BookBook from TwelveSouth

It’s from TwelveSouth. It envelopes the Macbook in what appears to be a vintage leather hardbound book. So not only does it provide a safe and secure cocoon for your Macbook, it also serves as a disguise, discouraging thievery (other than from those on the prowl for first editions :-). $79.99 – and they just look cool, which is an intrinsic part of the Mac ethos, right?

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“ABA Law Practice Management Section Names New Director

The American Bar Association announced today that Pamela McDevitt has been named the new director for the Law Practice Management Section, effective March 22, 2010.

For the past four years, Pamela has served the New York State Bar Association as Director of Law Practice Management. In that capacity, she has developed a variety of continuing legal education programs, re-designed the State Bar’s Law Practice Management and Solo Practice Web pages, coordinated the development of practice-oriented books, and developed numerous articles and publications. Prior to joining the State Bar, she practiced law in a small firm for nine years, following a term of service as a Captain in the United States Army JAG Corps with assignments in Administrative and Labor Law, including representing the Department of Defense in EEOC hearings, Unfair Labor Practice Lawsuits, Merit System Protection Boards, and sexual harassment claims.

The section would like to thank H. Maria Enright, the Director of the ABA Professional Services Division, who led the search process for our new director, with input from me and chair-elect Andrea Hartley. We were very pleased with the quality and quantity of candidates for the position.

Between now and the end of March, Jill Eckert McCall will continue to serve as our interim director. Jill’s leadership and guidance of our staff has been tremendous—and she still has her “day job” as Director of the Young Lawyers Division. The help we have received from both Maria and Jill has allowed for smooth sailing during this gap in section directors.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, I can say that we are extremely excited about the ideas, energy and leadership Pamela McDevitt will bring to our section. Please join me in welcoming her to the ABA LPM family.

Micah Buchdahl
Chair”

So a new era begins! Congratulations Pam!

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• PDF Packaging - how to create “electronic three ring binders” to organize client and firm administrative documents. Examples include electronic versions of traditional estate planning binders, firm HR documents, discovery indices and much more. See the column here.
• Searchable PDFs – how to turn “image” PDFs into searchable or “accessible” PDFs. Most of you want and need to do this – it opens up PDF content not only to be searched but also to be leveraged by copying and pasting it into other programs, such as documents or emails. See the column here.
• Typewriters Begone! – how to use the Typewriter tool in Adobe Acrobat to fill in pre-printed forms onscreen, including full editing ability. See the column here.

In future editions, I’ll be writing about Bates Stamping, Secure Redaction and using the Commenting functions to review PDF documents. Watch for them with your free subscription to Technolawyer and specifically to receive the SmallLaw column, distributed weekly via email.

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So those are my excuses for temporary invisibility.

So it’s now 2010 and Ross Ipsa Loquitur is back in business! I’m committed to bringing you the information, insights and commentary you’ve enjoyed for the last four years.

So stay tuned folks!

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But this is an abomination. It is an affront to all that is decent or at least should be decent in sports. It is about spite, maliciousness, delusional and unjustified revenge, stunning immaturity and callousness and an utter and complete lack of any sense of sportsmanship or honor.

I, as had so many others over so many years, viewed Brett Favre as more than an icon – he was the Lou Gehrig of professional football. An iron man of iron character. A mensch from Mississippi.

I was wrong. We all were. Brett Favre is a modern sporting prima donna of the worst type. He masqueraded as a mensch and deluded so many of us into thinking he was something different . . . above the fray . . . a player who certainly made a very, very good living, but was motivated foremost by the sheer joy of being able to play his favorite sport. We saw it on his face with every touchdown and with every Lambeau leap taken by his targeted receivers over so many years. It was real . . . for awhile.

In the end, it doesn’t even seem to be about business – he doesn’t need the money. His motivation? Embarrassing the Packers and seeking the retribution he feels he is due for the “injustices” and “slights” he feels he suffered.

That loud sucking noise coming from Minneapolis and the Vikings training camp is the sound of the last shred of anything honorable disappearing from professional football.

Brett Fave isn’t a mensch. He’s just a football player.

He’s more of an abomination in my mind than Vista ever was. And my readers know, that says it all.

This is so terribly, terribly disappointing.

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• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Super-fast 2 ms screen response time fast enough even for mid-afternoon Flight Simulator spins (admit it, you know you do!)
• The best part – two HDMI inputs so you can connect a digital cable box, Blue-Ray or DVD player, Tivo HD, etc. for video

And of course, if one of these would be good, two would be better and three would unquestionably rock . Just be sure though that your video adapter is capable of 1920×1080 resolution so you can take advantage of all that screen real estate.

Here’s the link - as usual, the stock in these kinds of things don’t last long. If I could think of somewhere to put it in my home or office, I’d buy one – I’m just swimming with displays though. Happy hunting!

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ct was the new book the three of us will debut exactly one week from today called “How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times,” published by the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section.  Listen to the podcast here – I know you’ll find it’s exploration of the issues facing so many lawyers today to be immediately useful. The book itself is available for pre-order through it’s August 20th publication date at a 15% discount. In the spirit of the content of the book, every little bit helps!

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See the archived prior editions of the SmallLaw column here, including those by my co-columnist Mazy Hedyat. And while you’re at it, if you’re not already a Ross Ipsa Loquitur subscriber and just visiting the blog, it makes sense to do what so many others in the legal community have done and subscribe (upper right corner of the blogsite – to get your RIL feed via Feedblitz emails – couldn’t be easier).

"The Technolawyer Community - subscribe, it's free and necessary for every legal professional." - Ross Kodner

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Thanks to Sanjay Singh of Addins4Outlook – a software resource for all things Outlook (and well worth a look!) for the link to the article.

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My prediction – legal software vendors, whose products often require, or at least prefer, tight Outlook integration, will see this as the signal needed to justify serious Mac OS X native development of case managers, document managers, litigation support apps and more. The lack of inclusions of Outlook in the Microsoft Mac Office suite has certainly been one of the elements cited by some legal software developers as a reason not to develop “yet” for the Mac legal segment. I think that hesitation will end in 2010. My related prediction – once that happens and we see traditional legal software developers start serious application efforts for the OS X platform, Mac legal market share in at least solo to “large small” firms will soar.

Of course, I could be completely, totally . . . wrong <g>. But I don’t think so on this one.

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Netbooks grew out of the One Laptop Per Child movement (OLPC), started by Nicholas Negroponte from MIT. The idea is to provide rugged, maintenance-free, ultra low cost laptops to children in developing nations. Here’s the info about the program: http://laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml including info about how to give. It’s a great initiative. Here’s a link to info about the laptop that’s distributed by the organization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1)

This charitable concept then spawned the commercial follow-up when Asus released the first netbook, the EEE 701 about two years ago (http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/asus-eee-pc-701.aspx). The rest is history.

First, debunking netbook myths: “what can netbooks do compared to laptops?” Facts:

• Netbooks ARE laptops! They can do everything any laptop can do BECAUSE THEY ARE LAPTOPS!
• Netbooks are just a category, like ultralights, powerlights, gaming laptops, business laptops, desktop replacements, etc. etc.
• Netbooks have to be viewed individually to look at the specs involved, just as with any new system being considered – while there are certain very common specs, others can vary such as storage situation, operating system, and screen size
• A very common “standard” specification for many currently available netbooks, regardless of vendor is 10″ diagonal (actually either 10.1″ or 10.2″ if you want to be precise) display, 1 Gb RAM standard (usually upgrade to 2 Gb by replacing the single standard DIMM – often for around $25 from suppliers like crucial.com), Windows XP Home, 160 Gb drive (although 250 Gb drives are just starting to appear), Intel Atom N270 single-core processor, Intel graphics chipset, 6 cell battery good for anywhere from 3-10 hours depending on model/vendor, and about 2.5 to 3.5 lbs. Also no optical drives included (CD/DVD) so plan on $35-$85 for an external slimline USB CD or DVD burner (mine is a DVD burner I bought new on eBay last Fall for $55 shipped) so you can load disc-based software.
• There are also less costly systems with small flash drives for memory (SSD – Solid State Drives) from 4-16 Gb in storage capacity
• There are also less costly systems that run some version of Linux rather than Windows XP Home
• There are also less costly systems that have smaller 8.9″ displays (and of course, smaller everything else including keyboards)
• There are also factory-refurbished systems now coming to market that can save money
• There are also newer netbooks appearing that have larger 12″ displays with 1280×800 resolution and larger keyboards
• There are also newer netbooks appearing using newer processors such as the Intel Atom N280 and Z530 as well as the Via Nano, and some models just now appearing with discrete (independent from the PC’s RAM) graphics processors like the new nVidia Ion series. While these larger-profile systems start to blur the lines between where the netbook category ends and laptops begin, they have more of the specification characteristics of netbooks so for now, they’re solidly within that category
• It is a product category were new models flood the market constantly – not all released for U.S. use, but don’t expect to have whatever you buy be “current” for more than about a week (not kidding – if this bothers you, just be prepared for it)
• Very popular models used by multiple Solosezzers include:
  • Asus EEE 1000Hx series with the 1000HE being one the current hot models
  • Lenovo’s S10 (and inevitably, the forthcoming 12″ S12 model) (I have the former and *LOVE* it)
  • Acer Aspire One (10″  and new 11″ models preferred, the latter recently spied at a Walmart of all places as the first netbook I’ve seen with a 250 Gb drive)
  • MSI Wind (again, 10″ models preferred)
  • Samsung NC10 and the newer 12″ NC20 (I have the latter and *LOVE* it)

I don’t think much about the Dell Mini series – the hard drives are too small (60 and 80 Gb while everyone else is selling 160 Gb and now even drives) and too slow (4200 rpm). I don’t think much either about the HP MiniNote series – bizarre mouse button placement can drive you fricking nuts! Gateway is just selling relabeled HP MiniNotes so those don’t really count.

Expect a continuing flood of new releases with faster processors, discrete video, longer battery life, bigger keyboards, etc. Watch sites like www.lilliputing.com for solid product info.

—————-

In terms of software, Netbooks do NOT generally come bundled with any kind of commercial office suites such as the Microsoft Office Suite (come on, how could they when an entire netbook might retail for $299-$399ish?). Linux models often DO come with bundled open source software though – often a Windows-like interface and programs like the OpenOffice suite, Firefox and Thunderbird for email.

So load whatever you want – MS Office 2003, MS Office 2007, WordPerfect X4 or OpenOffice 3.0 – whatever trips your trigger. As I’ve written about, you can very comfortable run 2-4 “big” apps, especially if you’ve upgraded the RAM to 2 Gb – on my two netbooks (Lenovo S10 and Samsung NC20), I usually have Word 2007, Outlook 2007 and a couple of browsers (Chrome and Firefox) open normally with very snappy operation. Once I go past that though, I notice the machines progressively bogging down – more than their little single core processors were designed to handle.

I see mainstream magazines reviewing netbooks where it is 100% clear the writer has NEVER actually used one. Even Laptop Magazine, whose journalism is usually first-rate, has written some dumb-ass material about netbooks recently, saying they can’t really be used for “real” work. A load of crap – just NOT true. Can you run 7-10 apps simultaneously like I can on my workhorse, max-equipped Thinkpad? No. But are they incredibly useful for MOST people for MOST things within the constraints of screen and keyboard size? YOU BET!

Some downsides and contraindications for netbooks:

• People with biggers fingers will be unhappy with 10″ netbooks, but likely fine with 12″ netbooks with their closer-to-full-sized keyboards.
• People who need bigger characters onscreen might not be happy with 10″ netbooks, but likely fine with 12″ netbooks.
• People expecting netbooks to perform the same as a full-size laptop with a dual core or Core 2 Duo processor will likely not be happy with ANY netbook.

On the other hand, I can’t imagine NOT having one – my original netbook article from my Technolawyer SmallLaw column will probably be instructive to those wondering about them, especially the latest 12″ models.
Things like keyboard decisions are VERY personal. I started with an Asus EEE 701 – the original commercial netbook. Linux only, 4 Gb SSD, 7″ display. Too small to be useful.

Then I moved to an Asus 1000H – loved it in every respect except for the fact it was a bit chubby and the glossy finish was a fingerprint magnet (which drove me nuts). Then a Lenovo S10 – which I have now. Loved its svelteness v. the Asus 1000H, preferred its keyboard feel over the Asus, identical performance to the Asus. Have played with a Samsung NC10 also, another very nice machine. I don’t see the differences v. the Lenovo S10 that he does. I see no performance difference with apples to apples software setups. I do agree that it may have a keyboard edge if you have larger fingers (which I don’t). Otherwise, I see it as a virtual wash, although Lenovo support is proven and in the U.S. market Samsung’s first computer offering is the NC10 if I’m correct, so the U.S. PC support offerings are an unknown commodity at this point. My Samsung NC20 is one of the most “perfect” portable systems I’ve owned – a convergence of positives including 1280×800 screen resolution for its 12″ display, a keyboard that feels full-sized to me, 5-6 hours of realistic battery life and an elegant set of included control utilities – I can’t recommend the NC20 more highly (other than the fingerprint magnet glossy case – a pet peeve of mine).

Other products to consider:

• Dell’s Mini series – I think these offerings are all over-priced compared to more established Netbook
• HP’s MiniNote series – those bizarre mouse buttons, for which HP is always panned in reviews, would be a deal-breaker for me.
• Gateway – it’s just a rebranded HP – same issue with the crazy mouse buttons.
• MSI – nice machines, but in this economy, I sure wouldn’t trust a second-tier maker from a long-term support perspective.
• The future: 11″ and 12″ models that may overcome the still remaining size issues with 10″ models (keyboards still just SLIGHTLY too small and screen resolution vertically too low (600 pixels v. at least 800 – all the vertical scrolling on 10″ displays can get very old, very quickly)

But following comments from fellow Solosezzers Scott Barer and Ben Schorr about keyboards, one person’s “awful” is another person’s “nirvana.” That aspect is VERY personal to each user (so if you buy, be sure that if you can’t test in advance, that you have 100% no questions asked return privileges – it’s really all about the keyboard, pointing device and display – the three points of human interaction with EVERY system. The other specs won’t / don’t matter if the three points of human/laptop interaction don’t cut it.

Hope that helps to clarify some of the issues with netbooks currently. I’m guessing that if ABA Solosezzers have these questions, others likely will as well.

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“Social Media for Lawyer (and Other Tech Tools to Help Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times)” – This is a live program for IICLE in Chicago on Wednesday, August 19th at the UBS Tower. There are 6.25 CLE credits including 2.5 Prof. Resp. credits. Here’s the link to the program and registration info: https://www.iicle.com/BooksandProducts/ProductDescription.aspx?ID=337. I’ll be doing nearly seven hours of presentations including:

• “Social Media, Viral Marketing, Low Overhead and Smart Spending to Grow & Maintain Your Practice Ethically & Affordably” – In these tight economic times, business development and client retention are more critical than ever. But of course, with marketing budgets slashed for firms across the board, the key is leveraging least-cost legal marketing resources. Ross will explore how to generate business in the most cost-effective, yet professional and ethically compliant manner – how to leverage web technology and resources such as social media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin), building and revamping websites and blogs that actually generate work and reflect positively on your abilities,  and even more to build and bring in a book of business you can live on and thrive!

• “Tightwad Technology: 60+ Free and Cheap Tools and Web Services for Illinois Lawyers (Part One and Part Two)” – In these unusual and frankly, frightening economic times, lawyers everywhere need to squeeze the most out of every overhead dollar, while at the same time, maximizing the quality of client services and responsiveness. Diametrically opposed goals? Not at all! In two in-depth sessions, we’ll explore a plethora of free or very inexpensive software products, tips, techniques, and web resources for propelling your practice forward while better serving every one of your clients. We’ll learn about free anti-virus products, free webinar and conference calling services, free and cheap Word and Outlook tools and much more! Save a bundle, learn a bunch!
• “Tightwad Technology: Better Using What You Already Have – Top Word, WordPerfect, Outlook, and Acrobat Tips!” – In these trying times when we’ve seen our 401Ks tumble precipitously, it’s not the ideal time to splurge on new technology. Instead, we’ll show you how Technology Tightwads wring more productivity and profits out of the systems you already have. We’ll explore law practice-specific tips, tricks and shortcuts for better using Word 2003 and 2007, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat. See the Acrobat Typewriter in action. Discover how Acrobat is the best tool for digging you out of your overflowing Outlook mailboxes. See Word “Styles” demystified. Learn about Outlook as a Case Manager. Why buy more when you can better use what you already have . . . and better serve your clients at the same time!
• “From Paper to Pixels: Building the Complete (and Green) Electronic Case File” – Who isn’t buried in piles of paper – at your office, at home, seemingly everywhere? How many otherwise billable hours do you and your staff waste everyday looking for case information you can only find in a paper file? If these thoughts already conjure images too painful to contemplate, you desperately need this session. Award-winning legal technology consultant, Ross Kodner, will walk you through his Paper LESS Process – a proven, practical, realistic and cost-effective way to whip those piles into shape and show all that paper who’s boss. Learn how to go from paper to pixels, building complete electronic client case files . . . saving both your pocketbook and the planet.

———————-

Then the next day, I’m doing an online program with my old techno.pal Andy Adkins, Director of the Legal Technology Institute at the Univ. of Florida’s law school. Andy and I have been presenting together for almost two decades, usually in the practice management subject area. That’s the focus of the program on August 20th called:

• “Minimize Risk with Legal Case, Matter and Practice Management Systems” – Case, matter, and practice management systems and processes will help your practice become more efficient and effective in all aspects of operating your practice and addressing the needs of clients. Whether you are a litigator or a transactional attorney, in private practice or in a legal department, this seminar will focus on the functions and advantages of case, matter, and practice management system software and related processes. Our two panelists, Andrew Z. Adkins III and Ross Kodner, are both pioneers and leaders in legal technology. Each has more than 20 years experience in working with lawyers, law firms and legal departments covering all practice areas and sizes. We’ll cover the basics of these systems and provide detailed discussions of the leading software systems in the legal profession along with practical tips for best practices deployments. Learn how contemporary practice management systems and processes can manage risks, allow you to better represent your clients and maximize profitability and productivity . . . while reducing the stress of daily law practice.

The program is being webcast at 1PM EDT for 90 minutes. Andy and I have been immersed in the practice management world for a collective 44 years between us – we’ll have tons of great tips and “street smarts” to pass along including our thoughts about Cloud Computing practice management approaches. Info on the program is at:

http://www.lorman.com/teleconference/teleconference.php?pid=204609

Hope some of you can join me next week in Chicago or online!

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/12/AR2009081201409.html

and also:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/176223.asp

A Toronto-based company called i4i, Inc. prevailed in the US Dist. Ct for the E.D. of TX.

Here’s what’s been reported so far: “The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, ordered a permanent injunction that “prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the United States any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML.” In other words, the file format that is the basis for Word 2007 and the forthcoming Word 2010 that use the .docX extension. Here’s the PDF of the permanent injunction that was issued by Judge Leonard Davis: http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/library/20090811i4iinjunction.pdf.

More from the article from the SeattlePI: “The injunction, which becomes effective in 60 days, prohibits Microsoft from selling future Word products that allegedly use the patented technology. It also enjoins Microsoft from testing, demonstrating, marketing or offering support for those future products. Davis also ordered Microsoft to pay i4i more than $290 million in damages . . . . We are disappointed by the court’s ruling,” Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz said in a statement. “We believe the evidence clearly demonstrated that we do not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid. We will appeal the verdict.”

Bet they’re at least temporarily breaking out the bubbly at little i4i, Inc. in Toronto! David at least for the near term, has soundly kicked Goliath’s mega-butt. And I sure as heck would NOT want to be one of Microsoft’s inhouse or outside counsel having to explain this to ever-a-picture-of-serenity a/k/a Monkey Boy Steve Ballmer . . .

I would expect that Microsoft will likely prevail on this from sheer force of resources and willingness to quietly settle (hmm . . . time to buy i4i, Inc. stock???) but it still makes for fascinating contemplation, doesn’t it? It’s not as if anyone would  be seriously bummed out if MS had to kill the less-than-beloved .___x file formats that have driven so many people crazy over the last few years.

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I also want to apologize (on behalf of the entire Internet I guess) for the distribution of a purported “update” from Ross Ipsa Loquitur last night that linked back to some weird prostate cancer website. Our site was the victim of a major DNS snafu from massive registrar DomainBank. We’ve clamped down on it and fixed it – it underscores the underlying influence and power of the various DNS management sites over the correct operation of Internet connectivity.

I’ve got a bunch of stored blog posts I’ve been working on and will post them in the next few days, getting back on track. Here’s a quick preview of what’s coming:

• Email – totally broken? Can it be counted on for reliable legal communications or any business communication?
• Texting – the devolution of language in action? How will it affect legal writing and communciations?
• CLE Recap – Rhode Island CLE in June, and Colorado Bar CLEs in July a WILD success – huge attendance, great audiences with great questions
• CLE Preview – August seminars and the upcoming Law Practice Management Institute Series this Fall in Milwaukee (October, November, December) – and coming to the BWI/DC area in November thanks to special fares from Southwest and their Milwaukee service inauguration – looking forward to seeing friends in the area and possibly some CLE (still TBD but working on several things)
• The Big Book Release! “How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times” to be released by the ABA LPM Section this month! Special celebratory promotions at MicroLaw to watch for
• MicroLaw News – some exciting new ideas to think about to renovate your existing practice and new options for those considering taking control of their own destinies – and news from Renee and Abe too
• Netbooks – the latest scoop and my views on where they fit into the grand scheme of virtual and mobile lawyering (and your portabilized life)
• Paper LESS Office and Paper LESS Life updates related to handling incoming paper mail in a clever way that ensures responsible eyes see the inbound material while becoming Paper LESS ASAP
• Links to my latest CLE materials to download – lots of new content, free as always
• My latest gadget finds – things I never knew I couldn’t live without until I had them (or decided to lust after them)
• Links to my latest articles and SmallLaw columns
• Digital dictation – what I’m recommending and what my clients are using
• Practice/case management – the best implementation planning tips
• More on Worldox Web/Mobile and document/email management in the palm of your hand
• A new podcast and articles series with techno.pal (and just plain extraordinary person and dear friend) Donna Payne from PayneGroup and of Metadata Assistant fame
• Why I haven’t twittered in six weeks and how much of a relief it feels like – but why I’ll be back soon and the implications for maintaining sanity, concentration, an attention span and more

So folks, thanks again for your concern – I’m just fine (actually more than fine – some positive life changes this summer!) and will be back with a posting vengeance!

Oh, and I’d be remiss not to mention some special thanks to special friends Courtney Kennaday, Renee Kodner, Sharon Nelson, Bruce Dorner, Deb Matthews and Lori Brown over the last couple of months – they know why. And Lisa Martin – she most certainly knows why.

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My column for SmallLaw by Technolawyer is available now, here. Hope you find it useful. Some of you have already asked what Kodner1.html will be using. Here’s a rundown of his new system, noting that Penn is a heavily Mac-oriented campus:

• MacBook – aluminum 13″ unibody model with 250 Gb drive, 2 Gb RAM – paid $1299 from the Apple outlet store as a factory-refurbished unit (saved $200 v. the Penn student price)
• Samsung compact multifunction laser printer (small was the goal) – model SCX-4300 for only $89 on a Dealuniversity.com deal through Buy.com
• Parallels 4.0 Desktop to run Windows XP Pro and Ubuntu Linux
• MS Office 2007 Ultimate ($69 via www.thetultimatesteal.com – the great MS discount program for university students)
• Backup will be via Apple TimeMachine and SuperDuper to an external USB drive and an online service yet to be determined
• Speck clear polycarbonate protective case
• Lojack for Laptops for Mac in case it sprouts legs and walks (cheaply acquired from eBay)

So I hope fellow legal parents find the column useful – again, it’s here.

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Rhode Island lawyers make for a great tech CLE audience – thanks especially to Pete Lacouture of the Tech Committee and Nancy Healy of RIBAr for coordinating.

I live-tweeted Richard Dreyfus’ fascinating, inspiring keynote last Friday about the need for civics education – powerful message.

Cape Cod – had never been there. We drove all the way out to Provincetown. If you look at it from a satellite map you start to feel kind of tippy – like you’re going to fall off into the Atlantic. Very cute town with its strong gay/hippy vibe. Lobster rolls at John’s were terrific.

NYLO boutique hotel in Warwick, RI – 2nd hotel from a new chain (is two a chain or just a couple of linked hotels) is SPECTACULAR – renovated 19th century industrial building – loftspace with concrete floors, cool bambook furniture, post-modern lobby and bathrooms. Highly recommended – other one is in Austin.

Great dinner in Providence at Al Forno with fellow Solosezzers Pat Joyce and Terri Robbins – thoroughly enjoyable conversation and impressive Italian fare.

Providence itself is a pleasant surprise – very different than the last time I had been there when my brother was a resident at Brown in ‘94. Downtown revitalization is impressive with lofts and other restored old buildings supporting a residential boom. The College Hill area around Brown and Thayer Street – what homes! Brown’s campus is beautiful. Had a great Greek dinner at Angelo’s on Thayer. Majestic capitol building downtown too.

Boston – a city of treasures – we spent almost a full day at the Boston Museum of Science on Father’s Day. One fascinating exhibit after another – and of course the Theater of Electricity with its massive Van De Graaf generator’s is a sight to behold. The original ENIGMA in the ComputerPlace exhibit, as well as the UNIVAC, Altair and other original systems obviously held our geeky attention.

Harvard Square is a hustling, bustling center of activity – made the obligatory Coop visit for Harvard gear, listened to a 50 something musician sing Simon & Garfunkel outside La Crema, ate an exceptional Indian dinner at Cafe of India at Story & Brattle, then took in Star Trek at the Loew’s on Church Street.

Thanks to my friend Lisa Martin for the dining tip that turned into our Sunday night meal: Ole Cafe on Springfield (Inman Square) in Cambridge. The hand-smashed guacamole was heavenly – avocadic perfection as were my char-grilled pork ribs Castillo and Jicama/Grapefruit/Mango/Pineapple salad. The kids loved theirs too – Jordan’s Pozole Verde and Hayley’s Quesadillo with stuffed peppers. My Herradura Silver margarita was “perfect.”

Then it was off to Portsmouth, New Hamster for one night with the primary objective being devouring lobsters at famous Warren Lobster House across the bridge on Route 1 in Kittery. Portsmouth is a charming colonial seaport, with Maine and Kittery’s outlet malls across the bridge. Jordan and I tore into three lobsters (twins were on special!) – Jordan’s first time dissecting his own lobster meal. Many photos document the flying claw pieces and the sound of cracked carapaces. Hayley watched on in horror, on the verge of calling the ASPCA while she ate her vegetarian  pesto linguine.

AND, while waiting in Terminal C for our flights, Jim Belushi is chowing down on what looks like cheese fries with either his wife (or ?) at Johnny Rocket’s!

Ready to head back to the real world… (sigh)

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