Futurelawyer

'Golf Ball Launcher': Never shank again |

Link: 'Golf Ball Launcher': Never shank again | Crave : The gadget blog. My golf clubs sit, unused, in the corner, for many reasons. First, I can't hit a golf ball consistently. Second, I rarely have 5 or 6 hours for uninterrupted play. Third, while golf courses are plentiful here in Florida, and year round play is common, it is very expensive. However, every now and then, when an accidental stroke hits just right, and the ball travels in a beautiful straight arc towards a verdant green, and I walk (or ride) to the hole, smelling grass and trees and pure air, I know I will be back. Now, I have more of a reason. The golf ball launcher has a range of 300 yards, which is 50 yards farther than I ever hit the ball with a club. I want one of these. I need one of these. One of these is about to become a friend of mine.

Kenneth Branagh - We Band Of Brothers

On Shakespeare's birthday, it is appropriate to honor his genius. Coupled with the acting genius of Kenneth Branagh, the band of brothers speech from Henry V will stir your soul. This is a great speech to watch before going into trial. Thanks to Michael Wade, at Execupundit for reminding me of this. If you can watch this speech without chills, you have no soul.

The Common Scold: DRIZZLED OUT IN TAMPA

Link: The Common Scold: DRIZZLED OUT IN TAMPA. Monica Bay and I spent a wet two innings at the Blue Jays - Yankees game yesterday. I feel like a mutual admiration society when I am with Monica. She introduced me to blogging several years ago, when I happened on the Common Scold totally by accident. Being surrounded by Yankees fans at Legend Field yesterday was surreal. I felt like the wedding guest dressed in jeans who didn't know anybody. My understated Rays logo on my shirt made me stand out like a sore thumb. Monica is one impressive person. She travels all over the country and the world in her job, for 40% of the year; and still finds time for baseball and blogging. We shared our love of dogs and baseball, and had a really productive discussion of law practice and journalism. She moved from law to journalism early on, and has never looked back. I decided that the independence of solo law practice was appealing; but, a corporate health plan looks pretty good to me as I age. Smart, feisty, courageous and ambitious, Monica Bay is a model to look up to. See, told you it was mutual admiration.

The Common Scold - She Can't Help It If She Is A Yankee Fan!

Link: The Common Scold. I am getting ready to head over to Legends Field in Tampa to see an Exhibition Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. Living in St. Pete makes me a Rays fan; and, this IS the year we get to the playoffs. However, Monica Bay makes an annual trip to Florida to watch her beloved Yankees, and she has kindly again offered me a ticket to a game. I was first introduced to Monica through her great blog, which is named after a "meddlesome, argumentative, opinionated woman who displeased the Puritan elders" and was treated to a "brisk dunk in the local pond". Now, imagine a life long Yankee hater sitting for 3 hours in Legends Field, surrounded by Yankee fans, and a "common scold". I think I will wear my Rays hat.

But Will It Bring You A Cup Of Coffee?

Link: Silver TAG $100,000 Shower will wipe your butt clean in no time. This shower will spray you all over simultaneously for ONLY $100,000.00. Maybe I'm crazy, but you would get better coverage in the tub or swimming pool. This shower reminds me of the movies where the hero or heroine is locked in by a madman while the hot water scalds them to death. I wonder how many starving kids $100,000.00 would support at WorldVision ?

And You Think Gas Is Expensive?

Link: The Grouse: The Inkjet Refill Racket | Popular Science. It is an open secret that ink jet and desktop laser printers are inexpensive because the renewables are expensive. Any one who runs a document intensive law practice has flinched at paying $150 for a replacement cartridge for an office printer; and, don't talk to me about replacing 6 ink tanks for my home printer at $12.95 a pop. I have experimented with the cheap ink refill kits, and have ink stains all over the place for my trouble. This author's solution, however, doesn't do it for me. Photos are not as much fun when you have to wait days for the mail. And, at the office, I don't have much choice but to print all day every day. Is there a solution to $8,000 a gallon printer ink? Yes. Just remember the days when the only printers were typewriters, and copy machines were multiple sheets of carbon paper. As my mom used to say, "Son, Count Your Blessings." Okay, mom, but when you were my age, gas wasn't $3.50 a gallon.

Bill, You Can Have My Keyboard When You Pry It From My Cold, Dead Hands!

Link: Excite News - Gates Sees Diminished Role for Keyboards. Bill Gates, as he exits day to day control of Microsoft, thinks that the future doesn't include keyboard input to computers. He sees voice and touch screen interaction as the future. Well, Bill, as a lawyer who uses words every day, both for blogging and for practicing law, I have yet to see a touch screen that could interpret my thoughts into usable text. For that matter, no dictation system has been fast or accurate enough. In addition, I really don't want to talk to my computer; I spend enough time every day talking on the telephone to clients, colleagues, and jerks. In the same way, I prefer silence when I am typing on the computer on an airplane. I am pretty sure my seatmate will NEVER want to hear me say: "This is an action for replevin. Paragraph 2." and similar stuff for an hour between Tampa and D.C.

But, Mom! I Wanted To Play Baseball!

Link: Typing: Improve Your Typing Skills with TypeSpeed. When I was in High School, I spent a summer in a classroom at the local school, taking, of all things, Typing. I wanted to be outside, lazing away the sunny days on a baseball field, but my Mom insisted that I learn to type. I have no idea where her wisdom came from (Moms just know things), but that was probably the most valuable summer I ever spent. If I had to pick a skill that will serve you, as a lawyer, best for your professional life, it is touch typing. If you hunt and peck, you need to learn. Of course, Mom couldn't have predicted the Internet Age; however, until we really can interact with our computers with our voices, you NEED to learn to type. This free website will help you.

The Frugal Lawyer - Bargain Your Way to Wealth

Link: Haggling: Life Benefits of Bargaining. When I was growing up, bargaining and haggling for what I wanted was not cool; it was considered somehow undignified. I learned, however, that bargaining often saved me money, as I grew older, and I quickly learned that I really didn't care how it looked. In the same way, solo lawyers quickly get over the reticence about talking money with a prospective or new client. In addition to looking for ways to save money by postponing purchases, asking for a lower price works in every field of endeavor. It never hurts to ask. Many purchases are, in the long run, unnecessary anyway, aren't they?

The American Revolution - Battle of Trenton

Link: The American Revolution - Battle of Trenton. As you contemplate a night of celebration of the New Year, it might be beneficial to think about George Washington and the time between December 25th, 1776 and January 3, 1777. Washington had recently retreated from New York, fearing that his small army of 5,000 men would be trapped on Long Island. As the year ended, he was encamped, in Winter, without food or funds. His letters showed that he was about to give up the whole thing. Then, as the New Year beckoned, he made a bold decision. On Christmas night, he crossed the Delaware River, and took Trenton in a surprise attack. He knew the soldiers would be drinking and celebrating Christmas and the holidays, and took advantage of their inebriated state. (Perhaps a lesson tonight?) As battles go, it wasn't much, but days later, the attack on, and  taking of, Princeton, proved to be the turning point of the war. Our battles, as we face a New Year, don't really compare to the battle for freedom, and life and death, do they? Something to think about while we have friends and neighbors far away in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for us.

6 upgrades that are downgrades | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone

Link: 6 upgrades that are downgrades | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone. Rafe Needleman hit the nail on the head with this article. Often, an alleged software or hardware "upgrade" is actually less effective, and buggier, than its predecessor. Vista is his prime example, and I agree. If your law firm has any new computers running Vista, you already know this. The software is a pain to use, doesn't work with many current peripherals, and demands a machine with plenty of hardware oomph. The current Apple commercials exploit these flaws in Vista. Of course, they ignore Apple's problems; but, I will leave those for another day.

Black Friday Ads - The Official Black Friday 2007 Website

Link: Black Friday Ads - The Official Black Friday 2007 Website. My son and I had an interesting and educational morning today. I had never ventured out of the house on Black Friday; the police presence among the hordes was a deterrent; however, he wanted an LCD TV for his room for Xmas this year, and the ads were enticing. That is, until I arrived at the local Target around 5:45 this morning, and discovered around 2,000 people in a line that stretched for blocks. Not wanting to disappoint him, I agreed to stand in line for an hour until the mass of people descended on the store. Amazing. The last TV available was snatched from our grasp by what can only be described as a really ugly American. My son had an object lesson in the ugliness of greed, so the morning was not a total loss, and I was not that disappointed. We made the rounds of the stores after breakfast, and found a better TV for him at a Staples store, at a better price.  Apparently, the office supply superstores are not as attractive to the masses as the Toy and Department stores. After 4 Advil, and my easy chair, I have overcome the post traumatic stress, and I now realize why I have become an Internet shopper.

Thinking Like A Lawyer - Is That A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Link: Law Librarian Blog: Professional Reading: Thinking Like a Lawyer: The Heuristics of Case Synthesis. One of my favorite TV shows in the 80s was "The Paper Chase", a TV adapation of the best-selling book about Harvard Law School. The show's principal teacher character, Charles Kingsfield, ably played by actor John Houseman, used to tell his students that he was going to teach them to "think like a lawyer". After many years of thinking like a lawyer, I go into the twilight years of my life wondering whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. More than one relationship has gone badly when my significant other accused me of acting like a lawyer. On the other hand, I always considered it a compliment that I had been trained to think rationally, and that I was able to synthesize a large amount of information before making a decision. However enabling Socratic thought is, however, perhaps we need to do more thinking like a bum. You know, spend some time acting on impulse, and smelling flowers. Relaxation and thinking like a lawyer can both be components in a life well lived.

Wonderful Weekend

Great weekend with my daughter, seeing Washington's sights, and watching the Redskins defeat Miami in overtime with a long field goal. No serious blogging today. Just basking in the warmth of victory, and the love of a child.

Google Earth - See The Stars

Link: Google Earth. Google Earth has added a star viewing feature that expands your view of the universe out into the stars. Google Stars permits you to explore the sky, and the constellations, giving images that that are spectacular, to say the least. This isn't any old astronomy program. Actual photos taken by cameras on Hubble and other cameras, that will expand your consciousness, and broaden your horizons. View and enjoy.

Galactic Suites Space Hotel - Geekologie

Link: Galactic Suites Space Hotel - Geekologie. Have an extra $4 million dollars to spare? You, too, can spend a long 3 day weekend orbiting the earth in space. If that sounds expensive, you actually will see 15 sunrises a day while you are up there, so you are actually getting a 45 day stay. It sounds like the experience of a lifetime to spend some time in space; until you realize that the same stars are visible from the confines of your backyard for a lot less money. The hotel is planned to open in  2012, so start saving up.

TypePad Servers Go Down

Link: Everything TypePad: TypePad Status Update. Thanks to all of you who emailed me about the site being down yesterday. Apparently, I was one of millions of blogs hosted by Typepad that went down when there was a power outage in San Francisco. The sites are back up, and the blogs are back up this morning. Let's hope the Pacific Coast doesn't fall into the sea during our lifetimes. FutureLawyer was in good company, though, as megasites like Craig's List and Technorati were also affected.

Law Blog - WSJ.com : Juries & Fashion Statements. Discuss.

Link: Law Blog - WSJ.com : Juries & Fashion Statements. Discuss. And, in the category of, "Duh, What?" we have this from the Wall Street Journal Law Blog, who got it from David Markus . I suspected that my last jury was involved in thinking about things other than my argruments. However, dressing for success wasn't one of them. This jury dressed in Red (Row One), White (Row Two) and Blue (Row Three) for Independence Day. I imagine the lawyers found it difficult to concentrate.

Kena Kai - Men’s DataSafe™ Wallets - DataSafe™ Nappa Leather Bi-Fold Wallet

Link: Kena Kai - Men’s DataSafe™ Wallets - DataSafe™ Nappa Leather Bi-Fold Wallet. From Christopher Null at Yahoo Tech comes this tip about a company that makes credit card protection wallets. News that cell phones are wiping out the memory of keyless entry keys for Nissan automobiles and that thieves are stealing credit card information from credit cards while they are in your pocket, makes these RF shielded wallets look pretty good to me. I carry my Treo and wallet next to each other on occasion, and I don't want to erase the digital information stored on the cards. I usually buy my wallets at discount houses for cheap; however, I think that I might just spring for one of these $60 shielded wallets. You can't be too careful out there.

Missing Futurelawyer Posts

Well, that was fun. No posts for the last couple of days, due to some emergency surgery for FutureLawyer.But, I am awake and alive, and am blogging from my hospital bed, using my new EV-DO Rev. A antenna. I logged on to the office computer this morning using EZRemote on my Treo, and got the network up and running for my secretary. And, I did payroll from my bank's website a few minutes ago, again from my hospital bed. And you all thought that a medical emergency was the only thing that could keep me from blogging. O Ye of little faith.

Only God Can Make a Jacaranda Tree

Link: Northpinellas: Beneath the purple rain. I was drawn to this story in the St. Petersburg Times because of the fact that fishermen around here used to watch for the bloom of the Jacaranda tree in order to tell when the Kingfish were going to be around. There are a lot of Jacarandas in Pinellas County, transplants from their country of origin. They are a junky tree most of the year, leaving trash around, and almost nobody plants them anymore. There was one in the front yard of the house I rented in law school many years ago, and I got very tired of cleaning up around it. However, for a couple of weeks a year, Jacarandas have the most beautiful purple canopy of blossoms, that make a purple carpet when they fall to the ground. Nowadays, we have computer gadgets to find the fish, and we spend a lot of time in front of computers. I think that I will go look at a Jacaranda in bloom today.

MBA In A Day - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying...

I always suspected that the reason my business skills as a lawyer were lacking was my inexperience in operating and managing a business. I didn't have the time to get an MBA, so I was stuck with learning by trial and error. If only I had known that I could become as knowledgeable as MBA graduates in just six hours! Now, you too can slice, dice and turn out MBAs in less time than it takes to take a deposition.

Translated version of Emile Zola's letter "J'Accuse", about the Dreyfus Affair

Link: Translated version of http://perso.magic.fr/tremong/pascal/lois/jaccuse.html. On April 13, 1895, Alfred Dreyfus was sent to Devil's Island, after a trial later proven to be riddled with Anti-Semitism and false and fabricated evidence. This historical event causes me to consider two issues: 1) Does human prejudice and false testimony and evidence cause legal miscarriages of justice today? and 2) Would Emile Zola be a blogger today? Of course, the answer to both questions is Yes. This legal system you and I participate in every day is better for the transparency of the Internet, and it is worse for the mis-information and lies it can be used to perpetrate. Good men and good lawyers are duty bound to use the technology to fight against injustice where we see it, much as Georges Picquart and Emile Zola did in their courageous defense of  Dreyfus.

BlackBerrys, laptops blur work/home balance: poll - Yahoo! News

Link: BlackBerrys, laptops blur work/home balance: poll - Yahoo! News. Excuse me, but when did control of my work/home balance get ceded to machines? Pardon me if I get off on a rant here; but, we are becoming a nation of wimps and weaklings. My favorite quote from this really dumb article is: "People who can't turn off the devices are advised to speak up..." Excuse me? Did they forget where the off switch is? First, Blackberry Thumb, and now this. Puhleeze. Maybe we should start a support group for people who can't figure out where the off switch is. Group hug, anyone?

Mad Dog Multimedia | SATA Cables | Case Mods | Coolers | Fans | Power Supplies | Enclosures

Link: Mad Dog Multimedia | SATA Cables | Case Mods | Coolers | Fans | Power Supplies | Enclosures. What do you get when you combine a Mad Dog with Mojo? If you guessed a Mad Dog with his mojo on, you are right. My old back up hard drive, a 2.5 inch notebook drive by Toshiba, with 100 gigabytes of storage has new life. I bought a sleek black Mad Dog hard drive enclosure this morning for $34.99, and installed the Toshiba drive in it. After installing MojoPac, I now have a portable 100 gig drive that I can plug in to any USB 2.0 port for totally independent computing. All the files and history remain on the portable drive, and no files are left on the host machine. This is great for the mobile lawyer who doesn't want to carry his or her notebook computer. Just plug in to the nearest computer anywhere, and you are good to go.

Devil Rays - Yankees Grapefruit League opener

Monica Bay came to visit me in St. Petersburg this afternoon,and we went to the Rays first home exhibition game against the Yankees. It was great to meet Monica in person for many reasons; not the least of which is that when I turned the FutureLawyer site into a blog a couple of years ago, she was a great inspiration and encouragement. Her only major defect, that I can see, is that she is a Yankees fan, and I spent the afternoon among a whole gaggle of obnoxious Yankee fans. I was, however, stoic and resplendent in my Rays shirt, and I root, root, rooted for the home team, even though they mostly stunk up the joint. Welcome to St. Petersburg, Monica. You got a real taste of our famous sunshine. Now, why would anybody want to go back to the frozen North?  For instance, after the game, I got into the Futurelawyermobile (a 31 foot Rockwood motor home), picked up the kids, and I am posting this from beneath an old growth Oak tree in Plant City, Florida, home of the world famous strawberry festival, which we will attend tomorrow. It is a down home celebration, and we will be hootin' and hollerin'. Come on down, frozen visitors. Give us your poor, tired, huddled masses of money. We need it to buy some decent pitching.

FORTUNE: Legal pad

Link: FORTUNE: Legal pad. This comes via Robert Ambrogi at LawSites . Bob and Roger Parloff highlight this true to life email exchange as a cautionary tale for those who inaccurately type email addresses. However, the most important part of the exchange for me was the advice to avoid Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, and other common domains. It would be impossible to mis-type the Futurelawyer's email address, because, since it is my own domain, any email addressed to it comes to me or a member of my immediate family. I hear you Griffiths, "BozoWinDozeUser@futurelawyer.com" WILL get to me. So, if you aren't in control of your own domain, get one. They are cheap, and much more secure.

Deadman's Reach- Served in Bed - Raises the Dead

Link: Deadman's Reach� a Gourmet High-Speed Blend from Raven's Brew Coffee. 8 years ago, walking through a small town in Alaska, I discovered Raven's Brew Coffee in a small grocery store. At the time, I was roaming the town looking for Internet access. Back then, dial-up was all that was available, and even less available in the Alaskan countryside. I am a Coffee addict (there, I said it), and this is great coffee. So, if any of you wonder how I can get up at Five in the morning and spend a couple of hours with this blog, now you know. I reach for Deadman's Reach, and I come to life.

Windows Vista Not Selling So Well : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Link: Windows Vista Not Selling So Well : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. Well, I guess some of you are listening. Christopher Null agrees with me that Windows Vista is the second worst operating system Microsoft has come up with in its history. Windows ME will always carry the flag for worst. Vista is too expensive, too intensive for most systems out there, has too few current drivers for current products, contains too many restrictions on the user, annoys the user with so many warnings about alleged security violations that most users will just turn the warnings off, and be less secure. Microsoft's answer to security is to warn the user every time another program does something that COULD be a problem. How about just making the system work in a more secure fashion? The really annoying thing is that, because of the obscene price, Microsoft can sell many fewer copies of Vista, and make just as much money. Have all these people been drinking the KoolAid? Keep your money. Keep XP. Get Ubuntu Linux. Get a Mac. (Did I really say that?)

Law.com - Ex-Pillsbury Partners Vow to Fight Firm's Demand for Money

Link: Law.com - Ex-Pillsbury Partners Vow to Fight Firm's Demand for Money. I knew there was a reason for being a solo. If I feel the need to demand a refund of compensation paid to the partners in my law firm, I just take a couple of dollars out of my wallet, and put it in my pocket. No litigation required.

Network World Video: Naturally Speaking 9

Link: Network World Video: Naturally Speaking 9. My travails with dictation software have been amply discussed in the past. This Cool Tools video discusses the latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking, 9, and shows how it works. I actually have this one installed on my Dell D620, and it works pretty well. However, I seldom use it since I prefer typing to talking. If you are not a competent typist, you should take a look at this version of the software. As you can see from the video, unless you are from Boston, it should be very accurate.

The Illustrated Daily Scribble

Link: The Illustrated Daily Scribble. The irresistable Charlie Fincher, of LawComix fame, whose great law related cartoons have been featured here before, has revived the Illustrated Daily Scribble, a political humor cartoon site. The prolific cartoonist has also created ScribbleBeach , a beach flavored Texas coast cartoon site. As you may be aware, Charlie lives near the Gulf of Mexico, as the FutureLawyer does, and we often stare at each other from our respective sides of the Gulf. Of course, that is not to say that there is a gulf between us. We share the view that humor is an essential part of human survival. Bon Voyage, Charlie. I will be a regular visitor.

Why You Should Use a Regular Font for Email : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Link: Why You Should Use a Regular Font for Email : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. What if you got an email from another lawyer in a frilly font on a pink background? Would you take the message as seriously as a plain Times Roman missive on a white background? It seems obvious; however, as this post from Christopher Null points out, some serious scientific studies have verified the obvious. So, get rid of the fancy fonts, the busy backgrounds, and all the frill from your email software settings. You may not be projecting the image you want. I know. I know. It is fun to play with the settings. But, just as you should re-read every email before you press send, you need to look at the format you are sending. It says a lot about you as a lawyer.

shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress � Blog Archive � LegalZoom and the future of lawyering

Link: shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress � Blog Archive � LegalZoom and the future of lawyering. I keep forgetting to highlight David Giacalone and the Shlep site. I have posted to the site about the trend towards unbundling legal services for "prosumers" as a way to compete against the market forces that are negatively impacting the practice of law. My post about the LegalZoom  site prompted a thoughtful reply by David at Shlep. The computing revolution, the increasing sophistication of the consumer, the trend towards handling basic transactions without lawyers; all of these market forces are of concern to those of us who believe that the best protection against tyranny is a free and open legal system, populated by citizen lawyers, protecting rights of citizens. The advice of a competent lawyer will never go out of style in the United States. However, all service industries are facing competition from the Internet and automated systems. We either will embrace the technology, or be swallowed by it.

Diamond Studded Mobile Phone Strap - Luxist

Link: Diamond Studded Mobile Phone Strap - Luxist. I am so happy that Xmas is over. Now, I don't have to agonize over whether I should buy my wife a decorative strap for her cell phone. RIGHT. In another case of conspicuous consumption, the Japanese give us this $842,000 cell phone strap. This kind of thing really gets my blood roiling. I know it is unusual, but the FutureLawyer is truly at a loss for words.

Hot Air Ballooning in South Africa - May, 2007

Hot Air Ballooning . For those of you who thought it was a pipe dream, I am in email communication with Gary Mortimer in South Africa, and am trying to arrange a Hot Air Balloon trip in Africa for May, 2007. Apparently, he has an International race going at that time, and will be providing travel details shortly. If you are interested, let me know. So far, Grant Griffiths of Home Office Lawyer and I, are the only two participants. However, we are open to all comers. No obligation yet, as the prices and travel arrangements have to be worked out. However, what a hoot it would be. Gary tells me there will be an RV and Trailer caravan; however, I don't think my RV can be carried across the Atlantic for a reasonable cost. :-) So, if I go, I will have to rent one.

DennisKennedy.blog: The 2006 Blawggies: Dennis Kennedy's Best Law-related Blogging Awards

Link: DennisKennedy.blog: The 2006 Blawggies: Dennis Kennedy's Best Law-related Blogging Awards. I hesitated before mentioning that FutureLawyer got an Honorable Mention in Dennis Kennedy's Third Annual Best Law-Related Blogging Awards, for Legal Tech Blogs. Then, I remembered that I am a shameless opportunist, have never won any other awards, and that my mother always said, and I quote: "If you don't toot your own horn, nobody else will". Yes, she really said that, and still does today, going strong at 85. I hope that I can live up to Dennis' high opinion in 2007, and that is at the top of my New Year's Resolution list. Since, however, my list has included "lose weight", and "get a real job" for more years than I care to admit, I wouldn't hold your breath. Peace in the New Year.

Vertu's Signature Cobra claims "world's ugliest phone" throne - Engadget Mobile

Link: Vertu's Signature Cobra claims "world's ugliest phone" throne - Engadget Mobile. Here's a piece of cell phone technology that will so NOT be under my tree, for so many reasons. One, it is UGLY. Two, it costs $310,000. (Yes, you read that right-it has two large diamonds on it, two emeralds, and 439 rubies). Three, the jeweler who screwed up a fine Vertu phone is French. The French are NOT our friends. If you know anyone who can afford this phone, and might buy it, please ask them to donate the money to the One Laptop per Child program. When I look at this phone, I think of Arnold in the first Predator movie, saying the line: "You are one ugly @#$%$%". This phone looks like one that Predator might carry. Except that it would likely also have an included thermonuclear device in it.Merry Xmas and Hasta La Vista, Baby.

The HR Lawyer's Blog: Fah-la-la-la-lawsuit!

Link: The HR Lawyer's Blog: Fah-la-la-la-lawsuit!. And they say we lawyers don't know how to have fun. This great post is an example of what the legal community and its clients have brought us to. I think that I would not want to attend this party. How about you?

Hot Air Balloon Rides in Kwa Zulu Natal South Africa

Link: Hot Air Balloon Rides in Kwa Zulu Natal South Africa. In case any of you doubted the Internet Revolution's power, I got a comment to my joking post about Grant Griffiths and his hot air ballooning from balloon pilot and entrepreneur, Gary Mortimer, from, are you ready for this, South Africa. I think that all lawyer bloggers in the U.S. should take a trip to Gary's Lodge in Africa, and go hot air ballooning. While we are up in the air, we could all blog simultaneously, creating the world's first "in the air" law blog rave. I am entertaining comments from all law bloggers in the blogosphere. I think we need to do this before we die. Any takers? Thanks, Gary, for planting the idea in my head. In any event, since I can't bring my RV with me, how about I rent one, and drive it to the balloon airfield? Then, if I get cold feet, I could sit in the AC, drinking beer, until I get up enough courage to go up.

Signed Prints for Law People

Link: Signed Prints for Law People. If you are looking for a gift for yourself or a loved one, you can't go wrong with a signed print of one of Fincher's great law cartoons. I have one in my waiting room, and it is a great conversation starter. The price has been reduced to $38, and framing adds $34.

World chess champion loses to computer - Yahoo! News

Link: World chess champion loses to computer - Yahoo! News. Chess is one of my favorite pastimes; the game of Kings. It trains in strategy and tactics, exercises the mind, and, in general, is great training for lawyers. The practice of law is replete with chess analogies. So, it is with mixed feelings that I report that Deep Fritz has beaten Vladimir Kramnik in Bonn. The romantic in me would like to believe that the human brain is capable of defeating a technically superior computer, with artfully crafted deception. However, chess is, at its core, a mathematical puzzle, and it is rare that insight can trump that precision. Computers are great for creating competent chess opponents; there is no substitute, however, for a human face on the other side of the board. Game anyone?

H&R Block TaxCut Basic (exe), from H&R Block - Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software

Link: H&R Block TaxCut Basic (exe), from H&R Block - Free Downloads on ZDNet | Shareware, Trialware, Evaluation Software. Thanks to friend and loyal reader, Richard Belock, for this tip. I have used TaxCut to prepare my personal income tax return for years, and, while inexpensive at $14.95 for the basic program, this site will allow a download of the basic program for free. Can't beat free, especially if you are already using the product. You need to sign up for ZDNet's resource page, but it is a great media company, and you can opt out at any time.

New Web site dedicated to regifting - Yahoo! News

Link: New Web site dedicated to regifting - Yahoo! News. Wondering what to do with that ugly tie you got for Xmas last year? Can't bear to use the MP3 player you got that isn't an IPod? Can't believe you actually received another silverplate platter that will never get used? Well, there is hope. This site specializes in advice about how to give those unwanted or unneeded gifts away, without looking tacky. Of course, it isn't a good idea to give the tie back to the person who gave it to you. That would be a tad beyond tacky.

Zune and Vista Incompatible for Now - Yahoo! News

Link: Zune and Vista Incompatible for Now - Yahoo! News. I keep coming across reasons to delay purchasing the upcoming Vista operating system. Reason Number 34: If Microsoft can't even make its brand new IPod competitor, the Zune, compatible with Vista, why would I want to risk my law firm's essential data on it? Microsoft says that the units will be compatible by the time the consumer version of Vista ships. They better be, or Microsoft will be in more trouble with consumers than it already is. And, that assumes that the Zune will be competitive with the IPod in the first place.

Corel Bundles Firefox With $79 WordPerfect Home Suite - Yahoo! News

Link: Corel Bundles Firefox With $79 WordPerfect Home Suite - Yahoo! News. I admit it, I am a WordPerfect guy. I have used and loved the word processor now published by Corel for many years; and still use it in a world of Microsoft Word users. It allows me to save documents in Word format if I have to send a document out, and is the most customizable word processor on the planet. Now, Corel is joining with the best open source browser on the planet, Firefox from the Mozilla organization, to provide a Home user bundle. WordPerfect users of the world, unite! Power to the WordPerfect people! Why do I feel like a voice crying out in the wilderness?

Mobipocket free books

Link: Mobipocket free books. With the coming of the Sony Reader and Ebooks in your pocket, it is a good time to take a look at the free ebooks available on the web. Here are 47 free law related ebooks that work great with my favorite EReader, MobiPocket. Versions of the reader are available for the computer, and many handhelds, and they now sync with hundreds of RSS feeds. I use MobiPocket to get Ebooks and RSS feeds on my Treo, and it automatically updates every time I sync. The publication of books and their availability online is a mainstay of our freedom.

TV in the Refrigerator - Would you Buy this?

Link: LSC27990TT 26.2 Cu. Ft. Refrigerator (LG Electronics-LSC27990TT) - PriceGrabber.com. Okay, raise your hands if you would pay $3,500 for a refrigerator with a TV embedded in the door? I know my friends and family claim that I spend entirely too much time in front of the refrigerator, and children standing in front of an open refrigerator for an hour makes me see the electric meter turning around, but, please. Of course, if they are watching Nickelodeon on the Refrigerator, the door has to be closed, right? And, they will be in a standing position, rather than lounging in chair, right? This whole TV in the refrigerator idea is starting to gain some traction with me. NOT.

www.BookMuncher.co.uk

Link: www.BookMuncher.co.uk. This U.K. company has a pioneering speed reading tool available, for now, for a free download You have to try this out. I admit that I have been a speed reading junkie since my teens. I have always been intrigued by methods that promise huge increases in reading speed. I was trained in the venerable Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics program, and still find myself reading phrases and sentences in one look. Ultimately, the discipline required for speed reading is the principal reason for speed increases. The more you concentrate and focus on the material, and the more you concentrate on moving through it, the faster you will read. BookMuncher flashes one word at a time on the computer screen or PDA screen, and has a sliding speed control that varies the speed at which the words fly by. Very effective. The technology forces the reader to concentrate in order to digest the words as they pass by. I am using it on the Etexts I have downloaded from various Ebook sites, and find it relaxing. Once you are in the groove, it is almost subliminal. If you want to try out RSVP (Rapid Serial Visualization Presentation) on your PocketPC, try MobileDynamo , which has a 7 day free trial version available for download.

YouTube - BB Demise

Link: YouTube - BB Demise. Can't think of anything to do with your BlackBerry, after you switched to Treo or Moto Q? Here is a guy who has the right idea. Tape the sucker to a ladder, and use a concrete block to send it to BlackBerry Heaven. Ladies, this is a guy video. So, be warned. Smashing, crashing, dead BlackBerrys. Now, where is my wife's old BlackBerry? I want to send it to Heaven.

TreoFamilyComparisonChart4.gif (GIF Image, 668x1869 pixels)

Link: TreoFamilyComparisonChart4.gif
        Grant Griffiths picked up this chart at Treonauts last week. I had planned to post it, but decided not to, when I realized he had already done it. Today, however, I am posting it for all my readers who may not read Grant's Home Office Lawyer blog.  If you are confused by all the differences and similiarites among Treos, this chart is for you. It has all the Palm OS models, all the Windows Mobile models, and gives a feature by feature comparison. Don't make your choice based on the chart, though. You need hands on, real world experience with these things to get a feel for what you want. I have a Palm OS Treo 650, AND a Windows Mobile based Treo 700W, and I honestly vacillate back and forth about which I prefer. I like watching TV on the 700w using SlingMedia software. But, I like the quick, simple ease of use of the 650 using the Palm OS. We report. You decide.

No Service Pack 3 Update for Windows XP? - Yahoo! News

Link: No Service Pack 3 Update for Windows XP? - Yahoo! News. Why am I not surprised? Microsoft says it is "not obligated" to provide Service Pack releases of the dozens of patches to its