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February 2026
Social Media Meets Real Life
Keeping Your Posts Honest
When Facebook first showed up in my life, I didn’t really understand it. I got on around 2008 or 2009, and honestly, I thought that if you said something online, you were just talking to your friend. I did not realize you were talking to the whole world. That is a dangerous mix when you come from a crowd of friends who make a living slamming each other for fun. One day, I did a vicious slam of a good friend of mine, just another shot in a lengthy back-and-forth. The problem was that the whole world saw it this time. It was not something you do publicly, and I was so embarrassed that I took my Facebook down and was gone for a couple of years. In 2011, I came back with a different plan for it. You have probably heard the old adage that nobody likes a lawyer except their lawyer. I decided to see if Facebook could help fix that. My idea was simple. If lawyers got on Facebook and showed their real lives, people would know us as people instead of stuffed suits. So, that is what I started doing. I drive a pace car for stock car races. I wear bib overalls a lot when I’m not headed to court, church, or a funeral. In a talk I once gave to a group of lawyers, I showed two pictures. One was me in a suit, and I told the room, “You have all met this guy.” Then I showed a picture of me at the racetrack in overalls and said, “How many of you have met this guy? This is how I actually dress. It’s the same person you see on my Facebook page.” These days, I still use Facebook, but I am more deliberate with it. All my posts are public. I post about my kids, friends, health, and the small stuff in between. My goal is to let people see me as a person, not just the guy they saw on television hawking his law firm years ago. And because it plays a significant role in my life, I discuss social media use with all my clients at some point. Most folks treat Facebook and Instagram like advertising. After a wreck, someone will post a picture of their car and write, “Thank goodness we are all okay.” It sounds harmless, but the other side will definitely dig that up later and say,
“You told everyone you were fine. Now you say you are hurt.” So, I tell clients to be careful and tell the truth. You don’t want to sugarcoat things, and you don’t want to overstate either. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a prayer before surgery or saying, “The doctor says things went well, but I have six weeks of recovery ahead of me.” However, there is something wrong with posting yourself playing tackle football in the front yard when you say you can barely walk. One of the first stories I ever heard about social media involved a man with a bad back injury. He claimed he could not lift a gallon of milk. At his workers’ comp hearing, the insurance lawyer pulled out a post where he had carried his bride over the threshold and had the doorman take a picture. The lawyer asked him one question: “Does she weigh more than a gallon of milk?” That was the end of that. Social media really is a wonderful thing. It lets you keep up with people you might have lost. I even met my wife on Facebook. But you have to be honest if you are using it. If you have any kind of case in the works, you should say as little as possible about it online and ensure that whatever you do say gives a true picture of your life.
Call00.com | 1 –Bryan Ramey
Published by Newsletter Pro • newsletterpro.com
DIGITAL DECEPTION Secrets of the Internet’s Sneakiest Scams
The internet has become deeply intertwined with our lives, enabling us to reconnect with old friends, stay informed about the latest news, and explore new ideas. However, with the good comes the bad. Scammers have been developing new strategies to take our money, and if you’re not careful, you could become a victim. Here are three internet-enabled scams you should be aware of. Unfamiliar Emails We get emails every day, and most come from unfamiliar senders. These emails rarely contain relevant or beneficial information, but they often carry potential harm. Don’t click on links or attachments within these communications unless you expect
them. Scammers can even spoof friends’ or family members’ emails, so it’s always good to be cautious. Scam Calls Your phone number is public information, and scammers use that to their advantage. They often call seniors, claiming to be someone from their bank, cellphone provider, or another company with which they have an account. They ask for sensitive information shortly after the call begins. Never give it to them. The real organizations rarely call, and if they do, they will not ask for sensitive information. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact the supposed organization directly to verify its authenticity.
Shared Networks When you enter a business, you may feel compelled to join its public Wi- Fi. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this practice, you do not want to use public Wi-Fi to log into and view your bank account, medical information, or social media accounts. Scammers wait on public networks to intercept passwords. Shared networks are not as safe as they may appear.
The Cure for Burnout Isn’t Always a Vacation
We live in a hustle culture, where we’re encouraged to push ourselves to our limits: accomplish everything at work, get the kids ready for school and extracurricular activities, and take care of all of our other needs and responsibilities. These unending demands inevitably lead to burnout, which causes us to feel like we need a vacation. But wouldn’t it be nice if you enjoyed your life so much that you didn’t need to escape? Adjusting your habits, routine, and schedule can make this possible. It starts with your workday.
For many Americans, work is the greatest source of stress and burnout in their lives, but it doesn’t have to be. You can change that by adding practices that make your workday more enjoyable. Depending on what your workplace allows, you might try things like taking regular breaks, listening to music you enjoy, walking throughout the day, and putting work out of your mind when you leave for the day. When we get caught up in the chaos of everyday life, we often lose sight of what truly matters. Staying present in the moment and focusing on all the good things in life can help turn any sour experience into something sweet. Focus on all your blessings, from your home to your loved ones. Lastly, be sure to practice self-care and make time for the things you enjoy. Spend time with the people you love, participate in your favorite hobbies and activities, take a nature walk, and add elements to your home that inspire happiness. If you feel like it’s time for a vacation, you may need more than just a change of scenery!
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TAKE A BREAK
If you’ve ever lived through or seen the aftermath of a flood, you know how destructive they can be. Within moments, the rush of water can uproot and displace buildings, trees, and vehicles, making the situation incredibly dangerous for everyone in the area. Now, imagine if the flood consisted of a thicker, stickier substance than water. If you don’t have a strong imagination, don’t worry. This situation actually happened on Jan. 15, 1919. On that fateful morning, a massive steel holding tank filled with molasses stood on Commercial Street in Boston. The U.S. Industrial Alcohol Company built the tank during World War I, and many believed the construction was haphazardly rushed. It was common for those living and commuting on Commercial Street to hear the tank groan and creek. Around 12:40 p.m., the tank ruptured, releasing over 2 million gallons of molasses into the surrounding area. The molasses instantly swallowed up three young children who were by the fractured tank. One suffocated, another died after being struck by a railroad car, and the third suffered severe injuries from hitting a light post. Another local awoke to his house crumbling around him, causing him to scramble to his bed frame to stay afloat. Police officers, firefighters, and even sailors from the USS Nantucket responded to the event almost immediately. They freed some survivors, but it took days to uncover the extent of the damage. Twenty-one people lost their lives, while another 150 suffered injuries. The victims and their families sued United States Industrial Alcohol, which had to pay $628,000 in damages, only $8 million in today’s money. THE DAY BOSTON DROWNED IN MOLASSES A Sticky Situation
Dream Equality Festival Groundhog Hearts King Lincoln Muffin Pancake Rabbit Roses
Mouthwatering Mini Cheesecakes
• 12 oz package vanilla wafers • 16 oz cream cheese, softened • 3/4 cup white sugar • 2 large eggs Ingredients
• 1 tsp vanilla extract • 21 oz can cherry pie filling
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In two 24-cup miniature muffin pans, line each space with a paper liner. 3. Using a food processor or resealable plastic bag, crush vanilla wafers into a fine crumb. 4. Press 1/2 teaspoon of crumbs into each paper liner. 5. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. 6. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top. 7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. 8. Cool completely in the pan. 9. Top each mini cheesecake with about a teaspoon of cherry pie filling before serving. Enjoy!
Inspired by AllRecipes.com
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Published by Newsletter Pro • newsletterpro.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The Risk Hiding in Your Facebook Feed
1 2
Protect Yourself in the Digital Age
Design a Life You Don’t Need a Break From
Mouthwatering Mini Cheesecakes
3
A City Submerged in Sweetness
The Reason Behind Fashion’s Most Infuriating Design Flaw
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WHERE ARE THE POCKETS?
A CLOTHING MYSTERY CENTURIES IN THE MAKING
Some design choices for clothing can leave you scratching your head, wondering why certain decisions were made. You’ve probably noticed that many pieces of women’s wear do not have pockets, and when they do, they’re considerably smaller than those in men’s clothing. Let’s dive deeper into how this came to be. Where are the pockets? To understand the dilemma with pockets in women’s clothing, one must go back to the late 1600s. At that time, women’s fashion consisted of long, bulky, flowing dresses. They had no built-in pockets, so women wore belts with attached pockets under their skirts that remained invisible to passersby.
period in the 18th century when large pockets were sewn directly into women’s clothing, but that trend didn’t last long. Eventually, someone (probably a man) determined that pockets ruined the female silhouette, and they effectively disappeared from women’s garments. To the dismay of many women nationwide, big pockets (or any pockets) have remained incredibly rare on women’s clothing. What about the tiny pocket?
Men’s and women’s jeans both commonly have a small pocket within one of the front pockets. While you may keep spare change in it or a golf tee when out on the course, you may have wondered what the initial purpose was. When Levi Strauss & Co. first designed their iconic denim pants in the 1870s, they intentionally added an extra pocket to accommodate pocket watches. Even as pocket watches faded into obscurity, the pocket remained.
As fashion evolved and purses became popular, the need for discreet storage waned, and dresses became smaller. There was a brief
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