Futurelawyer

Google Gives Holiday Gift To Android Users

Google is gifting The Beatles to Android users this Holiday season. What if you could listen to the whole Beatles' catalog on Google Play, and other streaming devices? What if you could say: "OK Google. Play the Beatles", and all their music started streaming. Well, that day is here, and those of us who grew up with the band are happy campers today. I can remember first hearing "When I'm 64" while I was working on a mail distribution center loading dock in Jacksonville, Florida, while on break from college. Now, I am older than 64, and I get to stream the whole catalog. Happy days.

Microsoft Disables Cortana On Android

Microsoft disables Cortana%u2019s voice activation on Android | Android and Me. What if Microsoft created an Android version of Cortana voice control, and then disabled it after it caused conflicts with Android's built-in voice recognition system? Microsoft, nobody cares. We are perfectly happy with "OK Google", and use it all the time. Why complicate your life, when Google gives us the best voice recognition app on the planet? So, Microsoft, stay away from my Android phone. Nothing to see here.

New Year's Resolutions

Execupundit.com: 21 Things I Wish I Knew In My Twenties. I am going to stop making New Year's Resolutions. As Michael Wade says in this piece about things life has taught him, we don't do enough specific goal setting. We tend to be vague in our goals, and this is a setup for failure. So, instead of saying: "I am going to diet and lose weight", say "I am going to lose 40 pounds". Okay, you won't make it. But, your chances will be improved. Be spiritual. Don't try to impress others. Impress yourself, and keep it to yourself. Use humor as a defense. There are more. But, you have to read the post. Enjoy. 

#ParrotSunday - All Eyes and Heads...They Might Be Owls

They aren't parrots. They might be owls. I don't recommend owls as pets...they are wild things; but, this is so cute, I had to share.

Remember Record Club? It's Back!

Columbia House hopes you'll come back for vinyl records. My name is Rick and I still collect vinyl. There. I said it. Once the admission is made, I can live in the light. Now, all you former record club members can come back, because Columbia House is back from bankruptcy, and you don't have to buy your vinyl at flea markets anymore. Huzzah. Let's get back to pops and clicks and real music. 

You Don't Need To Burn Incense And Wear Long Robes

As I learn to practice mindfulness and meditation, I am struck with the misconceptions that most of us have about the process. As Andy Puddicombe tells us in this ten minute TED talk, you don't need to become (as he did) a Tibetan monk to find peace in the focus on the present. You don't need to burn incense, or wear flowing robes, and you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a spirit guide. You only need to learn how to train your mind to be in the present moment without allowing the normal stresses and emotions of our lives to affect us. We can learn to become observers of the stresses and not participants in it. We can learn to turn our focus inward and allow the rest of the world to be without reacting to it. I am most impressed by the changes that can be made when we learn to have a relaxed, focused mind. Take ten minutes to watch this TED talk. Then, take ten minutes a day to learn how to be mindful.

Merry Christmas From The Georges Family

Let There Be Peace On Earth

And let it begin with me.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 - I Take It Back Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review - Engadget. I have been enjoying my time with the Nexus 6; but, non removable battery and SD card missing notwithstanding, I decided to give the Note 5 a try, and upgraded both mine and SWMBO's Note 4s for Xmas. I must admit that I love the Note 5, and SWMBO would rather be with the Note 5 than me. (That may not be that big a deal). Samsung just has the prettiest, brightest screens on the planet, and the phone is thin, light and beautiful. I take back everything I said about the device; even with Lollipop, this phone rocks. So, now I have a daily decision to make. Carry the Note 5 or the Nexus 6. Like Deion Sanders, I think I will choose "both".

Headspace - Exercise For The Quiet Mind

Headspace. Thanks to Ernie Svenson for turning me on to Headspace and the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. We have been hearing a lot lately about mindfulness and its benefits for our busy lives. If you pray, you are probably already familiar with the mind quieting power of prayer. Mindfulness and meditation are not the practices popularized in the Sixties when some of us grew up. For ten minutes a day, you can quiet the busy, busy speeding anxieties and problems that most of us deal with all the time. Amazingly, these little ten minute intervals can serve as a constant reminder that we don't have to be worrying all the time, or stressing about this or that. In fact, I have just started and I am already feeling the benefits during the day. I am much more able to go to a quiet place, no matter what the hubbub is around me. Turn your mind inward, and be a spectator of your life. You might find that wisdom is a tangible thing that you can call on whenever you like. The best part is that it takes no effort. In fact, you just let life come to you, and you accept things for what they are. Get your head in a good place. Practice mindfulness.