Federal judge nixes lawyer's plan to be the next Ernest Hemingway

Tampa Bay Times ^ | June 28, 2012 | Sue Carlton

[Brandonmark]

A lawyer soon to begin a federal trial in Tampa hoped to get a certain Friday in July off from court.

His request — evoking stocky, high-spirited men in silvery beards besting each other over beers — was not likely one the judge had heard before:

"Undersigned counsel, a perennial contestant in the Ernest Hemingway Look-alike Contest, is scheduled to appear … at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Florida, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 20, 2012," wrote St. Petersburg lawyer Frank Louderback, who sports the necessary facial hair and has thrice competed for the title.

In his response, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday did not lack for literary chops — invoking Dorothy Parker, a highbrow adjective that sent everyone scrambling for dictionaries, and the prose of Papa himself:

"Between a murder-for hire trial and an annual look-alike contest, surely Hemingway, a perfervid admirer of 'grace under pressure' would choose the trial," wrote the judge. (From Merriam-Webster: perfervid: marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion; excessively fervent.)

[Brandonmark]

[JRandomFreeper]

Original judgement upheld on appeal in my book.

Noblise oblige and all of that... Work first, play later. If it's that important, change jobs.

/johnny

[Beowulf9]

Well, as Oscar Wilde would’ve said, it’s all about’the importance of being Ernest’.

[Oztrich Boy]

He’s a NAEHLA?

[Brandonmark]

NAEHLA?

Nearly An Ernest Hemingway Look alike?

[ConorMacNessa]

Okay, so I don't look much like Papa Hemingway. But I can write better than any of these Pere Hemingway faineants!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[bgill]

That judge made the right call.

I was in the office when a judge excused a guy because he wanted to go fishing. Never mind the fish would be there tomorrow. The guy was no one important, just an average joe. On the day of jury selection, the judge threw a temper tantrum not listening to those who had reasonable excuses.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good one, Beowulf! Shall we go Bunburying?



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[PUGACHEV]

I read that Hemingway once lost a manuscript in Sloppy Joes. If true, it's probably still there waiting to be found as I don't think that place has been cleaned in at least fifty years. BTW, f you want to follow in Hemmingway’s footsteps, the Casino Club in Ketchum Idaho is a better spot get hammered in honor of the bard than Sloppy Joes, since the only other choice in this hemisphere is Mariel's in Havana, which is off limits to those of us with a U.S. passport.

[razorback-bert]

Captain Tony's is where us Parrotheads and Hemingway fans gather, it is the original Sloppy Joe's.

[razorback-bert]

[shalom aleichem]

Is this a photo of the ceiling of Sloppy Joe’s? I was there once and do not recall this. It may have something to do with what I was imbibing.

[razorback-bert]

That is in the orignal Sloppy Joe’s, now Captain’s Tony, Tony was the man in Jimmy Buffet’s “Last Mango in Paris.”