Musings of this paper's editor - sunnica's Blog - The Northwest Voice

Musings of this paper's editor - sunnica's Blog - The Northwest Voice http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica Family, Life, Writing & Citizen Journalism Family, Life, Writing & Citizen Journalism en-us Jury duty: Some people should not serve http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/32355 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/32355 <p>The judge tells us during "voir dire" (the questioning of perspective jurors) that if we don't think we can judge a fellow human being, then we should be honest and say so. Nothing wrong with it, just let the judge know.  But no one on my Kern County Superior Court panel of 12 jurors raised a hand during this questioning, so I had no reason to believe that there was a mole among us.</p> <p>It did, however, become scandalously obvious when during deliberations, this person refused to see ANY evidence as acceptable and would see no theory as reasonable. From what this juror said, it is my opinion that had the defendants surprised us all by standing in the courtroom and admitting to the crimes, this juror would still harbor doubt.</p> <p>This juror made it clear from the start of deliberations that nothing would change this juror's decision, which clearly indicated that this juror was already biased from the beginning --- in other words, choosing willingly to leave common sense at home. The reason I know this is because this juror said the following:  "I know (the defendants) are guilty, but I just don't think the prosecutor proved his case."</p> <p><em>What??</em></p> <p>The prosecutor in this case could only have presented more evidence if the weapon in question could form a mouth and speak. The judge, habitually as pleasant as a bird with a worm, was noticeably shocked when the jury could not reach a verdict.  From the look on his face, I got the impression he was almost too stunned to speak, wondering how we couldn't reach a verdict based on the preponderance of evidence against the defendants.</p> <p>However, it takes all 12 jurors to convict, and that's a nice safeguard and a benefit of living in this free country.  It is curious to note, though, that in this case, when the votes on one of the counts were split, <strong>o</strong><strong>nly the jurors with birthdates in the late 1980s </strong>could not vote to convict.  And it wasn't as if we were deciding on a crime as complicated or as horrifying as in the O.J. Simpson trial.  By comparison, these defendants were angels.</p> <p>To me, the inability to distinguish <em>reasonable</em> doubt from<em> possible</em> doubt signals a problem of greater import than can be explained by a mere generation gap.</p> <p>There will always be possible doubt -- but, is it reasonable?</p> <p>It is possible that the young jurors were not equipped to handle the pressure involved in making such a big decision, so they handled it the only way they were comfortable: NOT GUILTY!  They created far-fetched scenarios that "could have happened" instead of paid attention to the witness testimony and the evidence found at the scene.  The defense attorneys knew their clients were guilty but they wanted to win (of course, it's their job), and they knew exactly what to say to these particular jurors to place doubt where it didn't belong. In truth, they talked circles around these jurors, who didn't have enough life experience to ward off the manipulative attack.  In other words, they never suspected they were being worked... and probably still don't realize it.</p> <p>I suspect that a few years will pass, or maybe it won't take that long, and those few jurors will grow a little, learn a little, and perhaps even read the names of the defendants in the newspaper one day and discover that our jury probably made a mistake in letting them get by with a mistrial. </p> <p>Or, maybe I'm wrong ... maybe these outstanding defendants will stop leading lives of crime and become law abiding citizens.</p> <p>Don't hold your breath.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Volkslauf training: Day 4 (the Gold Bond Powder day) http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/32113 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/32113 <p>Serving on jury duty (maybe I should rename this blog entry) gave me the perfect excuse not to go to my Marines Corps mud run training tonight. I still have all the work to do that I didn't get to while I sat there listening to jurors being dismissed for all manner of illegal activities (who knew that in 2008 it would be so rare not to know someone in jail or not to have a child incarcerated for the 3 Strikes law). Back in the day, we used to get dismissed for having merely worked in a law office; today, you serve on a jury even if your husband is a Sheriff's deputy. That is desperation.</p> <p>But I digress. I did get called to be an actual juror this time, so I felt I had the perfect excuse not to attend my training.  I needed to get home and do all my <a href="http://www.northwestvoice.com"><em>Northwest Voice</em></a> work that didn't get done while I was serving.  HOWEVER...  I did not skip my workout.</p> <p>I wish I had.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">After about the second mile of running through sand (it was a cardio day), over tables, up hills and down, I began to feel that pain in my hip from last week.  I determined that I was dying.  I wore shorts tonight for the first time, and if my thighs had rubbed together with any more fury, I'm certain I'd have burst into flames.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">I took the short route today.  Leigh lets us decide which course to run -- a double line indicates a much longer route (for our "I ran 11 miles this weekend!" comrades), while the single line is in place for those of us with a singular goal: to survive.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">I am forced to take the day off tomorrow, but I'll be back on Wednesday. It isn't every day that my friends in Lonestar come to Bakersfield, so that's where I'll be -- the Crystal Palace, exercising my <em>vocal chords.</em></p> Volkslauf training: Day 3 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31884 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31884 <p>Get a stretcher.</p> <p>The morning of Day 3, I couldn't get out of bed.  Day 2's activities (the weights, hill climbing, rubber bands, push ups, jump ropes, lunges, medicine ball, squats, and presses) took a toll on me. It is at this moment, as I'm struggling to pull the sheet gently off my arm, that I realize my age. But let's be clear: There is a 75 year old woman out there running circles around me.  75 years old!!!  When I was born, she was 31.</p> <p>I am spectacularly out of shape.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Jarret's birthday is today, so with work and my Volkslauf training, 2 baby showers, and our amazing Pet/Shelter drive on Saturday, I wasn't exactly prepared on Day 3. Not only was I walking funny (Orlando, one of <em>The Voice's</em> graphic designers/ photographers called it my 'Pimp walk'), but I could barely turn the steering wheel. I would stiffen up sitting at my desk, and a wheel chair was in order after about 10 minutes of typing emails.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">So, I skipped Day 3 for physical and birthday-related reasons.  I am also on jury duty this week, which is relevant only because at midnight, I remembered I was supposed to check the Kern County Superior Court's web site to see if my group number had been called.  Guess what?</p> <p style="text-align: left;">So, at 6:00 my alarm went off, but even before that, I had been laying there in a semi-conscious state rubbing the lactic acid around my shoulders.  I had to take 3 Advil just to turn the steering wheel into the jurors parking lot today.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">To make matters worse, I asked for a butter croissent at Starbucks this morning, and when I finally opened the bag in the jury waiting pool, it was one of those maple bars.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Its only 11:00 in the morning, but Day 4 of Volkslauf training isn't looking too promising so far. </p> <p style="text-align: left;">I WILL continue.  It WILL get better.  But lest I overdose on the gross amounts of lactic acid being dumped like raw sewage in the pit of my stomach, I will have to continue it next week when my previously neglected muscles have had a chance to recover.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> Volkslauf training: Day 2 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31793 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31793 <p>I don't know if I can keep up this pace.</p> <p>That can mean anything: this pace with my daily journal or this pace in my Volkslauf training.</p> <p>Today, it was circuit training --in a strength sort of way.  It wasn't supposed to be a cardio workout, yet there was a lot of running involved. Yesterday, I felt something go wrong in my hip as soon as I returned to my car.  Today, when I returned to my car, I could barely lift my arms to steer.</p> <p>Can you imagine?  I get pulled over by the BPD because of erratic driving, but instead of a DWI, they issue me a...  DW...L? (limp)  DW...E? (exhausted)</p> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">Natalie, the new <i>Southwest Voice</i> editor was out taking photos today for an upcoming article, and I selflessly offered to take the pictures myself to allow her to join the exercising.</p> <p style="text-align: left">She declined.</p> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">Today I realized that my strength is in my thighs. I can do any amount of climbing on or over anything, but ask me to do riceps push-ups, and I can do 2 of 10. Pitiful.</p> <p style="text-align: left">Tomorrow is another cardio day.  Leigh, the drill instructor, advised us to wear old shoes or to be prepared to get our shoes dirty. Mud will be involved.</p> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">At work, Teresa and I have a bet going for who can lose 10 pounds first.  She is already 2.5 pounds ahead of me, but at this rate, I may beat her by Friday.</p> <p style="text-align: left"> </p> <p style="text-align: left"> </p> Volkslauf training: Day 1 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31744 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31744 <p>"What was I thinking?"</p> <p>That was my first thought as I saw about 30 people (of around 50 total) removing their running shoes to soak themselves in a swimming pool to "lower the body temperature" before the start of our collective training session outside of Total Woman near Truxtun.</p> <p>I should have returned to my car the second I had to fill out a flag to wear on my back with my first and last name on it.  It wasn't for fun--it was in case I became incapacitated and was unable to respond with my own name at some point during the training.</p> <p>If you've been on Truxtun, or will be soon, at around 6:00 Mon.-Thurs. you will see a cavalcade of runners crossing to the park for a 60-minute cardio conditioning or strength training workout, all to prepare for the annual Marine Corp Volkslauf Mud Run held in October.</p> <p>That's about 9 weeks and 60 miles (of weekly running) away.  If I make it that far.</p> <p><i>The Southwest Voice's</i> new editor, Natalie Erlendson, talked me into training with her--said, "It'll be fun!"  I said, "Will I be ready for the Volkslauf (I'd heard all the horror stories) by October??</p> <p>Her eyebrows raised.  "Ohhhhh yes," she said, but she may as well have added "You may be in a wheel chair afterward," for all the innuendo in her sly smile.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left;">I'll keep you updated on my progress.  I'm going to pay the total fee due tomorrow to ensure that I continue the entire 9 weeks.  </p> <p style="text-align: left;">When I got home, I sat in the spa until my toes shriveled up into my feet.</p> Camping (and sleeping) in brief http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31681 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31681 <p>This weekend we went camping. Before you grow envious, realize that it was only for one day. These are the steps we followed to camp for one day:</p> <ul> <li>took trailer out of storage, cleaned it, prepped it</li> <li>loaded trailer with enough food & drinks for 2 weekends</li> <li>packed enough clothes for monsoons or sudden arctic temps</li> <li>took quads out of storage and loaded them onto a trailer behind my car</li> <li>gathered all the kids for the 30-minute trek to Hungry Valley in 2 cars </li> <li>unpacked trailer as if on a 2-week stint; we looked like we were there to stay</li> </ul> <p>We rode quads, Rob cooked fajitas, we went to bed.  We woke up, ate breakfast, rode quads.  Then?  We packed up the entire trailer and quads, turned around and came home. We unloaded the entire trailer, stored the quads, and made an appointment to get the refrigerator and hot water heater inspected by a professional, since neither one fired up this trip.</p> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">I sleep better in my trailer bed than in any bed in any house or hotel.  There's something about it that works like a Tylenol PM.  Camping is the only time I can get in bed before Rob, who, on this trip, asked if I had taken a sleeping pill because I fell asleep so hard so fast.  It was a pleasant sleep for a while, about 5 minutes, before the circus began:</p> <ol> <li>"Mom, I need a pillow.'  It was Jarret, who'd forgotten his pillow, so I had to awaken and take one of my pillows out of the decorative sham. Next, 10 minutes later...</li> <li>"Oh, great," Rob mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear.  See, I was in the bed, but all of our clothes are beneath the mattress, which you have to raise like the hood of a car to access.  I rolled to the floor and let him get his shorts for bed, then rolled back under the sheets.  6 minutes later...</li> <li>(sound of running water)  "Sorry, Mom," said Jordyn, who had to wash her face.  No problem... 12 minutes later...</li> <li>"Dana, why isn't this outlet working?"  I had managed to fall back asleep while Rob was showering, but then he couldn't figure out how to get Jaisyn's mattress to inflate.  "Because that outlet doesn't work very well," I said of the cigarette-lighter type outlet he was trying to use.  7 minutes later...</li> <li>"Mom, what's this on my shorts?" Jarret again, this time turning on the light for me to examine a substance that looked much like syrup on his red shorts.  My eyes burned beneath the glaring light... but I assured him that we were camping and he would have to wear yucky shorts.  10 minutes later...</li> <li>Rob comes to bed, and the entire trailer begins to shake with laughter over something he said, and I, drifting in and out of the best sleep I have ever had, couldn't help but start to chuckle, too.</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">We got home on Sunday at 4:00, as Hungry Valley is down at Gorman, just a little over 30 minutes away.  So, ya....all this preparation for a 30 min. trip out of town for one night.  And yet, another camping trip of great memories, even though the second the older kids got home, they showered and headed out to see friends, their parents and the ATV trip quickly forgotten.</p> <p style="text-align: center">**********</p> <p style="text-align: left">I met Rob at the Sizzler at the Ice House on August 10, 1988. Today, after we unpacked from our <i>long </i>vacation, we went back to the scene of the crime and celebrated our first 20 years together.</p> <p style="text-align: left"> </p> <p> </p> Baked potatoes http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31222 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31222 <p>Does anyone really know how to bake a perfect potato?  I just googled it, and it turns out that you aren't supposed to use foil (sorry, Mom!).  The foil instantly makes it a steamed (not baked) potato, and completely changes the texture. </p> <p>Just f.y.i.  :)</p> Crisp & Cole? http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31219 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/31219 <p>Ok, so I know that last year this story was hot on the local web sites -- and when I take a peek at our neighbors over at Bakersfield.com, their bloggers are opinionated on allegations facing David Crisp and Carl Cole.  So, my question is: Do any of you know someone directly affected by Crisp & Cole Real Estate?  Or were YOU affected by it?  Just curious to know what's really going on.</p> Who's your favorite NASCAR driver? http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/30381 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/30381 <p>Ok, this is purely unscientific and strictly for the sake of the next issue (cough, cough) -- but who is your favorite NASCAR driver? (for those of you who watch, obviously!)</p> <p>I'll start:  Ryan Newman</p> <p>P.S.  No dirt slinging!  I'll even keep quiet when the Jeff Gordon fans chime in.  :)</p> The next issue and my good fortune http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/29265 http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/Blog/sunnica/29265 <p>On Friday, I finished our next issue -- and I just wanted to say THANK YOU to our contributors, many of whom read this board. You all outdid yourselves.  I have been here since January, and I am fairly confident in saying that I believe this is my favorite issue yet!</p> <p>I am particularly patriotic.  My house is decorated in American flags.  A few months ago, I remember my daughter saying, "Ours is the only house where it's always the 4th of July."  That made my heart smile.</p> <p>After you read our Northwest Voice, try to find a copy of the Southwest Voice, too (after, though--because a few of the stories repeat in the Northwest Voice, and I want you to see the NWV fresh for the first time).  The cover on the Southwest Voice is AMAZING.  I put out a call for photos and I used one of the contributed photos as the cover photo (same with NWV this week, which has an equally wonderful cover photo). </p> <p>When you read it, I hope you feel my passion for our country and to everyone who has helped make it as great as it is today. I hope you appreciate the love and passion of our fellow readers/contributors, who submitted patriotic-themed stories and photos. </p> <p>I love my job all the time, but it's moments like these when I think I am the luckiest person on the planet to have the pleasure of knowing people like you all (y'all? you guys?).</p> <p>Thank you for making my job so much better and easier.</p> <p>Love & appreciation,</p> <p>Dana</p>

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Caption: Northwest Voice, Bakersfield, California, 4th of July!
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Title:
Caption: Northwest Voice, Bakersfield, California, 4th of July!
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Northwest Voice, Bakersfield, California, 4th of July!