The truth is, you never try to get out of it. You think about it, you read through all the legit excuses that come on the summons, and you understand the loopholes, all the unwritten, unspoken outs, and still you go.
Yes, you know all the jokes about the stupidity of people who can't get out of jury duty.
But you go. Because, in your own way, you're a little sentimental about America, about justice.
Andres, as you already know, has a daughter Michelle, and a wife Maria—nickname: Chiki. He also has a son, named Andy. A couple years ago, he started an Italian restaurant.
How long have you lived in Chicago, Andres?
I’ve been in and out because I used to go to Mexico every year, but about the last 25 years.
What's ringing our bell this very minute?
a) This video! It's the most deliciously odd and wonderful thing EVER! (and by ever, I mean in like the last few days.) It's called "Marcel The Shell With Shoes On"
b) The fact that, per Monday's special invitation and subsequent responses, we now have Secret Agents all over the country hiding little silver bells for you to find! Yes, our Mission Amy K.R. Scavenger Hunt is officially now in session! We have two Secret Agents who have already completed their mission and I share their details right below, but do return here throughout the day as we will keep posting news and clues from our other Secret Agents currently out in the field hiding bells!
What a night. Libya celebrated fateh, which kind of translates into opening. It signifies the beginning of Qaddafi's revolution and reign. Yusra and I got press credentials to the Sept. 1 celebration at a racetrack in Tripoli's city centre. There was horse 
racing, fireworks, female military formations, African dignitaries, music and thousands of people. In his 41 years of power, Qaddafi's reputation has morphed. He was a public enemy during the Reagan years but now the U.S. is congratulating Libyans on the Sept 1 anniversary. Qaddafi's evil image of the 1980s has morphed into that of a quirky leader with a fashion flair. His big cause over the last 10 years is bringing together a United States of Africa.
A chunk of Mifflin, the meteorite that lit up the sky in April (photo by Jim Holstein, The Field Museum)
The meteor news just don't quit. Back in April reports flooded in from around the Midwest about a massive fireball lighting up the night sky. Now the meteorite that caused it has a name (Mifflin), a face, (see above), and a back story.
While I'm otherwise occupied, I've been using the blogging downtime to take a look back at 1990 and some of my favorite releases from that year from the perspective of two decades on. Today: "In a Priest Driven Ambulance," the first unqualified masterpiece by Oklahoma City's fabulous Flaming Lips, via an excerpt from my 2006 biography of the band, Staring at Sound.
The Flaming Lips, "In a Priest Driven Ambulance" (Restless) Rating:4/4
Another round of Robservations on the media beat:
You can't blame them for being a bit rusty after all these years, but Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson got off to a less than elegant start Wednesday as the new 6 p.m. anchor team on WBBM-Channel 2. Awkward pauses, missed cues and a few other moments of clumsy choreography marked an otherwise warm-hearted and low-key return to their old, familiar anchor roles. Whatever the motives of all involved, it's good to see Bill & Walter back together -- if only as an antidote to the rash of New Yorkers being inflicted on the CBS-owned station. Kurtis closed out the newscast on an oddly philosophical note:
