So how many of you survived the first week?

Let me rephrase -- how many of you survived the first week sober?

Ok, so none of us did.

Still, it's Friday afternoon and that means no one is paying any attention to what they are working on anymore.

Just file the motion or response you have been editing and cut out already! The partner's gone, the judge is gone, the clerks are there but they stopped working, opposing counsel won't read anything until Monday, possibly Tuesday -- get the hail out of here.

Me, I plan to depart imminently to windsurf the stormy seas.

Don't understand my watery attraction? Let me paint a verbal picture.....

Oh hail I better just quote Byron:

HERE be none of Beauty's daughters

With a magic like Thee;

And like music on the waters

Is thy sweet voice to me:

When, as if its sound were causing

The charméd ocean's pausing,

The waves lie still and gleaming,

And the lull'd winds seem dreaming:

And the midnight moon is weaving

Her bright chain o'er the deep,

Whose breast is gently heaving

As an infant's asleep:

So the spirit bows before thee

To listen and adore thee;

With a full but soft emotion,

Like the swell of Summer's ocean.

See what I mean -- why am I still at my computer?

So the gear's packed, the gin is iced, and I am on my way. As usual, I plan to spend the weekend deeply gazing at something, working diligently on my rituals, and trying to figure out where I put that old bean bag chair.

Also, don't forget to vote for Hands On or your favorite charity in this nice cookie-sponsored giveaway contest here.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Divorces are messy things.

The kids, the finances, the house, sometimes even the dog.

But who the hail cares about that stuff -- to me the most important issue is who gets custody of the x-rated pictures:

When a marriage goes bad, who gets the X-rated photos of the wife? In the case of Valeria Gentile and Erwin Cajamarca, the wife says she does.

She sued her soon-to-be-ex-husband last week in state circuit court in Sanford, accusing him of putting the photos on a Spanish-language porn site, distributing them via the Internet and, at times, using them during on-line sex chats.

The whole thing is humiliating, cruel and an invasion of her privacy, her suit alleges. Thousands of people have now seen her in a variety of sexual poses. She's demanding an unspecified amount of money.

Cajamarca, 39, an investment consultant, would not discuss the dispute, except to say that his estranged wife knew he was publishing some of the photos.

He took them with her consent before their marriage went sour, according to the suit.

So whose property are they?

They belong to both husband and wife, said Mitchel B. Krause, a Longwood divorce attorney.

This dispute, he said, it not uncommon among divorcing couples. Sometimes, ownership of these kinds of photos is one of the most contentious issues facing a divorcing couple, he said.

Usually, the spouse who'll be most embarrassed by them agrees to surrender other property to get them, he said.

"The husband will get the picture of the dog, the cat and the house and wedding photos, and the wife will get the other photos," he said.

Hmm, Longwood.

You know, I know a very good attorney in Leesburg who might be just the guy to handle this case -- you should look him up.

Well, I don't know about you but I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I am out of here for some early windsurfing.

Conditions appear to be very favorable.

On my plate for this weekend is going back to school, moving energy from my second chakra, and, as always, trying to keep kosher.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Hi kids!

So I see one of those fancy government death panels finally got to Les Paul.

RIP, old man.

Indeed, I got so emotional over Les' passing that I pulled out my old Keytar and jammed with Eddie Van Halen to celebrate the great man's life and legacy.

You can see our little get-together here.

Personally, I would have no problem "going home" at the appropriate time in one of those fabulous white government end-of-life dream recliners the way Edward G. Robinson did at the end of Soylent Green.

Lots of colors, glorious fields and flowers and big skies, then the drugs hit and your brain shuts down -- sorta of like Glenn Garvin's recent op-ed on Woodstock.

And who cares whether Senator Grassley supported funding end-of-life consultations back in 2003?

Consistency, hobgoblin, don't get fooled again or whatever -- you get my point.

Boy, we've had a few wild triple-oy weeks, huh?

Anyway, I'm pulling out of here for some early windsurfing, but I've got a full weekend ahead -- among other things I will be trying to connect my center to my heart, eating lots of cardamom and ginger, and -- my favorite -- seductively washing the dishes.

And don't forget to put your hands on something nice this weekend -- I always do.

Have a great weekend!

Well kids, we're here again -- the end of another work week, this time filled with pay cuts and job losses. And even some BigFirm anxiety (except for you, Greenberg Gal).

Still, as always, there are silver linings.

For example, I understand a position may have opened up within the legal department at Goldman Sachs. That's one job right there.

Also, Florida is number one at something again, so that's good.

See, things are looking up....

And lookee here, what a surprise -- they've reached a deal in the UBS case before Judge Gold!

(Gene, now you really have no excuse for breaking our lunch date next week.)

Hmm, I can see from my office window that the waves are kicking up, so you all will have to excuse me as I have some early afternoon windsurfing requiring my immediate attention.

This weekend I will probably also spend some time getting my head around this, checking out this cool art exhibit, and -- of course -- avoiding the sneezing duck. It goes without saying I'm going to mature like rock star, too.

That plus lots of fun things to put your hands on around town and it all adds up to another glorious South Florida weekend.

What are you waiting for?

Kidney-selling Rabbis?

Oy, oy, and triple-oy.

And I thought Turistas was far-fetched.

Well I doublechecked and as far as I know, I am not in violation of any trial orders, pleading deadlines, or discovery rules.

Yet.

Before I go, I want to say thank you to Lew Freeman for that great shin-dig the other day -- it was Titanic, buddy.

So let's get the weekend started right, and as per usual I will be engaged in a host of perfunctory and rather mundane activities, such as investigating new cloud-seeding methods in India, discussing an open city manager position in Ft. Myers Beach, and having a nice date with my new 2-D girlfriend.

Actually, I prefer all five dimensions, but then I'm old school.

Stay gold all you legal Ponyboys and have a great weekend!

Hi kids, yes it's Friday and yes I'm packing it in early. In fact, I'm taking the whole day off.

I hope you all get to sneak out early today too.

Did you all see this 11th Circuit opinion released yesterday on "late" discovery and amending the pleadings?

First of all, I love the name -- Southern Grouts.

Nothing namby-pamby like "Twombly" -- this is a Venetian Salami-worthy casename, ready to stand the test of time!

In a nutshell, the plaintiff took a corporate rep deposition after the date to amend pleadings, then sought to amend the complaint one month later, citing "new" discovery obtained at the deposition.

The district court refused, and it was affirmed by the 11th, in a pretty tough opinion. As part of the litany of reasons plaintiff's counsel lacked "diligence" on this issue, the 11th even noted that the corporate rep depo was moved once by plaintiff's counsel. That plus "waiting" a month to amend.

While overall I understand the court's affirmance, especially since plaintiff's counsel may have already had this information, I wonder whether the opinion is a bit too rarefied and perhaps lacks an appreciation of real-life practitioner concerns and how litigation unfolds in a busy law office on a daily basis.

Is moving to amend one month after an important deposition "waiting"? It takes some time to even get the transcript, then you have to amend the complaint and draft the motion. I don't know how much actual "waiting" was involved.

And depos are often rescheduled -- particularly important ones like a 30(b)(6), for reasons that have nothing to do with whether or not the lawyer really wants to take the deposition.

That said, I do agree that if you are already outside the amendment deadline you need to move quickly and probably should not be rescheduling the deposition except for emergencies.

In all, the opinion is worth a read to keep us all aware of how important these deadlines can be, and what "good cause" is and isn't to the 11th nowadays.

Hmmm, maybe I'll come in this morning after all.

Ok, now I'm officially worried -- I'll check in with you all later today.

It's pretty much well-known that I adore Nazi gnomes.

That's why I was thrilled to see this nice gentleman from Nuremberg and his noncontroversial garden gnome that just happens to be performing the Hitler salute.

Seriously, what better way to highlight your gardenias and perennials than a gleaming golden gnome paying tribute to Der Fuhrer?

Oh well, sorry I was busy today performing Important Legal Stuff, but I am now heading out for a glorious weekend filled with wet hot American windsurfing.

I hope you do the same.

Before I go, let's give a hand to Willy Ferrer, David Buckner, and Daryl Trawick -- three wonderfully qualified candidates short-listed for US Attorney.

I know each of these guys, and any one of them would do a tremendous job.

Willie -- I have seen you dance, so you get my nod buddy.

So off I go for weekend fun, to ponder why Dylan lost Jimmy Carter, why Crist wants to be a Senator but has no opinion on Sotomayor, and why this guy's claim is not preempted by the Dumb Dentist and His Dental Devices Act:

On Oct. 4, 2006, while he was performing work on Gaal, Meyers dropped an "implant screwdriver tool" down the patient's throat.

Gaal swallowed the tool and two days later, he underwent a colonoscopy. The tool was removed from his intestines, the suit said.

On May 1, 2007, Gaal visited Meyers because he had a sore mouth. Meyers wanted to remove a "ball" attachment on an implant.

It was during that procedure that Meyers dropped a "mini-wrench" into Gaal's throat, which the patient swallowed. Also, Meyers lost a "ball attachment," which he presumed Gaal also swallowed, the lawsuit said.

Gaal underwent multiple medical procedures. The tool was spotted in his lung.

His chest cavity was cracked open, part of his left lung was removed and the tool was found. The ball was never recovered.

Gaal never fully recovered and was in "grave medical condition," the lawsuit said. He suffered a "cardiac event" on June 13, 2007, which required resuscitation. On June 19, 2007, he died.

First of all, I'm nearly certain the FDA has extensively regulated dental "mini-wrenches," and just because one falls into Mr. Gaal's throat does not mean each state can impose its own liability scheme on these miraculous examples of technological innovation.

Second, Mr. Gaal got exactly what he contracted for -- his teeth looked great! -- and simply because he got a free colonoscopy to boot is no reason to abuse the court system and raise everyone's insurance rates.

And remember, whatever you do this weekend, there is always time to ponder why JFK was just that cool, why exercise is so important, and why the British are just a bunch of randy wankers.

Don't forget -- put your hands on something nice while you're at it -- that may be what you wind up doing after law school.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Ahh, nothing beats Miami in the summertime -- the heat, the rain, the bugs.

Note: wash, rinse, repeat.

A kind reader (he's a pretty good attorney, too) passed along an interesting motion filed a few weeks ago in Palm Beach state court to require defense counsel to wear appropriate shoes.

Is it true Michael Robb's schtick is to wear shoes with holes during trial "to impress the jury and make them believe that Mr. Robb is humble and without sophistication"?

That's what Bill Bone says, "upon reasonable belief."

BTW, wasn't that an old Traffic song?

Anyway, if true, my dry Gin Gibson is most definitely raised in your honor.

Well my plans require I leave office a little early today but as always there is some self-improvement involved.

For example, I plan to work on being big-hearted and self-sufficient, as well as romantic, artistic, and confident, oh and also being a good Dad.

And, if you're lonely you can put your hands on something worthwhile this weekend -- I always do.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi kids, since I'm a blogger I suppose I have to comment on all the dead folks who have died recently. That would include Ed McMahon (his performance as a slimy, lecherous boss in Fun With Dick and Jane was a keeper), Farrah Fawcett (who can forget her in a robe that just won't stay on, a bed, and a horny robot in Saturn 3), and of course Michael Jackson.

As sad as it is to say, Jackson's passing will inevitably help his legacy. Most artists have a creative window of three to five years, during which they produce their greatest work, followed by a lengthy fallow period with episodic glimpses of what made them so great in the first place.

Consider the case of Stevie Wonder. If Stevie had died right after producing his remarkable run of groundbreaking records in the mid-70s -- including Innervisions, Fulfillness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life -- he would have been remembered as one of the greatest artists of all time with a career trajectory that would have generated dozens of amazing records.

Instead he lived and wrote a double-album about plants, produced one of the most annoying songs in world history ("I Just Called To Say I Love You"), and sang about having a "Part-Time Lover."

Oy.

So Michael's relatively early passing will force us to reminisce and focus on all the good stuff (of which there was many), and not that awful last record or all of his bizarre personal issues.

RIP.

Well, I'm off early today to take advantage of this glorious windsurfing weather.

I may head back to the office later today, but if not remember to speak to judges only in their right ear, consider the meaning of the "Coyote Syndrome," and think about joining an elite worldwide community.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Ok, let's get the law stuff out of the way real quick.

My friend Guest Blogger and now even the indomitable Billy Shields points out there are some cha-cha-cha-changes in the family division, with Judge Sandy Karlan now Chief Administrative Judge, and Judge Scott Bernstein the new Associate Administrative Judge.

Also, Judge Carol Kelly (hi there Judge!!) is the new AJ of the domestic violence division.

These are some of the toughest places for our judges to be, where overworked, underfunded public servants do their best to make justice work amid shrinking budgets and rising caseloads.

Thank you all for your service.

Hey all you hipster Mac users, who's laughing now?

Related -- I hate Justin Long.

Well it looks like it might stop raining someday, so what do you all have planned for this weekend?

(Greenberg Girl, don't tell me I already know.)

As usual, I have a lot on my plate. Of course I plan to eat my fruits and veggies, place some vodka to my lips (purely in the interests of science), and -- like I always do -- contemplate the changing nature of feminine beauty.

Personally, I find beauty everywhere and in all shapes and forms. I may even find some Saturday at Mizner Park, when those twisted, sardonic, aging misanthropes take the stage and shake it, Babylon Sisters, shake it.

"So fine so young, tell me I'm the only one...."

And Sunday I expect to windsurf my way over to South Beach, where I plan to clean things up, one lonely butt at a time.

See, I told you I was busy.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Well Tim and I have been slightly delayed by inclement weather, but be assured that magnificent GT Gevalia machine will soon be in our grubby little hands. If we're a little late and a little wet at the Hyatt tonight now you know why.....

Note to idiot outside au bon pain at lunchtime -- no one wants to hear you rail into your Bluetooth about whether or not some category of documents is responsive to a discovery request. You sound like a complete schmuck, dude -- suck it up like the rest of us, live with "cell phone elbow," and this way you don't look like some reject from Star Trek -- The Dumdum Edition.

BTW, I billed 1.9 to your client just for having to endure your crappy (and erroneous) views on Rule 26(b)(1).

Boy I remember the days when everyone wanted a croissant. Cheese-filled, chocolate-chip-filled, it was all croissant, all the time. That and "smoothies."

Now it's flat-bread; get me a pesto Panini wrap, whatever the hail that is, stat!

Everything is suddenly all about the flat bread -- tell me dear hipsters, what could possibly be so hip about your bread lacking yeast? Like most things, the Jews have been there, done that.

Sorry, got lost on a rant -- so what are your plans for the weekend?

Me I have that DCBA thing tonight, then I plan to contemplate the joys of fatherhood, shop for some new toys, and experiment with new anti-aging therapies.

And tomorrow is the anniversary of D-Day, and while everything was not perfect, it was good enough. And if you didn't see Obama with Elie Wiesel at Buchenwald this morning, you should watch the whole thing.

And play it for your folks, too -- not all of them get this tubes business.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Didn't this week start with the weather all dark and rainy? Why does Friday feel like Monday?

But that's ok, it's always windsurfing weather somewhere -- you just have to find it like. say, in China.

But I hope you stay dry and do something productive and fun this weekend.

Did you see Jeremy Alters just won a billion dollar verdict.....against the Cuban government. Could you imagine if at the end of the hearing Judge Adrien denied it or granted a JNOV?

It's nice to win, Jeremy, but it's no fun when the other side won't put up a fight!

Me, I plan the usual diversions. First and foremost is to pump those endorphins, then I plan to learn more about something called a "Marinelli bend," study how certain people hold their glasses, and of course I will probably wind up in Davie gazing at a Lover's Moon.

Actually, I do plan to sit still long enough to watch the new Churchill war movie on HBO, Into The Storm. What can I say, Churchill war porn always does it for me, folks.

Hey look -- none other than our very own Glenn Garvin makes the front page of HuffPost! Trust me, Glenn, more exposure for you is probably not a good thing.

And finally, I urge you to wrap your hands around something delicious this weekend -- I always do!

Have a nice one, folks.

Well it's Memorial Day weekend and I am sure many of you have already left your offices for parts unknown, to the east, west, south and north somewhat, as someone famous once said.

But it's almost summer, so that means movies, right?

Like the Star Trek reboot, which in my view captured the tone, humor, and humanity of the original while injecting fresh blood and some real vitality back into the franchise.

To paraphrase Spock -- live long and prosper, Schlomo.

Still, let's hope the weather clears so we can have a little fun outside.

What -- would you rather camp inside Magistrate Judge Brown's courtroom like those Akerman attorneys John Pacenti wrote about?

Isn't this line classic Judge Brown:

The dispute spilled out at an April 20 hearing — the third on the discovery issue in about a month — when Brown found himself parenting the two sides, warning the attorneys that he was tired of wasting time in the case.

“It’s not like you are paying rent for this courtroom,” the magistrate said.

He said he had little sympathy for the defendants, but “I’m not throwing them to the wolves here either.” He also pointedly criticized the government, saying, “I think the SEC is far more interested in discovery than they are in bringing this case to a conclusion.”

That whole mess is one big triple-oy.

Plus, FSU has no hope next year!

(Sorry, judge.)

Anyways, I'm heading out early for some rainy-day windsurfing -- you all know I love a little moderate chop.

And I'll probably be paying a visit to my masseuse, gaining some sympathy weight, carefully watching someone special eat lots of chocolate, and, as always, putting my hands on something especially delicious -- it is a holiday weekend, after all.

I'll probably be around on Monday, so see you then!

Hi folks, well as usual Rumpy is correct -- today is in fact Friday. But that's good, right?

Maybe it's all that talk earlier about "feminine tannins," but I've been in a romantic mood all day -- I hope you are too.

Boy, you guys never send me enough juicy stuff about local lawyers, law firms, or cases, but you all love to send me links for a Friday afternoon post.

Times are tough, people -- but my friend Mr. Guest Blogger notes that in these trying times there are some stepping up to help -- Victoria's Secret, for one.

And Pfizer, who will be handing out free Viagra to the unemployed:

"Everybody knows now a neighbor, a relative who has lost their job and is losing their insurance. People are definitely hurting out there," Dr. Jorge Puente, Pfizer's head of pharmaceuticals, told The Associated Press.

"Our aim is to help people bridge this point."

As Eric Idle might put it, nudge nudge, say no more!

Did you see that four Miami Chrysler dealerships are scheduled to close?

Not so fast -- they have hired SSD:

A legal showdown is about to begin between the nearly 800 Chrysler dealers that were ordered shut down on May 14 and the Big Three auto giant that ordered the closures.

In a court filing, Chrysler Corp. asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez to reject dealer agreements for 789 dealers nationwide — roughly 25% of its 3,200 dealers — in a effort "to conserve cash and pursue transactions that maximize value." The dealerships, which are set to close June 9, have until May 26 to appeal the motion. A hearing is set for June 3.

The announcement, meanwhile, revved up Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, which is representing a coalition of rejected dealers and has scheduled a meeting with President Barack Obama's auto task force next week to ask for federal intervention, including financial assistance. The law firm claims that the closures are unlawful and that roughly 100,000 employees stand to lose their jobs. It vows to litigate if franchise rights are ignored.

"Our hope is to resolve this without the need for extensive litigation to make sure that dealers are not disproportionately injured. However, we are fully prepared, as early as next week, to begin the litigation process because we can't sit idly by and have these dealers' lives ruined without the opportunity to raise the issues with the bankruptcy court in New York," said Stephen D. Lerner, a partner in the Cincinnati and New York offices of Squire Sanders who is representing the dealerships.

Good luck guys, but make sure you clear conflicts first!

And this is a shocker -- turns out the Administration approved torture techniques long before Judge Bybee authored that ultra-crappy August 2002 memo.

You'd never know from reading it, that's for sure.

Well I have a song in my head and love in my heart, so I'm heading out for some early windsurfing before the rains come.

Over the weekend I hope to visit my favorite theme park, work on improving my emotional intelligence and, like I do every weekend, put my hands on something interesting.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi folks, what a week!

For those of you clinging to every word of the unfolding GrayRobinson conflict saga, see this little gem (use your PACER account, cheapskates!).

And dedicated readers know how much I love to follow politics, so I'm watching this one closely. Remember, diapers and happy endings always cost more!

(Hey, even the DBR is covering it).

I have an extraordinary weekend ahead of me, I hope you do too.

For starters, of course, it's Mother's Day. I can see you all were so moved by my earlier post on this topic that you were all collectively stunned into non-comment.

That's ok -- I know how you really feel.

Let's see, I was there for the South Florida Auto Show not too long ago, but I'm eager to see whether or not they have begun renovating the Miami Beach Convention Center. Maybe I'll stop by this weekend.

And as always, I plan to be very vigilant about my diet and exercise plan -- if you want results, you have to really work at it.

I also figured out a new way to go green, so I'm happy about that. Every little bit counts.

Well, my windsurfing gear is already on, so look for me on Monday.

Have a great weekend everybody!

I'm too tired, grumpy and/or mentally fried to put together a Friday wrap up, so you kids are on your own.



Alright, you talked me out of it.



Congrats to the DBR's Most Effective Lawyers and finalists. You can see the results here.



What else?



I wanted to make sure everybody marked their calendars for January 9, when there will be a unique jazz event in honor of Steve Chaykin and his fellowship at UM:

On Saturday evening, January 9, 2010, a Reception and Concert by Grammy Nominated Jazz and Blues Artist Marcia Ball, will be held at the Gusman Concert Hall, on the University of Miami Campus. All the proceeds will benefit the Steven E. Chaykin Fellowship at the Center for Ethics and Public Service, at the University of Miami School of Law.

More information about this event can be found on the web at www.chaykinfellowship.com or by calling Susan at (305) 374-7771.

Well I'm out of here, hoping to get in a few waves before the winds pick up.



I've got a few things on my plate for this weekend -- a quick trip to Lake Worth, a long overdue pedicure, and trying to understand the appeal of a certain look.



It's all part of what makes life so mysterious, so weird, so challenging, so grand.



Have a great weekend everyone!

There are some odd stories floating around today.

First off, congrats to Adam Horowitz, who fought and won at Wounded Knee. A big win, buddy.

But between swine flu and meningitis and guys walking around downtown in gloves and masks, I'm starting to get a little cranky.

Well you can't hole up in a small box forever, like our friend Abu Zabaydah.

Just ask Judge Bybee.

Seriously. Will someone please ask Judge Bybee?

This may not surprise you coming from me, but there is in fact one sure-fire way you can fight the flu bug.

Don't look at me that way -- it's the truth!

Sheesh, it's good to know there are still some constants left in life.

Let's see, what else --hey, look at that -- Hands On Miami is doing something legal this weekend!

I will definitely be there, doing my Jewish Carpenter thing with a bunch of other like-minded legal minds, all of whom are probably pretty awful at painting and even worse at landscaping.

Sorry about that, kids!

Hope to see you there anyway, masks and all.

And have a dull uneventful weekend everybody!

Well kids, the weekend is nearly here and I'm excited about it.

But first I have to get a few things done.

Write nasty letter, check.

Send out some bills, check.

Get out of 4 p.m. conference call on some bullcrap excuse, check.

Read Judge Posner's penetrating discussion of "lubricious sexual devices," check.

(Oy on the last one, btw).

Ok, now that the decks are cleared, I hope you all have some wonderful weekend plans.

Me, I plan to devise a dish that somehow includes chocolate, salmon, oatmeal, and artichokes. I also plan to live in the 70s', but I pretty much do that already.

Tomorrow is Global Youth Service Day, so put your hands on something interesting and maybe even constructive this weekend.

Why do I talk about service so much?

My peoples, it's all about the love pyramid:

The overall premise of the book is simple: under stress, the body undergoes a Fear Response, which has to do with activation of the sympathetic nervous system and secretion of stress hormones. Although the Fear Response is essential to our survival (e.g. to run away from a saber-toothed cat), its tonic activation under conditions of modern stressful living can wear down our immune system and make life miserable.

You get the fear response when you think "I am not enough; I do not have enough." The Love Response - "I am enough; I have enough" - is the antidote, with simple practices that activate equally robust physiological mechanisms of well-being and joy.

The questionnaires in the book provide tools for self-assessment, and the scoring cleverly operates such that unless you get a perfect score, you've got some work to do, buddy. In one of these, she introduces the concept of the tripartite Love Pyramid: "The Love Pyramid is a life structure that can help you override negative childhood conditioning and negative experiences from early life and keep your Fear Response in check." Its three levels are:

* Social Love: the love you exchange with others

* Self-Love: the love and nurturance you give yourself

* Spiritual Love: the connection with Spirit or something larger than yourself and the altruistic works that flow from it.

I like love in all its varieties, don't you?

Have a great weekend everybody!

Well it's Friday, folks, and I hope you all made it through the week.

Unfortunately, we will be foregoing our usual Friday afternoon post due to the sudden and incomprehensible loss of former AUSA and White and Case attorney Beth Jarrett.

Please note there will be a memorial service Sunday at 4 for Beth at the home of the family, 5400 LaGorce Drive, Miami Beach.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Beth's memory to Voices 

Hi kids, well that was some week, huh?

I definitely plan on having some fun and blowing off some steam this weekend, how about you?

Before we discuss weekend plans, let me ask you -- is there any utility at all to being "linked" on LinkedIn or Plaxo?

Seriously, it's nice to receive dozens of emails from friends and colleagues asking me to link to them, but what exactly is the point? If I want to call or email Hilarie Bass or Marty Steinberg I pretty much know how to do it easily. What benefit do I derive from having them "linked" to me on some website?

You got it folks, I have finally succumbed to social networking fatigue.

You got to love the Brits. They seem unusually obsessed with the science and chemical composition of matters of the heart. Consider this passage regarding some researchers who are looking at the concept of "love at first sight":

The scientists discovered that the females seemed to be in a primed state even before meeting the males, with the chemicals and proteins needed for their response already in place, without the need for new genes to be activated, as the researchers expected.

"The idea of priming is that even when the female is in the absence of males, that's her way, her status is this configuration of proteins," Clark told LiveScience. "She's wired for love. That’s who she is. And then the response to different males might be different because of that primed state."

The researchers say that the mating practices of fruit flies and humans are different enough that it's tough to directly extend their findings to humans, though it's possible that human females can also sense which males are genetically best suited to them, and their bodies may respond in ways that boost the chances of mating success.

"In mammals, including humans, the answer seems to be 'yes,' there is some differential pregnancy success deepening on the female's sensing of the male, and as a result of the genetic quality of males," Clark said.

He described a famous T-shirt experiment in humans, in which people tended to prefer the scent of T-shirts belonging to individuals that were a greater genetic mismatch for them, again perhaps the body's way of trying to prevent inbreeding.

Oh Phillip, you darling. I don't want to be merged or incorporated or compared to the mating habits of fruit flies. I want to be romanced!

Hold the phone -- Massachusetts wants to ban elder porn. Seriously. Kim Novak, Sophia Loren, Lauren Hutton, Jackie Bisset, a certain Ms. Derek -- come on!

They really are a bunch of commies.

Well, this weekend I plan to do everything I can to stay healthy, eat lots of bacon, and try to smell good. And as always, if you are looking for something worthwhile to put your hands on you can find it here.

Have a good weekend everyone!