Futurelawyer

Say Goodbye, Mickey.

Disney World Crowds and Long Lines. Let's see. Disney goes woke, and cancels characters because of their politics. Disney cancel Annual Passes for loyal Florida residents who spent thousands over years. July and August lines in 100 degree heat get even longer. You now have to have a reservation to get into Disney World. Remember the Magic Bands that allowed you to get a FastPass for up to three rides a day? Gone. Oh, and free speech went to Disney World to die. I have a final message for the woke suits at Disney. Goodbye.

Spend Some Time In Nature - Your Mental Health Is At Stake.

How Much Time Should I Spend Outside?  Spending a long weekend in the RV is one way that we get our time in nature. Today, we will be visiting the Mineral Springs Park here in NorthPort, and later swim in the Gulf of Mexico. This article in Men's Health Magazine outlines the benefits of getting outside for at least 20 minutes a few times a week. Cognition, memory, and feelings of well being all are improved. The Park has more minerals than any spring fed sink hole in the world, and has long been known for its healing properties. It has been claimed to be the original Fountain of Youth sought by Ponce De Leon, and he was killed on a search for it while anchored off of Charlotte Harbor. Maybe it will take a few years off of this old man. But, I will settle for spending some time in nature in Old Florida.

Main Street Electrical Parade - Magic And Innocence And Everything Nice.

Before the Pandemic, before Disney became woke, before Disney was all about money, when DisneyWorld was new and there was only one park in Orlando, the Magic Kingdom, there was a magical night parade down Main Street that captivated everyone who experienced it. When it was ended in 2016, an enterprising photographer filmed the whole thing. I confess that watching this brought back so many memories that there was a tear in my eye. For a few minutes, all the troubles of the world melted away, and we forgot our tired bodies that had braved the Florida sun all day. The music had been chosen almost by accident, and the engineering skill was legendary. This is the perfect way to start a new week. Enjoy. 

#WhyIAmASolo - Nobody Can Call Me A "Boomerang Worker".

Boomerang Worker Boom. Here's a new workplace term for you: "Boomerang Worker". The term describes a worker who, after COVID-19, realizes that she can continue to be a remote worker even after the pandemic ends, and decides to return home to pursue a career online. Thus, boomeranging back to her home, in whatever location that is. Mostly young workers; but, not all, are coming home and working all day in front of a computer. Even lawyers, accustomed to going to an office, sitting at a desk, and periodically getting in the car, or other transportation, and traveling to courthouses, are realizing that a lot of lawyer work can be done anywhere. Of course, the FutureLawyer has been preaching this for decades. It is ironic that it took a pandemic to make it a reality. Most routine motions are now being held on Zoom conference calls, for instance. There will always be a place for in person, in your face, trials; but, we are never going back to the inefficient way of practicing law. I am not a boomerang worker. I never left in the first place. My law practice is wherever I happen to be at the moment. Where is your practice located?

What Will Windows 11 Bring?

A new version of Windows is coming on June 24th, and Microsoft is already teasing it. This little video takes every previous Windows startup sound, slows it down 4,000%, and claims it is relaxing. I have become accustomed to every on of these sounds over the years, and still remember the first ones, in the Nineties. Are you looking forward to a new version of Windows? 

 

Six Reasons Having A LandLine Phone Is Still A Good Idea.

Landline Phones. Sixty per cent of homes no longer have or use a land line phone. But, as land line telephone service declines, it is a safe bet that it will never go away. The reasons are different than the fact that many of us still buy and collect vinyl records. The technology is still better for some uses. If you have a child, teaching them to dial 911 on a phone that is always in the same place in the house is a good reason. Some security systems require a land line connection that will work during power outages or disasters. There are other reasons; but, while I only keep mine because it is offered by my cable Internet network, and no longer have a handset connected to it, it is nice to know it is there. Has your home or office gone totally wireless?

And You Thought Steve Jobs Invented The Smartphone.

Prototype handheld phones have been being developed since the Sixties; and, not just in episodes of StarTrek. Telephone companies have been working on pocketable telephones since then, and this news article highlights a prototype that was being demonstrated at a communications conference. These days, phones are moving from pockets to being wearable on our wrists and in the rims of glasses. What's next? Will tiny implantable phone chips connect to our hearing? How would we turn them off? In some science fiction, a single message can be sent to every citizen simultaneously, to which they respond, like automatons. Maybe our future involves thought transmissions. Brave new world.

Twenty Years Ago This Is What It Was Like To Connect To The Internet.

When I stood in line at midnight in late 1994 to get a big box filled with 3 1/2 inch floppy disks that I needed to spend a couple of hours loading in order to get the latest Operating System for my computer, Windows 95, I began a journey that I am still on. Occasionally, I wonder about that journey, and where it will end. Sure, it will end with my death, most likely from a heart attack; but, who knows, I might live long enough to see computers controlled by thoughts and gestures, similar to the movie, Minority Report. In any event, here is a very realistic demo of what it was like to be the FutureLawyer in 1997, and the introduction of Windows 98 and the first Pentium chip. Enjoy. Smoke 'em, if you got 'em. You have plenty of time.

 

 

Run Android On Your Windows Computer.

BlueStacks. Windows Android emulators have come a long way. I had a problem. I have been using Wyze WiFi security cameras for a while. They are cheap ($40), and give great color images. They need to be plugged into power; but, that means no batteries to run out. For a few dollars a month, they can be accessed via the cloud. But, there is no Windows version of the monitoring software, so I was restricted to small images on my Smartphones and tablets. Then, I remembered that BlueStacks had been offering an Android emulator for a while, and decided to check out the latest Beta version of the software. The results are stunning. Fast and capable, I now have access to all my security cams from my Windows computer, as well as my Android devices. Below is a live image I captured this morning of the camera monitoring my office parking lot. The software takes up a lot of real estate, at 2 Gigs; but, if you need to run Android apps on your computer, BlueStacks is open and free. And, don't go near my RV. I am watching you.

You Will Be Able To Travel To Europe This Summer...But Will You Want To?

Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Will Be Allowed To Travel To Europe This Summer./ I had to cancel a couple of long planned trips to Europe and the West Coast when the Pandemic hit last year. I ate some part of the expenses because I reserved through third parties, like Booking.com (be careful with them); but, on the whole, I saved a lot of money on short term visits. Now, even though we are fully vaccinated, I have chosen to follow many U.S. citizens, and will be traveling Florida, and later America, in an RV. It really is like taking a hotel room with you, and, even at $3 to $4 a gallon, and 12 miles per gallon, it is way cheaper than hotels. You are required to take your time, and you see a lot more than from the window of an airplane. In fact, in addition to being safer, I can drive anywhere in Florida in under 5 hours, and I used to spend that much time on a 50 minute flight. And, nobody will be measuring my toiletries. Modern technology means that we can also travel these days with our entertainment, work, and anything we want on mobile computers and tech. I remember a slogan from years back: "See America First". I think I will try that.