Law & Order hits home.

Sort of.

This week I had to report to the Los Angeles Superior Court to serve jury duty. I was hoping I'd come in on Monday, either not have my name called, or if I did go through the selection process, that I'd be denied.

I'm good at getting denied. Just look at the string of "no's" I've gotten from the last cadre of women I have asked out.

At any rate, I showed up on Monday, and before 9:30 AM, I had been called to a jury "panel." A group of some forty of us were herded into a courtroom where we were introduced to a judge and an attorney team for the plaintiff, and attorney teams for multiple defendants. There was a pretty major civil case about to get underway, and we were all candidates for the jury that would deliberate this case. I can say no more, as I am sworn to secrecy from this moment on until the case reaches a verdict. Until I and 11 others reach a verdict.

What is not secret is the selection process. We went though two days of juror interviews. After being briefed on the very broad strokes of the case, we had to fill out a questionnaire. Then, with the results of the questionnaire as ammunition, the attorneys probed and prodded at us to see who had biases and who could stand impartial. I was a little disappointed that I was asked no -- zero -- questions. Probably my fault that I always did well on school tests. I was probably too efficient with my questionnaire or something.

Well, by the end of the second day, I was chosen. We now have a full jury and we start trial tomorrow, April 1st. It would be nice if somebody came out from the back of the court and yelled, "April Fools!" and we all got to go home. But, no such luck. This case is for real, and expected to go about two-and-a-half weeks. When it's over, I hope I have an interesting story to tell here.

In the meantime, as I can, I'll dabble in my usual musings.

This week's episode of "The Pacific" was disappointing. In trying to show the human side of the Marines as they were away from the war, it only succeeded in marking time until the next battle. The characters still haven't caught my attention the way the characters in "Band of Brothers" did. And I'm sure comparing the two mini-series is probably unfair, but it can't be helped, especially when it was promoted pretty much as the next "Band of Brothers..."

Spring football practice has started at USC, and while in the past I've been excited, because Pete Carroll is no longer there, and there's a coach with (in my opinion) questionable character now running the team, it's just not the same. I just can't get that excited.

On the other hand, baseball season is about to start. My team, the Texas Rangers, won 87 games last season and came second in their division. I'm hoping this is the year they get over the top, but their pitchers are still very young and they've lost some sock in their bats over the last couple of years. But I can't wait to see their first game. I'm hoping Josh Hamilton makes a big comeback, Michael Young plays like Michael Young, and their new starting pitcher, Rich Harden, does what he hasn't done in the last two years -- get thru a whole season without getting hurt! Then, they'll have a shot!

Easter is this weekend. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet. I'm flirting with the idea of getting out of town for the weekend. We'll see.

RP