Law And More

"Blue Bloods" - Bring on the Darkness

"Criminal Minds" has been renewed for 2019-2020 but that will be its last season. 

The fate of "Blue Bloods" is still up in the air.

During its 9th season the ratings in the important 18 to 49 demographic have been down 10% and in general down 5%. Average viewership is about 8.61 million.

Initially we can be charmed by the old-line family values of the Reagan law-enforcement clan.

But then we hunger for the tragic flaws in crime-show characters like Amanda Rollins of "Law & Order SVU" and David Rossi of, yes, "Criminal Minds." 

Audience preference has tilted to the out of the box.

Otherwise "The Good Doctor" would never have made it through the first season. In real life, autistic Shaun Murphy MD would have had his license yanked the day or two after he received it. On the next episode of that series that will exactly be the plot line - the threat that he will lose his license to practice medicine.

In contrast, the wholesome and self-righteous Reagans can become tedious. I have already tuned out, both from new episodes and from the re-runs. 

The tormented souls among us, though, wonder: Suppose we grew up in the Reagan family, instead of our wildly dysfunctional ones. 

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Mindfulness & Doritos - So 1st Decade 21st Century

LinkedIn Update, it turns out, is the Land of No Spin. Those tightly scripted (as well as the tightly wound) have few followers. Often their posts go without any likes or comments.

Those who flash raw sincerity are the ones who pull in the attention. And keep it. We keep our eyes open for what they will share next.

Who are they?

There's New York Metro area adjunct communications professor and lover of grammar - Don Heymann. He reminds us baby boomers of our fourth-grade teacher who never let a misplaced comma or too many of them get by her red pen. The era was the 1950s. That was before the self-esteem movement in education eliminated that kind of editing of any student behavior in the classroom.

Another is editor in chief of Odwyerpr.com Kevin McCauley. Most recently he turned the eulogy into an art form. The grabber? The person whose spirit he keeps recapturing for us is his late boss Jack O'Dwyer. There wasn't a boss I didn't have a long-festering resentment for.

However, the Pied Piper on all social networks is Elie Mystal. He heads out of the box legal news site Abovethelaw. With total cool, he mixes advocacy about all sorts of justice with the ethos of a daddy blogger.

Meanwhile, those BigBrandnames who rule over prestigious law firms and public relations agencies go unfollowed. Actually, they turn us off with links to what they consider seminal articles in the Harvard Business Review or Axios. Some of us are tempted to leave a comment: Hey, I surf the web too.

Consuming raw sincerity is analogous to doing a whole package of raw chocolate chip cookie dough in one sitting on a very bad day.

We flip the channel in our heads from despair to hope. That often pans out (no pun intended) better than mindfulness - or Doritos. 

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Do Not Disturb Movement - Can It Really Gain Traction in Always-On USA?

In Europe, the Do Not Disturb movement is catching on. Essentially, it's about allowing employees to fully clock out after the work day is over. 

Software of various kinds will inform the employers that the employees are not available. Some software even flags the employers that their message and any attachments are being deleted.

That means that when the employee reports to duty the next day or after a vacation the in-box won't be clogged. 

In Law.com, Phillip Bantz describes this trend. There is some interest in it also in Canada. And the New York City Council proposed the right to be left alone. Employers who violate that would be subject to a $250 fine. However, there is a loophole. Employers can ignore the ban in case of "emergencies." 

To some American employers, especially in the legal sector, just about everything associated with work constitutes an "emergency." The same goes for American clients.

So, many of us wonder if the do not disturb movement will gain traction in the USA.

Most of my plum assignments come to me as emergencies, at odd hours. If the money is right, I grab them. That can lead to a long-term relationship with a client. 

Therefore, I probably won't purchase the software such as Slack and Speakap which signals that I am not to be disturbed. Of course, I am self-employed. That's a different situation from being a salaried employee.

For employees to opt for that, the whole company would have to go along with that system, with no exceptions - not even for supposed "emergencies." I cannot think of one company eager to enter into that mindset and practice.

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

 

"O" The Oprah Magazine - January 2019 Edition Focuses on Suicide

The January 2019 special section on suicide in "O" has this takeaway: Talk.

The simple act of one distressed human being opening up to someone, anyone who listens, can prevent suicide.

Those who didn't talk were the ones in the magazine who discussed their attempted suicides. Part of the mission of "O" is to also remove the stigma associated with suicide attempts. Putting them out there could help someone considering suicide. Here a digital copy of that issue can be ordered.

Fortunately, there are volunteers willing to listen. Many nations, including the U.S., have free confidential 24/7 hotlines. Among them is Samaritans. 

Lawyers or law students who call the Samaritans (212-673-3000) can feel immediate relief. The person who answers the phone is totally present, with no agenda. He or she is low-key but what is palpable is the deep listening.

As the conversation proceeds the trained volunteer will ask questions. That's not only to know you better but also to diagnose how serious is your intention to take your own life. If it's assessed as serious you could be talking for hours. Hopefully, during that time the channel in your head will switch to hope.

As "O" points out, there has been little research on suicide. That might be a blessing. We all have to pull together and do the human (versus the scientific) thing to help each other when life no longer seems worth living.

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"The Good Doctor" - In-House Counsel at the Hospital Would Yank Dr. Murphy's License

If the goings-on in "The Good Doctor" were occurring in real life, Shaun Murphy MD would have lost his license to practice medicine a few weeks into his residency.

Given his autistic syndrome, he does get distracted during medical procedures. When his mentor was diagnosed with cancer what was going on in his head interfered with treating the patient who almost died. 

That puts him and the hospital at risk for  malpractice lawsuits. Also at risk, of course, are patients' lives. 

But, "The Good Doctor" is fiction. So, Dr. Murphy might survive the ordeal in next week's episode.

Tonight was the second half of the quarantine emergency at the hospital. Because of a SARS-like virus, the ER and surrounding areas were off-limits. No one could leave or enter. Among those trapped were some with medical emergencies.

No surprise, Dr. Murphy had a meltdown during the chaos. A power that be videoed him on the floor in a fetal position. His medical colleagues knew how to get him back on his feet and serving patients. He went on to deliver a baby, saving the infant and the mother both.

Meanwhile, in another part of the quarantined area, the doctors ignored a DNR. They saved the man and got him ready for a transplant. That went fine for him but his estranged father, the donor, died after the procedure.

Two of the doctors involved are also on the hot seat, just like Dr. Murphy. The previews show that there is a push to have all three lose their licenses.

It will be interesting to see if art mirrors life.

In real life, no medical institution could "afford" both in terms of malpractice insurance and branding to have those three retain their licenses. Yes, all three are outstanding, caring medical doctors.

But there are laws. There are also expectations that medical doctors will abide by patients' wishes. Another expectation is that the surgeon won't become preoccupied during a procedure. 

Next week's episode should be interesting from a legal and public relations point of view. It could also be soul-wrenching since we know the doctors meant well. 

Surprisingly, despite this absurd plot line, "The Good Doctor" is popular. 

Get amazing results through out of box communications strategies/content. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com. I help, not sell.

Sport No Longer Cool - Lawsuits, Plunging Property Values

In the mid 1990s, we ambitious professional women were encouraged to learn how to play golf. Sure, it was a difficult sport and not cheap. But the networking opportunities were positioned and packaged as growing and growing. 

That was then.

Millennials never took to the sport. Maybe it's too slow a game, without enough of comprehensive workout. Maybe it's too complex to learn. There is also the cost. It's a generation born into stagnant wages.

Whatever the reason, golf is no longer a must-do for business or a recreational activity looked forward to.

As Candace Taylor reports in The Wall Street Journal, since golf became not cool, there have been lawsuits against members of golf-oriented social clubs who stopped paying their steep dues. Initiation fee can be as high as $70,000 and monthly dues $1,000 or more. 

Way back then when golf was popular and a prime business networking tool, it make good professional, social, and recreational sense to buy a house in a development surrounding a golf course. Usually the house was sold at a premium price and membership in the "club" was mandatory.

However, not only has the popularity of golf changed. So have people, their interests, and their budgets. Some have stopped paying dues. They are being sued. Others have requested a refund of their initiation fee. They are being put on a waiting list. That can number 60 applicants. 

In addition, if they want to or have to sell their houses they are facing a perfect storm. Mandatory membership in the club is demanded as a term and condition of purchase. That limits the pool of buyers significantly. In addition, there are fewer buyers to begin with since fewer want to be based around a golf course. If that golf course has been closed down, usually the property is neglected. That's an eyesore in terms of the appearance of the development.

The bottom line has been a plunge in market values. Many had paid a premium price to buy in. Now they are coming to the reality that they have to sell below what they paid - sometimes a lot below. 

Playing golf was not a fad. It was a long term trend. Therefore, those caught up in this legal and financial pickle can't be blamed for recklessness. What is happening more and more simply happened to them: Lots changed.

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That Weekend Manhattan High-Rise Firm - Dead Are John Merow, Wife Mary

In the media, that deadly Saturday night blaze in a Manhattan high-rise was big news.  After all, myriad brandname players reside in New York City.

But, only today do we find out that those who died were former Sullivan & Cromwell Chairperson John Merow and his wife Mary. He died shortly after being transported to NY Weill-Cornell Medical Center. She died at the scene. Here are more details from Law.com.

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