Futurelawyer

#WhyIAmASolo - If I Want A Gold Watch, I Have To Buy It Myself

LG Urbane Luxe Wearable Android Smart Watch (W150) | LG USA. Is there anything more final than retirement? Well, death, yes; but, retirement can also be the end. I am happy for my friends who are able to enjoy retirement. They lead active, full lives, and I am delighted that they are finding fulfillment. But, I have been thinking recently about the end of days. We all face death every day. And, it is one day closer each day we live. I am happy that I have my Gold watch, the LG Watch Urbane Luxe, and I wear it every day. It reminds me that you can still work and have one. I am happy that no senior partner, or Board of Directors, will ever have the power to come into my office and tell me to go. While I probably couldn't afford to retire, even if I wanted to, I am happy that I have a place to go every day, and that I am doing productive work. Work your passion, and you will never "work" a day in your life. Even the bad days have their pleasure as you age. The older you get, the easier it is to "illegitimi non carborundum est". Look it up, grasshopper. It is the recipe for happiness on this earth.

The Next FutureLawyer Office Builds Itself And Moves With You

These Buildings Can Fold and Unfold in Minutes Without the Need for Tools. Over the years, I have posted about possible future locations for the FutureLawyer office, with an emphasis on small size, and interesting location. What if, however, the office could fold up and move wherever you wanted it to be? Meet the folding office. I want one.

This Is Wrong On So Many Levels...

Android Wear Tip - Turn Off "OK Google" Detection

Tip: Disabling "Ok Google" detection on Android Wear could fix your smartwatch's stuttering and lag. For Smartwatch wearers using Android Wear, this tip solves a big problem. We are used to our phones being smooth and operating with no lag. Android Wear, however, seems to stutter and lag a lot lately. I turned off the "OK Google" detection on the watch, and the lag completely disappears. A simple push of the bezel with a double tap brings up Google Assistant anyway, so no great loss. On that topic, we lefties wear our watches on our right hands. So, pressing the bezel requires a reach with the left hand. Why don't they make these watches with a left handed button? With headphones or a bluetooth earset attached, you can still bring up Google Assistant with your voice. You can get an Android Wear Smartwatch for less than a hundred bucks these days. Why haven't you tried one?

Note 8 Comes With A Set Of Premium AKG Earphones In The Box

Note 8 comes with a set of 'premium' AKG earphones in the box, tuned by Harman Kardon. I like bluetooth earbuds as much as the next person. But, there really is no substitute for a quality set of earbuds and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. When Apple and some other phone makers got rid of the jack, and started supplying bulky, buggy adapters for their phones, I swore I would never buy a phone without an earphone jack. I have wireless buds for convenience; but, for real listening, I use quality plug ins. But, grasshopper, there is another reason to use the quality earbuds that come with the Note 8. Nextradio is an app that uses the FM tuner built into most phones, and allows the user to get FM stations in the area. But, the tuner needs an antenna, and the app uses the earbuds as an antenna. So, now I am able to follow along with the game live while in the stands, and there is no Internet 10 second delay. Now, when Jameis Winston fumbles a snap, I hear it live, rather than 10 seconds after I see it. Listen on. 

Dylan Thomas Reading "A Child's Christmas In Wales" In 1952

Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, is recorded here reading his long poem, "A Child's Christmas In Wales". We did the reading in my Communications class in College in the Sixties. I have a CD collection of Thomas reading just about everything he ever wrote. If ever a poet's work was meant to be read aloud, it is Thomas. His melodic mastery of the English language resonates today. Take a few minutes and lose yourself in the magic of Christmas. Then, hug everyone you love, realizing that they won't be there forever. Beautiful moments are transient. Appreciate them. 

Merry Christmas - Now Go Organize Your Closet

Here's a tip for closet organization. This person uses day tags. I suppose this speeds things up in the morning. However, I think I will have to modify the system. My closet tags will read: L, XL, XXL, XXXL, and XXXXL. Guess which ones I will go to first.

A Homily For Jacquelyn

I debated whether to post this on FutureLawyer; but, I got such positive feedback on Facebook, and I have received so many kind words from FutureLawyer readers, that I decided to share it with you. This is the homily given at Jacquelyn's Memorial Mass last week. It is certainly off-topic for a tech blog page; but, some things are more important than tech and law practice and blogging. Figure out what that is for you, because your time is limited on this earth; and, your life can change in an instant. 

For those unable to attend Jacquelyn's Memorial Mass yesterday, you missed the best funereal homily I have ever heard. I may be biased; but the Priest who wrote and delivered it, was an Intern for Jacquelyn years ago when she was teaching school, and it is priceless. He wishes to remain anonymous, as he is quite a modest young man, and I am honoring his wish. However, I present it here for anyone who missed the ceremony:

"It’s a blessing to be able to preside at this Mass today to celebrate the two lives of Jacquelyn Cosentino Georges--both her 58 years of earthly life and the infinite years of her eternal life. We grieve the loss of her earthly life but we rejoice in her entrance into eternity, and we give thanks for the many good years she had with us. Rick said something profound in this regard: “I’m grateful for the 20 years we had together, for all of those trips to Disney 4 times a year, for all of the other family trips and dinners out.” It reminds me of a quote from a sage Indian writer named Tagore, who exhorted his readers in a poem about grief to “say not in grief that she is no more, but say in thankfulness that she was. Death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of a lamp because the dawn has come.”

I will remember the good times I had with my friend, Jackie. According to Ariana, I was 1 of only 3 individuals whom she allowed to call her “Jackie.” Of course, I was honored to hear that but I was also a bit mortified; I wish she would have corrected me!

I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Jacquelyn for a year and a half. She graciously let me use her classroom to teach 8th Grade Latin and Religion, a class in which her son Aron was a student, and when he challenged or antagonized me, which was a frequent occurrence, she always took my side (at least publicly) and reminded her son that he needed to respect his teachers.

I enjoyed many conversations with Jackie on a wide variety of topics--from the sublime to the ridiculous. We laughed a lot, and I always walked away from her with a smile on my face. She was both a friend and an advisor to me during my time at the School of the Immaculata. She was wise, trustworthy, compassionate, and down to earth. Perhaps best of all, she was unconditionally supportive. When I started discerning the priesthood, she encouraged me throughout the process, and when I left for the seminary, she gave me a book that I still possess and use over 10 years later. She signed it, “To ****, Wishing you well on your new journey. May God bless and keep you. You are always in our prayers. Love, Aron, Ariana, & Jacquelyn.”

Unfortunately, as was the case with many of my friends, I only kept infrequent contact with Jacquelyn after I left for seminary. So, it was a shock to receive a message from Ariana in the early part of the summer informing me that her mother had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, the same cancer that took the life of my mother’s best friend in 2013. Ariana requested, on behalf of her mom, that I come and visit Jackie, to pray with her, to bring her holy communion, and to anoint her. It was admittedly very sad to see my friend suffering the effects of this horrible disease, especially considering the last time I saw her she was so vibrant and healthy. It was even sadder to visit her in the ICU at Largo Medical Hospital a few months later after Ariana called and informed me that she had taken a turn for the worse.

As I stood in that hospital room with the family and with an increasing awareness of the gravity of the situation, Rick asked a very reasonable question--one that has echoed down throughout the ages--one that is well documented in the scriptures, from the patriarchs to the psalmists and the prophets, to the biographies of the saints, and indeed in each one of our minds when we witness injustice, when we see the wicked prosper, and when we see bad things happen to good people for no good reason. That question is of course, “WHY?”

As my heart broke for Rick, for Ariana and Aron, for Shelba, and for all of Jacquelyn’s family and friends that love her so deeply, the same question arose in my soul…why? I could give no answer. I felt helpless. The only answer I received to this question as I grappled with God for several minutes (which seemed like several hours) was more a statement than an answer, “as much as they love her, I love her even more.”

Those words resonated in my heart as I prepared this reflection and meditated on the words of the author of the Book of Wisdom in our first reading: “the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God...their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction, but they are at peace….because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.”

Through her battle with cancer, Jacquelyn was indeed tried and found worthy, and she can now say with St. Paul in his letter to Timothy in our 2nd reading today: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith...the crown of righteousness awaits me.”

If that’s not enough to kindle your hope in eternal life, then listen again to what Jesus said to his disciples, and to each of us, in today’s gospel from John, perhaps the most consoling words in all of scripture: “Do not let your hearts be troubled….I go to prepare a dwelling place for you.”

For God’s faithful people, says the words of the preface to the Eucharistic prayer that I will proclaim from the altar in a few minutes, “life is changed, not ended, and when this earthly dwelling is no more, an eternal dwelling is made ready for us.”

So, today I am choosing to trust in that promise and I invite you to do the same. Let us imagine all the wonderful things God has in store for Jacquelyn in that eternal dwelling place, custom made for her before the world began.

I say my farewell to her on your behalf in the same words she addressed to me in that book over 10 years ago: Dear Jacquelyn: Wishing you well on your new journey. May God bless and keep you. You are always in our prayers. We love you. Amen."

#ParrotSunday - Parrots 101

EOS Remote - Android App For Remote Control

EOS Remote - Android Apps on Google Play. I have had a lifelong affair with photography, and have watched, with interest, the development of digital photography. In the 70s and 80s, I shot film and transparencies, and spent long hours in the darkroom developing film and making prints. It was a great way for a non artistic person to make beautiful things. However, life happens, and I haven't spent a lot of time shooting in recent years. I plan to make up for that, and purchased a WiFi enabled Canon camera for myself for Christmas. One of the cool things about modern digital shooters is the ability to transfer photos on the fly to computer or storage device, and to manipulate the images in the computer. However, you can also set up the camera, and control it remotely from your Smartphone with an app like EOS Remote. In the old days, you were tethered to the camera by a cable and a push button device. These apps can adjust focus, zoom, and a host of other controls. Now, act like I'm not here, and, presto, you're on candid camera. Oh, yes, and you can expect a lot of photos of my parrots. Just a warning.