Futurelawyer

When You Wish You'd Paid More Attention In English Class

So, You Want To Live In The Big City? Bring Your Weapons.

A Mad Rush For The Exits. You would have to be crazy to want to live in a big city these days. From violence perpetrated by anarchists and tolerated by politicians and bureaucrats to the spread of disease caused by crowded, cramped conditions, more people are seeing the advantages of suburban living. The exodus is putting pressure on moving companies and others who supply goods and services to a mobile populace. I think I will wait until next year to watch "Escape From New York".

FutureLawyer At The Beach

I have commissioned some new art for the site and publications. Since Charlie Fincher is always chiding me about the "cabana boy" motif, I wanted a beach vibe.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Will Never Have To Represent The U.S. Government

The Case Of The Pointless Buck. Imagine that you are a brand new Assistant U.S. Attorney. You don't get to choose whom you will prosecute. You are given a case by your superiors that, by any stretch, is, in the words of the appellate judge reviewing the case: "A tiny tempest in a tinier teapot has brought forth here all the ponderous powers of the Federal Government, mounted on a Clydesdale in hot pursuit 782*782 of a private citizen who shot a full-grown deer in a National Forest." The opinion was written in 1956; but, as any reader of newspapers today knows, Government overreach hasn't slowed a bit. Giving new meaning to killing a gnat with an elephant gun, the prosecution was a cautionary tale about a Federal Government that has too much power, too much reach, and too much hubris. Solo lawyers experience this often; but, never as the offending party. The Judge summed it up best: "not content with embarrassing defendant by this prosecution, and putting him to the not inconsiderable expense of employing counsel, the Government has compounded calumny by calling the poor dead creature a "fawn". Otherwise fully equipped with all the accouterments of virile masculinity, the deceased, alas, was a "muley". Unlike other young bucks, who could proudly preen their points in the forest glades or the open meadows, this poor fellow was foredoomed to hide his head in shame: by some queer quirk of Nature's caprice, he had no horns, only "nubbins", less than an inch in length." Once the government has so much power that it can destroy on a whim, can anyone be free?

Microsoft Surface Duo - Not Ready For Prime Time

Surface Duo Dead On Arrival. The FutureLawyer never saw a piece of tech he didn't like. I expect that will be engraved on my tombstone. That said, I don't have to use every bit of tech in my law practice. In fact, I suspect that I use regularly less than ten per cent of the tech I own. A lot of it is just interesting stuff. I own a lot of SmartWatches; but, I only wear one or two on a regular basis. I own many Smartphones; but, I only carry one on a regular basis. So, when I saw the introduction this week of the new foldable Microsoft Duo, I was intrigued. But, at $1,500, I have to ask what this can do that my Smartphone and tablet can't. The answer, of course, is nothing. So, the decision comes down to spending a lot of money for a phone that folds up. I will pass. I like pretty things. But, I lose interest when they don't advance the ball down the field. The kicker is that I have grown to like slim phones, and folded, this thing is chunky. Ask yourself the question: what can it do for me and my law practice?

#PoetryFriday - A Serious Man

A Serious Man.

He was a serious man.
His days were spent,
brow furrowed,
arguing about serious things.
He was never idle,
and didn’t tolerate those who were.
His time was spent
arguing about serious topics,
and thinking about serious things.
He made lists of things that needed doing.
He attacked them with dedication
and resolve.
No one could say that he was derelict
in fulfilling the duties assigned to him.
He had no time for fun.
Life was too serious for that.
He demanded that everyone
treat life as seriously as he.
He avoided those who frolicked
and spent time in useless inaction.
He would not waste his life
that way.
We all knew that he was a serious man,
not to be trifled with.
He got things done.
He never blinked.
He never swore.
He never was seen
to smile.
Smiling was a waste of time.
Things needed doing.
He was just the man to get them done.

When he died,
no one mourned his loss.
No one came to the funeral.
No one smiled at a memory of him.

But, everyone agreed
that he was a serious man.

Galaxy Watch 3 Already Getting Updates.

Galaxy Watch 3 Updates. The health related updates to the Galaxy Watch 3 are already coming fast and furious. While the ECG function will have to wait a while, this week the watch got new functionality, listed below. While the running coaching and training and oxygen consumption won't help me much, I think I can get behind anything that allows me to sleep. 

• Blood Oxygen (SpO2): SpO2 measurement can track how well your heart is pumping oxygen through the body. Swipe right to open the Blood Oxygen widget, and track your oxygen saturation in real-time.
• VO2max: VO2Max, the maximum amount of oxygen consumption, evaluates overall endurance during training. After completing a workout, the watch will display your VO2Max result. Additional insights are available in the Samsung Health app when paired with a smartphone.
• Advanced Run Coaching: Measures Asymmetry, Contact time, Vertical oscillation, Regularity, Flight time, and Stiffness during a run. Results are displayed after completing the running workout.
• Sleep Score: A new way to understand your sleep patterns.

This TV Show Was A Rehearsal For Covid 19 - Who Knew?

Actually, somebody needs to tell the rulers of Gideon that neck gaiters have been proven to be ineffective. Although, do you think we could require these outfits for all politicians?

Better Safe Than Sorry - Wear A Mask On Video Teleconferencing Calls.

Wisconsin DNS Employees Must Wear Masks On Video Conferencing Calls. Yes, you read that right. The bureaucrat who authored this policy is one of the reasons why normal people don't trust government any more. 

"DNR spokeswoman Megan Sheridan spoke with McClatchy News and said that employees wearing masks while video conferencing with external partners sets a good example during the pandemic.

“By wearing a mask while video conferencing with the general public, we visually remind folks that masking is an important part of navigating the business of natural resources during this tumultuous time,” Sheridan said. "

Apparently, the general public is too stupid to know and remember draconian laws requiring masks. But, wait, there's more!

"Sheridan also said there was another reason employees were asked to don masks while on remote video conferences.

“We ask staff to wear masks when on externally facing calls is that, taken out of context, a screenshot of a staff person or high ranking department official, if not properly attributed, could be misinterpreted to suggest that state employees are not properly following the Governor’s directive,” she said to McClatchy."

Actually, assuming a bureaucrat like Sheridan is auditioning for a Monty Python episode is a likely scenario. 

#TBT - Wally Was Way Ahead Of His Time, And Didn't Know It.

I first posted this 8 years ago. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Except that now this kind of marketing is mandatory.