Dodged THAT Bullet...

"Showed up for jury pool yesterday along with nearly 200 other Penobscot County residents. The usual fun and games. Hurry up and wait ..."

Guess the Fates weren't happy with my entry about the jury selection process. All 10 paragraphs are lost in the bit bucket. And, of course, it was all polished, witty, erudite commentary on the Maine Judicial Systems kinks and foibles (not to mention the hot menage a trois between the Baliff, the hot blonde and yours truly).

Short version -- voir dire for a major murder trial now being conducted took almost 9 hours and I discovered butt muscles can actually cramp in a 'Charley Horse'. Missed serving by "that much, Boss". Last lottery draw for 15 out of 37 spared me. Free until next week, when I must show up and go through the process all over again.

And So It Goes.

We're all hunkered down for some really nasty weather. Four inches of rain is predicted along with high winds. I find myself eyeing the trees, trying to guess if that limb or this stem will give way at 50, 60, 70 MPH?
The joy of living in a glorified beer can.

The leaves around the lake are turning colors rapidly. I suspect that the best of the color will be gone from North of here before Columbus Day weekend. Around Bangor and Downeast, west across US Route 2 through Rumford into the White Mountain National Forest, the Mount Washington Valley and across to Burlington, Vermont, all should reach peak for the holiday weekend. Southern New Hampshire and Vermont, Northern Massachusetts should all peak 10 days before Halloween.

Visited my doctor last week. He seems to think, barring accidents, that I'll live to see another day or two. He suggested I lose a few pounds, but I told him I loved my wife and didn't think I could handle a divorce. Har-de-har-har. Back again yesterday for a blood draw after 12 hour fast. I didn't realize they use the hour from 8 to 9 to get their s%&* together. The Doc's dog was happy to see me.

Hope y'all are safe and sound. Back to court on Monday. Then it time to emulate the Ant and quit the Grasshoppering. Winter is just around the corner.

Bah Humbug.

Drivel...

Well, as previously noted, I will have to report for jury duty next week. It will be the Superior Court "Traverse Jury" and, if chosen for a trial, could take up anything from a few days to six weeks of my time. Won't know anything until next Thursday. If chosen for a jury, ethics dictates that I won't be posting any particulars until after a decision is rendered. The procedures employed in the choosing the jury are not subject to such limitations unless the judge so orders, so I see no problem letting you in on them. I'll keep you posted.

Autumn has arrived in fact, if not by calendar. The weather is now typically fallish, with rain every day or two, breezy cool days in the 50's and 60's in between. Nights are in the mid- to low 40's now, with freezing temps in the works by the end of the month. The leaves of the swamp maples are starting to turn. Upland areas are still green, but there's a dryness to leaves on the trees that is starting to become noticeable. A localized drought has been an issue for the last few years in this county, so colors in Bangor aren't going to be anything to write or photo about, but up towards Moosehead Lake, Baxter State Park or over in Western Maine and New Hampshire, such is not the case and quite a brilliant leafy show is about to be staged by Mother Nature.

Don't forget - this Sunday, September 19th, is "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" So get your "Arrrr, Matey" in gear and join the fun. Screws with the local TV reporters whole bunches if all you do is pirate stuff all day long. Try keelhauling your local Weather Vixen.

That's about all. No joy on the job-hunting front, so likely we'll be stuck here this winter. That sucks, really bad.

Damn You, Facebook and Twitter. Damn You To Hell!

Bad news greeted me this afternoon when I opened up Bloglines this afternoon. Sad news. The passing of an era:

“September 10, 2010

Bloglines Update

Today, Ask.com let our users know that we will shut down Bloglines on October 1. Not an easy decision, especially considering our loyal and supportive (not to mention patient) user base, but, ultimately, the right one given business reasons simply too hard to ignore.”

 (ASK.com Official Blog – Bloglines Update)

It seems that ASK.com thinks that Twitter and Facebook are going to be the dominant method of conveying information for the foreseeable future, that RSS and blogs are a passe method of conveying information ... and by extension, anything worth saying can be said in 140 characters or less.

So now I have to find a new feed reader program (ed.: Done – Great News is an offline reader that will import ALL of your Bloglines feeds and allows you to read on or offline) and watch all the blogs in the world close their doors or admit they are antiquated. Yes, another sign that I am 'over the hill and twice as moldy'.

Are you ready for the coming apocalypse of the blogverse? Friend ShellyS tweeted her discovery of the news on one of her blogging blogs. She cites the loss of her Blog Roll as one of the major downsides for her. I hadn't even thought of it. Maintaining a blog roll is a royal pain in the ass, one I learned first hand when using the AOL Journals editor. There's no way I am going back to a line-by-line blog roll. No Sireee. Not me. Guess the blog roll is a goner, too. Then again, the coming demise of the blogverse will simply be hastened when no one can find my favorite reads.

Maybe it is time to join the mindless horde, ignore my privacy rights and issues about Twitter, MySpace and Facebook and join the rest of the one-line-lemmings.

What do you think? Is it time to close the doors here at The Daily Snooze? Are blogs truly moribund? Or is there a “market” for something more than one liners and mindless “tweets” about the quality of toilet tissue recently acquired? Can one actually maintain a blog with only a public library internet feed once a week? Truly, I am serious when I ask all fourteen or so of you faithful readers. It is only for you and my gynormous ego that I do this, after all.

Storm Detritus

Well, survived Earl. A couple of inches of rain in about 14 hours with just a little gusty wind. Slept through most of it. Had to go out to refuel the genny during the worst of it. Pretty much soaked to the skin, but needed to keep the big fans running to stand the heat. Mid to high 80's outside translates into a freaking oven inside the aluminum tube. Too much blowing rain to leave the windows open so fans are the answer. Too bad we don't have power - it definitely was an air conditioner night.

They're forecasting real sleeping weather for tonight - low 50's. Yum!

Unwelcome Visitor

One Forecaster's projected eye path - Image via AccuWeather.com.
We're inside the blue path projection :(

Overheard at the grocery store:

Woman 1: "Have you got clean panties on?"

Woman 2: "Of course."

Woman 1: "Good thing ... Earl's coming."

We've been hanging on every update to the track and intensity of Hurricane Earl over the past few days. As of this writing, looks like he'll miss us, except for anywheres from 2 to 6 inches of rain. Our fear, here amongst the swamp oaks. birches, alders, old pines and firs, is the potential for severe winds downing trees and tree limbs. Just another of the fears when living in an aluminum tube. So forecasts of heavy rains with relatively easy winds is a true pleasure, given the alternative. Still, vigilance will be maintained until Earl and Gaston have blown by.

Book of Odds - My Everyday Life: Wednesday - Letter From Afghanistan: Shaken to the Core

A young Vermont Lieutenant's exposition on a far-from-routine patrol in Afghanistan. Powerful writing. Gut-wrenching reading.

Book of Odds - My Everyday Life: Wednesday - Letter From Afghanistan: Shaken to the Core