For the past hour

• For the past hour or so, there has been some drunk people singing and drinking on my front lawn.
• They did a pretty decent version of Micheal Jackson's "Smooth Killer" and now they all look so sleepy and cute and ready to pass out on the grass.
• Which means it's time for me to get the hose and tell them to fuck off. 
• But I promise not to be too rude, they were entertaining, so I will give them cookies before I spray them.

Excuse

The excuse provides a mitigating factor for a group of persons sharing a common characteristic. Justification, as in justifiable homicide, vindicates or shows the justice. Thus, society approves of the purpose or motives underpinning some actions or the consequences flowing from them, and distinguishes those where the behavior cannot be approved but some excuse may be found in the characteristics of the defendant, e.g. that the accused was a serving police officer or suffering from a mental illness. Thus, a justification describes the quality of the act, whereas an excuse relates to the status or capacity in the accused. These factors can affect the resulting judgment which may be an acquittal, or in the case of a conviction may mitigate sentencing.