GumboFilé

Bianca is our dog. We got her three years ago from Animal Aid in Lafayette.

http://www.lafayetteanimalaid.org/

We had just moved from Lake Charles and she was kind of a bribe for our then high-school age younger daughter for moving her from her friends. A lot of good things have happened for her as a result of the move so I think she has forgiven me.

We were told that Bianca was found in Cow Island in Vermilion Parish. People that seem to know what they are talking about have told us that she has the features of a Maltese. We have found pictures of the breed and must agree. However, since we don't really know her lineage, we tell folks that she is of the hybrid line known as the Cow Island Marsh Terrier. She likes to bark...a lot...loudly. She has a very sharp, piercing bark. Standing too close can cause hearing loss.

I had jury duty today. I spent a day as part of the jury selection process. I wasn't selected. I had hoped to have an opportunity to exercise jury nullification. Jury nullification occurs when a jury, despite sufficient evidence, fails to convict (nullifies the law), typically because the law is unjust. Two juries were empaneled today. The first jury was empaneled to hear a stalking case. Stalking, in and of itself, does not violate anyone's life, liberty, or property. The purpose of the law is to protect life, liberty, and property. If an action does not violate life, liberty, or property, it's not a crime. The second jury was empaneled to hear a drug dealing case. Again, this does not violate anyone's life, liberty, or property. Unless a prosecutor offers sufficient evidence AND the crime charged violates another's life, liberty, or property, I can't in good conscience vote to convict. Most people are unaware that juries have this power. If a jury votes to convict, a judge has the power to set aside the verdict. However, if a jury votes to acquit, the judge can't do a thing about it. A jury acquital is final.

It bothers me that so many conservative, patriotic American Christians think that it is conservative, patriotic and Christian to support the current American war in Iraq. Many are offended by my position. I suspect that this may be because they are trying to suppress guilt and shame, in much the same way that homosexuals are offended by Biblical teaching against homosexual behavior. Both groups are equally intolerant of dissent. Rather than engaging in debate, they want to silence the opposition. However, if it's not shameful, and you're not guilty, then I'm clearly wrong and there's no cause for offense. It's like saying that smoking tobacco or drinking alcoholic beverages is sinful. Such claims are either ignored or laughed at by most smokers and drinkers.

I might expand on this later.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hereby resolve to blog more in the first six months of 2006 than I did in the last six months of 2005. Go Tigers! Hurricane season is truly over.

My older daughter graduated from LSU the week prior to Christmas. She has been attending college continuously since the summer before her senior year in high school. She is the first of my parents' 17 (and counting) grandchildren to finish college. Needless to say I am very proud of her. We had a big dinner party afterward at Bonefish Grill in Baton Rouge. My parents and two of my brothers and their families and several other friends were there. It was very nice.

Graduation had been moved back from a Friday to the following Monday after classes had been interrupted by a total of about a week after Louisiana was hit by two real hurricanes (not to be confused with the University of Miami football team) only 26 days apart. In addition the Arts & Sciences degree ceremony was moved from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to the Maddox Field House due to the date change. Actually, no one even graduated that day. They were all potential graduates pending final grades due to the previously mentioned disruption. It was an interesting end to a very interesting semester.

Eleven days later LSU dismantled Miami in one of their most complete and dominating performances in years. The last time they looked nearly this impressive was the 2003 SEC Championship against Georgia. I was confident that the Tigers would prove that they know the difference between a Miami Hurricane and a real hurricane but I truly expected a closer game. All I can say is WOW! In retrospect it seems very likely that this season, as successful as it was, would have been even more so had the schedule not been disrupted by the two hurricanes. The season opener was postponed and rescheduled for the only open date on the schedule. The next game became the "home" opener but, due to the LSU resources devoted to the response to the first hurricane, was moved to the opponents home field, over 1,000 miles away. With less than a week's notice, the next home game was moved, due to the approach of the second hurricane, from a Saturday to the following Monday. By the time LSU reached the SEC championship game they had a 10-1 record but they had played ten successive weeks without an open date. I'm very impressed with how well this season was managed. I'm also very impressed with the generosity of the opponents this season. They all opened their hearts and wallets and gave generously to hurricane relief. I attended the homecoming game in which Appalachian State presented a check for $40,000. They have since won the division I-AA national championship. Go Mountaineers!

A lot else has happened since my last post. I hope to post some more soon.