Futurelawyer

Politics? Elections? Ugh. A Lawyer's Prayer - Follow The Law Or Reap The Whirlwind.

 

A Man For All Seasons, Act One, Scene Seven.

It occurred to me that the current political climate reminded me of the movie, A Man For All Seasons, which considered the refusal of St. Thomas More to accede to the King's edict invalidating his marriage so that he might remarry. Political expediency should never take precedence over conscience and priniciple, should it? Any lawyer will tell you that the recent spate of "lawfare" that seems to take process and elevate it over principle has created courtroom results that are pretty much insane. The contortions required to turn a legal system on its head in order to defeat a political opponent are ludicrous in the eyes of any sane, independent legal observer. But, hey, we need to rid ourselves of this "tyrant", don't we? 

There is too much disrespect for the law and personal freedoms these days. Some argue that it is okay to ignore laws that we feel are unjust or not in keeping with our personal code or political bent, whatever that may be. In fact, laws need to be respected and honored, in an apolitical way, and need to apply to everyone. We seem to think that, if a person is of our political persuasion, they should be cancelled, and censored, regardless of the law.

We all need to read some Thomas More.

 

"William Roper: “So now you give the Devil the benefit of the law?”

Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great swath through the law to get after the Devil?”

William Roper: “Yes, I’d cut down every Law in England to do that!”

Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down and the Devil turned ‘round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of Law for my own safety’s sake!”

 

Best Baseball WalkUp Song Ever... No Contest.

Wild Thing is my entry. Anybody think they can beat it?

 

The Future Is Now - The Time Machine's Librarian Is Here.

When I saw the Time Machine movie adaptation of the Wells' novel, I was intrigued by the future librarian scene, in which a holographic librarian was the repository of all human knowledge, and conversed with the protagonist. That future had destroyed itself; but, the librarian remained. We are on the cusp of making that 2002 movie a reality. Generative AI is now conversing with us in real time, and is pretty much indistinguishable from a super smart human. It is easy to put an Internet connected A.I. into a robot, and get a similar experience. You can bet that there will be A.I. equipped robots walking around in our near future. I love having generative A.I. as my legal assistant, answering complex questions. I have to remember that the answers come from language libraries developed by humans, and can contain errors and hallucinations. But, as a starting point for legal research, and checking results for accuracy, these things are becoming essential. Here is a clip from the movie, in case you didn't see it:

 

Remaking Disney's Politically Incorrect History.

I have a modest proposal for Disney. It is really offensive to me that so much of Disney history is filled with politically incorrect stories and images. As an example, when Snow White is awakened from her coma by a kiss from the Prince, it is a perfect example of non consensual action on his part. Shocking. So, here is an alternative way to end the story. You're welcome. While I am at it, I applaud Disney's recent remake of the Country Bear Jamboree, by removing the offensive Liver Lips McGrowl. What an offensive character he was. 

 

Star Wars Review.

Star Wars Review. I was scrolling through Facebook and this 1977 review of Star Wars by Siskel and Ebert popped up. As soon as I heard Siskel's prescient, almost throwaway comment at the end, I realized that his fear had come to pass. Hollywood certainly has tended to reduce serious filmmaking over the past several decades, hasn't it? We all like explosions, special effects, and spectacle; but, let's not forget the quiet, serious movies.

"People Will Come, Ray". Why We Love Baseball.

I get a lot of resistance from friends who can't understand why I attend baseball games. How can you sit for hours watching grass grow, they say. Too little action, they say. Football and hockey are more exciting, they say. The world has passed the game by, they say. Baseball executives hear it too. They have instituted pitch count timers, and cut back on novel player placement, and other things to speed up the games. But, at its core, the magic of baseball is its continuity. It is the magic of remembering our youth. It is the magic I feel when I remember the time I threw a player out at home plate from right field. Or, the time I had an unassisted double play at first base when I made an impossible catch of a line drive. Or, the time I walked 8 batters in a row in an All Star game. Every time I sit in the stands, and score a game on the computer, I remember hot summer evenings as the official scorekeeper for the municipal baseball league. But, Terence Mann, the fictional sportswriter in Field of Dreams, said it best. 

It's Monday - Time To Play The Greatest Movie Ever Made.

I fluctuate between Casablanca and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I think maybe it's a tie. But, you may disagree.

 

If Clint Eastwood Is Your Neighbor...

He did tell you to get off his lawn.

We Few, We Happy Few, We Band Of Brothers.

Kenneth Branagh, as Henry V, is my favorite movie adaptation of the Shakespeare play. Its themes are human, universal, and the St. Crispin's Day scene still gives me goosebumps when I watch it. Going into a trial as an underdog? Have your trial team watch this. Facing a fight in your everyday life? Watch this. While the pursuit of glory and legacy is largely illusory in our short human lives, there are fights worth fighting, and the courageous can be rewarded. There are many scenes in Branagh's performance that should be required viewing, such as the discovery of the traitors in his midst; but, this one is the most inspiring. Branagh is our greatest living actor; although, Paul Scofield's "Man for All Seasons" is a close second. Need some fire to fact the day today? Spend five minutes with Shakespeare and Branagh. 

 

Lies, Damned Lies, And Movie Reviews.