Hoosier Lawyer

Bush and the Busses -- How "W"s legacy impacts the Indianapolis 500

For decades the Indianapolis bus system, now Indy Go, has provided race day bus service from downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Airport, but not this year -- another victim of George W. Bush and his "ideology over everything" style of administration.

The same folks who said "hands off" Wall Street and the Banking industry, also said when it comes to public transportation, we can't have city-owned busses competing with private industry.  So due to federal regulations,  Indy Go can no longer provide race day bus services (and make money to support our public transportation system).  Instead, the job has been turned over to two private bus companies, who may or may not meet Indy Go's level of race day service, and who will put a sizeable chunk of money that would have gone to support public transportation into their private coffers.

Way to go, George.  Another mark on that legacy you left for all of us to clean up.

WHEN IT RAINS: My Mac Works Great, But Everything Else Is Falling Apart

The good news -- the more I use my MacBook Pro, the more I think I made the right decision to switch to Mac.  The MacBook Pro is a gem.  And the interface with Windows through VM Fusion allows my needed Windows programs to run better than they were running on my IBM Thinkpad.  There are still some issues I'm working with, but I think THE GREAT EXPERIMENT -- switching to Mac -- is going to be a big success.

BUT . . . just as I got the MacBook networked, my case management system up and running on the new computer, and started learning the subtle differences between the Mac environment and Windows -- KA-BOOM -- I got hit with technology DOUBLE-WHAMMY. 

DIRGE FOR A PRINTER

First, my main printer/fax/copier died.  Well, technically it didn't die.  It could be saved by a transplant -- well, more accurately a new printer tray and paper sensor.  But by the time I added up the  cost of the printer tray, the new ink cartridges it needed, and the belt which would need replacing in the next 2-3 months, it was clear the best decision was to invest in a new multi-function printer/fax/copier.  

So I did some research, looked for a deal, and ordered a new HP laserjet.  It took more than a week for delivery -- during which we put off all the major printing we could, and got by with the ink jet which is primarily used for envelopes and labels.  So after a week of limited printing / fax abilities, the new printer was delivered.  In about 30 minutes, my assistant and I had it up and running.  

The new HP is not quite as fast as the Brother multi-purpose machine it replaced, but it does not appear to have the Brother's finicky nature as to paper, which limited me to buying only one type of paper in order to prevent incessant jamming.  It also appears that it is much more friendly toward using alternate sizes of paper.

The Brother wasn't a disaster, and I got about three years of use from it.  But the ink was VERY expensive.  The belt needed to be replaced about every 15 months and cost about half the original price of the printer.  Finally, its constant jamming on any envelopes and all but two particular brands & weight of paper were extremely frustrating.  

WHERE DID MY EMAIL GO?

Long before I decided on switching to Mac, I decided to switch my website to Findlaw.  While I loved the site I put together with my nephew, it did not track well with Google and other search engines.  So I bit the bullet and hired Findlaw to re-do my website, hoping to keep much of what I like about my former site.  

So . . . at the same time when I'm dealing with the switch to Mac, and a dead printer, I get the call from FIndlaw (owned by Lexis) tech people that they are ready to switchover my domain to Findlaw.  With a few little clicks in the ether, those who would type on my domain name -- www.hoosierlawyer.US -- would go to my new website rather than my old one.  And hopefully at that point, those searching on Google, or Yahoo, or any other search engine, will start seeing my name when they search for an Indianapolis lawyer.

But here's the rub.  When they were ready to make the switch, I asked several times to make sure that this would not interfere with my email, which would continue to be handled through Iquest's email servers.  "No problem," I was told.

Yeah, right.

At precisely 1:34 p.m. on December 3, the website was switched over.   And at precisely 1:34 p.m. on December 3, I received my last email at my primary business email address -- [email protected].  Likewise, my assistant received her last email.

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH ! ! ! 

Like so many, I depend on email to communicate with clients, exchange documents with other lawyers, and make inquiries with fellow lawyers on several State Bar Association listserves.  But not now.

After a conference call with both Findlaw and Iquest on Thursday, I was assured the glitch would be corrected, but that it would take between 12 and 48 hours for the correction to take effect.  

Here I sit on Sunday night, four days later -- and I still cannot access my business email either through my email program or through Iquests web-based email system.

LESSONS OF TECHNOLOGY AND LIFE

Fortunately I have my Blackberry and a backup email account with Gmail, the Google web-based email. For some reason, the email does seem to get through on my Blackberry  -- a point I will be discussing with the Iquest/Findlaw tech people on Monday.  And through Gmail, I was able to circulate documents for a real estate closing.  

In short, my recent technology dealings have been a tangled web -- pun only partly intended.  But in a somewhat perverse way, it has also been a rewarding experience.  Despite all of the issues, my office has continued to function.  We've found ways to work around the loss of a printer and loss of an email server, all while making the adjustment from Windows to Mac.  

Technology is like so much in life -- it seldom runs perfectly.  There are always issues popping up, and when one thing goes wrong, it seems like more will follow in quick succession.  

But what do we do when this happens?  Do we just throw up our hands and give up?  Or do we follow the directive of that philosopher/fashion guru Tim Gunn from my favorite show, Project Runway:

"Make it work."  

I'M THROWING THIS MAC AWAY . . . . . . . . . OH, WAIT -- THIS IS COOL ! ! !

My great experiment with switching to Mac nearly came crashing to a halt this week.  But just when everything seemed hopeless and I was ready to pack up my MacBook Pro and take it back, we found a solution to my networking issue.  After that, I downloaded my case management software, loaded it, and "ta-dah ! ! !" -- it connected to my server and we were up and running at full speed.

The major issue that was plaguing me from the outset was the inability of my new MacBook to fully connect to my assistant's PC, where my case management data is stored.  One of the great touted advances of Leopard its its ability to "plug and play" with PCs on a network.  And while my new Mac immediately showed my assistant's computer as a "shared" computer, it would not allow me to connect as a user.

Assistance from the Apple Store on networking issues really wasn't helpful.  I got some help from the MacLawyers listserve which allowed me to connect to my assistant's computer as a "guest", but that did not allow me to change files on her computer, which is critical to the functioning of my case management system.

So with a recommendation from the Apple Store, I bit the bullet and called a consultant for an in-house visit.  He assured me over the phone that this would be a simple issue calling for his minimum 1-hour fee.

He showed up Wednesday -- nice guy who seemed to know his stuff.  Well about 3 hours later, I believe the line was "I've don't know why its not connecting.  In all the years I've been doing this, I've never seen this."

ARRRGHHHHHHHHHH   ! ! ! !

This is the point in our story when I'm ready to throw the Mac out the window -- well, not really.  But I did seriously think at that point that at the end of the day, I would box up the Mac and take it back to the Apple Store

But my consultant was persistent.  And about 30 minutes after that point, he called me in and we had the connection.   There was no specific problem that he found, and in fact, the computer still doesn't show the connection the way it should.  However he worked the problem and found a solution.  Even better, he was able to write out instructions and show me how to set up the computer to share files with other computers on the network.

HURRAY ! ! !    But would it work when he was gone?   Quiet miraculously, the answer is "YES"!

After he left, I downloaded a new copy of my case management system -- Practice Advantage 9.  With some help from the tech folks at Lexis, I was able to download and install the software, connect it to my assistant's computer, and access all the case data.

Even better, we were able to download and install the remote laptop version, create the needed clone library, then sync up the data base with the remote data base.  This means I can now take my computer with me and have access to all my files, including documents, emails, contacts, calendar, and even billing information.

And amazingly, the loading and setup of Practice Advantage went through without a single hitch.  Just clicking "Next" a lot, dragging and dropping a file, and watching the little green bars mark the progress of the operation.

So as of now, my MacBook is networked, my critical case management system is functioning, and my WordPerfect (yes, I'm still a committed WordPerfect user), is up and running.

So we're locked and loaded, and ready to roll.  And just in time.  I've got an appellate brief due in 10 days.  Gotta go.

Mac Transition -- Week 1 Report

The jury is still out on the transition from PC to Mac. 

Overall, I really like the Mac computer.  I had my first One-to-One lesson at the Apple Store, and it generally went pretty well.  I'm starting to learn some of the different ways which files -- particularly photos -- are handled in the Mac environment.  It will take some getting used to, but the learning curve in that area is not particularly steep.

I continue to have frustration about two particular issues -- and to date the Apple folks have only been minimally successful in alleviating that frustration.  First and foremost is the inability to network to my secretary's computer.  Despite the fact that my Mac shows the Reception computer on its shared list -- along with my IBM Thinkpad, which is now attached to my network in another office -- but I still cannot connect in that way with my secretary's computer.

I did receive some advice via the MacLawyer email list which helped.  By using my secretary's computer IP address, I can connect and access the files.  However I am connected only as a guest, which means I can't change anything (unless I load it on to my computer and save it there), and I lose the connection if I turn off my computer, or click the wrong button.  This means I cannot yet work toward using my case management system, which depends on being able to manipulate the data, which is stored on my secretary's computer.

Second frustration -- though not as great -- is that the Apple store tech did not transfer all of the designated data from my laptop and 3 external harddrives on to my new MacBook.  This included a failure to transfer any data from Outlook into the Mac Mail system.  This was exaccerbated by the fact that the tech left the CD used for doing this in my CD drive, so when I tried to start up my MacBook, it wouldn't start, instread trying to boot off the CD.  After some confusion and frustration, my assistant actually figured out to check and see if there was a CD in the drive.

All in all, I'm not ready to throw out the MacBook yet.  I can see that it is really well designed and well-conceived.  But I am beginning to have growing concerns about the networking issues.

More to come

Mac Conversion -- Day One in the Office

Today was the first day in the office with my new Mac.  It's been a bit of a mixed experience so far, but I'm still excited about the potential of my new MacBook Pro.

Friday, I took loaded up my new MacBook, my old Thinkpad, and 3 external harddrives which I have been using, and took them to the Indianapolis Apple Store at Keystone at the Crossing.  I left them for data to be transferred to my new Mac, and for loading some basic Mac I-Works programs.

By early Saturday afternoon, I received the call that the data had been transferred and I could pick up my new computer.  Unfortunately, I left my copy of Fusion and Windows XP in the office, so they could not help me load it.  But Erin at the Apple Store spent nearly an hour going over some basics in operating the Mac system.

Sunday was a study in frustration.  One flaw I've found in the Mac is that when you enter a password for the computer, you do it only once -- that is, you don't have to repeat typing in the password.  This means that if you make an error, such as hitting "Cap Lock" instead of "caps", or hitting the wrong key -- you get a password different from what you intend -- and what you remember.

That was the case with me.  Because you have to enter the computer password to load software, it became a very frustrating experience for me.  Likewise, the same was true of trying to sync up my I-Pod to the new computer (which, thanks to the Apple Store people, already had my 7,400 songs already loaded on the new MacBook).  All of this ended up with me making a third trip to the Apple Store in 3 days for some tech help.

In the end, we got the password mess straightened out, and I got Fusion and Windows XP loaded.  With a little help from a listserve of Mac lawyers, I also was able to load WordPerfect into the Virtual Windows environment.

Monday, I spent time setting up my email.  It involved a little frustration, but not any more than I expected.  The tech support at Iquest helped me through the process, and soon my email was humming in.  I did find out, however, that the Apple store had not transferred over my addresses and email data from my Thinkpad Outlook program.  But I'll be able to work around that for a while.

I was very pleasantly surprised that it took almost no time to set up the Mac to print on my office printer.  It was just a couple of clicks, and I was printing away.

Not so with networking to my assistant's computer.  The Mac was able to "see" my assistant's computer, but would not connect to it.  That's the next major step, since her computer stores my case management data.

So, we move on to Day Two.  May have to set aside the Mac learning curve for a couple of days so I can get some work done. 

Big MAC Attack -- Making the decision to switch to Mac

ell, I've done it.  I've joined the counter-culture.  I've thrown caution to the wind.  I've started batting lefty.  Indiana has gone blue, and I've gone MAC.

After months of consideration, reading articles, surfing the net, and talking with converts and traditionalists,  I made the decision to replace my wonderful Thinkpad (one of the last actually manufactured by IBM) with a MacBook Pro.

Over the next months, I hope to keep a bit of a journal going on this blog about my experiences, which I plan to eventually turn into an article in Res Gestae on the experience of converting to Mac.  Whether it is a story of joy and triumph, or a  "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing", is yet to be determined.

As with the story of the Zen Master from the movie Charlie Wilson's War,  "We'll see."

Ambassador Istrabadi Highlights Conference

  Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi's memerizing talk about how an Indiana small firm trial lawyer ended up as Iraq's Ambassador to the United Nations capped a full day at the 2008 Indiana Solo & Small Firm Conference Friday, June 6, in Fort Wayne.

Ambassador Istrabadi spoke about the situation in Iraq and the difficulties faced by Iraqis and the United States.  The Ambassador, who is now serving as a visiting professor at Indiana University School of Law -- Bloomington, also talked about his pride in being an Indiana small firm lawyer, and how the skills and perspective he gained in running his own practice translated into the world of international negotiations.

The day started with an energetic keynote address by national speaker and educator Michael Brandwein.  His presentation focused on practical advice for improving the delivery of services to clients, and how the small things related to service go a long way toward bulding client satisfaction.

Other highlights included:   a lunch presentation by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan on the new Odyssey Case Management System, which is in the testing stage, and will within a few years transform case information and management throughout Indiana;  an appellate practice session conducted by Justice Sullivan and Court of Appeals Judge Paul Mathias; financial tips by Pennsylvania law practice consultant Ellen Freedman, and Connie Postelli and Dan Sigler's lively presentation on mediation

As always, thechnology was a major part of the conferennce.  Presenters included ABA TechShow regulars Ross Kodner, Adriana Linares, Bruce Dorner, Ellen Freedman and Larry Smith, director of the ABA's Law Practice Management Section.  Additionally, Court of Appeals Judge Paul Mathias teamed with Larry Smith to give a fascinating overview of using Macs in a law office setting, during Thursday's Tech Camp.

The Conference continues on Saturday, wrapping up with a Sponsors' Appreciation Luncheon.

LITTLE IRONIES IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

Sometimes you can't help notice life's little ironies.

NASA astronaut turned likely Jerry Springer Show guest Lisa Nowak, will soon be released from jail after a Florida judge set her bail at only $25,000 on charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping.

It seems the judge found that the NASA astronaut was not a flight risk.

Anyone else see the irony here?

INTERNET PHONE SERVICE GIVES YOU CHEAP OPTION FOR EXTRA LINE / LONG DISTANCE

If you have not looked into Internet phone service, you owe it to yourself and your practice to do so -- and quick ! ! !

Skype, one of the leading companies in Internet phone service is offering an incredible deal until the end of January.  Sign up and you get unlimited calls, including long distance throughout the United States and Canada, for $14.95. 

That is NOT $15 per month.  That is $15 for the ENTIRE YEAR.

To sign up, just go to www.skype.com Because it is a British company, you'll see the price listed in Euros.  But don't let that scare you off. They take good ol' American.

If this sounds too complicated, or simply technically too far out there for you, it is not.  Look into it, and you'll see it is no more complicated than dialing your own phone.  In fact in some ways, it's a lot more simple.

I already have an office phone and a cell phone.  What good is this to me?

Try this.  I have two lines in my office.  I'm always concerned about missing calls if both my secretary and I are on the phone at the same time.  But adding a third line is a huge investment in equipment and installation, in addition to the extra $$$ per month for the line charge.

But by adding Skype, I have nearly eliminated the issue.  I make my calls on Skype, and soon I will have my secretary doing the same.  Our two phone lines are left for incoming calls.

How about this.  NO long distance charges on my office phone.  EVER.  I can call Toronto or San Francisco for the same fee as the pizza place down the street.  And that would be a big $0.00

Adding Skype is simple.  Just go to the website and download the software.  You actually pay after you install the software.  That's it.  For a better quality, I suggest buying a headset with a microphone -- an investment of about $20-30.  That's it. 

Oh, and all those contacts in your Outlook?  They automatically show up in your Skype contact list as long as your Outlook program is open. 

And if none of this has convinced you that you have to try this, just remember . . . We've all blown $15 on stupid stuff more time than we can count.  If you end up not liking it, so you blew another $15.  But if you find it works (which I think you will), you will be amazed at yourself for what you did  for the price of 3 thick burgers at Hardees. 

SAINTS' ALIVE - CONTINUANCE GRANTED

You gotta hand it to New Orleans.  Even with all the trauma that city is dealing with every day, it still has kept that essential quality that makes it different.

For 40 years of futility, New Orleans has stood by and cheered its beloved Saints.  But Sunday, for the first time in the team's history,  The Saints are playing for the NFC Championship.  And everyone knows that after the game, all of New Orleans is either going to be parading down Bourbon Street with to-go cups in hand, or drowning its collective sorrows in a vat of Abita Amber.

Either way,  Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Ernest L. Jones has recognized that nobody in the Big Easy is going to feel like sitting in trial for a couple of days.  So he granted a recent motion for continuance on the grounds of "party aftermath."

Judge Jones was scheduled to preside over a   trial scheduled to start on the day after the Bears-Saints game.    But the defense moved to delay the trial for two days "in order to accommodate all fans, including the great majority of the jury pool, the parties involved in this case and the counsel involved in this case."

Guess the motion sounded better than "Judge, we're all gonna be hung over."

GEAUX SAINTS ! ! !