Saturday, December 31, 2011
Last Day of the Year
45 minutes of roadwork today. I expect to be back in the gym next week. Happy new year 2012, everyone!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Freedom of Speech for All
This sort of thing prevents me from being an "Occupy ____" sympathizer. Yeah, I'm part of the "99%" and I can't say Rep. Bachmann is my first choice for president, but she has the right to speak. The freedoms I cherish are ordered liberties, not thuggish actions like climbing on stage to try to silence a political candidate. If we want to maintain our freedoms, we will need to respect the rule of law, not the rule of mob action. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com
Happy Veteran's Day
Happy Veteran's Day to all USA veterans. Thank you for your service to our beloved country.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Late October roadwork
Friday: 35 minutes
Saturday: 30 minutes
The days are getting shorter and it's getting colder out there!
Saturday: 30 minutes
The days are getting shorter and it's getting colder out there!
Friday, September 09, 2011
Ready or Not, the Weekend is Here
How could anyone not be ready for the weekend? I don't know, but it seemed important to say something like that today.
Overall, it has been a good and productive week. I have much to be grateful for.
Overall, it has been a good and productive week. I have much to be grateful for.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Gearing Up for NLP
In April, I wrote about how I was planning to use some neuro-linguistic programming products created and published by Michael J.Emery. Four months later, here I am, and I haven't started working his sports-training programs yet. The time has come. My current plan is to work through them and blog about each session and my ideas about how I can use the new knowledge in training. I'll start with some smaller, more manageable goals, so that I'll actually use the programs I bought earlier this year!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Happy birthday to Flopsy!
Today is the birthday of my parents' second dog, a miniature schnauzer named "Flopsy." I was thinking about her a lot the last few days. For treats, she used to like small pieces of Earthgrains bagels and Honey Nut Cheerios. She was a sweet little dog, just like, Mopsy (the dog we had in our family when I was growing up) and Sebastian (the do who lives with my parents now).
Rest in peace, little Flopsy and Mopsy. I'll see you someday across the Rainbow Bridge. Oh, yeah, I'll be sure to take plenty of treats along! :-)
Rest in peace, little Flopsy and Mopsy. I'll see you someday across the Rainbow Bridge. Oh, yeah, I'll be sure to take plenty of treats along! :-)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Racing through Summer; Working on Legal Matters
It's probably no surprise that I've been busy finding new business for my law firm. I am blessed to be self-employed, but it can be a lot of work sometimes. Now is one of those times.
That's an observation, not a complaint. I have been building a Web site to accompany my book, Internet Law: The Complete Guide. I'm using WordPress to create the site and am having some fun with this work. The first content on the site will be news headlines about topics related to Internet law. I have the structure and categories set up, so now it's just a matter of selecting the headlines to post. If you'd like to see it, go to the following link:
http://www.internetlawguide.info
That's an observation, not a complaint. I have been building a Web site to accompany my book, Internet Law: The Complete Guide. I'm using WordPress to create the site and am having some fun with this work. The first content on the site will be news headlines about topics related to Internet law. I have the structure and categories set up, so now it's just a matter of selecting the headlines to post. If you'd like to see it, go to the following link:
http://www.internetlawguide.info
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Dear law colleagues: I’m seeking counsel for plaintiff in civil rights/Taser abuse action in U.S. Dist. Ct. for Northern District of Illinois
To my lawyer colleagues–I’m seeking counsel for a client in a
civil rights/Taser abuse action now pending in U.S. Dist. Ct. for the
Northern District of Illinois. Most of the following is in the
plaintiff’s own words, to convey factual details and the intensity of
his experience more accurately. If you are interested in pursuing this
representation, please contact me by e-mail right away. Thanks. steve@imparl.com
“I am seeking counsel for a client in the Northern District of Illinois. The Plaintiff is suing a local suburban police department - with a systemic pattern of civil rights violations - for violation of his civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, resulting from excessive and brutal acts of violence being committed against him while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground (i.e., kicks to the face and tasers while handcuffed).
“Specifically, police officers shot the plaintiff with multiple hand-held Taser weapons (for several minutes) while the Plaintiff was handcuffed. At no time did the Plaintiff offer any physical resistance to any of the officers. Prior to the encounter with the police officers, the Plaintiff had visited the home of his estranged wife in order to deliver a birthday present and card for his then 9-year-old daughter. While delivering a birthday present to his daughter, the Plaintiff was subjected to unprovoked threats from his father-in-law - who resides with the Plaintiff’s estranged wife and (now) 11-year old daughter.
“Although the Plaintiff was on the receiving-end of unprovoked threats by father-in-law at his daughter’s home, the plaintiff left the home peacefully. While returning home (via walking), the plaintiff was subjected to a false arrest and the above-described acts of violence.”
“I am seeking counsel for a client in the Northern District of Illinois. The Plaintiff is suing a local suburban police department - with a systemic pattern of civil rights violations - for violation of his civil rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, resulting from excessive and brutal acts of violence being committed against him while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground (i.e., kicks to the face and tasers while handcuffed).
“Specifically, police officers shot the plaintiff with multiple hand-held Taser weapons (for several minutes) while the Plaintiff was handcuffed. At no time did the Plaintiff offer any physical resistance to any of the officers. Prior to the encounter with the police officers, the Plaintiff had visited the home of his estranged wife in order to deliver a birthday present and card for his then 9-year-old daughter. While delivering a birthday present to his daughter, the Plaintiff was subjected to unprovoked threats from his father-in-law - who resides with the Plaintiff’s estranged wife and (now) 11-year old daughter.
“Although the Plaintiff was on the receiving-end of unprovoked threats by father-in-law at his daughter’s home, the plaintiff left the home peacefully. While returning home (via walking), the plaintiff was subjected to a false arrest and the above-described acts of violence.”
Not much to report on training
I have been doing some roadwork and trying to be consistent with that. Mostly, I've been lawyering, writing, and hustling to get more business so I can do more lawyering. How are you, my friendly readers, doing? I hope you're enjoying your summer (or winter in the southern hemisphere)?
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
A Few Thoughts About the Demise of Osama bin Laden, 9/11, and Listening to My Gut
This is adapted from a comment I posted on Facebook in response to a friend and colleague's recalling the terrible events of September 11, 2001.
I watched the second tower of the World Trade Center's tallest buildings--its twin towers--fall. It was terrifying, even viewing it on television. The visual memories are still vivid in my mind, too. I remember hoping and praying that my nephew, who was just 2 years old at the time, and other small children were not watching the horrific spectacle unfold. I don't cry very often, but seeing the implosion of that building, and thinking of all of the people who must have been dying inside at it that very moment, moved me to tears in a way and intensity that I hadn't cried in a very long time.
I came very close to being in New York City--and specifically at the WTC--that day. Since I was considering making a stop in Manhattan, I intended to visit the WTC towers because I had only walked past them at ground level and was amazed by their size. Since my first visit to New York in 1986, I had wished to see the city from the top of one of those majestic towers. After attending a weekend conference on holistic law in northern Vermont, I was riding home on Amtrak's Vermonter train on Sunday, September 9, and was considering changing my ticket from my connection point in Springfield, MA and riding to NYC to visit some friends there.
Those friends were members of the New York Athletic Club's boxing team--the counterpart to the group of boxers we had assembled at the Chicago Athletic Association. I had attended a conference about Internet law in September 2000, and stayed at the NYAC, since my club had an arrangement with the NYAC that allowed members of each club to enjoy reciprocal privileges at the other club.
I met some great people and heard interesting presentations at the conference, which took place at a hotel just a few blocks from the NYAC. Although it was after the "dot-com bust," the other lawyers attending the conference expressed a lot of optimism about the seemingly boundless potential of the Internet for the expansion of commerce and as a tool for facilitating the practice of law. Indeed, back home in Chicago the previous week, I attended an "Internet street fair" just a few blocks from my old home in West Town. Business cards were rapidly changing hands, networking was happening with a lot of smiles and hopes for new connections that would yield incredible wealth; in short, the mood at the event was positively euphoric.
The boxers at the NYAC had rolled out the red carpet for me. Although I had only known them a short time, my NYAC friends--Dave F., John L., and John O.--treated me as if we had all been friends since boyhood. The team's coach and the other boxers welcomed me warmly and with a lot of enthusiasm, and I got a good workout. It was great to be treated so well by other enthusiasts of our sport, several of whom had met me for the first time that evening. Dave even invited me to box in the NYAC's event in May 2002, featuring all bouts between NYAC members and a few guests from other clubs with reciprocal arrangements. I was hoping to take him up on the offer--I think it would have been a blast--but some client matters prevented me from going to New York and participating.
Thus, I was keen to see Dave, John, and John again, and continuing on to New York would have put me in Manhattan on a Monday, one of the two days that all the guys trained together as a group. My spur-of-the-moment plan was to arrive in NYC on Sunday night, stay at the NYAC on Sunday and Monday nights, visit the WTC towers for what I hoped would be a spectacular view of New York in all its grandeur, and then take Amtrak home on Tuesday afternoon.
While riding the Vermonter, I had a strange experience as I was daydreaming about my possible visit to New York and seeing my friends again. Despite my enthusiasm about an impromptu visit to the city, a small voice inside me kept nagging at me to go straight home, insisting that I had a lot of work to do back in Chicago. That wasn't quite true, because, even though the first two quarters of 2001 had been quite prosperous for me, the end of the summer ushered in a relatively slow period in my law practice. Further, I really wanted to see my NYC friends and wanted to see the view from the top of the WTC, but I sensed something pulling me back home with an urgency that was totally illogical. To this day, that experience seems strange to me. I can't explain it.
While it may have been exaggerated, my inner sense of duty prevailed, so I listened to my gut and stuck with my original travel plans. I stayed on the train, picked up the Lakeshore Limited in Springfield, and rode the thousand or so miles home to Chicago. The ride was comfortable and scenic; I was traveling first class, so it was mostly an enjoyable ride, albeit a long one (close to 30 hours, due to a delay--the train ahead of the one I was riding had run out of fuel!). Unbeknown to me at the time, listening to my gut may well have saved my life, or at least protected me from a hell of a lot of shock and expensive inconvenience.
I arrived home the afternoon of September 10, filled with powerful and hopeful, if somewhat naive, ideas about peace, justice, reforming the practice of law, and evolving eventually into a society in which law would not even be necessary because people would operate out of love, mindfulness, and kindness toward one another and all beings. At the conference, I had prayed with a lawyer from upstate New York and I now realize that our prayer, and all these positive thoughts, were simply about facilitating the Kingdom of God on earth ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"). More briefly, I was renewed, refreshed, and psyched about the possibilities for myself and for all of humanity.
That vision suffered a stunning blow in the horrific happenings of the next morning. The striking contrast between Monday and Tuesday still sometimes startles me when I remember it. It was amazing how life, or at least my perception of it, could change so dramatically in just one day.
For a while, I second-guessed much of what I had experienced over the previous weekend. The lofty thoughts my holistically-oriented colleagues and I shared over the weekend were overshadowed by grim images from the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the flight that had crashed in a field Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing everyone aboard the airplane. Eventually, my goals of working for peace and justice returned, but they were marred by a cruel reality: as a society, we would have to accomplish those goals in a hostile environment that was far too often filled with hatred and violence.
Fast forward a little less than 10 years, to the night of May 1, 2011, when President Obama announced to the nation and the world that Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the September attacks, had been killed by a military operation in Pakistan. My first reaction was feeling like a huge burden had been removed from my mind; for a moment or two, I thought that the world would be safe from the plague of terrorism. That response was quickly displaced by a more realistic notion: one major terrorist is gone, but a lot of work remains to be done. Some of that work will be military, some political, some humanitarian, and some of it will be the ongoing attempt to reconcile some of the shocking and divisive differences that separate nations, cultures, and religions.
There was much rejoicing among my countrymen on the night of May 1. It reminded me of the spontaneous outburst of merriment in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy, Glinda (the good witch), and the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the demise of the Wicked Witch of the East by singing the song, "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead!"
My reaction was considerably more muted. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't glad to see Mr. bin Laden gone; I experienced a considerable sense of relief at the news. On the other hand, I don't think we've seen the last of al-Qaeda, nor of terrorists bent on killing and maiming in the name of some other "cause."
I can't control what others do, and I've learned that it's folly even to attempt such manipulation. At the holistic law conference, many of my fellow lawyers reminded me several times, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
I am one man. My influence is limited, but it would be wrong to use that fact as an excuse not to leave the world a better place than it would have been without me. Like every other human being, I need to start from where I am and do what I can. I need to live the spirit expressed in the song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller that is sung so often in churches. In other words, "let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
I watched the second tower of the World Trade Center's tallest buildings--its twin towers--fall. It was terrifying, even viewing it on television. The visual memories are still vivid in my mind, too. I remember hoping and praying that my nephew, who was just 2 years old at the time, and other small children were not watching the horrific spectacle unfold. I don't cry very often, but seeing the implosion of that building, and thinking of all of the people who must have been dying inside at it that very moment, moved me to tears in a way and intensity that I hadn't cried in a very long time.
I came very close to being in New York City--and specifically at the WTC--that day. Since I was considering making a stop in Manhattan, I intended to visit the WTC towers because I had only walked past them at ground level and was amazed by their size. Since my first visit to New York in 1986, I had wished to see the city from the top of one of those majestic towers. After attending a weekend conference on holistic law in northern Vermont, I was riding home on Amtrak's Vermonter train on Sunday, September 9, and was considering changing my ticket from my connection point in Springfield, MA and riding to NYC to visit some friends there.
Those friends were members of the New York Athletic Club's boxing team--the counterpart to the group of boxers we had assembled at the Chicago Athletic Association. I had attended a conference about Internet law in September 2000, and stayed at the NYAC, since my club had an arrangement with the NYAC that allowed members of each club to enjoy reciprocal privileges at the other club.
I met some great people and heard interesting presentations at the conference, which took place at a hotel just a few blocks from the NYAC. Although it was after the "dot-com bust," the other lawyers attending the conference expressed a lot of optimism about the seemingly boundless potential of the Internet for the expansion of commerce and as a tool for facilitating the practice of law. Indeed, back home in Chicago the previous week, I attended an "Internet street fair" just a few blocks from my old home in West Town. Business cards were rapidly changing hands, networking was happening with a lot of smiles and hopes for new connections that would yield incredible wealth; in short, the mood at the event was positively euphoric.
The boxers at the NYAC had rolled out the red carpet for me. Although I had only known them a short time, my NYAC friends--Dave F., John L., and John O.--treated me as if we had all been friends since boyhood. The team's coach and the other boxers welcomed me warmly and with a lot of enthusiasm, and I got a good workout. It was great to be treated so well by other enthusiasts of our sport, several of whom had met me for the first time that evening. Dave even invited me to box in the NYAC's event in May 2002, featuring all bouts between NYAC members and a few guests from other clubs with reciprocal arrangements. I was hoping to take him up on the offer--I think it would have been a blast--but some client matters prevented me from going to New York and participating.
Thus, I was keen to see Dave, John, and John again, and continuing on to New York would have put me in Manhattan on a Monday, one of the two days that all the guys trained together as a group. My spur-of-the-moment plan was to arrive in NYC on Sunday night, stay at the NYAC on Sunday and Monday nights, visit the WTC towers for what I hoped would be a spectacular view of New York in all its grandeur, and then take Amtrak home on Tuesday afternoon.
While riding the Vermonter, I had a strange experience as I was daydreaming about my possible visit to New York and seeing my friends again. Despite my enthusiasm about an impromptu visit to the city, a small voice inside me kept nagging at me to go straight home, insisting that I had a lot of work to do back in Chicago. That wasn't quite true, because, even though the first two quarters of 2001 had been quite prosperous for me, the end of the summer ushered in a relatively slow period in my law practice. Further, I really wanted to see my NYC friends and wanted to see the view from the top of the WTC, but I sensed something pulling me back home with an urgency that was totally illogical. To this day, that experience seems strange to me. I can't explain it.
While it may have been exaggerated, my inner sense of duty prevailed, so I listened to my gut and stuck with my original travel plans. I stayed on the train, picked up the Lakeshore Limited in Springfield, and rode the thousand or so miles home to Chicago. The ride was comfortable and scenic; I was traveling first class, so it was mostly an enjoyable ride, albeit a long one (close to 30 hours, due to a delay--the train ahead of the one I was riding had run out of fuel!). Unbeknown to me at the time, listening to my gut may well have saved my life, or at least protected me from a hell of a lot of shock and expensive inconvenience.
I arrived home the afternoon of September 10, filled with powerful and hopeful, if somewhat naive, ideas about peace, justice, reforming the practice of law, and evolving eventually into a society in which law would not even be necessary because people would operate out of love, mindfulness, and kindness toward one another and all beings. At the conference, I had prayed with a lawyer from upstate New York and I now realize that our prayer, and all these positive thoughts, were simply about facilitating the Kingdom of God on earth ("Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"). More briefly, I was renewed, refreshed, and psyched about the possibilities for myself and for all of humanity.
That vision suffered a stunning blow in the horrific happenings of the next morning. The striking contrast between Monday and Tuesday still sometimes startles me when I remember it. It was amazing how life, or at least my perception of it, could change so dramatically in just one day.
For a while, I second-guessed much of what I had experienced over the previous weekend. The lofty thoughts my holistically-oriented colleagues and I shared over the weekend were overshadowed by grim images from the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the flight that had crashed in a field Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing everyone aboard the airplane. Eventually, my goals of working for peace and justice returned, but they were marred by a cruel reality: as a society, we would have to accomplish those goals in a hostile environment that was far too often filled with hatred and violence.
Fast forward a little less than 10 years, to the night of May 1, 2011, when President Obama announced to the nation and the world that Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the September attacks, had been killed by a military operation in Pakistan. My first reaction was feeling like a huge burden had been removed from my mind; for a moment or two, I thought that the world would be safe from the plague of terrorism. That response was quickly displaced by a more realistic notion: one major terrorist is gone, but a lot of work remains to be done. Some of that work will be military, some political, some humanitarian, and some of it will be the ongoing attempt to reconcile some of the shocking and divisive differences that separate nations, cultures, and religions.
There was much rejoicing among my countrymen on the night of May 1. It reminded me of the spontaneous outburst of merriment in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy, Glinda (the good witch), and the citizens of Munchkinland celebrate the demise of the Wicked Witch of the East by singing the song, "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead!"
My reaction was considerably more muted. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't glad to see Mr. bin Laden gone; I experienced a considerable sense of relief at the news. On the other hand, I don't think we've seen the last of al-Qaeda, nor of terrorists bent on killing and maiming in the name of some other "cause."
I can't control what others do, and I've learned that it's folly even to attempt such manipulation. At the holistic law conference, many of my fellow lawyers reminded me several times, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
I am one man. My influence is limited, but it would be wrong to use that fact as an excuse not to leave the world a better place than it would have been without me. Like every other human being, I need to start from where I am and do what I can. I need to live the spirit expressed in the song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller that is sung so often in churches. In other words, "let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Seeking Some Sponsors for One of My Other Sites: MaleDepression.com
For the last 9 years, I've been publishing a Web site called MaleDepression.com. After being diagnosed first with depression, then with bipolar disorder, I decided I had to take all the pain and difficulty and turn it into something positive that could help others. in 2002, my doctor told me that many men do not seek treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood-related medical conditions. That was when I decided to try to be part of the solution rather than just another part of the problem. The MaleDepression.com site emerged from that decision. We're working hard now on an extensive renovation of the site that should be completed this summer. I don't want to brag too much, but we've gotten some good press, too: http://www.maledepression.com/About+Maledepression.
I am working to assemble a team to help with the site, but for now it remains a one-man operation. With the recent demands of the site's renovation, losing my health insurance coverage, paying nearly $800 per month for medications (that the $5K annual deductible, $370/month premium insurance) didn't cover (along with doctors' fees), plus having my building and apartment attacked by bed bugs (oh the horror!), the first quarter of 2011 has been quite challenging. A good friend of mine expressed his strong confidence that I will get through all of this, and I am determined to do just that.
Nevertheless, I can use some help to keep things going. If you're interested in helping, please visit the MaleDepression.com home page, and you'll see details about how to make a contribution toward the work, and information about sponsoring a page on the site. Here's an example of a page funded by one of our sponsors:
http://www.maledepression.com/Protex+Services
If you're specifically interested in a sponsor's page, please e-mail me at steve@lawyerboxer.com, and I'll get you more information right away.
I'll close here, be a man, and stop whining. (Whining never was my style; fierce determination is!). If you want to visit my other site and help there, please do so. If not, thanks for being a loyal reader of Lawyer-boxer's Blog. Our traffic has been increasing recently and it's because of your visits to my blog. Thanks very much for that.
Stay well and strong!
I am working to assemble a team to help with the site, but for now it remains a one-man operation. With the recent demands of the site's renovation, losing my health insurance coverage, paying nearly $800 per month for medications (that the $5K annual deductible, $370/month premium insurance) didn't cover (along with doctors' fees), plus having my building and apartment attacked by bed bugs (oh the horror!), the first quarter of 2011 has been quite challenging. A good friend of mine expressed his strong confidence that I will get through all of this, and I am determined to do just that.
Nevertheless, I can use some help to keep things going. If you're interested in helping, please visit the MaleDepression.com home page, and you'll see details about how to make a contribution toward the work, and information about sponsoring a page on the site. Here's an example of a page funded by one of our sponsors:
http://www.maledepression.com/Protex+Services
If you're specifically interested in a sponsor's page, please e-mail me at steve@lawyerboxer.com, and I'll get you more information right away.
I'll close here, be a man, and stop whining. (Whining never was my style; fierce determination is!). If you want to visit my other site and help there, please do so. If not, thanks for being a loyal reader of Lawyer-boxer's Blog. Our traffic has been increasing recently and it's because of your visits to my blog. Thanks very much for that.
Stay well and strong!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
A Rare Reprint: A Revised Emerald Gloves Report (originally posted in March, 2006)
Note about this blog entry: I'm not a big fan of reprints of previous blog posts. I've seen the practice on other blogs, and it strikes me as a lazy way of keeping visitors coming to a blog when the blogger is to busy to blog or has nothing new to say. It seems rather arrogant that bloggers assume that they have many posts that deserve a second (or third or fourth) publication.
In about 5 years of blogging here and approximately 457 blog entries, I'm making an exception for this one because it's one of my first posts here and I am adding some content to it. Also, to make a full disclosure, some of the links in the original story needed updating, so this revised version links to the right places (until, of course, they change again, as links on the web often do).
Also, I know large blocks of italicized text can get hard to read after a while, so while I'm italicizing the revisions, I'll keep them as short as I reasonably can.
On Thursday, March 16, 2006, the Chicago Athletic Association Boxing Club held its first annual Emerald Gloves International Boxing Tournament, featuring a team of boxers from the Chicago area competing with a team of boxers visiting from Ireland. I had the opportunity and privilege to box in this event. After a recap of my bout and the event, I'll share some photos of my match.
The event was a great time. I'm still feeling pumped up and in an extraordinarily good mood, a full 3 days after the match. It was a blast. My opponent and good friend, Tim O'Connor, Esq., boxed very well and showed excellent sportsmanship. While the match was a noncompetitive exhibition, Tim and I both worked hard to use good technique and make the match a crowd pleaser. We accomplished that. I know we did because of all the positive comments we got afterward.
The audience especially liked Round 2 because Tim and I really mixed it up in that round. We each landed quite a few good, hard punches and we got lots of applause and cheers. The bout went great and I was surprised at the seemingly endless stream of positive comments I was getting for the rest of the night.
I also got to spend some time with the Irish team; they're really friendly. The guys on the Chicago team were great, too. Most boxers don't fit the negative "thug" stereotype that much of society puts on them. From time to time, one meets someone he doesn't get along very well with, but by and large boxers have been some of the most cool, likeable people I've known.
Since this epic contest, Tim has become one of my closest friends. On top of being a skillful boxer, he's a great guy and I'm happy to see the growth of his young family and his prospering at the new two-lawyer firm he co-founded a few years ago.
After the bouts on Thursday, there was plenty of food which was great: traditional Irish cuisine. My club was a combined athletic and social club that dated back to 1890 (before it closed in 2008), so we had good dining facilities, an excellent chef, and a bar right onsite! It was neat. I stayed until closing time--midnight--and then headed home. Some of the guys on the Irish team were going out with one of the local boys, but I was wiped out at that point and needed to work on Friday.
Overall, the experience was amazing. It was the first time I had boxed in public since 1997, when I participated in a fundraising event for the DuPage County Bar Association. It was an evening of amateur boxing matches where all the boxers were lawyers. That was a great time, too.
On a related subject, I also had a funny experience on Thursday. One of the doctors who was there giving medical exams was telling me about how our coach and another coach on the South Side are talking about putting together an amateur boxing fundraising event featuring doctors vs. lawyers! (I believe the plan is to raise money for one of the children's medical charities.) The doctor is about my age, size, and level of experience.
The doc asked if I'd be interested in being his opponent if the event happens. I said, "Sure, sign me up." So it was kind of a friendly challenge. We'll see what happens. Could be a fun event for a good cause. Hopefully, I didn't accept the challenge from an endorphin rush-fueled bravado that will get me into trouble here. Hehe! We'll see how it goes and find out soon enough, I guess.
Finally, below are some photos of my boxing match with Tim O'Connor on March 16. I want to thank my buddy and fellow boxer, Jeff Petersen, for telling me that these photographs were already online on Saturday. Thus, I got to see them a few days earlier than I otherwise would have. Thanks, Jeff!
In all the photos, we are wearing protective headgear so it's hard to see our handsome mugs. It's still easy to tell who I am. I am wearing the navy blue T-shirt and the gray shorts. Also, Tim is taller than I am--about 7 inches. That height difference translated into a huge reach advantage that gave me plenty of trouble. Nevertheless, I persevered; when I remembered to get in close and stay in close, near the ropes and the corners, things went well. The center of the ring was not where I wanted to be with a guy who is so much taller than me.
Luckily, my friend Mark MacLeod--a very experienced and talented amateur boxer--was coaching me in the corner and reminded me to keep things simple and focus on scoring with straight punches--double left jab and the ol' one-two--rather than trying to pull off any fancy stuff. That helped immensely. Thanks, Mark!
Enjoy the photos!
Above: I (left) block Tim O'Connor's right and prepare to counter with my right.
Above: I (right) am on defense here, blocking Tim's left hook.
`
Above: I (right) throw my right over Tim's left, as he prepares to block with his right.
Above: Tim (right) and I (left) both connect with left jabs.
Above: I am on left, Tim is on right.
(From left to right): Tim, the referee, Steve, and Christine (Tim's then-fiancee, and now his wife--she presented the trophies to us).
All photographs on this page were taken by Glenn Faust. Photos Copyright © 2006 by Glenn Faust. All rights reserved. Photos used here by permission of the photographer.
Glenn Faust is available to photograph other events. Please contact him through his site on SmugMug.
There are a lot more photos of this event, showing all the boxers, at the following site:
http://glennfaust.smugmug.com/Sports
The Second Annual Emerald Gloves tournament was held on March 16, 2007, just about 5 months before our beloved club closed its doors for good. The program for the 2007 tournament included a recap of the bouts from the previous year. The writers of the program paid some compliments to Tim and me, so I'll share them here.
As we took our time walking, I told Bill that I felt I had really become solid friends with Tim in that very spot, as a result of my boxing match with Tim on the night of the first Emerald Gloves tourney. I had always respected Tim, but I think that intense bout between us really cemented our friendship. I'm grateful for my friendships with Tim and Bill. They have proved to be fine friends during times of needs, so I am richly blessed to have them in my life.
Glenn Faust has posted photos of the second, and final tournament in 2007.
Bill and another friend, Kevin McIntyre, proved themselves both quite handy with the gloves during their bout at the 2007 tournament. They boxed well and put on a memorable bout.
In this photo, from left to right: Kevin McIntyre, our coach Bernard O'Shea, and Bill O'Connell.
Those were indeed some great times and they still grace me with fond memories and enduring friendships.
In about 5 years of blogging here and approximately 457 blog entries, I'm making an exception for this one because it's one of my first posts here and I am adding some content to it. Also, to make a full disclosure, some of the links in the original story needed updating, so this revised version links to the right places (until, of course, they change again, as links on the web often do).
Also, I know large blocks of italicized text can get hard to read after a while, so while I'm italicizing the revisions, I'll keep them as short as I reasonably can.
On Thursday, March 16, 2006, the Chicago Athletic Association Boxing Club held its first annual Emerald Gloves International Boxing Tournament, featuring a team of boxers from the Chicago area competing with a team of boxers visiting from Ireland. I had the opportunity and privilege to box in this event. After a recap of my bout and the event, I'll share some photos of my match.
The event was a great time. I'm still feeling pumped up and in an extraordinarily good mood, a full 3 days after the match. It was a blast. My opponent and good friend, Tim O'Connor, Esq., boxed very well and showed excellent sportsmanship. While the match was a noncompetitive exhibition, Tim and I both worked hard to use good technique and make the match a crowd pleaser. We accomplished that. I know we did because of all the positive comments we got afterward.
The audience especially liked Round 2 because Tim and I really mixed it up in that round. We each landed quite a few good, hard punches and we got lots of applause and cheers. The bout went great and I was surprised at the seemingly endless stream of positive comments I was getting for the rest of the night.
I also got to spend some time with the Irish team; they're really friendly. The guys on the Chicago team were great, too. Most boxers don't fit the negative "thug" stereotype that much of society puts on them. From time to time, one meets someone he doesn't get along very well with, but by and large boxers have been some of the most cool, likeable people I've known.
Since this epic contest, Tim has become one of my closest friends. On top of being a skillful boxer, he's a great guy and I'm happy to see the growth of his young family and his prospering at the new two-lawyer firm he co-founded a few years ago.
After the bouts on Thursday, there was plenty of food which was great: traditional Irish cuisine. My club was a combined athletic and social club that dated back to 1890 (before it closed in 2008), so we had good dining facilities, an excellent chef, and a bar right onsite! It was neat. I stayed until closing time--midnight--and then headed home. Some of the guys on the Irish team were going out with one of the local boys, but I was wiped out at that point and needed to work on Friday.
Overall, the experience was amazing. It was the first time I had boxed in public since 1997, when I participated in a fundraising event for the DuPage County Bar Association. It was an evening of amateur boxing matches where all the boxers were lawyers. That was a great time, too.
On a related subject, I also had a funny experience on Thursday. One of the doctors who was there giving medical exams was telling me about how our coach and another coach on the South Side are talking about putting together an amateur boxing fundraising event featuring doctors vs. lawyers! (I believe the plan is to raise money for one of the children's medical charities.) The doctor is about my age, size, and level of experience.
The doc asked if I'd be interested in being his opponent if the event happens. I said, "Sure, sign me up." So it was kind of a friendly challenge. We'll see what happens. Could be a fun event for a good cause. Hopefully, I didn't accept the challenge from an endorphin rush-fueled bravado that will get me into trouble here. Hehe! We'll see how it goes and find out soon enough, I guess.
Finally, below are some photos of my boxing match with Tim O'Connor on March 16. I want to thank my buddy and fellow boxer, Jeff Petersen, for telling me that these photographs were already online on Saturday. Thus, I got to see them a few days earlier than I otherwise would have. Thanks, Jeff!
In all the photos, we are wearing protective headgear so it's hard to see our handsome mugs. It's still easy to tell who I am. I am wearing the navy blue T-shirt and the gray shorts. Also, Tim is taller than I am--about 7 inches. That height difference translated into a huge reach advantage that gave me plenty of trouble. Nevertheless, I persevered; when I remembered to get in close and stay in close, near the ropes and the corners, things went well. The center of the ring was not where I wanted to be with a guy who is so much taller than me.
Luckily, my friend Mark MacLeod--a very experienced and talented amateur boxer--was coaching me in the corner and reminded me to keep things simple and focus on scoring with straight punches--double left jab and the ol' one-two--rather than trying to pull off any fancy stuff. That helped immensely. Thanks, Mark!
Enjoy the photos!
Above: I (left) block Tim O'Connor's right and prepare to counter with my right.
Above: I (right) am on defense here, blocking Tim's left hook.
`Above: I (right) throw my right over Tim's left, as he prepares to block with his right.
Above: Tim (right) and I (left) both connect with left jabs.
Above: I am on left, Tim is on right.
(From left to right): Tim, the referee, Steve, and Christine (Tim's then-fiancee, and now his wife--she presented the trophies to us).
You can see more photos of my match at this Web page:
All photographs on this page were taken by Glenn Faust. Photos Copyright © 2006 by Glenn Faust. All rights reserved. Photos used here by permission of the photographer.
Glenn Faust is available to photograph other events. Please contact him through his site on SmugMug.
There are a lot more photos of this event, showing all the boxers, at the following site:
http://glennfaust.smugmug.com/Sports
The Second Annual Emerald Gloves tournament was held on March 16, 2007, just about 5 months before our beloved club closed its doors for good. The program for the 2007 tournament included a recap of the bouts from the previous year. The writers of the program paid some compliments to Tim and me, so I'll share them here.
"Bout #1 Exhibition Tim O’Connor / Blue [corner] vs. Steve Imparl / Red [corner]Ah, yes, what a great time it was. On the night our boxing team had its final workout and an informal dinner afterward, with the help of a few beers, I was waxing rhapsodic about my bout with Tim. At the close of that August 2007 evening, I walked through the club's Grill Room one last time with another good friend and member of the boxing team, Bill O'Connell. Bill and I strolled over the area where the boxing ring had been just about a year and a half earlier.
"2 attorneys and everyday friends, battled it out in the ring rather than the courtroom. They took the audience by surprise with their skill and all out effort. The roaring crowd declared a tie."
As we took our time walking, I told Bill that I felt I had really become solid friends with Tim in that very spot, as a result of my boxing match with Tim on the night of the first Emerald Gloves tourney. I had always respected Tim, but I think that intense bout between us really cemented our friendship. I'm grateful for my friendships with Tim and Bill. They have proved to be fine friends during times of needs, so I am richly blessed to have them in my life.
Glenn Faust has posted photos of the second, and final tournament in 2007.
Bill and another friend, Kevin McIntyre, proved themselves both quite handy with the gloves during their bout at the 2007 tournament. They boxed well and put on a memorable bout.
In this photo, from left to right: Kevin McIntyre, our coach Bernard O'Shea, and Bill O'Connell.
Those were indeed some great times and they still grace me with fond memories and enduring friendships.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Focusing More on the Mental Game
I've been talking a good game--about the mental game, that is--but I'm finally taking some action. I have discovered the web site of Michael J. Emery. He is a personal-development coach, and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and hypnosis practitioner. I've been listening to some of his content; I bought mp3 recordings at Amazon.com. Mr. Emery has a wide variety of recordings, and I have sampled a few of them, but since I'm particularly interested in the sports applications of such mental techniques, I'm focusing on the jock stuff, for the time being, that's available here and here.
For you super-cool types who insist on the latest technology, here are the QR codes:
I'm looking forward to doing better and winning more through improved mental training. I'll let you know how it goes.
For you super-cool types who insist on the latest technology, here are the QR codes:
I'm looking forward to doing better and winning more through improved mental training. I'll let you know how it goes.
Spending Time Outdoors
On Sunday, I did an hour of roadwork. It was a little chilly, but not too bad once I got moving. Taking a few breaks along the way to do some shadowboxing helped, too. Monday saw me doing just 30 minutes of roadwork.
I talked with Glen, my boxing coach, on Sunday. If all goes well, I'll be training with the "midlife guys" group again soon. Glen is helping one of our guys ready to box in a charitable fundraising event next month. It will be fun. Hard sparring, here we go. :-)
Also, on Sunday, I had the chance to try something new. While hanging out at the beach with my friend, Mark, I got to help a fellow to launch his parafoil (I think that's what it's called). It's challenging because the wind is not always as consistent as we'd like it to be. If he and I connect again, it will be fun and I'll learn more. It looks like a pretty interesting hobby. We might get together, since we have some common interests. One can never have too many friends!
I talked with Glen, my boxing coach, on Sunday. If all goes well, I'll be training with the "midlife guys" group again soon. Glen is helping one of our guys ready to box in a charitable fundraising event next month. It will be fun. Hard sparring, here we go. :-)
Also, on Sunday, I had the chance to try something new. While hanging out at the beach with my friend, Mark, I got to help a fellow to launch his parafoil (I think that's what it's called). It's challenging because the wind is not always as consistent as we'd like it to be. If he and I connect again, it will be fun and I'll learn more. It looks like a pretty interesting hobby. We might get together, since we have some common interests. One can never have too many friends!
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Real Spring Roadwork
Now, it's officially spring. Got 37 minutes in yesterday. There's been a lot going on, so I've been engaged in my ongoing efforts to become and stay more organized. I hope those efforts will result in more blogging here. Thank you to all my loyal visitors. I appreciate your visiting and linking to me.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
(Almost) Spring Roadwork
Life has been occupied with a variety of things, few of them involving training. Yesterday, I got out for 39 minutes of roadwork, and that's how it has been going. Happily, the weather is getting warmer, so it's more pleasant to be outdoors.
Business at my law firm has been far too slow for my taste, so I've been hustling on the marketing efforts. They will bear fruit, it will just take a while. In addition to the regular quarterly updates I write for my book, Internet Law: The Complete Guide, I have picked up a few good writing projects that will help to pay the bills and are already proving to be enjoyable work.
Additionally, my mother has been hospitalized since mid-December, but she will go home a week from today. That's a huge relief, even though she has been staying at a very good facility where the staff treats the patients and residents really well. Having her there has put my mind at ease.
As for me, I'm heading out to absorb some of that famous Cornbelt sunshine and get the vitamin D levels cranking up. Be well.
Business at my law firm has been far too slow for my taste, so I've been hustling on the marketing efforts. They will bear fruit, it will just take a while. In addition to the regular quarterly updates I write for my book, Internet Law: The Complete Guide, I have picked up a few good writing projects that will help to pay the bills and are already proving to be enjoyable work.
Additionally, my mother has been hospitalized since mid-December, but she will go home a week from today. That's a huge relief, even though she has been staying at a very good facility where the staff treats the patients and residents really well. Having her there has put my mind at ease.
As for me, I'm heading out to absorb some of that famous Cornbelt sunshine and get the vitamin D levels cranking up. Be well.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Chicago's Blizzard of 2011
The big snow hit last night. I was determined to walk out to the beach and look at the 20-foot waves that were supposed to be hitting the shore. Thank to all of my friends who expressed concern for me. I did stay safe. Sadly, though, I got no photos. Indeed, I didn't even get to see any big waves.
I live just two blocks from the beach. I went out and looked a few times. The problem is that the snow was falling so heavily, and the winds were blowing so hard, I couldn't even see a half a city block ahead of me.
Not willing to give up, I pressed onward. I thought I might see an open spot or two on the way where it wasn't so windy and the snow was not blasting in all directions. No such luck. As I walked further, the conditions were getting worse instead of better and the distance I could see ahead of me was getting noticeably shorter with every few footsteps I took.
By the time I got to Sheridan Road (the last street before the entrance to the park adjacent to the beach), all I could see was blowing snow--waves of it, not just flakes--and dim lights all around. Those were the reflections of the street lights bouncing all around in the snowy air.
Sheridan Road is usually a heavily traveled thoroughfare. Last night, however, I saw only one car and it was crawling down the street; no doubt, the driver was afraid to go any faster because he likely couldn't see anything! I couldn't even see to the other side of the street.
That was the point at which I decided to turn back. I figured the wind would even be worse out on the beach and I wouldn't be able to see much of anything. Another serious concern was that, even if I got to the beach, it was very possible some huge wave could hit me and knock me down before I even saw it coming. So, with much disappointment, I turned around and trudged through the ever-deepening snow back to my home. It felt good to enter my nice, toasty warm apartment.
So much for Steve's big adventure!
I live just two blocks from the beach. I went out and looked a few times. The problem is that the snow was falling so heavily, and the winds were blowing so hard, I couldn't even see a half a city block ahead of me.
Not willing to give up, I pressed onward. I thought I might see an open spot or two on the way where it wasn't so windy and the snow was not blasting in all directions. No such luck. As I walked further, the conditions were getting worse instead of better and the distance I could see ahead of me was getting noticeably shorter with every few footsteps I took.
By the time I got to Sheridan Road (the last street before the entrance to the park adjacent to the beach), all I could see was blowing snow--waves of it, not just flakes--and dim lights all around. Those were the reflections of the street lights bouncing all around in the snowy air.
Sheridan Road is usually a heavily traveled thoroughfare. Last night, however, I saw only one car and it was crawling down the street; no doubt, the driver was afraid to go any faster because he likely couldn't see anything! I couldn't even see to the other side of the street.
That was the point at which I decided to turn back. I figured the wind would even be worse out on the beach and I wouldn't be able to see much of anything. Another serious concern was that, even if I got to the beach, it was very possible some huge wave could hit me and knock me down before I even saw it coming. So, with much disappointment, I turned around and trudged through the ever-deepening snow back to my home. It felt good to enter my nice, toasty warm apartment.
So much for Steve's big adventure!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Working Hard to Get Caught Up
Hey, what's going on here? Is this becoming a blog updated once a month? No, that's not the plan--not the long-term, visionary plan, anyway.
I do have lots of things to post here; I just need to manage my time well enough to do it. Since this blog is about the practice of law and my life, in addition to boxing, let me tell you that the law and life parts have been kind of insane lately. My mother was hospitalized for a few weeks and now she is in a rehabilitation and therapy facility. She's doing much better, and hopefully she'll be able to get home soon. I'm trying to be a good son and support both my mom and my dad (who is on his own with their little dog), but sometimes I really wonder. I wonder if I am offering much of value, despite my efforts. I'm also wondering about my ability to overwhelm myself with activity. I got up very early today to get a head start on the day and it's now 11:30 am, and I'm still scrambling and only about 10% done with my to-do list for today.
Anyway, that's the quick update. I'm needing to bring more hustle to bear on my end-of-January marketing effort for my law firm. Hopefully, that will yield a considerable harvest of lucrative projects. In the short term, the effects of the recession have been dragging me down, like they are doing to everyone else (except the super-fat-cats who seem always to land on their feet, despite the chaos they introduce into the economy and the harm they do to many people and businesses--but that's a separate rant). It's amazing how hard a man can work and not be making any money, at least not at the moment.
I need to stop now and get back to work. I'm hoping to get more substantive content posted later today. It's good stuff. For the moment, let remember what my meditation practice has taught me.
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.
Breathing in, I know that I am experiencing a lot of stress now.
Breathing in, I smile at my stress.
OK, that's best effort. The smile is only about a one-quarter smile--no Cheshire-cat-grin on this handsome mug yet!--but I'm working on it.
I do have lots of things to post here; I just need to manage my time well enough to do it. Since this blog is about the practice of law and my life, in addition to boxing, let me tell you that the law and life parts have been kind of insane lately. My mother was hospitalized for a few weeks and now she is in a rehabilitation and therapy facility. She's doing much better, and hopefully she'll be able to get home soon. I'm trying to be a good son and support both my mom and my dad (who is on his own with their little dog), but sometimes I really wonder. I wonder if I am offering much of value, despite my efforts. I'm also wondering about my ability to overwhelm myself with activity. I got up very early today to get a head start on the day and it's now 11:30 am, and I'm still scrambling and only about 10% done with my to-do list for today.
Anyway, that's the quick update. I'm needing to bring more hustle to bear on my end-of-January marketing effort for my law firm. Hopefully, that will yield a considerable harvest of lucrative projects. In the short term, the effects of the recession have been dragging me down, like they are doing to everyone else (except the super-fat-cats who seem always to land on their feet, despite the chaos they introduce into the economy and the harm they do to many people and businesses--but that's a separate rant). It's amazing how hard a man can work and not be making any money, at least not at the moment.
I need to stop now and get back to work. I'm hoping to get more substantive content posted later today. It's good stuff. For the moment, let remember what my meditation practice has taught me.
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.
Breathing in, I know that I am experiencing a lot of stress now.
Breathing in, I smile at my stress.
OK, that's best effort. The smile is only about a one-quarter smile--no Cheshire-cat-grin on this handsome mug yet!--but I'm working on it.
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