April 2016 – Basha Blog

Passover – Rabbinical Mandated Spring Cleaning – For the Law Office

October 23, 2016April 21, 2016 by Rose Rowland

Every year, I engage in a little ritual I like to call “rabbincally mandated spring cleaning” – in other words, turning my kitchen over for Passover. One of the most interesting things about pulling out my Passover dishes and pots each year is that I get to read year old newspapers. It is always rather comforting to read about some horrific event that was happening in the world a year ago and realize we survived it. This year, as I was taking out my Passover stuff and glancing over the year-old newspapers, I was struck with a thought. Everything has a history, even news stories. And sometimes, things that seem extremely important at one time turn out to be not so important later on.

Software has history. Especially the software that we use in our daily business life. And sometimes, in the urge to immediately solve a present issue with fascinating new software, we skip over history. Let’s say, two years ago, your office installed a up to the minute Practice Management System, such as Time Matters or TABS/Practice Master. After the pain and agony of initial setup, it was wonderful – a real step forward. But, fast forward two years and that wonderful practice management software system begins to look as antiquated as last year’s newspaper stories. You’re ready to move to The Cloud – chuck out the old, in with the new.

Getting an Early Start on the Garden – Moving Indoors

October 23, 2016April 11, 2016 by Seth Rowland

These days, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate. After a mild winter, spring seemed to arrive early. I was out on my hammock soaking in the sunlight only a few weeks ago. I got ambitious and turned over the soil in the raised beds for my vegetable and herb garden. Last year I started the garden too late, only to have many plants dry out in the heat before hitting full fruit. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. But then, Mother Nature played a joke on me (and all of us in the Northern part of the U.S.). We had 3 successive days of below freezing temperatures, including actual snow on the ground in April. Egads!!!! Add so I pulled out my Jung Seed catalog. Instead of just getting seeds, I loaded up on starter soil, biodegradeable seed kits, and deck planters.

Guest Feature: The Ultimate Paralegal

November 13, 2016April 1, 2016 by Rose Rowland

As we all know, paralegals are an essential component of the legal profession today. But, there is a drawback – aren’t they just a little bit too “human”.

Still in R&D but very exciting – The Paralegal of the 21st Century from Japan Industries. 21Para, as the prototype is called is more than a robot – it is a completely actualized and optimized Paralegal. Using a simple in-office procedure, a computer chip is inserted into your Paralegal’s brain. The chip will allow your Paralegals to bypass the necessity for physical computer and keyboard by becoming computers themselves.

Gadget Watch – Meet the Squirrel Buster

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 by Seth Rowland

I am lucky that my office looks out on a wooded area with a lake. We often see ducks and other waterfowl cavorting in the lake and hunting for food. The occasional neighbor’s dog, white tailed deer, or even a coyote strolls into the yard for our diversion. We see birds, woodpeckers and others, but they are often camouflaged in the trees. I had thought about bird feeders, but had been worried that I would spend more time feeding the grey squirrels, rather than feeding actual birds.