this is an archive

banjolawyer.wordpress.com is an archive of posts I had on a WordPress installation at johnlittle.com. Tired of WordPress, so I’m moving the posts to google’s blogspot platform and pointing it to blog.johnlittle.com

Continuing Legal Education: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Back in April or so, I started thinking about the CLE hours I needed to take in 2010 which are required for continued licensure each year. I also have a couple of board certifications (CHC, FACHE) that require continuing education. One of those requires 40 hours every two years, so I decided to go ahead and look around for seminars to help me reach that number.

I’m not currently practicing, but thinking about which CLE courses I wanted to take got me thinking about the kind of legal work I might be inspired to do again. There’s a kind of practice that’s absolutely meaningless and nothing more than generating billable hours for a law firm and there’s a kind that makes you feel good that you’re able to help someone and it’s done for the right reasons. That’s what I’m thinking anyway. So the seminars I chose were along those lines. After attending 5 courses over the past few months, I wanted to share some observations about good, bad and ugly.

Brew Day with Jeff

Here’s some pics from a brew day last weekend with my good buddy Jeff. We both brewed different versions of a Cascadian Dark Ale, which is an emerging style that may be included in the next BJCP version. I’m calling my newly reconfigured 5 gallon system “Mini Me” because it uses a couple of the pumps off the Bluto 555 (which is still not finished yet, unfortunately) and the same sanitary tri-clamp fittings, though the Mini Me is a HERMS system and the Bluto 555 is RIMS, it’s the compatibility of the fittings, tubing and pumps that I like. I’m also calling this my ninja system because it travels so easily. 🙂 I’m looking forward to taking it to the Rocket City Brewer’s Fall Big Brew in November.

Todd and Tonya visit! (Whippoorwill Vineyards)

Todd and Tonya from Huntsville are a couple of our best friends.  I’ve known Todd since I joined the Rocket City Brewers.  He was my sensei but the student became the masta 🙂  And Priscilla knew Tonya when they worked together at Bed, Bath and Beyond up in Huntsville.  They met at a get together at our house and have been together ever since.  We’re kindof proud of that.

Even though it was our turn to travel to Huntsville, and Todd resisted for many months, he finally caved and came down.  We had a few good specialty beers and wines over the weekend, did some good site seeing and antique shopping, ate way too much visited Alabama’s newest winery, Whippoorwill Vineyards in Notasulga, and the haunting Horseshoe Bend. It’s good to be able to bounce ideas and thoughts off a friend.  Todd and I think alot alike about brewing. Here’s some pics from Whipoorwill. Check them out in beautiful Notasulga, Alabama.

His and Her Bikes

These bikes were a brief part of our summer. These particular models (single speed, foot brakes) are good for short rides in the neighborhood, but if you want to go further they aren’t the best. We’re a couple of miles from downtown and AU’s campus, so I rode mine over there one day. I had to get off and walk on a couple of the steeper hills, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to stop at the bottom of a few. 🙂 So we’re trading these in for some better bikes with gears and hand brakes. Still researching that, but I’m hoping to find an Orange and Blue one for mine.

2010 Old 280 Boogie

The Boogie is bigger and better every year. Sign up for Standard Deluxe’s mailing list and get your alert for next year’s. Scott Peek brings a rich culture to Waverly, Alabama. Go check out an event at his place sometime. The music is always good.

Auburn Brew Club May Big Brew

Yeah, I know it’s been 5 months, but better late than never. Here’s some pics from the Auburn Brew Club’s Big Brew this past May. 5 or 6 people brewed, and a bunch of people ended up on Larry’s back porch. I still wonder if we narrowly escaped death having so many people on a back porch 12 feet up in the air. 🙂