Let’s consider some traditions, new technologies and changing lifestyles

First, with the trials between Hunter Biden and Donald Trump, a pertinent question has arisen recently.

If you are a lawyer going to trial, do you want to select smart jurors or stupid jurors?

I guess it depends on how strong your case is. If I’m a prosecutor and I have a strong case, I want to have as many smart jurors on that jury as possible.

On the other hand, if my case is weak, I want stupid jurors, the stupider the better, men and women who will believe anything, and the more uneducated the better.

But remember, the defense attorney will (usually) want the exact opposite of what the prosecutor wants. If the defendant is guilty as sin, his attorney wants stupid jurors who will believe even the most outlandish alibi.

If I were a lawyer, prosecutor or defense attorney, I would always pick the stupidest jurors from the ones selected. You don’t want smart people judging your case because they are too good at analyzing the situation and using common sense.

No, I want stupid jurors who I can sway by emotion, not by facts. I want jurors who don’t think, people who will believe any story you tell them.

Juries are usually a mix of smart people and stupid people, but sometimes neither side has a good argument and both attorneys choose the most ignorant candidates available.

So if you are selected for jury duty, don’t pat yourself on the back because you appeared to the lawyers to be a very intelligent person. It may have been quite the opposite.

“Pick him, Jack. He seems willing to believe anything!”

I’ve covered many court cases and seen this kind of thing happen.

Speaking of intelligence, some scientists believe we are on the verge of developing machines that are smarter than humans (which, in some cases, might not be difficult).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage these days, and stocks of companies developing super-smart machines are pushing the stock market higher and higher.

Artificial intelligence is already influencing our daily lives. When I write a text on my mobile phone, a chip inside anticipates my next word based on my past experience and probabilities.

When I start my car, my cell phone tells me where I’m going, always based on my past experiences.

And in case you haven’t noticed, all you have to do is mention a place or thing in a text or phone conversation and you start receiving emails and ads for that place or product on social media.

Big Brother listens to everything we do.

Two of my children (and their spouses) are university professors and they are increasingly encountering students who are using AI to write essays and topics. Since the AI ​​is original material, it is not plagiarism and proving that the student did not actually write the assignment is nearly impossible.

Finally, you may be wondering how much longer the U.S. Postal Service will offer home mail delivery.

Today, I only receive junk mail, political and commercial advertisements. Nobody writes letters anymore. Invitations to events are now sent electronically. Most utility bills are automatically deducted from your bank account, so there is no need to send a bill or payment by mail.

So why should the Post Office go the extra mile just to deliver trash to my mailbox? That’s a question worth thinking about.

Also remember that starting July 14th, the price of a stamp will go from 68 cents to 73 cents. Before you start complaining, I’m going to offer you a deal. If you’ll send a letter from me to my cousin Jimmy in San Diego for less than 73 cents, I’ll go to the post office and protest with you.

The Pony Express charged $25 to carry a letter across the country when $2 a week was a good wage.

A 73 cent stamp is pretty cheap in my opinion.