Good luck Maria. May it be as easy for you as it was for me.

The relief is like...um...a really, really good feeling. (Can't think of a 'weight off' analogy that quite covers it...I know you know what I mean.)

Poor O. Hugs for everybody, yays for everybody.

I'm cheap. How about you come over and collect it? I could put you up for the night.

You bet, bt. Let me get to work on that ticket....

As for the whole cyberpunk thing, I've heard Stephenson's Cryptonomicon described as cypherpunk, as it's so heavily based on codes, cyphers, and deception in general.

Unfortunately, I don't have any other recs at the moment. I'm still working out the gronk.

I've heard Stephenson's Cryptonomicon described as cypherpunk, as it's so heavily based on codes, cyphers, and deception in general.

Ah yes. Tom is reading this now.

Oh, and YAY NORA!

Congratulations, Nora! Wonderful news.

Maria? I hate the IRS for you. Though I suspect your hot Italian hatred (served cold) might be more effective.

I was just reading about the Chicago judge whose husband and mother were killed by a crazy defendant in the paper this morning and now this Atlanta shooting. How the fuck do you get the gun from the deputy, though? Surely they've got to be trained to prevent that from happening. It's the only gun in the courtroom, so they have to be conscious that it's a possibility.

Which, I confess, I still don't understand. If it's low-tech, how is it cyberpunk?

Tep, I'll throw some cyberpunk into your package from Lee.

Go Aimee! Go Nora!

RAHRAHRAH! SIS BOOM BAH!

They're speculating about how he got the gun. Apparently this was in the old courthouse, which doesn't have holding cells. This judge usually used this courtroom because it's larger. The defendant waits in the jury room and then is taken into the courtroom. They were transitioning from a civil trial to the criminal trial. The deputy whose gun was taken was female and she may have been the only deputy in the room at the time. She was shot in the face, but is expected to survive.

Which, I confess, I still don't understand. If it's low-tech, how is it cyberpunk?

Tep, I'll throw some cyberpunk into your package from Lee.

I also expect cash in large denominations, and a GREAT BIG SHINY GOLD STAR.

I was just reading about the Chicago judge whose husband and mother were killed by a crazy defendant in the paper this morning and now this Atlanta shooting. How the fuck do you get the gun from the deputy, though? Surely they've got to be trained to prevent that from happening. It's the only gun in the courtroom, so they have to be conscious that it's a possibility.

It only takes a split second for the deputy to drop their guard. We had something similar happen here a few years ago. But this guy was faking paralysis. They sent him to court in a wheel chair, no handcuffs with ONE female deputy. He jumped up, pistol whipped her, car-jacked an 18 year-old kid at the paying a traffic ticket. He later shot the kid in the head. And this guy had been on parole for killing a man in Cleveland 20 or so years ago.

Feh. Some people are just fucking evil.

Oh, my God, Deputy Sheppard?(/inappropriate Homicide Reference) That happened to her...Meldrick had to save her sorry ass but on TV I don't think anyone else ended up at risk.(Except the risk that comes when Meldrick saves your ass.)