Futurelawyer

PaperPort And Pdf Converter Year End Sale

Final Notice for 2013's Best Savings. PaperPort 14 and PDF Converter are my daily software for scanning, storing, and manipulating my documents. I use the Professional version of PDF Converter; but, for $19.99, the regular version will get you started. At the sale price, PaperPort 14 is a bargain, and Forty bucks isn't a lot to pay for software that works great with any TWAIN compatible scanner, and which provides a great way to view and organize your files. I prefer talking to my computer with my fingers; but, if you like to talk with your voice, Dragon 12 is also on sale. Start the New Year right, with a plan to organize your files.

NSA - Can You Get A Message To My Teens?

The Daily Dot - The NSA has nearly complete backdoor access to Apple's iPhone. I know. The fact that there really is no privacy in our communications is not really a surprise. But, as the revelations of the extent of NSA surveillance capabilities becomes known, I am of two minds. First, my Government needs the tools to fight some pretty serious enemies. Second, on the other hand, this is the land of the free, and free speech is not something that can be compromised. I have suggested that, since we likely can't stop the increase in technological ability to monitor communications among us that we increase the penalties for misuse of the technology, and create some oversight that is meaningful. Here's a thought. How about requiring a warrant, signed by a Judge, before communications of citizens are intercepted? I think there might be some Constitutional precedent for that. Of course, while we are debating these issues, I have a request. Since the NSA apparently has backdoor access to iPhones (and, I presume, Android phones), can somebody please contact my teenaged son and tell him to mow the lawn? While they are at it, is there any way they can contact my daughter and tell her to clean up her room? Thank you.

Be Brainier - Read A Novel (Or A Pleading)

Brain Function "Boosted For Days After Reading a Novel" - Slashdot. Michael Wade says we should take time out to read a novel. As a novel is a piece of fictional prose, that deals with human interaction and drama, I can reliably report that legal pleadings meet the definition. So, I must be reading novels every day. Michael reads novels on paper, however, casting a blind eye to the marvels of modern technology, in which thousands of novels can occupy a storage card no larger than a postage stamp. The question is whether reading a novel on paper boosts brain function in the same way as reading the same novel electronically. I say that, since only brain cells are used in the electronic reading process, brain activity is that much more heightened when reading electronic books. So, I am going to spend the day boosting my brain by reading the fictional meanderings of other lawyers.

Mondays And Holidays And Other Horrible Events

I hate Mondays. I particularly hate Mondays after Holidays. And, I REALLY detest Mondays after Holidays before Holidays. My body may be at work today; but, if you have a legal emergency, it is a rule that you call someone else today. Of course, they are all zombies today too. My suggestion is that you go home, take two Advil (get over it, we have moved on from aspirin), and lie in bed until the emergency doesn't matter anymore. That is the best thing about law practice. There seldom are any real emergencies. If there are, the client has been sitting on the problem so long that it is probably unsolvable anyway. Oh, yes. I forgot. I absolutely, positively hate Mondays after Holidays before Holidays when I have a stuffy head cold. I blame Karma for the cold, since I just wrote a piece about washing hands thoroughly and avoiding colds. I did it to myself. Sigh.

 

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Execupundit.com: "Year of the Zombies". Sometimes, you just want to hop on your yacht, and sail to your island in the South Pacific, hop in the hammock tied between two majestic palm trees, and sleep the year away. Of course, if you don't have access to any of those things, you are stuck with your own place and year. Oh well. Dave Barry is brilliant, and his take on 2013 should be read by everyone. I think calling some of these weasels "zombies" gives them more credit than they deserve; but, it makes the piece funnier. If it weren't so scary, I guess it would be laughable. Maybe it is the media hype culture we live in. Some of the media delights in the antics of some pretty despicable people. Here's my hope and prayer for 2014. Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men And Women, and some role models with integrity and class.

Urban Dictionary: swmbo

Urban Dictionary: swmbo. I am often asked about the derivation of the term, SWMBO, used affectionately to describe my lovely wife. I knew it from Rumpole of the Bailey, in which the lead character so referred to his wife, Hilda. However, Mortimer got it from the H. Rider Haggard novel, "She", in which the character, Ayesha, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess, of the lost city of Kor, who ruled her kingdom with terror, was so known. To disobey her or to scorn her was to earn and receive instantaneous death. Hmmmm.... I think most husbands can identify. 

Parrot Sunday - The Real Martians Were Parrots

Is This a Parrot on Mars? : Discovery News. I have always suspected that my parrots had otherworldly tendencies. Now, there may be evidence that there are giant parrots on Mars. At least, there is someone on Mars creating giant Parrot sculptures. These images show land formations that, from a distance, share 17 points of similarity to parrot features, which, scientifically, is next to impossible for a natural formation. Read this Discovery article and draw your own conclusions. I have my own little Martians and they are hungry.

Office 365 - Is Your Family Plugged In?

Office Home for Microsoft accounts - Office.com. Okay, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. I am still a WordPerfect guy. I will always be a WordPerfect guy. But, I recognize that a majority of the world doesn't agree with me. That includes She Who Must Be Obeyed, She Who Someday Will Be Obeyed, and He Who Will Someday Obey. SWMBO is required by her job to use Microsoft Office, and she creates Presentations in PowerPoint for her teaching portion of her job. SWWSBO is in College, and has only ever used Office, as does HWWSO, and he enters College next Fall. What to do? Well, on a whim, I took a look at Office 365, and I was amazed to find that our whole family can subscribe to it, and each of us can use any Office product, for the grand sum of $9.95 a month. We even have an extra subscription for installation on another computer if we wish. I have to open and edit Office documents from other lawyers and clients all the time. I can usually do that in WordPerfect, which has the best conversion algorithms in the business; but, for actual Word document editing, I have been laboring in an old copy of Office 2007. If you have up to 5 family members who need Office, the Office 365 subscription is a great way to go. If you want to save a little money, and you are sure you will still want it in 6 months, you can get a year for $99.99. You can save files locally (my preference) or to SkyDrive. For the kids SkyDrive is fine. For SWMBO and myself, we need to save confidential files locally. You can try it out for 30 days for free. So far, however, I actually like it. 

Galaxy Gear 2 Out Early Next Year?

Galaxy Gear 2 should be coming early next year, possibly at MWC | Android and Me. Now, it is getting ridiculous. I just got my Gear watch in October; and, I now hear that Samsung will be updating it to the Gear 2 early in 2014? Say what? The rumor mill says that the 2 will have a flexible wrist fitting display, and other improvements. Don't get me wrong, I love the Gear, and wear it every day. But, if you don't have yours yet, I would wait until March to see what's up. On another subject, I am downloading the update to my Galaxy Note 2, which is my backup since I moved to the Note 3 to take advantage of the Galaxy Gear Watch. If it works with the Gear after the update, I will have a reliable backup to have available. You can never have too many phones or smart watches.

SmartWatch Wars - Fighting Against A Phantom

Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Could Challenge Apple's iWatch. As this article from August indicates, pundits see Apple as a challenge even before it introduces a product. Just prior to the launch of the Galaxy Gear, which is a real product, and which I wear and use every day, GottaBeMobile published this report and wondered if the the Samsung product could "challenge" Apple's iWatch. Um, what iWatch? Apple hasn't even announced a product yet. Gear is the recognized best SmartWatch out there, and works great. Does any Apple aficionado out there know something about a coming iWatch? It is vapor until a real product is on the market. What will it cost? What will it do? Nobody knows. Until then, give me a real product on my wrist that just works.