THE PHOTOS ARE IN!


As promised, here are some of the photos that were recently taken in my office by Donna Kielman, a professional photographer in New Albany. Special thanks to my good friend and assistant, Melissa Grasser, for helping me post them.





Here is my professional mug shot. There was much debate as to which one was the best, and this one won out. (No smart comments, please.) This photo will now be displayed on our firm's web site and the pictoral directory for the Louisville Bar Association.


















Here is a group photo of everyone in my office. They are:

top row: Melissa Grasser, Holly Riggs, Debbie Justice, Curt Moutardier, Beth Schott, Fred Reinecke, Laura Gardner and Tammy Markland.

bottom row: Matthew Jones, Jeff Hansford and James Fischer.




Here are the attorneys in our office:

Back row: Jeff Hansford, Fred Reinecke and Jamie Fischer.

Front row: Matthew Jones, Beth Schott and Curt Moutardier.

Here is a great picture of our wonderful office staff: Tammy Markland, Debbie Justice, Laura Gardner, Holly Riggs and, in front, Melissa Grasser.







Thanks again to Donna Kielman for taking these photos. I personally think that she is the best photographer in our area. If you would like to see more of her work, or to contact her, you may do so by logging on to her web site:

http://www.photosbydonna.com


Happy New Year!

--The Meatbe

PHOTOS, SEASONAL TEMPTATIONS AND THE EDGE OF EVIL


A Few Random thoughts, shared while sipping a glass of merlot on a warm December evening:


***On Wednesday of this week, I had a professional photographer come to my Pearl Street office. This, however, was not just any photographer. It was Donna Kielman, a long-time friend of mine and the owner of "Photos by Donna," a thriving photography enterprise in New Albany. When it comes to photography, Donna is the best--and she's done it all for me. I've called upon Donna to help with all of my professional photography needs in recent years, and she does a fantastic job. She's also done all of my children's senior pictures--at least she's done the three that have been necessitated thus far. She's also done some modeling photos for me, and various family photos. In June, she will be the official photographer for my daughter's wedding. In short, I feel comfortable calling upon Donna whenever I am in need of professional photography. It also helps that she is a really cool and savvy chick.

Anyway, this time I called upon Donna because my professional mug shot was in need of updating. I like to maintain a reasonably current photo on our firm's web site, and also in the Louisville Bar Association directory. Some fellows keep the same picture in the directory year after year, so that they appear to be 25 when they are actually 55. I always laugh at those individuals for their attempts to trick us all into believing that they have somehow sipped from the fountain of youth; I never want to be one of those.

It turned out that all six of the attorneys in my office were in need of updated photos. It ended up being quite a session. After all of our photos had been taken, we had a several group photos taken of all of the attorneys. Then we had the staff join us for several more photos. I'm anxiously looking forward to seeing how they all turn out. If I can figure out how to do it, I may post some of them on this site when they become available.


***Speaking of my office, The Temptation of the Meatbe began this week, as mass quantities of unsolicited holiday treats began appearing on the table in our office kitchen. Gourmet cookies from Cheryl & Company and assorted chocolates from the South Bend Candy Company were some of the first to arrive. There will be many others to follow, as well-wishing clients bombard us with these tasty tokens of thanks and friendship. We additionally have a festive holiday dinner and two birthdays in the office this coming week, which will mean the appearance of additional cakes, pies etc.

Don't get me wrong: I sincerely appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into the giving of these holiday treats, and I am delighted that people think enough of those in our office to want to give them to us. I do, however, try to maintain a reasonably healthy diet, and the presence of these goodies makes it extremely difficult for me to adhere to my dieting plans. 'Tis the season, I suppose.....But I'm going to have to hit the gym with a vengeance to pay for it all.


***In my last entry, I discussed some of the novels that I have enjoyed reading in recent months. I neglected to mention Edge of Evil, by J.A. Jance. I was previously unfamiliar with the writing of Jance, but I found this novel to be very entertaining. It is a fairly short novel, and it is a relatively easy read. I really didn't expect much when I started it, but I found myself absorbed in the characters and the suspense surrounding them.

One of the interesting things about Edge of Evil is that it involves a blogger. I don't want to give away too much here, but I will let you know--as you will discover early on if you should decide to read it--that the protagonist is seeking to uncover the identity of a murderer via her blog and the comments that are being made on it. Also, the novel is set in northern Arizona--an area largely unknown to me, and about which I enjoyed reading very much. I think that Edge of Evil is a nice little book, and I would recommend for the next time you are settling into your reading chair with a glass of merlot.

Check with you later. Skoal!

--The Meatbe

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A FICTION READER


When I was in college, I developed a love of fine poetry and literature. After I had taken my first literature course, I knew that I had found the subject in which I wanted to major. As I explained in my very first post, the title of this blog comes from my all-time favorite poem: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot.

When I began college in the fall of 1980, the world of literature was new and amazing to me. I loved every minute that I spent absorbed in it. I strongly considered going to graduate school to major in English literature, and ultimately becoming a college professor in the subject. Although I felt certain that I would have enjoyed that course of study, I finally determined that I could make a much better living as a lawyer than as an English teacher.

I give you this background so that you will understand something of the reading culture from which I emerged. I was originally taught that only high-brow literature was worth reading, and that the reading of "ordinary" fiction novels was something of a waste of time. I had some wonderful English professors, and I am very thankful to have had them. At the same time, I must now acknowledge that some of them may have been considered to have been intellectual snobs. Although they were kind, and certainly favored reading generally, I occasionally heard them scoff when popular novels of the day were mentioned. All of this made me think that the reading of popular works of fiction was somehow beneath me.

I no longer feel that way. Although I resisted it for some years, I began reading popular fiction regularly some 10 or 15 years ago. It all began when my brother Jonathan told me how much he had been enjoying a series of books written by Lawrence Sanders. The protagonist of that series was a hard-boiled homicide detective named Edward X. Delaney. Jonathan told me how much he was enjoying reading about Delaney's exploits, so I decided to give it a try. I found that the novels were well-written and exciting. I also found that they provided me with a delightful means of escape after a day of intense trial preparations or grueling depositions. I ended up reading a great number of books written by Lawrence Sanders.

Since that time, I have become an unapologetic reader of novels. I have found that there is a tremendous wealth of fiction that is stimulating and thought-provoking. I spend hours reading and thinking about the books that I have read. Some of my favorite authors have become Ken Follett, Michael Connelley and Val McDermid. If you have not read any of their novels, I highly recommend that you give them a try. It is my intention to begin discussing some of my favorite novels with you as time allows.

At present, I have begun reading Veritas, by William Lashner. Thus far, I am enjoying it very much. The main character in Veritas is a Philadelphia lawyer named Victor Carl. He always seems to find himself in perplexing--and sometimes dangerous--dilemmas. This is the second book that I have read in which Victor Carl is featured. William Lashner is an attorney himself, and I think that he captures well the mentality of a lawyer.

Prior to Veritas, I most recently read A Perfect Evil, by Alex Kava. I enjoyed A Perfect Evil immensely. I was previously unfamilar with Kava, but I have come to discover that she is an excellent writer. She kept me in suspense and anticipation throughout the book. I eagerly look forward to reading more of her work.

One more for now: Just prior to the Kava book, I read Final Scream, by Lisa Jackson. I did enjoy that book, but not nearly as much as A Perfect Evil. This was my second reading of a Lisa Jackson offering. Although I do think that she is a good and entertaining writer, there are some elements of her plot lines which bother me. The romantic entanglements that she creates are sometimes too predictable. Unlike Alex Kava and Val McDermid, she also sometimes fails to accurately capture the male perspective. For instance, she goes to great effort at times to have the male characters discuss their erections with other males--a phenomenon which does not quite ring true to me. Notwithstanding these problems, I still generally enjoy her writing style and story lines.

The works that I am discussing here may not be considered to be classic literature. By and large, however, they are enjoyable and worthwhile. By no means are they a waste of time.

More later. Skoal!

--Matthew