Congrats are in order to John Wood of ERISAontheweb for his inclusion in the list of top twelve male ERISA hotties in the U.S. of A! Sadly, he did not take home the title. But John, a fellow plaintiff's ERISA lawyer, as well as first rate blawger, is nevertheless an object of envy from his male peers and veneration from those of the opposite sex. A personal aside. A couple of weeks ago when word of the contest first broke among the legions of fevered ERISA practitioners across the country, I dropped subtle hints to my paralegal that I would be flattered to be nominated. She feigned lack of knowledge of the contest and/or understanding of my drift. When I finally asked her straight up to submit my name and picture she claimed not to have a digital camera and that her employer's paltry wage left her at the brink of impecuniosity. Riiiiight. The record should reflect that my paralegal's self-serving allegation of insufficient financial resources was accompanied by a distinct lack of enthusiasm and commitment to assisting my selfless efforts to market the law firm (thus providing additional assurance of her continued employment). Bartleby's "I would prefer not to" comes to mind. Note to self: condition payment of Linda's Christmas bonus on her purchase of digital camera by Thanksgiving.