Just Saying -- the soapbox thread

[Muadzin]

What a crappy friend.

Friend is a relative term it would seem.

Rule of thumb, when lending gear to friends/bandmates/other musicians, get it back ASAP, for if they have it too long they start thinking its theirs.

My sister's younger cat likes drinking falling water from running taps, so she bought a cat water bowl with a built in fountain. (It runs off USB, which I guess dodges the whole international power supply issue.)

Fill the reservoir, plug it in, off the water gurgles. And the cat?

Intense suspicion.

I come back an hour later and the cat has a dry face, a wet tail, and there is water all around the lino around the new water bowl fountain.

Cats...

I used to have one who loved taking a nap in wash basins. And who had discovered that if he licked long and hard enough at the faucet water would come out. And he sometimes did it while lying in the basin, getting water splattered all over him.

I miss the little bugger. 

[alanp]

If you watch this, you will never trust another padlock.

[alanp]

Okay, I've never played a Metal Gear game in my life. I've seen a few videos, though, with the initial interest coming from the "Nanomachines, son!" meme that was viral a while ago.

The more footage I see of that one with the Raiden protagonist (they seem to go through a few in that series) and the Armstrong guy, I can't help but think of that match-up as Aliens vs Predator. One is a killing machine who wants eternal war or something (wasn't particularly listening), and the other one is a completely unlikeable twatface who loves cutting things up.

It's like Raiden was designed by a fourteen year old none-more-goth edgelord who paints his nails black and doesn't realise that Type O Negative had their tongues firmly in their cheeks. C'mon... a breakdancing cyborg ninja?!

[alanp]

Got picked for jury duty.

The pay next week is going to suck, hard. The pay for jury duty is $31 per half day, and it's from a government agency, so I'm not expecting it in a hurry.

Today, the judge said after lunch that normally, they knock off at 5pm but today, they were going to knock off at 4:30pm, so that everyone could get home in time for the Melbourne Cup.

Remarkably decent of him.

[reggy2]

That WAS very decent of him considering that, for the sake of non-Aussies here, the race begins at 3.00pm. Thank you Your Honour.

[Willybomb]

That WAS very decent of him considering that, for the sake of non-Aussies here, the race begins at 3.00pm. Thank you Your Honour.

AlanP is in New Zealand, 2 hours or so in front of Melbourne, so he was knocking off at 2pm EST, an hour before the race.

[nzCdog]

Ah.... good on you Alan.  The only time I ever got summoned, I was working in the media so was excused.  Having watched the selection process a few times in court for work, the cynical me identified a few obvious ways to weasel out of it if ever summoned again.  I wont share them, as the jury system is an important civic duty.

[midwayfair]

Got picked for jury duty.

The pay next week is going to suck, hard. The pay for jury duty is $31 per half day, and it's from a government agency, so I'm not expecting it in a hurry.

Today, the judge said after lunch that normally, they knock off at 5pm but today, they were going to knock off at 4:30pm, so that everyone could get home in time for the Melbourne Cup.

Remarkably decent of him.

Baltimore pays $15/day for jury duty. 

I was on a murder trial a few years ago. There was video. Not in a hurry to repeat the experience.

[somnif]

Aye it's 12$ a day here in AZ (if actually selected for jury, you get nothing for the day of selection waiting), plus 45 cents a mile of travel. Checks are mailed out at the end of the month, regardless of when you go in.

They also push HARD for you to "donate" your per diem and mileage money (its tax deductible!). Every step of the way they ask if you're sure you want your 12$.

I was almost tempted last time I got called, as I was 130 miles from the court they wanted me to report to, and the thought of the look on the bursars face made me giggle. But I got the "you will not be needed" message when I called in the night before.

[davent]

Ontario Canada here, my wife was paid $40 per day the time she was used but her work contract paid her her full wage for the time she was off. The first time i was called i got the 'not needed' call the day before i was to show, oh happy day, next two times i've been exempted.

dave

[midwayfair]

They also push HARD for you to "donate" your per diem and mileage money (its tax deductible!). Every step of the way they ask if you're sure you want your 12$.

I waved mine. Baltimore made it super difficult. It seriously took me like an hour and several offices to convince them not to give me $15.

[alanp]

I stand corrected.

$31 per half day and, if lunchtime occurs during deliberation, all the free food you can pocket.

[m-Kresol]

I've got picked for Jury duty a few years back and here in Austria, it's civic duty so you get paid as usual by your company. It's like being on holiday concerning salary.
Anyways, I was at the court, nicely dressed (they tell you that explicitely and no one else was), and wasn't needed after all. The judge just called out the names of some of the people that actually showed up (I think they summoned 15 people to get 6 in the end) and I wasn't one of them. Would have been an interesting experience, but I was quite anxious to do something wrong despite reading all the 30 pages of info on how it works (I'm sure I was the exception reading that as well)

[alanp]

Fifty people showed up, with seventy five expected. They want a wide variety of types, and they also expect no-shows, just like airlines.

[bamslam69]

Lucky me is on the roll for Jury Duty for the next year.
Curious, but won't want a long case, as I tune off... I'll mention that if I get asked.