least 20 years ago, facing another Wisconsin winter, I bought a long down-filled coat ("PremiumDown") from Eddie Bauer.  It is like walking in a toasty-warm sleeping bag -- but the down weighs so little it is a floaty warm joy to wear.  It is the best clothing investment I ever made.

They make me think of these

 

 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Ancaster

[Ancaster]

On 9/7/2023 at 10:30 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

I cannot wait until this weekend to clean my house. The kitchen and bedroom are the biggest offenders, but I have not had a chance to do much due to being out of town, working weekends due to events at work, and then pet sitting all last weekend. 

(I do of course keep up with kitchen cleaning after dinner during the week but I need to tackle my pantry and the fridge to clear out old leftovers and any chips that went soft.) 

I swear I’m not a slob. Life just got away from me. But the mess is making me uncomfortable.  

Anybody who can't wait until the weekend to clean their house is far from a slob in my book!  Remember to be kind to yourself!

[Laura Holt]

Just realized September is a month with 3 paycheques.  I know it's still really every two weeks but whenever this happens it always seems like a bonus to me 😄!

[annzeepark914]

On 9/7/2023 at 11:57 PM, isalicat said:

I'm a baseball fan but entirely with you on not paying through the nose for poorly made polyester garments to advertise that I root for this or that team. And one absolute rule (I have for myself - everyone else, you do you) is that I will not purchase or wear anything with the designer's name boldly emblazoned on it, which rules out a lot of fine purses, for example (like Coach, Kate Space, etc.). If you want me to advertise your product, pay me!

Sounds like my husband. No clothes with designer names and/or logos for him (except for a U MI hat, & a Detroit Tiger logo T-shirt 😁). I guess I'm the same, but I do have a wonderful cross body bag that I bought after rotator cuff surgery in 2016. Calvin Klein's name is at the lower part, it's never really noticeable & now I just checked & it's almost worn off. Can't find another X body bag with a magnetic closure top so I'm hanging onto this one (zippers at the top of purses irritate the back of my hands). Oh...and I do have a Nats hat ❤️🤍💙🤗

[kristen111]

So, being my Grandson is a freshman at Penn State, I go to watch the football game at noon today on NBC.  20 minutes to game time, it says the game is on Peacock today.  I quickly joined Peacock for $5.99 per month.  It has Poker Face, the Housewives, and some book club movie I wanted to see, so I made out good.  Right?  I don’t know what else is on there yet, but lots of sports too for the husband.   What’s with all these sports shows on streaming services lately?

Edited September 9, 2023 by kristen111

[theredhead77]

There is a fairly active thread about streaming services buried under

Beyond TV Shows > Other TV Talk > Everything Else TV 

 

[kristen111]

22 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

There is a fairly active thread about streaming services buried under

Beyond TV Shows > Other TV Talk > Everything Else TV 

I don’t mind paying. .  it’s all the info I had to give.  Personal stuff.

 

[Ancaster]

Ever since I've been aware of it I have thought Lululemon was actually Lulu le Mom - you know, a line developed by a mom called Lulu.  As a French speaker it bothered me that it wasn't Lulu la Mom (feminine "la"), but I let that go.  This belief was finally dispelled yesterday when for some reason I saw it spelled out.  I don't know what a lemon has to do with anything and I think I prefer my interpretation.

So there you go, my chit chat for today.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Ancaster

[annzeepark914]

I keep wondering if I should sign up for Peacock so I can see more figure skating competitions. There have been complaints from skating fans at various forums about Peacock. Not sure it's worth it.

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I keep wondering if I should sign up for Peacock so I can see more figure skating competitions. There have been complaints from skating fans at various forums about Peacock. Not sure it's worth it.

I have no problem with Peacock's figure skating coverage. You get the NBC announcers for Skate America, but the rest of the Grand Prix is sans commentary, which people on figure skating forums enjoy. They also show Euros and 4CC in addition to worlds. 

I get Peacock for free, but it's worth a 6 month deal for the skating.

[oliviabenson]

4 hours ago, kristen111 said:

So, being my Grandson is a freshman at Penn State, I go to watch the football game at noon today on NBC.  20 minutes to game time, it says the game is on Peacock today.  I quickly joined Peacock for $5.99 per month.  It has Poker Face, the Housewives, and some book club movie I wanted to see, so I made out good.  Right?  I don’t know what else is on there yet, but lots of sports too for the husband.   What’s with all these sports shows on streaming services lately?

Wait a bit and pay $20 a year on a deal. That’s what I’m waiting for.