Short and Curlies

Often I think about stuff that I am not sure could be something that I would want to write about for more than three seconds but that I still want to write about... so without further ado, here are my short and curlies...

1. The Red Sox have won their last two games with walk off home runs. The first came yesterday when Kevin Milar who up until Monday had failed to hit a homer this entire season, hit his second of the season and in walk off fashion for the win. Today, the Captain, Jason Varitek hit another walk off around the Pesky Pole in right for the win... (pictures are here at www.bostondirtdogs.com) Now, walk off homers happen to any team during the course of a season, but these home runs are significant because for the first time since the Sox won their first World Series in 86 years last season, the magic from last season appears to be back. Of course, we still have an awful pitching staff and Caveman Damon who appears more interested on trying to secure a spot on MTV's Spring Break than playing baseball but it's a start. Plus, it makes the Yankees current streak all that more tolerable.

2. While we are on the Sox, my dad and I went to Fenway this weekend. It was my Christmas present to him and a pretty big deal in my eyes because the last time I think we went to a game was in the late 80's or early 90's against the Mariners and the Sox SUCKED. Further, at the time, Fenway stood as a crumbling museum to baseball past as the seats were small, the walkways smelled of stale beer, and the bathroom still contained troughs for the patrons to piss in. Now, even though I miss those troughs and the seats remain small, the new renovated park with its better vending stands, bigger concourses and fan friendlier atmosphere has really come along way... Plus, there is just something really cool about going to a baseball game on Mother's Day with your dad. (I mean if you really think of it, it was probably just a great present to my mom to get his lump of an ass out of the house for a day, but I digress) Anyway, it was a great day at the old ball park minus the 40 degree temps, constant rain and wind that as a courtesy blew the rain into our roof covered area directly into our faces. And yet even with the conditions we were dealt and the Sox losing in the end, we still had a great time. (maybe it was the six dollars beers)

3. In my profile and maybe in a post or two, I have stated that I am an attorney. Well this week in attorney-land was my first real chance to observe trials which in the end means that sooner or later, I will be directly costing or saving my client some serious cash as the student will have become the master. As for today, I simply observed voir dire which in legal speak is simply the process by which we select the jurors for our cases. Now although some of this process is truly boring as there is a lot reading over paperwork and redundant/repetitive questioning, the most amazing part of the process is how much the profession that I am a part of becomes a sport at this level. (Now, I know from this entire segment I appear to be a little fascinated with sports, I am obsessed but as stated without these activities in my past, I would be either in an asylum with padded walls orDown State in a maximum security prison after a multi-state hyperactivity induced killing spree.) Anyway, as an attorney, your basic task at this level of the game is to select the members of your jury who in the end will be able to decide the case in the fairest manner. (atleast this is the official stance) BUT TRULY, what you want to do at this level, is to make sure that you pick the best panel who will help you win in the end and hinge on your very word or who at the very least will not SCREW YOU. In a lot of ways, the jury selection becomes a game of high stakes poker where you must be able to read the potential jurors and how they are going to react with the evidence that will be presented to them compounded with considering what your adversary is thinking regarding these same people. However, instead of being able to ask these people every question imaginable, as an attorney, you can only ask really broad and really vague questions such as "will you be able to put your sympathy aside in order to decide this case in a fair and balanced manner?" and yet, you are supposed to be able to anticipate what side this person is going to end up on at the end of the day. For the first time, I am fascinated with what I do, and I can't believe I just said that.

now back to the trimming...