Futurelawyer

YellowStone National Park

Have you visited a National Park recently? Wish I had been here when this happened, with my cameras.

What a sight, and what sounds! https://t.co/ViLu37LkHa

— Caspar Henderson (@casparhenderson) June 17, 2020

Android Auto - Drive Your Car And Stay Alive

Android Auto. Driving a car and checking messages on your Smartphone are not the safest way to spend your day. Distracted driving is a leading cause of auto accidents, and the increasing power and utility of Smartphones has exacerbated the problem. Google and other tech companies recognize this, and Google's answer is a limited, large font version of the essential apps that can be connected to many dashboard addons. I installed a Sony XAVAX3000 system in my 3000GT, and connect it via USB cable to my Smartphone. Android Auto appears on the Sony screen, and, with voice control, I don't have to remove my hands from the wheel. OK Google, call Diane.

Will DisneyWorld Be A Happy Place When Everyone Is Wearing A Mask?

DisneyWorld Opening Challenges. I haven't been out a lot lately; but, 2 and 1/2 hours in a cloth mask yesterday at the Doctor's office, even though air conditioned, was uncomfortable and hot. I don't do well with face coverings anyway; but, I cannot imagine wearing a cloth mask around DisneyWorld in mid-summer Florida. It gets into the high 90s here, and DisneyWorld wouldn't be my first choice as a happy place with a cloth mask on. So, until it is safe to walk around without a mask, I will be watching Disney+ on Television if I need a Disney interlude. DisneyWorld is 90 minutes by car from my house, and my favorite family memories happened there. I will miss it.

Parrots At Home Event Is Online June 13-18, 2020

Parrots At Home Online Event. As many events around the world are postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic, there are actually opportunities for millions of us who wouldn't normally travel to the events to attend online. The U.K. parrots annual event will be online this year, and anyone with an Internet connection can attend. Adapt and overcome.

You Are Unable To Travel? Why Are You Complaining?

Seneca On Traveling. There is a lot of whining and complaining going on these days, because the ability to travel has been curtailed; except for "essential" activities, whatever that means. But, in this time of forced isolation, perhaps we could examine the reasons we travel in the first place. Vacations are intended as a respite from work or other stresses; but, we all know that travel itself carries a whole list of stresses. Long hours in tiny seats, missed connections, auto breakdowns, bad weather, and all the stuff that rivals anything we experience at home. Perhaps the worst reason to travel is to escape from ourselves, which is impossible. Wherever you travel, you will still be there. A portion of one of Seneca's letters is instructive:

“What good has travel of itself ever been able to do anyone? It has never acted as a check on pleasure or a restraining influence on desires; it has never controlled the temper of an angry man or quelled the reckless impulses of a lover; never in fact has it rid the personality of a fault. It has not granted us the gift of judgment, it has not put an end to mistaken attitudes. All it has ever done is distract us for a little while, through the novelty of our surroundings, like children fascinated by something they haven’t come across before. The instability, moreover, of a mind which is seriously unwell, is aggravated by it, the motion itself increasing the fitfulness and restlessness. This explains why people, after setting out for a place with the greatest of enthusiasm, are often more enthusiastic about getting away from it; like migrant birds, they fly on, away even quicker than they came."

So, pilgrim. Spend this time thinking about how to quiet your mind in place. Think about what is in front of you. Every moment spent dreaming of another place is a moment wasted that could be spent living in the here and now.

Never Fly When You Can Drive

Never Fly When You Can Drive. This two year old article touting the economic benefits of driving whenever you have to go somewhere takes on new meaning in a world suffering under a pandemic. Airlines are in a world of hurt, some of it of their own making. But, that said, some of us have greatly reduced our air travel in recent years, for many reasons. My last trip to New Orleans was by car, and the 10 hour drive was much better than an 8 hour flight (including airport time, delays, and hassle). When the 2 hour flight becomes 8 hours, after adding in time spend getting to and from airports, parking car, waiting for the flight, and security hassles, driving becomes a much more attractive option. Now, driving becomes a safety issue. And, you can stop the car anytime you want, and sample local cuisine, watch the cows in a pasture, or whatever. Coming back from New Orleans, we spent the night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, and the 24 hours there was magical. So, sorry airlines. I suspect that the lure of automobile travel will become even more attractive, no matter when the pandemic ends. Va,Va.Va.Voom.

Traveling With The FutureLawyer - In The Deep, Dark Past

So, lawyer, you think you are cool because you are working remotely during the pandemic. Here is the FutureLawyer in action 8 years ago.

 

8 Years Ago

 

 

Richard Georges

May 4, 2012 · 

 

Traveling With The FutureLawyer. I don't travel much any more. So much can be done virtually these days. But, I still have to travel on occasion, and this week I am in Orlando for seminars at the Attorney's Title Insurance Fund Assembly. However, I don't have to lose touch with the office or clients or the Internet. Here is a photo of my in room setup. I use my Asus notebook for blogging, document assembly and general productivity. I am using the tablet on the left to keep up with home cable TV via Slingbox, and the tablet doubles as an in seminar connection with the Internet world. The notebook is tethered to the Internet connection on my Droid Bionic 4G LTE phone, which is my backup and which also serves as an in car navigation device, using Google Android navigation. The tablet has its own Internet connection to the great Verizon Wireless 4G L network. If I decide to check out the sights, my Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone comes me in my pocket, also with its own 4G LTE connection to the world. I can pretty much do it all on all 4 devices, depending on which one is handy. All my calls to any number get forwarded to my Google Voice number, so I never miss a call, whichever device I carry. Welcome to the future of lawyering, in which you can do your thing wherever you are, as long as you are all Android all the time, of course. My only concession to old school requires someone back at the office to Efax my snail mail to me. Oh, well, you can't have everything.

 

Riding Down The Gelmerbahn In VR 360

There are plenty of third party VR cameras out there, and the videos are posted online. I am going to check them out on the Oculus Quest, which adds a feeling of being there that is impossible in a 2D video, even when you can rotate the screen to see the surroundings. If you have, or get, an Oculus Quest, you just have to load the web browser and navigate to the page where the 360 VR videos are posted. Today, I plan to ride down the steepest funicular in Europe. I normally hate roller coasters; but, riding one in my chair seems harmless.

Remote Lawyering Before It Was Fashionable

It seems like longer than 7 years ago, and this RV is a memory; but, I was practicing remote lawyering even then. Rock on.

7 Years Ago

 

Richard Georges

April 28, 2013 · 

 

Sunday Morning Fun. I am always looking for ways to show my readers the benefits of new technology. So, when I got my RV back after having the engine rebuilt (long story), I parked it in front of the house this weekend to work on it. It cost $98 to fill the gas tank (I think gas was $1.50 a gallon when I had it last), and $150 to update the Registration; but I am willing to go the extra mile for my readers. Photo One shows the ancient beast sitting in my front yard. It occurred to me that the old road warrior still had some life in her. Nobody in my family will set foot in it, since they are afraid it will break down again. Oh, they of little faith. But, it occurred to me that that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I had dreams of solitary weekends in the great outdoors, with a comfortable bed and air conditioning waiting for me at night, and listening to the birds and the animals all night long, and fishing or swimming all day. But, I digress. How could I survive without Internet access? How could I show my readers what it is like to be in the wild? Then, I discovered the old 32 inch LCD TV I had left in the coach. Eureka! As you know, I just bought a small, light Chromebook last week, and the Acer model C7 has an HDMI out port. So, just for fun, I plugged the Chromebook into the TV, and found that my front yard has access to my home DSL router. Internet! This post is being written on the RV desk, while I am in the front yard communing with nature through the RV window. Photo Two shows what it looks like to camp out in the FutureLawyer universe.
Hey! I could park this thing in the Courthouse parking lot, and practice law out of it? This reminds me of the Seventies TV series, Petrocelli. If you are too young to remember it, look it up. Or, when we thought a great adventure was camping out in the back yard! Oh, youth. Oh, happy days. I think I feel a solo road trip coming on.

I Think I Will Go To Machu Picchu, Peru This Morning

Now that I can't go anywhere, I think I will go to Peru and see Machu Picchu. It is on my bucket list, and thanks to National Geographic, I can go and walk around the ruins. I will have an expert guide, and it won't cost anything. No airfare, no expensive hotels, no long, exhausting travel. Through the amazing Oculus Quest headset, I can travel like a StarTrek transporter user. See you on the other side, you poor homebound soul.