Futurelawyer

Every Function In This 1991 Radio Shack Ad Can Be Performed By Your Smartphone.

And, drum roll please, every function can also be performed by the SmartWatch on my wrist. My Smartwatch can also measure my heart rate, do a medically acceptable Electro Cardio Gram, measure my Blood Oxygen level, connect to, and browse, the Internet, access all recorded human knowledge, count my steps, monitor my sleeping and snoring, check my stress level, keep my calendar, and much more. What will happen in the next thirty years?

#WhyiAmASolo - I Don't Have To Worry About The Great Resignation.

Pundits are telling us that employees are running for the door, to avoid dead end jobs with little personal satisfaction. Some of us never took the jobs in the first place.

#ParrotSunday - Too Late

And, in the category of advice given too late for the FutureLawyer, my parrots are safe from transfer. After I am dead, I don't care.

"Lead your life so you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers (1879 - 1935) stage and motion picture actor

#WhyIAmASolo - I Can't Be Fired Over A Zoom Call.

Better.com Fires 900 Employees On A Zoom Call. I am a solo lawyer. I don't make a lot of money. I don't get big cases. I don't have a fancy office in an office tower. But, I also don't get Zoom calls from my employer 2 weeks before Xmas, telling me my services are no longer required. I can lose a client every now and then, and I might have some nasty ones occasionally; but, I get to fire them and I don't have to work somewhere if I choose not to. A Zoom call? Seriously? Perhaps the other 90% of your employees should take a hard look at their jobs.

 

Secret To A Successful Marriage - A Fair Division Of Labor.

Want a long and happy marriage? Take my advice. Both parties must pull their weight. A fair division of labor is essential.

Okay, Love, You Got Me.

Usually I am the one who takes secret photos of my dinner companions while we are out. But, apparently, giving Diane a smartphone with a decent camera was a mistake. I have created a monster in my own image. Actually, this photo is an interesting story. The Library restaurant, where we had dinner last night is inspired by the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Peabody believed in the power and importance of education in the lives of others. One of his many legacies is the George Peabody Library, an institute he built for, and dedicated to, the citizens of Baltimore in 1857. Johns Hopkins was inspired by his close friend George Peabody to use his great wealth for the public good. The collaboration between these men and the institutions they created is the inspiration for this restaurant, located within Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. The restaurant is actually a lending library, and the check last night was delivered in a well read and worn copy of the Shakespeare play, Love's Labour's Lost. I actually spent a few minutes reading the play, English Literature Major that I am. I embarrassed Diane by reading from it one of my favorite quotes about love and beautiful women:

“From women's eyes this doctrine I derive:
They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;
They are the books, the arts, the academes,
That show, contain and nourish all the world.”
― Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost

Prometheus was the God of Fire in mythology, a suitable image for those of us attracted to the fire of the love of a beautiful woman. You got me, Diane. 

Ugh. Would A Rational Person Pay Big Bucks For A Label?

It is the Xmas buying season. So, expect a lot of ads selling clothing, and other items. There are only so many ways to manufacture a covering for feet or torsos that is comfortable. Slippers and pullovers have been around for centuries. Only in our hyper consumerized economies, however, have we succumbed to the "I must be rich" need to put designer labels on ordinary items. First, these slippers with a big red group of letters are "ugly". Ugh. And, I am willing to bet that the model in this ad never played polo in his life; much less rode a horse. I also bet that these slippers would sell for around $14.99 without the label. Ugh.

The Coolest Member Of The Household.

I owned the first Smartwatch. At least, I thought I did. The first Smartwatch was apparently owned by Litigator.

There Is One List I Am Proud To Be On.

25 Blogs Guaranteed To Make You Smarter. As a general rule, I agree with, and honor, the Stoic idea that awards and fame are not things to be pursued. They are, like life on this planet, ephemeral, and fleeting. One look at mighty Ozymandias in the sand should make this idea clear. But, I admit pride in being one of the Blogs highlighted by Kurt Harden at Cultural Offering. Kurt and Michael Wade, at Execupundit, stoked my interest in blogging early on 14 years ago when FutureLawyer was a baby. I read all of the highlighted blogs, and I agree that they are largely a sane island of thinking persons on the planet called the Internet. I have formed relationships with most of them, that are as close to pure thought transfer as you can get. In fact, the lack of physical connection removes many distractions that can complicate in person discourse. So, thanks, Kurt, for the honor. For my readers, get thee to the list, and start reading.

I Don't Care What Your Politics Are, And I Don't Care Whether You Like Mine.

Stoicism And Virtue Signaling. We all want to be seen in a positive light. We all want to be liked by others. But, as the Stoics tell us, this is not a rational way to live. When I lay my head down on the pillow tonight, I do it because I find it comfortable and because it helps me sleep; not because it was manufactured by a company whose founder, Mike Lindell, is loved or hated for his politics. I don't give a rat's behind what you believe in, or what you find virtuous, or who you love or hate. It is a special kind of stupid to buy, or not buy, a product for any reason other than its price is satisfactory, or its quality is good in your own judgment, or you need or want it. The beauty of pure Capitalism is that there is no posturing, virtue signaling, or fake humility in the success or failure of a product. One reader left the blog because my views on cancel culture and free speech were "offensive" to him. We had had an interesting and good relationship online for some years. But, he didn't like my support of free speech unless it coincided with his views. That is fine. Stoics believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. But, if I buy Chinese products because they are cheap and the quality is "good enough", don't assume that I support political beliefs that current wisdom postulates about China. Make rational decisions about the people and things you want in your life. My mom used to say "don't cut off your nose to spite your face". Moms know best.