I survived jury duty yesterday - did not get selected for the trial in question. My juror number was not a "lottery winner." Whew! It was actually fairly stressful in the afternoon. Both sides kept dismissing jurors - but finally at the end of the day it was done. It was interesting to try to analyze the criteria the attorneys used to balance the jury. It appeared that prospective jurors were dismissed if: they had friends/relatives in law enforcement; they owned a firearm; and/or they had a college degree. Most jurors who had some college or had lesser education (and did not comply with the other items I mentioned) were retained. The final panel consisted of 10 women and 2 men. Average age of women appeared to be about 40. Most were Caucasian (defendant - Hispanic). Funniest thing to me was regarding the young man on the jury. He was asked about his knowledge of the jury system - he replied that he watched judge shows and police type shows! (He is on the final panel.) The second funniest was when a prospective juror was asked about voting (deliberations) on the case. I think she did not hear the lawyer clearly and said: "Voting? Not for Obama!" The whole courtroom laughed! (She did not make the cut.) I do know that the jury will do their absolute best to be fair and impartial when deliberating this case.

On to the local freebie: The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA is celebrating the New Year by inviting all California residents to visit the Queen Mary free of charge, as often as they would like, through Jan 31. This special, free admission ticket includes a self-guided tour of the Queen Mary. California residents must provide documentation of residency with a driver's license or other form of photo identification at the box office, during normal attraction hours from 10 am to 6 pm. Parking not included. For reservations, call 800-437-2934 or visit http://www.queenmary.com. I need to check the website regarding proof of residency for children (if needed). Sounds like I may be visiting the Queen Mary (my last visit was over 20 years ago).