Sum of my runs...

Leaves turning and falling
cover the trails.
Squirrels fattened
for the Winter.
Eyes in the dark
shine back from the beam.

Notice is taken,
but an audience is not given.

Special drinking edition...

This is a special post in reply to a request from Zog to delve into the particulars of a certain visit to a certain establishment that sells beverages of a certain style.*

Brewery: Black Sheep Brewery
Beer: Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale
Appearance: Dark like the color of soda, but without the bubbles.
Thoughts: Very smooth and drinkable. It reminds me of an O'Hara's Celtic Stout quite a bit because of the smoothness. Definitely something I could sit back and relax with. I highly recommend it. Just to get all of my plugs in: I would also recommend Black Sheep's, Black Sheep Ale . It is not as strong, but still one of the beers I have enjoyed the most overall. And one more: Gray's Brewing Companies ' Oatmeal Stout. As they put it: "Big. Black. Bold." Yes. Yes it is, and quite good at that.

Zog, if you can find any of the beers mentioned above, try them. It will most definitely not be a waste of money. If you have questions leave them in the comments.

*This a post about one of the two beers I purchased at Binny's while near Chicago. I have another one, but just noticed it is an Imperial Stout and not a regular Stout. Instead of bashing the Imperial, something I know I won't like, I will let it go and drink it later.

Playing fire from your speaker...

Have you ever wondered what a sound waves look like? Apparently, there is this thing called a Rubens' Tube that will allow a visual representation. In 1904, Heinrich Rubens sealed a tube on both ends, drilled a series of equidistant holes along one side of the tube and allowed gas to enter from the side one of the seals. This tube allows for a visual representation of sound when the gas comes out of the drilled holes is lit and sound is made from one side of the tube. It works so well that someone using this device could easily measure the length of a sound wave when kept at a constant pitch. Here is a link to a video of the device.

Warm hands...more giving...

If you want someone to give you something warm their hands. Apparently, it will warm their heart and make them more giving. The story doesn't explain how you walk up to someone on the street and warm their hands, but I guess that will be their next study.

Off Topic...Jury Duty Day Two...

This is a continuation of the post from yesterday.

On the second day of jury duty, everything went exactly the same, except we did not get the pleasure of watching the bad 80s film. This time though, I was seated as a member of the jury. It was clearly stated that the members of the jury were there to determine the facts of the case from what was presented. I am not going to go into detail regarding the particular trial I was on, but suffice to say one or both sides was/were probably lying. There was a possibility that different perspectives created different stories, but somewhere in the middle was the truth and without certainties we could not convict. It was a criminal case, which means the jury must find "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant was guilty as charged. The Attorneys for both sides presented their cases and as this is the part that is usually seen in shows like Law and Order , I will exclude a description. Likewise is the giving of the verdict in court. In between is the jury deliberation. I work with Attorneys who are very curious about this part of the trail because they rarely, if ever, get to see what happens behind the closed doors of the jury's chambers. A foreperson is chosen or, basically, whoever is willing to volunteer. Our foreperson, went through all of the jury instructions and pulled out the statements of law and we deliberated as to whether the incidents were against the law as stated. Most laws have more than one criteria that must be met to be considered breaking the law. In our case one criterion was met, but another was not, thusly, the defendant did not break the law, as written.

My overall thought for the day was that if I ever had to go through the process I feel my rights would be protected because there are so many procedures to ensure things are done fairly and justly. Although I feel this way about how things might go as participant of trial, I don't have the same optimistic thoughts as part of a jury. Being in the jury pool and as part of a jury my biggest complaint would have to be how long things took to complete. I would prefer a streamlined process that was more efficient. It was a very informative day that gave me confidence in the system, except to know that by lying/or remembering a different series of events anyone can get off.

Off Topic...Jury Duty Day One...

Per a comment from an earlier post, I am expanding upon my experience of jury duty and the process. My experience comes from one day of waiting for 2.5 hours and not being picked for a jury, and another day of waiting for a little bit less time and be selected for a jury. In the end, it was very interesting to understand how our judicial system works with a hands-on experience.

The first day of jury duty I was a little bit apprehensive because it was something I had never done before. Trying to find where to park downtown, entering the courthouse through the correct door, finding the correct room after entering, and what was expected of me upon entering said room. Figuring out where to go was easier than expected. Upon entering the jury waiting room, as expected, I checked in and grabbed a seat to await further instruction. Then, the County Clerk introduced herself, welcomed, thanked everyone for coming, and started an instructional movie about the Judicial system. This movie, as you might expect, was taped in the 80s and very informative, but will not be winning an award. Then, those who had not had jury duty earlier in the week were "sworn in." Afterward, we were left to our own devices to fill time until the judges were ready for us. Luckily, I had talked with someone that had been on jury duty before and they told me to take something to keep me busy, consequently, I took a book.

When the judges were finally ready for us the County Clerk called our names and the court Bailiffs took us downstairs to the proper court room. Once in the courtroom the Judge called our names and had us sit in a certain order starting in the jury gallery and leading into the back public seating area. Once in this arrangement the Judge began asking questions, about our personal experiences, that might determine if we had a conflict of interest. Examples would include: Do you know any of the parties involved? Do you know a member of any police force? Do you have any prior cases? et cetera. After the Judge's questions, the representing Attorneys had a chance to ask further questions they thought pertinent to the case. Once the questioning was over they sent everyone out to the hallway so the judge and attorneys could pick the jury. After about 10 minutes they called everyone back in and sat the jury. As I was not called, I was free to go.

Day two to come...

Off topic...

Please excuse this post as it is off topic. If you are expecting a running post, you can pass on this one, but if you are interested in a little more of my personal life, then, this is for you.

I have not taken, nor had, a lot of time to post recently as a couple of things have kept me mentally occupied. First is interviewing for a new job. Recently, my supervisor's supervisor has been actively helping me find and prepare for another job within the company. It is not that she wants to get rid of me, rather, she sees potential that is being under utilized in my current position.* She has so encouraged me that she has taken many steps like getting contacts for me, putting interview questions together, coaching me as to the best way to respond in an interview, as well as, reviewing/enhancing written submissions that both me and my supervisor submit for the position.

This week I interviewed for the position and took the entire morning to prepare, interview, and get back to the office. Before the interview started I was able to ask them many informed questions about the prospective area and, indirectly, show the interviewees I did my homework. Once the interview started, I was able, as far as I could tell, to answer their questions appropriately and intelligently. In the second part of the interview, I had to woo their techie associates into thinking I understood how to use Microsoft Excel. Fortunately, I was prepared and had an example of a spreadsheet I use on a daily basis that automatically pulls and updates data from a database and has some other functions not used by most people on a daily basis. Eventually, they had me take their Excel test and it did not amount to much more than using a couple of simple functions. I was able to satisfy their need to "test" me by proving my abilities and using their jargon. Overall, I left the interview thinking I did an excellent job and almost could have done no more to help my chances.

The second thing that was keeping me mentally busy was being summoned for jury duty. Until this week I was a jury virgin, but today I was called in and spent 2.5 hours doing my civic duty. Although I spent that amount of time, I was never seated as part of a jury. The angst of the unknown would not let me sleep very well last night and I was up for a couple of hours pondering the possibility of what today would entail. In the end, it was very informative and I now see why it takes so long for trials to complete. I wonder, is there a better way to come to the same conclusion in a trial, but make the process more efficient.

Thanks for letting me get a couple of things out of my mind; I am sure I will sleep better tonight.

*If you know me, you know I am not conceited, but if you don't know me, please take this part at face value as I don't brag about myself very well, often, or at all.