Over and Over and Over Once More

I woke to the Not Guilty verdict for George Zimmerman on Sunday morning.  I suspected it wasn't going to be days before a decision when it was reported they were still deliberating late into Saturday evening.  I wasn't surprised by the Not Guilty verdict on the charge of Murder 2.  I was surprised by the Not Guilty verdict for the charge of Manslaughter.  I thought the evidence presented was enough to meet the criteria of the law. Perhaps I was wrong.

But, that's not what this post is about.  This is about reviewing this case or any trial case into a persistent vegetative state.  Notice I didn't say to death.  If they were reviewed to death, we'd stop hearing about them entirely within a matter of days.  But, we don't.  We never do anymore.  Any trial which has received major amounts of media attention is guaranteed to receive even more than its share of fame, although notoriety is a better choice of word.

It's not that we're learning anything new about the case in these reviews on the radio or TV, in the papers or on the internet.  Going over the evidence for the umpteenth time, hearing people's opinions of what they thought of the verdict, or listening to the thought processes of the jurors is not going to change things.  It's not like we're in a legal classroom, reviewing the case to learn how to or how not to defend or prosecute a similar case.  Those who present us with these facts and opinions, sometimes ad nauseum, say the people have a right to know and they're doing their part in bringing it to us.  It's a valid argument, just not for weeks and weeks afterward.

The case of The People vs. George Zimmerman is done.  There has been talk of a civil rights action against him for the shooting of Trayvon Martin, but it's not a slam-dunk certainty of happening.  A wrongful death lawsuit may be a possibility, but that's likely a year or more down the line if it happens.  But, fact is any semblance of an obscure normal life is over for a long time to come for this person and anyone else whose trial has gone coast to coast before, during and after the actual courtroom time.  

Hash and rehash

This case will not be getting away from its media spotlight any time soon.  Some will say that's good and we need to continue to bring this and other cases out of the darkness of the quiet little trial and into as much brightness as its day in court will allow, followed by continued scrutiny until we're satisfied with the outcome, or bored with its coverage.  As a member of the audience, I can change the channel, listen to another station, flip the page or click on another news link as quickly as it comes up again.  My attention span for this type of trial coverage and rehash is fairly short.  I have a feeling I'm not the only one and I might even be in a majority.  But, we're at the mercy of ratings and audience share, so we're obliged to continue to deal with it.

Sort of.

-Click-

Individual Style

Okay, as long as I'm fumb,ing around in old creative crap o' mine, let's pull out this piece of wordsmithing from 1991.  It was actually written as part of my profile for Delphi Internet Services, now Delphiforums.  Come to think of it, it's still there, but you have to be a member to see it.  A few people who read this silly blog were members and may recognize it, or they've read it because I shared it with them somewhere along the 22-year line.

Anyway, it was written for a section asking about my fashion statement, but really, it's also my general style in my approach to life.  So, if you're curious, read on and maybe enjoy:

When I was in my teens, I didn't want to be like the others who made statements with their choice of clothes, hair, etc. I rebelled by not joining my peers in making a noticeable statement. I had opinions that were voiced in simple questions and simple remarks. I wasn't doing it deliberately. I just wanted to be me.

When I was in my twenties, I never fit the fashion statement of "in". I tended to be conservative in that regard. My hair got shorter and shorter, even though the look of the late 70's into the 80's was still long and flowing, a la Farrah Fawcett. I didn't feel the need to join in how others were making their point. I could make the same point without all the hoopla. I wasn't doing it deliberately. I was just being me.

When I reached my thirties, I found that the groundwork of who I am and how I make my statements had been laid in the prior decades of my life. It wasn't that I was plain or conservative or just wimpy in my choices. My style was one of simple lines - nothing fancy, nothing bold. A statement in subtlety, which is how I tend to approach life. I wasn't doing it deliberately. I was merely continuing to be me.

As I pass the age of fifty, that clothing style still remains and will be with me, I suspect, for the rest of my days. My hair is about the only thing that's changed periodically, short to long to short again, and, like its owner, has a mind of its own. I have come to realize that my late grandmother was correct when she called me a "bucker" (yes, I did hear her right). I am a renegade in my own right - a quiet one, but a renegade nonetheless.

I have also realized that I was doing it deliberately all along, although not always consciously.

Yes, it's me, and I shall continue to be me until my last day on the planet.

About July Weather ...

Just a silly drawing of my Protester friend from three years ago.  Apologies for the quality -- I don't press down hard enough with a #2 pencil anymore and the quality of the scan isn't all that great, either.  Still, given the present weather situation, I thought I'd post it.

Oh, and the message on the upside-down sign isn't a question, it's a statement.

Shut Up or Independently Dance

I just read a post from an online friend regarding some of the less than perfect things the USA has fought and stood for through the years. From our communications in the time I've known him, I've gathered that he's actually quite a loyal and even patriotic fellow who must have his moments of grumpy gitness to be happy.  Hey, everybody's gotta have a hobby.

However, it's true this country has had some less than stellar moments.  We fought for freedom and equality, hold it up like a banner for all to see, yet have sometimes fiercely fought against giving that freedom and equality to all our citizens.  We balk at horrid conditions, yet our own timeline is riddled with examples of decisions we've made which have brought on horrid conditions right here at home.  We pride ourselves in being progressive in our thoughts and actions, striving for better and the greater good, but have occasionally come off as unfeeling and disrespectful of other points of view in our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

We are a country of humans, run by humans.  We are less than perfect and make mistakes.  We realize, sometimes at an agonizingly slow rate, that an oops has been made and work to make the wrong into a right.   Collectively, we are a scrappy fighter, but we also take our lumps.  Perhaps our greatest fault is that we don't always loudly acknowledge our mistakes, don't always publicly apologize.  But once we do, we are humble in our delivery and are made a slightly better nation as a result.

But, the basic rules of life are still the same, Folks - if you don't like your situation, fix it.  If you can't or won't fix it, you move to where you think you might be happier (for the grass is always greener ...).  If you can't/won't fix it and can't/won't move, then you stay, keep on keepin' on and either kvetch or suffer in silence.

Or you can find the good in what you have and strive to improve upon it.

I wouldn't trade in on what I have in terms of a country, as imperfect as it's been and will be, and am glad its inhabitants (and a few of my ancestors) decided to fight for their independence back there in the 1770s.  I appreciate my freedom and all my rights, including the right to speak freely, for without that basic right, no one would know anything was wrong and work to make it better.

The Rules of Mowing

I've been faithful in mowing this year.  With the heat, copious rainfall and and muggy weather so far this season, anything less than once a week is asking for a grass disaster, although anything that mows in my yard is lawn.

That being said, I bring you the basic rules of lawn mowing. Enjoy.

If you walk in bare feet across your lawn and you lose sight of just your toes, it's time to mow.

If you walk in regular shoes across your lawn and lose sight of their tops, it's past time to mow.

If you walk in 6" stilettos across your lawn and lose sight of the highest point of the heel, time spent mowing will be equivalent to the same time spent working out at the gym, especially if the lawn is large and/or hilly.

If you walk across your lawn in bare feet or any shoe gear and you lose sight of your calves, brush hog, weed-whacker, sickle, scythe, a tick removal kit and possibly snake anti-venom will be required before mowing.

If you walk across your lawn and it's any higher than any example cited above and you feel like you should be wearing jungle togs and carrying a machete to wander through it to find the golden idol, then it's time to call a professional lawn care service or rent out your property to buffalo herders.