‘‘Twas the Night Before #ABATECHSHOW & All Thru the House…

Tomorrow is a new day. A time for reconnecting with friends and acquaintances. A time to learn new things. A good reminder not to talk about politics, nor religions, or even take on controversial topics like “Who Shot J.R.?”

It’s more than that of course, but I will do my best to plan ahead. I have started picking out my sessions, marking the “must attend” blocks and the “backup” sessions, and of course trying to figure out which ones are for beginners and which sessions are for full immersion.

My camera is loaded with fresh film (kidding,) and I’m packed. Now I just need to source a decent whisky when I’m there and a few people to share with and all will be well in the universe.

The most important thing is for everyone to stay positive, remember in most cases you’re a guest so play nice, and even though you’re in a big city think ecological and leave no footprints.

Stay tuned, there may be mayhem.

-30-

#ABATECHSHOW Run-up – thoughts before the rush

ABA Techshow is a week away so I just thought I’d take a few moments to opine on the journey to Techshow and try to make a few last minute suggestions:

1) Be AT the conference while you’re there – sure work interferes with best laid plans all the time but most people will be traveling to Chicago from out-of-state/out-of-country and you should squeeze every last bit of learning out of the few days you’re there. Delegate or postpone as much as you can before you head out.

2) The Canadians – I know I’ve mentioned the ubiquitous Canucks before but I say this again, seek them out and ask questions about what’s going on with Canadian regulators in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. They’re friendly, often know how to drink, are up for almost any kind of food or beverage, and as a bonus will often buy you a drink. (Ask to see their BlackBerry)

3) Go outside – Techshow is hypnotic and a bit overpowering so if you’re like me you start way too early and finish way too late. It’s a good idea when you’ve had your 19th vendor expo break to just skip it and go for a long walk. Walk to the lake, walk to the river, find the Billy Goat Tavern and have a razor thin somewhat tasteless but really cheap cheezborger. What could go wrong?

4) Find the parties – There are parties. Ask around. Some you will need a ticket or will have to get on a list. Get on the list 😉

5) Find the Legal Talk Network guys. They will have their finger on the pulse of Techshow – who they want to interview, who you shouldn’t miss, and where the good spots are for hurried food and drink (they work a lot so don’t harass them too much or they won’t get to eat.)

6) AI will be big this year so listen in to the keynote, the sessions, look for a robot lawyer. Stop and talk to Andrew Arruda (he will have a fresh haircut, big smile, and a TShirt identifying him as some guy named ROSS.)

7) Come to Canada – Did you know you can fly to downtown Toronto from Chicago (Midway) for about $300 return on Porter Air? If you haven’t been to Toronto it’s a world class city with amazing food and communities.

8) Enjoy yourself – there are lots of vendors. Kick the tires on something good! Ever heard of TrialPad? Check them out if you want to litigate and organize/present your trial from an iPad. Heck you can even meet Ian O’Flaherty, the “Honorary Consul of Ireland in Miami.” (He’s also CEO of the aforementioned company.) Practice management software? Yeah there’s lots of that there too from new kids on the block to the big players who have been around for 10 years.

9) Learn something – Go to the new attendee orientation if you have only been once or twice (or have never been.) It’s 07:30AM on March 8th.

Learn about Macs, hotspots, security, incremental backups, NAS, what’s a JungleDisk, cyberinsurance, where is the dark web, what is whaling and spear fishing, and, will you need a bigger boat.

10) Be careful, have fun, enjoy everything and know your limits, be respectful and try not to talk about politics unless you’re among “friendlies.”

Hope to see everyone there!

Twitter: @psuba98

-30-

#whisky #weekends A sip in time

It’s another weekend and the news is always bleak from the South. The USA seems to struggle with its former greatness. Once mighty and a world power never questioned is mostly a daily news item of scandals and conspiracy, a political grasp so tenuous its as gossamer thin as a reality show’s plot line. I digress.

It’s cold here, though Fall officially I will declare Winter is at the door and it’s open mor than a crack. It’s Remembrance Day. A day we pause to recognize and give thanks for our freedoms, our laws, our governments or at least the right to our democratic process.

Another week gone by and pictures were taken, hands were shaken, coffees were drunk and bonds were forged. Some relationships in place out of necessity while others made stronger just by mere acknowledgements. I spoke, some listened but preparation it’s own reward. Routines maintained and broken but the five days of the modern work week far behind in the rear view mirror and many more on the roads ahead.

Whisky. A complexity whether cask strength or not, bourbon or rye, aged or barely kissed by the oak. These bottles freshly filled with an elixir of warmth. Their beauty in the eye of a beholder, their value set by markets but priceless in the right hands. It thrives locally and beyond nations borders, served in crystal cut glass and paper cups or straight from the bottles depths.

Enjoy the weekend, and raise a glass to those lost, those who are lost, and the hope of the newly found.

-30-

The Value of a Good Shoeshine #portraits #photos

This is Mr. Carter. He runs a shoeshine empire in Chicago. I can’t remember the number of chairs he has around Chicago but it’s significant. He does a great job from his double-chair setup in the Hilton on South Michigan Ave and if you get a chance to stop in you should. As with most places you can leave your shoes with him for later pickup but you would miss out on some great conversation and wisdom! 

I’m sure he has his moods offsite but on the job you will never find a nicer or more engaging individual. He can talk politics, federal or local, families, technology, or anything else you’re in the mood for. On occasion we touched on the fringes of theology (he is a God fearing man,) but he can go with the flow and you never feel as if he has a strong opinion he wants to impose on anyone else. 

His shoeshine, which I’m sure includes lots of environmental threats, is never rushed (which almost made me late to speak at a conference last year,) and seems to last just the right amount of time. A stop there borders on meditation, and I can’t imagine being in Chicago without a stop to see Curtis and to get a shine. I have had his shoeshine last six months! 

The snap was taken on March 18th with my Nikon D4 using the Nikkor 50f1.4 @ f4.5 and 1/250. 

-30-

Landscapes in the wild

This is a snap from a trip to Awenda Provincial Park in Ontario. It was just before sunset on a windy late summer evening and I was trying to capture the mood as the winds swept sands across the beach.

The D4 was cranking along with the Nikkor 50 f1.4 at f16 with an ISO 100. The shutter was a full one second, hand-held and I guess I’m a little steadier than I thought I was given the winds.

 

There is lawyer advertising and then, there is lawyer advertising. . .

Not long ago, I attended the Clio Cloud Conference in Chicago. For anyone who doesn’t know, it is a user conference and it is spectacular as conferences go. Full disclosure here, I have known Jack Newton and Rian Gauvreau the founders of Clio, for more than 8 years and I have seen them go from nursemaids tending to a bold new startup…to commanders of a serious cloud-based practice management empire.

I have attended a lot of conferences in the last 8 or 9 years, often speaking on the doom and gloom topic of internet security and preserving client confidentiality, but I love attending the Clio Cloud Conference. There is such an energy created by the whole Clio team, but even more so by the wide-eyed attendees, many of whom return year after year. The last years have been in Chicago but in 2017 moves to the Birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans. I hope to attend, but first, more about the energy.

There was one speaker there, a young man named Bryan E. Wilson. You may have seen his advertising on YouTube before. He occasionally masquerades as the “Texas Law Hawk!”   and that linked video, his 3rd commercial, has more than 1.6M views! I remember Bryan talking about his video budgets and I don’t think they went over $1500, including beer for his friends/actors. To say Bryan is always “on” is an understatement. The dude is loud and he hardly ever abandons his persona of screaming, “I’m the Texas Law Hawk!” Its in your face full-time marketing and I know a few people I spoke to at an afterparty were pretending they were not from Texas. Bryan is that “crushing empty beer cans on the head” kind of party-goer. . .he is youthful I guess.

Before I say anything more about advertising, I should make it clear that any of my comments about advertising are my own views and NOT the views of my employer. In Ontario, advertising for lawyers is a new endeavour and the rules surrounding it are focused on truth, verifiability, and there is a more vague requirement not to cast the profession in a bad light. The regulator has started reviewing lawyer advertising/marketing in Ontario to see if it should be…tweaked, and there is nothing approaching the decibel levels or showmanship of Mr. Wilson. He is not unlikeable. I’m not sure I would approach him for my DUI but hey, I’ve never been to Texas, (and just to be clear, I don’t drink and drive…and to be even more clear, I don’t have a car.)

Anyway, I hope this portrait captures some of the energy, some of the fun, and the fundamental spark of life Bryan E. Wilson seems to possess:

-30-

Kids in tune

Kids in tune, originally uploaded by psuba98.

This photo is popular on Flickr lately and it might just be people missing summer. I know we have a few days left of shorter days and then its all downhill after that (uphill?) We have lots of winter sun coming (I can’t believe its not even Winter yet!?)

So back to children playing in Huntsville. . .it was a beautiful sunny day, lots of rays, music, ice cream, and playing in parks. . .this was one of the outdoor pianos for anyone to play, and my children were instantly attracted.

The photo: Nikon D4, 1/125, f5.6 ISO 100 with the Nikkor 60f2.8Macro

Dressing the naked oyster

oyster dressing, originally uploaded by psuba98.

This is not the way I enjoy my oysters. I suck my oysters back raw, unadulterated, naked, freshly shucked, and still screaming their pathetic oyster wail. . .this woman was into the sauce (for her oysters.)

Fun evening at Oyster Boy in Toronto, a variety of bivalvery. We consumed oysters, scallops on the shell, clams, and anything that was put in front of us. We were well taken care of by Chris, Luke and Tyler and the whole evening was fun and they were fairly relaxed considering I was poking a camera at them out of the evening, recording their every move of the oyster ballet.

I give full credit to my D4 (as always) and its phenomenal ability to figure out what I want to capture when I point it at something. The low light capabilities are unrivalled and it was a pleasure to shoot all night. At the end of the night I was happy…full, and inspired to go back for more oysters…Chris is a serious shucker!

-30-

D4 with optional small boy attachment

D4 with optional small boy attachment, originally uploaded by psuba98.

This one was fun. Charlie was curious, mostly because of the 70-200 but he always wants to pick up the D4 when it’s comes out. The fun feature? It’s the 11 frames per second of course.

Shot with the iPhone 4 with Hipstamatic, and no, not shot with my other D4.

Running from the rainbow

Running from the rainbow, originally uploaded by psuba98.

Its a dark and stormy night and the kids are playing in the rain, getting as saturated as possible and squeezing maximum enjoyment out of water falling from the skies.

Its the D4, 1/60th, f4.0, ISO 400 and the Nikkor 85f1.8 in action. Sure there’s a tiny bit of CS4 added in their to give it a bit of an older feel but its really about kids in action.

There was a double rainbow and Dilly immediately declared “My rainbow!”

So dodging rain without my trusty high-cost rain cover (a dry cleaning bag with a few elastic bands,) I risked life, limb, and my camera (which did stay bone dry thanks to some weird posturing on my part,) and voila, image.

The show and its reflective mate. . .perfect focus 🙂