End of Summer 2024

Staying busy. Working on:

* Developing a new men's coaching program;

* Researching the legal issues related to artificial intelligence;

* Participating in a new online Christian men's group; 

* Participating in a weekly Bible study group;

* Doing some basic boxing training to get ready to engage in the sport with a renewed commitment; and

* Charting a course for the next stage of my life, and I becoming the effects of a major upheaval at the start of 2023.

What are you good people up to?

Back to the Blawg

Wow. I look at the dates on this blog/blawg and I am almost startled when I realize how long I have been away. A lot has happened. My dear mother passed away at the end of May 2014. I have been dealing with grief and depression since then. Also, my business took a nosedive, and book revenues have been down, so I have been struggling.

An additional source of grief is that my parents' dog, Sebastian the Schnauzer, passed away at the end of January 2016. Some may say he was "only a dog." but I loved that little dog--and still do.

Still, it's time to resume writing here. I have missed posting to this blog and my life has progressed to a point where I can resume posting.I'll see how it goes. One day--maybe one hour--at a time.

Thanks to all of you who have been loyal readers and commenters and who have wished me well during this period of adversity. I appreciate you more than I can say.

Back to Blogging

After a long hiatus, I am back to blogging. I'm hoping to post more frequently here. Happy new year to everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my USA friends and supporters! May you and your loved ones have an awesome holiday, filled with family, friends, gratitude, joy, and peace.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Is It Friday Yet?

Yes, it is. Monday seemed like it endured for about three weeks. Yesterday, I kept arguing with myself all day about whether it was Wednesday or Thursday. Today, finally, is Friday.

It has been a busy week, as I continue to work hard to grow my law practice. I remain optimistic about economic recovery.

Training this week has been roadwork (or "coldwork," given the outdoor temperatures around here lately), shadowboxing, and mental training. I am starting a new sports mind-training program based on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). I'll post about that soon. I'll also post about various content I find online. There are a lot of collections of photos, videos, and free (public domain) e-books available, not to mention Web sites and blogs galore.

New Visual Theme for Blog

I've been trying out Blogger's new "Template Designer." I like it. It seems easy to use and offers a variety of starting templates that one can customize. I'll be trying some new themes over the next few days to see how they look.

Simple Training Update

I've just been doing some roadwork over the last week or so.  Boxing-specific training hasn't happened a lot.  I know that's a temporary situation.  If things go well, I'll be able to get back to the gym tomorrow.  Work has been nuts lately; I've been working hard to get new clients and that is starting to bear some fruit.  I am determined to maintain a positive attitude.

Spring is Here; Staying Positive; A Sprinkling of Shakespeare; Two Online Friends Have Upcoming Bouts

Image via Wikipedia

I am back to blogging, I think. It's been a weird several weeks. Indeed, it has been kind of a weird year so far.I've been enduring one of those on-and-off training periods. I don't like it, but I know it's impermanent and things will improve soon. My training continues, albeit somewhat erratically. Again, that will improve.

My mother has been hospitalized during the last two weeks and that doesn't help things. Happily, she is doing better and, hopefully, will be able to go home soon. I don't like hospitals. (Who does?) It's hard seeing beloved family members being so ill. I'm glad Mom is recovering and feeling more well now.

I'll have more to say soon. For now, much of what I have to say is too whiny to write here. To keep from indulging self-pity, I'll express my mental state using the first four lines of William Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 29:

"When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself and curse my fate..."

That's all I'll quote because I'm starting to annoy myself by even copying this much. 

Must. Stay. Positive.

Although my own training (to say nothing of any competitive opportunities) is moving along sluggishly, two of my friends are preparing for bouts that are coming up very soon.

Nerd of Steel will get in the ring this week.

Paul Hodges has his bout in just 20 days.

Please visit their blogs and encourage them in their upcoming matches. Both of them have been training hard and seem ready to go. Oh, and if you don't mind, tell them I sent you. :-)

General Update on Various Things

My blogging here has been sparse for a few reasons, mostly related to work. I am working on the quarterly update to my Internet law book, and I am a bit behind schedule with that, so I have given the writing and editing a higher priority than blogging. Training continues, although there is nothing out of the ordinary to report. Moreover, we did not have our Sunday "fight club" this week because Glen, our coach, was volunteering for the Chicago Marathon. The Sunday morning workouts will resume next week.

Back to Blogging; Busy Weekend; Training Hard and Enjoying It

February was quite a month. I've been away from the blog, mostly because I have been busy with work. It's an interesting challenge to balance all of these activities, but I am definitely learning a lot from it. Although I haven't posted any training updates, my training continues and is going fairly well. It could always be going better, of course, but I'm a perfectionist, so my attitude is permanently oriented toward improvement.

Here's a recap of what has been going on lately, in work, life, and boxing.

• In my defiant approach to the economic recession, I have been hustling to get some new clients. I have two new prospects and one to contact tomorrow. I am not being naive, but if the basic laws of chemistry and physics still apply, matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Thus, in the aggregate, there is no less matter or energy in the universe today than there was a year or two ago, so we haven't truly "lost" anything. The matter and energy may have changed into different forms, but they still exist. As a practical matter, this means that the opportunities are still available, but we will have to be more persistent and imaginative as we look for them.
  

• Life continues to send its nonstop series of ups and downs. I'm enjoying my new neighborhood--and am confident I'll enjoy it even more once spring arrives with some consistently warmer weather.
  

• I helped my good buddy Mark move his home over the weekend. He's in the same building, but has moved to an apartment two floors above his former unit. I'm thrilled for him. He's still relatively new to Chicago, so I am glad he's getting settled comfortably in his new place. Mark is one hell of a great guy and a really good friend. Unfortunately, he recently lost his cat, Fritz, so it's a difficult time for him.
  

• Training got an added boost on Sunday. It was my first time attending the Sunday "fight club" (also known as "Small Group Boxing") at my gym. I was there in a group of about 12 guys and Glen, the trainer, who runs the 2 pm Sunday gathering. It was a great time and I look forward to attending the practices regularly. In addition to the shadowboxing, work on the bags, abs training, punching-and-defense drills, and work on the punch mitts with Glen, I got in some good sparring, too. (Thanks to Jim and Eric for pushing me hard and making me work!) It was a blast. Since all of the boxers are midlife guys--basically late 30s to late 50s in age--the group might offer some good business networking opportunities, too, as well as the chance to make some new friends. After all, some of my closest friends are guys I have punched in the face. I'm hoping my buddy Mark will attend some Sundays.
  

That's the update for now. I'm planning to get more content on this blog, including links to various articles I've found interesting. For now, thanks for reading, and stay strong!

Gary Wimsett's Interview with L. Jon Wertheim

At SportsAgentBlog, my friend and fellow lawyer, Gary Wimsett, Jr., has published a great interview with L. Jon Wertheim.  Wertheim is the author of Blood in the Cage: Mixed Martial Arts, Pat Miletich, and the Furious Rise of the UFC.  I enjoyed reading the interview and now I'm eager to read the book.  In my spare time, of course.

Again, while I don't focus on MMA here, I am definitely interested in the sport.  I also intend to learn some of the basics of ground fighting and grappling.  That will help me improve my overall skills as a fighter and allow me to do some cross-training.

Good job, Gary.  I look forward to reading Mr. Wertheim's book and to more of your writing on SportsAgentBlog.  I hope your training is going well.  If you can fight as well as you write, I feel sorry for your opponents!

Hey You...Wanna Follow this Blog?

Now you can.  I've set up the "Followers" gadget so you, too, can follow this site through Blogger. It's easy to do.

In the right-hand column of this blog, scroll down the page until you come to the area preceded by the "Followers" heading.  It's between the section marked "Subscribe to Lawyer-boxer's Blog" and the picture of the boxer yakking on his cell phone and his annoyed-looking opponent.

Click on the text that says "Follow this blog" and follow the instructions.

You'll need a Blogger account to follow my blog; if you don't already have one, the instructions will tell you how to set one up.

That's it: so easy, even yours truly can do it.  Thanks in advance.

Back from the Holidays

Happy new year 2009, everyone.  I'm back and regular blogging resumes now.  I didn't "go" anywhere, but with the holidays, two syncopated work weeks, some unpleasant family issues (I'll leave out the details), and I didn't get to blog.  I have kept up training, so more info about that will be here soon.  Thanks for visiting.

Monday's Training Update

Over the last two weeks, I have been to the gym a few times and had several roadwork sessions that lasted for an hour or more. I don't try to log all my training here, but I like to mention some of the workouts. Doing that helps me stay motivated and allows me to post about some other topics related to boxing. Also, my blogging here has been sparse because work has been very busy--unusually busy for July. Of course, being self-employed, that's a pretty good "problem" to have. I've been networking like a madman and have been hustling to get some new clients for my law practice. I'm also pursuing a few more writing gigs, so yeah, it has been a busy, and unusually productive, summer so far.

Here's today's training breakdown.

• 32 minutes of roadwork
• 4 rounds of shadowboxing
• 4 rounds on the heavy bag
• 4 rounds on the double-end bag
• 4 rounds of stretching
• 1 round of sit-ups and crunches

I did more stretching today than I had been doing because I want to focus more on flexibility. Over the weekend, I was talking with my buddy, Mark, about the challenges of the, ahem, "aging athlete," particularly in the area of preventing injuries. (Mark's a southpaw, pretty much ambidextrous as a boxer, and a fellow forty-something guy, so I am looking forward to sparring with him when his ankle heals.)

Flexibility is the component of fitness that seems to be overlooked most frequently. That's a shame because it's easy to practice and maintain and is a huge help for staying healthy and relatively injury-free. As long as I live, I want to remain committed to health and fitness. Of course, I don't know how long that will be. But there's a lot of longevity in my family and if I'm going to be on the planet until I'm 85 or 90 years old, I want to be healthy and fit for it.

Celebrate RSS Awareness Day!

Blogging Lawyers Are Still Pretty Rare

Earlier this week, law marketing guru Larry Bodine pointed out that only about 10% of lawyers have blogs. Seeing that figure startled me. I read lots of legal blogs, so I had always been thinking a greater number of my colleagues had joined the blogosphere. Not so, says Larry.

He offers 7 compelling reasons to start a professional blog. I like his reasons and they offer me a reason to continue blogging. Additionally, knowing that, oh, about 90% of about 1 million lawyers in the USA do not currently blog, tells me that there is a large, and still untapped, market for consulting services to develop blawgs. As I said a couple of days ago, I love this Internet!