by Tom Noble
214-692-1888
fax: 692-8577
tnoble28@hotmail.com

A newsletter for attorneys, mediators, financial planners, mental health professionals, and wisdom seekers

12.15.98

The Dallas Bar Association ADR Section presents

Money, Marriage, and Kids
by
Leota Alexander, Suzanne Duvall,
George McKearin, and Tom Noble

January 12, 1999
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

light dinner and social
from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
2 hours of CLE; 1 hour of Ethics
$25 before 1/5/99; then $35

This seminar is designed to help family lawyers improve their skills in evaluating and settling family law cases.

The presenters are polling local family law judges concerning their policies on a number of current issues, including:

disproportionate divisions
adultery
child support exceeding the guidelines
possession exceeding the Standard Possession Order
50/50 possession schedules
allowing "primary parents" to relocate
statutory alimony
valuing residences
assessing attorneys fees

Poll results will be reported after participants hone their skills with interactive exercises.

Leaving 1998 with a few thought-provoking quotes from incisive thinkers:

Philosopher, Steinar Kvale, on postmodern thought: There is a growing public acknowledgement that "Reality isn't what it used to be." . . .The fervent critical attitude of the 1960s and 1970s - as anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalism - has dissolved. The idea of progress and development, be it the progress of mankind or the individual pilgrim's progress towards salvation of his or her soul is out. An attitude of tolerant indifference has replaced the involvement and engagement in the social movements and the inner journeys of the 1960s and the 1970s. What is left is a liberating nihilism, a living with the here and now, a weariness and a playful irony.

Science fiction writer, James Tiptree, Jr.: They had been talking about the state of the world, which was then quite prosperous and peaceful. That is to say, about seventy million people were starving to death, a number of advanced nations were maintaining themselves on police terror tactics, four or five borders were being fought over, Hobie's family maid had just been cut up by the suburban peacekeeper squad, and the school had added a charged wire and two dogs to its patrol.

Henry David Thoreau: He buys the Indian's moccasins and baskets, then buys his hunting grounds, and at length forgets where he is buried, and plows up his bones.

Gertrude Stein (on whether Picasso was coming to dinner): Of course he often says yes when he has no intention of doing what he says yes to, he can't say no, no is not in his vocabulary and you have to know whether his yes means yes or means no, but when he says a yes that means yes and he did about tonight he is always punctual.

Historian, J.M. Roberts: Conscious, though piecemeal and gradual, deforestation was the first systematic application of human effort to overcoming the determinism of the European environment.

Joni Mitchell (1998):
We pushed the bed
Up to the window
To see the Christmas lights
On the east bank
Across the steaming river
Between the bridges
Lit up, Paris-like.
This river has run through both our lives
Between these banks of our continuing delights!
Bless us! Don't let us lose the drift . . .
You know
Happiness
Is the best facelift

Have a great holiday season!