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ESCAPE TO THE WILD lymanfirm.com The Lyman Firm Newsletter TELEGRAPH Amicus Curiae www.LymanFirm.com 404-267-1986 February 2019 2860 Piedmont Road, Suite 275, Atlanta, GA 30305 The Truth About Lyman Beginning a Journey Starts with Dedication to Transparency T: 404 267 1986 F: 470 745 0699 The Lyman Firm Newsletter
FEBRUARY 2025
As Valentine’s Day draws near, this is a good time to reflect on the seismic impact our relationships can have on the adventures we choose in life. I have not been a fan of camping in the past. My experiences suggested that camping means hanging out in the woods and getting wet. When my fiancée began urging me months ago to hike California’s John Muir Trail, a backcountry trek through rugged terrain in the Sierra Nevada, my initial response was, “There’s no way I’m doing that! It’s 220 miles and three weeks in the woods!” in my younger days. I lead The Lyman Firm as a proud curator of justice for the everyday person, somebody who might not have gotten a fair shake before they met me. I believe one person can be the face of a greater movement, But she soon convinced me to consider a shorter backcountry trek by raising the prospect of acquiring some cool camping equipment. “We can buy whatever gear you want!” she said. Excited by the idea of researching the latest outdoor equipment, I agreed to a one-week, 45-mile hike through Zion National Park in Utah. We secured our backcountry permit and started gearing up. I did my research and got everything I thought we could need, including a lightweight, state-of-the-art tent guaranteed to keep us dry. We also had to prepare to draw water from springs on the trail, filter it, and carry it with us because the streams in Zion are contaminated with cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. As an auto racer and golfer, I am a longtime student of the weather, so I began monitoring the forecasts for Springdale, Utah, right outside the Zion National Park boundary. The forecasts showed temperatures in the 70s during the day and the mid-30s at night, with no precipitation. We were well- equipped! No problem, I thought, and we set out for Zion last November. We began our hike at an elevation 2,000 feet higher than Springdale. About a mile into our first day, we passed a day hiker. “Hey, it looks like you guys are having fun! Are you ready for the snow?” he asked. What are you talking about? I asked him. “I believe one person can be the face of a greater “There’s supposed to be snow tonight!” he said. True to his forecast, we woke the following day to a snowstorm. We hiked through 2–3 inches of snow for the first several hours of our second day! I was wearing trail runners with no hiking boots. I’m not complaining — it was beautiful, and the landscape was unforgettable! We had rain gear, and we were warm enough. But it shows how important it is to pay attention to detail on a hike like that. When we arrived in Springdale four days later, at about 3,900 feet, the weather was exactly as the forecasters had predicted — sunny and beautiful, with no snow. That was definitely a lesson learned. Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com G eorgia is a blue-collar state — a grassroots mix of farmland, mountains, and urban development representing ever-expanding opportunities. Being a native of North Atlanta, I have spent most of my life in this fair state, cultivating both my character and my profession as I grew up. Now, I have a distinct opportunity to help those around me in ways I hadn’t anticipated and these are the everyday people — the heroes — I work for as I drive our cases forward to the fullest extent within our legal system, fighting for what’s right. My passions weren’t always for courtroom thrills, though. Growing up in Smyrna, I sought to chase a different kind of rush: the roar of the racetrack. I wasn’t half bad either, eventually taking my hobby for auto racing from amateur status in 2004 all the way to semi-pro in 2007. Unfortunately, like so many other things that went down along with the economy the following year, my racing career crashed in 2008. Shattered by the abrupt end to my racing journey due to a lack of financing, movement, and these are the everyday people — the heroes — I work for as I drive our cases forward to the fullest extent within our legal system, fighting for what’s right.”
Hike the Backcountry for Breathtaking Views
James and three-year-old daughter Cleo — I am fully immersed in the fun-loving, homely, and exciting life of my family. They are my foundation, and without them nothing would be possible. But I also have a second family of sorts in my clients, whom I treat with the respect and attention a person is owed whenever they find they’re backed in a corner and need help. The pleasure I get from representing good, honest people in the courtroom is unrivaled when compared to the other fields of profession I’ve engaged in life.
I began to look for a new avenue to pour my passions into.
As we grow older and further away from our teens and 20s, we begin to realize that life isn’t always about going fast, both literally and metaphorically. It was during my post racing downtime that I realized I wanted to go back to school at Georgia State. After spending years as a writer and editor, I discovered and followed my newfound calling and began practicing law after graduating from law school. After years of unparalleled grit, drive, and success in the field of law, I was fortunate enough to be able to open my own practice in January of 2018. This new venture has even allowed me to work alongside my brother, a paralegal and case manager, in what has been one of the most exciting periods of my life. For now, our plans for the future include an imminent expansion of the firm and growing the company in ways that still allow us to keep our fundamental values and operations in check.
As I look back, the entire trip was a blast! The landscape was amazing. My fiancée and I got to see things that 99% of the people who visit Zion never get to see because they don’t go into the backcountry. Now, she is the one who is getting nervous about my travel ideas. She realizes she has created a monster. I am already talking about sketchy ideas like hiking the Wind River Range in Wyoming, where grizzlies roam. Now it’s her turn to say, “All right, all right, slow down! You’ve got one trip under your belt. You’re not ready for that!” I definitely want to do more of these backcountry trips. I realize now that the problem with my earlier outings was not having the right gear. I’m already talking with my kids about taking some camping trips together. I hope to pass on some of the skills I have learned so they can enjoy some wilderness adventures of their own. Oftentimes, I ask a client to share the names of the attorneys they’ve worked with on other cases. Almost none of them are able to muster an answer — the names of their lawyers completely lost in the tides of life’s trials. That’s when I tell them that there are a million different lawyers out there doing a million different things, but when I take on your case for a serious injury or a wrongful death suit, you’ll remember me as a man who gave you the best possible chance while shooting you straight every step of the way.
At home with my wife Lindsay beside me, and our two children — our five-year-old son
-Thomas Lyman www.LymanFirm.com | 1 -Thomas J. Lyman
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Bizarre Child Care Trends From the Past That Didn’t Age Well!
You’re Never Too Young for Tripe (1950s)
They say the truth is stranger than fiction, and that couldn’t be truer in the world of parenting. However, keep in mind that what’s strange to us now wasn’t odd back then. In fact, it was “the norm”! So, fasten your seatbelt and enjoy a journey back in time to look at the strange child care styles of yesteryear. Baby Travel Made Easy (1950s) A perk of traveling with a baby is that the baby stays in the parent’s lap the entire flight without paying for an extra seat, right? Well, in the 1950s, British Overseas Airways Corp felt that babies sitting in their mother’s laps the entire flight was a problem needing a solution: The Sky Cot. This travel contraption was fastened to the overhead luggage rack with a protective net to keep the baby secure during turbulence, giving a whole new meaning to “the sky is the limit.”
Parents now generally feed babies milk for at least the first six months of their lives before introducing them to solid food. However, in the 1950s, parents weaned babies off milk at four months and started them on solid foods — one of those foods being tripe, the stomach lining of cows, pigs, and other farm animals. Bon appétit! Baby Cages for Fresh Air (1930s) Back in the 1930s, when parents felt their babies needed fresh air, all they had to do was put them in a cage that hung outside their window. These terrifying baby porches were for children living in tall buildings in the city. At least they didn’t have to go down countless flights of stairs for fresh air.
No Country for ‘Lefties’ (1910s) Being born left-handed was once considered a characteristic of a defiant personality and something parents should train out of children. Treatment often included painful braces to restrain the use of the left hand, forcing children to make their right hand dominant. Parenting trends and child care standards have changed with every generation, but it’s safe to say certain child care techniques from previous generations are much better left in the past.
CAUGHT IN THE CLOUD
How One Thief’s Selfie Landed Him in Hot Water
(and comedy lovers everywhere), he uploaded this gem to the cloud.
not-so-well-intentioned young men with a half-baked plan.
In what could be a plot twist straight out of a sitcom, a brazen thief turned himself into an unwitting internet star after his phone-snatching heist went incredibly wrong. Picture this: A cool evening, a group of movie-goers casually strolling down their Houston neighborhood looking forward to a bucket of popcorn and a new blockbuster. Enter stage left: three
Thanks to his cloud-cast snafu, the authorities could get a full image of the newly minted most wanted. You could almost hear his fellow thieves’ facepalms as the video debuted on the victim’s account. The Houston Police promptly uploaded Mr. Selfie Bandit’s solo performance to their YouTube channel. Now, they’re hoping this unexpected audition tape will help put the fool of a thief behind bars. So, let this be a lesson to all would-be criminals: If you must commit a crime, maybe leave the selfies and social media out of it. We guess it’s true that not everyone is cut out for a life in front of the camera, especially when it leads straight to the slammer.
The trio of misguided musketeers approached the unsuspecting group with violent bravado. Brandishing a handgun, one of the alleged culprits demanded the victims’ phones and their respective passcodes. They even escalated the drama by pressing the gun to one victim’s head, threatening a finale no one wanted to see. Then, the robbers fled in their four-door white sedan, stolen wallets and phones in tow. But here comes the comic relief! In a blunder no one saw coming, one of the criminal “masterminds” decided it was his time to shine. He recorded a video of himself tossing gang signs and flaunting his newly stolen phone. Unfortunately for him, but luckily for law enforcement
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Chore-Time Reinvented
TAKE A BREAK
Turn Daily Chores Into Lessons in Responsibility and Teamwork
Chores can be an incredible tool for teaching children structure, discipline, and responsibility, all while keeping the home tidy and organized. The real challenge is getting your kids to actually do them. Here’s how to make chore time a positive, structured part of your family’s daily routine. Set the tone with timed tasks. Kick off chore time with a family-wide alarm each evening. This simple signal is a fun reminder that it’s time to tidy up together. This method helps eliminate having to nag and transforms chore time into a routine team effort, reinforcing the value of responsibility and teamwork. Assign age-appropriate chores. Providing children with tasks that match their developmental stage is crucial in promoting independence. Here are some suggestions on how to align chores with age: • Toddlers (ages 2–3) can help with simple tasks like putting toys away and filling the pet’s food dish, which is great for developing early motor skills. • Preschoolers (ages 4–5) can handle slightly more complex jobs, such as making their bed and helping clear the dinner table, which teaches them about daily routines and basic organizational skills. • Elementary kids (ages 6–7) can start taking on responsibilities that affect the whole family, such as setting the table and sorting laundry, helping them understand teamwork and household dynamics. • Older children (ages 8–9) are ready to contribute more significantly by loading the dishwasher and helping prepare simple meals, skills that teach planning and basic cooking. • Pre-teens and teens (ages 10 and older) can manage most household chores, including laundry and babysitting younger siblings, preparing them for future independence. Track chores creatively. Use chore charts, jars, or wheels to track tasks visually, helping kids stay organized. These tools make it easy to see what they’ve accomplished and what they still need to do, adding a layer of accountability and accomplishment to daily chores. Search online for templates and examples to spark your creativity! Consistency is key. Make chores a non-negotiable part of the day to solidify the routine. Even when enthusiasm wanes, maintaining consistency ensures children understand the importance of daily contributions to family life. Regularly review and adjust chores to keep them age-appropriate and engaging. Integrating fun, structure, and discipline through chores helps keep your home orderly and instills lifelong values in your children, setting the foundation for responsible, well-rounded individuals.
Skillet Chicken in Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Inspired by LeCremeDeLaCrumb.com
• 2 tbsp butter • 5 boneless, Ingredients
• 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese,
plus more for serving
skinless chicken thighs • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 2 tbsp herbes de Provence • 3/4 cup canned sun-dried
• 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1/4 cup pine nuts • 1 cup spinach
tomatoes, drained and julienned
• Fresh thyme, for topping • Salt and pepper to taste • Cooked rice or linguine, for serving
• 1 cup chicken broth • 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 7–8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside. 2. In the same pan, add garlic, herbes de Provence, tomatoes, chicken broth, cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, pine nuts, and spinach and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and stir periodically until thickened and spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. 3. Return chicken to the pan and top with salt, pepper, more Parmesan cheese, and thyme, and serve over rice or linguine.
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404-267-1986 www.LymanFirm.com 2860 Piedmont Rd Atlanta, GA 30335
404-267-1986 www.LymanFirm.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
2860 Piedmont Rd., Suite 275 Atlanta, GA 30305
INSIDE THIS ISSUE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The Untold Rewards of an Escape to the Backcountry
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My Life in the Courtroom, the Home, and the Racetrack Parenting Styles Through the Years
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3 Wild Divorce Settlements Ways to Invest in Yourself After Retirement Bistecca Alla Fiorentina The Most Iconic Super Bowl in NFL History Skillet Chicken in Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Thief’s Selfie Mistake Turns Into Viral Sensation
Let’s Retire These Health Myths Master the Art of Chore Scheduling for Kids at Every Age
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Marilyn Manson’s Explosive Plea Deal
The 5-Second Rule Will Make You Sick 3 Health Myths You Probably Believe BODILY FLUIDS AND BAD BEHAVIOR What Happened at Marilyn Manson’s Gilford Concert?
BOTTLED WATER IS SAFER THAN TAP WATER proceeded to kneel toward her, covered one nostril, and blew his open nostril on her arms and hands. According to a police sergeant who viewed the concert video footage, “Manson blows a significant amount of mucus at Fountain,” he said — the camera view then changed and showed Manson pointing and laughing at Fountain before she walked away. Seeking out safer water alternatives increases the sales of bottled “spring water” each year. However, bottled water is more expensive, bad for the environment, and, as Dr. Morton Tavel of the Indiana University School of Medicine pointed out, over 50 percent of bottled water is just filtered tap water. The same effect can be achieved with a home filtration system. Of course, if the tap water in your area has been contaminated, bottled water is a safer alternative. However, in most circumstances, bottled water is no healthier than tap water. His attorney, Kent Barker, wrote that Manson’s performances over the past two decades have been known to include CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES CAUSES ARTHRITIS evocative and shocking stunts like his actions at the New Hampshire concert. Barker further explained that since the victim knew about Manson’s unorthodox performances, she ultimately consented to exposing herself to such bodily fluids. The connection between knuckle-cracking and arthritis came from studies where participants self-reported their habits. Modern medical research has shown these results to be false.
We live in the golden age of information. The answers to many of life’s questions are just an internet search away. Despite this readily available wisdom, we still have a bad habit of believing health-related myths. Here are three popular health “facts” that are total works of fiction. Marilyn Manson, gothic rock’s favorite artist, sent shockwaves through the media again, but not for his usual controversial stage presence and music lyrics. This time, he found himself facing two misdemeanor counts of simple assault. THE 5-SECOND RULE KEEPS FOOD SAFE The origins of the encounter stemmed from a concert at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019. Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, pleaded no contest to blowing his nose on videographer Susan Fountain, who also alleged that he spit on her. Prosecutors ultimately dismissed that charge. Obviously germs and bacteria don’t really wait five seconds to pounce, but snatching your chip off the floor fast keeps most of the germs away, right? Not according to a 2006 study published by Dr. Paul Dawson. He found conclusive evidence that when food comes into contact with a contaminated surface, bacteria are transferred immediately. Even one second spent The police affidavit stated that Manson approached the videographer in the venue’s stage pit area, leaned in close to her camera, and then spit a “big lougee” at her. Saliva landed on both her hands. Later, he approached her again and on tile, wood, or carpet is enough to infest your food with salmonella or another serious contaminant.
The official stance from the John Hopkins Arthritis Center states, “There is no evidence that cracking knuckles causes any damage such as arthritis in the joints.” Still, chronic knuckle- cracking can lead to reduced grip strength, so you might want to break the habit anyway. You’ve probably heard these myths for years, but just because something is common knowledge doesn’t mean it is true. With Manson’s actions toward her were “the most disgusting thing a human has ever done.” information so easily available, always take the time to research the facts, especially when it comes to your health. The judge in the case called Manson’s acts “egregious.” As part of his plea deal, Manson was fined $1,200. As a further stipulation, the rock star needed to notify local police of any performances in New Hampshire in the next two years and be free from any more arrests. This case is undoubtedly one for the books. Fountain didn’t attend the trial but submitted a statement outlining that Manson returned to the stage in 2024 for a short tour — though he held no concerts in New Hampshire. Photo: Livioandronico2013
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