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October 2020
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From ‘The Ol’ Clunker’ to ‘Chuck’ Celebrating National Name Your Car Day
turned 16. Sadly, that car was hit as I was driving her to driver’s ed a month after I paid it off. Much weeping for the Jetta/Eduardo was had by all when my insurance company totaled it out. And even though I’ve continued to fight it, everyone other than me still calls that car Eduardo. For better or worse, Kaitlin has become the namer of most of the cars in our family. Whatever name she comes up with for a car, it seems to stick. No matter how much someone (usually me,
When we name something, it usually helps us refer to it more easily. But sometimes, naming certain objects leads to a lot of fun. In my family, we have a habit for naming cars — though my youngest daughter, Kaitlin, has developed a great talent for it. As a kid, my family had a car we called The Ol’ Clunker, or just The Clunker. It was an old, old station wagon; my guess is it was around 15–20 years old when we had it. We rode around in it in the very back — during
Kaitlin and "Blake"
Though, in retrospect, it wasn’t the safest activity we enjoyed. But we survived it!
but sometimes her sisters) tries to change it or tries to name it first, her name sticks. Now, none of our cars go nameless very long. Kaitlin herself drives a truck she calls “Blake,” named after Blake Shelton. She also named my wife’s car “Tammy” (the Camry). We had a Corolla she named “Pamela” (although it had a brief stint as “Betty”). Then, not too long ago, my oldest daughter, Grace, bought a new red Subaru. Kaitlin named it “Ruby.” I am currently driving a Jeep, and it didn’t escape either. She named it “Chuck” after Chuck Norris “because it’s rugged.” For some reason, that one doesn’t bother me as much, although I don’t use it myself. The only car recently that she didn’t get to name was my middle daughter Elissa’s current car — which Elissa named “Bea.” What’s the best (or worst) name you’ve given your car? If your car doesn’t have a name, Name Your Car Day (on Oct. 2) is the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.
those days when people didn’t pay too much attention to car safety. And of course, there were no seat belts. So, my sister and I would just roll around as Dad drove down the road. Dad would pick us up from school in The Clunker and, on the way home, we’d pass this particular spot in the road that had a huge bump. When Dad hit that bump going fast enough, everyone in the back would fly up in the air, and we’d hit our heads on the ceiling almost every time — making us bust out laughing. When we saw it coming up, we’d yell, “Faster! Faster!” so we’d get the maximum amount of “hang time” as we flew through the air. When we hit that bump, my sister and I would go rocketing up out of our seats. It was a lot of great fun! “Whatever name she comes up with for a car, it seems to stick.”
I’ve had several cars over the years, but the first one I named was Methuselah, which I drove for years and years. I don’t even remember what type of car it was, but I do remember that it had around 175,000– 200,000 miles on it when I got it as a hand- me-down from a relative. Since it was so old, I figured it needed an appropriate name — so, Methuselah, the man who lived the longest in the Bible (to the age of 969) — seemed perfect. Eventually, everyone in the family, including my wife’s parents, called it that. Then my favorite car, by far, was my VW Jetta, which remained nameless — almost. Well, I say it doesn’t have a name, but apparently, being the car owner doesn’t mean you get to name your own car. I always just referred to it as “the Jetta,” but Kaitlin had other plans. For some reason, the sleek black German car struck her as “Eduardo.” She managed to get the rest of the family to refer to my Jetta as Eduardo, too. Kaitlin always has had a bit of a reality distortion field around her — she still refers to the Jetta as “her car” because, in her mind, she was going to get it when she
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CATCHPHRASE! 6 Things Celebrities Tried to Trademark — and Some Who Succeeded
Blue Ivy was already using the name. Plus, Jay-Z mentioned to the media that their intention was to prevent others from using it. The trademark was denied. Kylie This generic trademark was filed by Kylie Jenner (of the Kardashians and Jenners). Her intention was to use her trademarked name for marketing purposes. The trademark was denied, and Jenner even ended up in a brief legal battle with singer Kylie Minogue. ‘Let’s get ready to rumble!’ One of the most well-known catchphrases of all time was successfully trademarked in 1992 by its creator, boxing announcer Michael Buffer. Even better, it’s made Buffer a very wealthy man. To date, he has made nearly $500 million dollars by licensing the trademark. ‘Rock Star From Mars’ Back in 2011, actor Charlie Sheen had a very public meltdown. During the episode, he
rambled off countless phrases such as “Duh, winning,” “tiger blood,” and “rock star from Mars.” In the end, he tried to trademark a total of 22 phrases, but all were rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ‘You’re fired!’ Donald Trump is known for many things, including emblazoning his name on everything he owns. Long before he was president and while host of “The Apprentice,” he filed a trademark on the show’s catchphrase. It was denied because it was too close to a preexisting (and trademarked) board game called You’re Hired. ‘BAM!’ TV chef Emeril Lagasse was a pioneer in the world of cooking shows. He popularized cooking on TV and captivated audiences by exclaiming one simple phrase every time he added an ingredient to whatever he was making: “BAM!” Naturally, he trademarked his signature phrase, but he doesn’t discourage people from using it as long as they keep it in the kitchen.
Celebrities love to trademark all sorts of things for one simple reason: People associate certain words with the celebrity’s brand, and the celebrity wants to protect that. It makes sense from a business perspective, but sometimes, it can get a little silly. Read on to see what the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office gave its blessing to and which trademarks it outright refused to create. Blue Ivy Carter Just days before their first daughter was born in 2012, Beyoncé and Jay-Z filed for a trademark on her name. The problem was that a wedding planning company called
3 Great Apps to Maintain Your Mental Health at Home
where you schedule an appointment and meet in person, Talkspace allows its user to communicate with their therapist through the app’s encrypted messaging system. It also allows you to request a check-in from your therapist and provides a place for them to upload your therapy notes. Talkspace is more costly than some other apps, but depending on your specific needs, it may be worth it.
When you lead a busy lifestyle, mental health often takes a back seat to other pressing matters. Thankfully, there are a number of easy-to-use apps to help address this concern. Even if you’re pressed for time, these apps can help you maintain your mental health. And if you’re just looking for some simple resources to guide you through mood-boosting exercises, they’ve got you covered there too. Moodfit (GetMoodfit.com) Think of this app as a fitness tracker for your mind. The mood tracker allows you to record your moods and thoughts and follow trends and changes over time. You can look at these trends yourself or set the app to monitor specific areas of your mood. This highly customizable app is packed with tools and resources to help you with your mental health. In addition to the mood tracker, Moodfit offers a range of breathing exercises and a guide to mindfulness meditation.
MoodMission (MoodMission.com) If you’re struggling with mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, you may feel like this free, evidence-based app was designed just for you. MoodMission asks you a series of questions to assess how you’re feeling, then suggests a series of “missions” you can complete to help you get into a better state of mind. Missions are short, achievable tasks, like taking a walk around the block or cleaning up a room in your home. Of course, like all the apps listed here, it is not a replacement for professional mental health care, but it offers evidence- based exercises and a level of support that’s not often found in smartphone apps.
Talkspace (Talkspace.com) While this app contains a number of
mental health tools, its primary purpose is to connect you quickly with one of the company’s thousands of licensed and experienced therapists you can message on a regular basis. Unlike traditional therapy
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TAKE A BREAK
THE NIGHT MARTIANS INVADED NEW JERSEY
Orson Welles Recounts ‘The War of the Worlds’
On the evening of Oct. 30, 1938, an eloquent voice graced the airwaves in New Jersey:
“We now know in the early years of the 20th century, this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man’s, and yet as mortal as his own. We now know as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns, they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water …” And so began Orson Welles’ classic radio broadcast, a retelling of H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds.” Peppered in the retelling were fictional news bulletins informing the public of an alien invasion. Martians had arrived in New Jersey! Some listeners, who had missed the fact that this was a retelling of “The War of the Worlds,” assumed the news bulletins were the real thing. Frenzied, they called local police, newspapers, and radio stations hoping for more information about the invasion. What were they supposed to do? Higher-ups at the CBS radio studio where Welles delivered the live reading called and told him he needed to stop and remind listeners that this was a work of fiction. The panic, it seemed, was growing as the Martians “approached” New York. A little later that night, police showed up at the studio with the intent of shutting the whole thing down.
SPOOKY STRAWBERRY GHOSTS
Inspired by Candiquik.com
These adorable chocolate-dipped strawberry ghosts will be the stars of your Halloween party!
Ingredients
The next day, the story broke
• 1 package mini dark chocolate chips
• 16 oz white chocolate, chopped • 24 strawberries
across the country —
newspapers reported on mass hysteria and stories poured out
Directions
that the nation had erupted in panic. However, as we now know, the extent of the panic was exaggerated. In fact, the program didn’t even have very many listeners that night, and most who had tuned in were aware they were listening to a radio play rather than a news broadcast. American University media historian W. Joseph Campbell, who researched the broadcast in the 2000s, found that while there had been some panic, most listeners simply enjoyed the show. It turns out the person who was the most frightened was Welles himself who thought his career had come to an end.
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove it and stir, then repeat the process until melted. 2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. 3. One by one, dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate and set them on the parchment. Allow the extra chocolate to pool to form a “tail” effect. 4. Before the chocolate coating fully cools, add three mini chocolate
chips to each berry to form two eyes and a mouth. 5. Let chocolate set, then serve your spooky snacks!
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214.292.4225 www.AaronMillerLaw.com 2301 Ohio Drive, Suite 200 Plano, Texas 75093 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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The Namer of Cars
The Weird Things Celebs Tried to Trademark The Best Mental Health Apps
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Spooky Strawberry Ghosts The Night Martians Invaded New Jersey
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When ‘Star Wars’ Invaded Halloween
THE SPOOKY ‘STAR WARS’ SHORTAGE OF 1977
kids who arrived at the store to find the costume shelves empty didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they went and found some brown towels to make their own Chewbacca costumes. In the current age of cosplay, homemade costumes based on movie characters are commonplace, but in 1977, this was uncharted territory. Kids searched for white dresses to be Princess Leia and bathrobes they could cut short to mimic Luke Skywalker. Moms everywhere broke out their sewing machines and created costumes using only action figures for reference. It was grueling work, but it showed how much kids wanted to spend Halloween in a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” costume shortage marked a new era for Halloween — one where making your own costume was just as cool, if not better, than buying it.
A long time ago … in October of 1977 to be exact, Halloween was fast approaching and many parents faced a major dilemma. That year, kids didn’t want to go trick-or-treating dressed as vampires, witches, or ghosts. The classic costumes simply wouldn’t do. That Halloween, almost every child in the United States wanted to dress as their favorite character from the new hit movie, “Star Wars.” Today, you can walk into a Halloween City on Oct. 30 and easily pick up a costume for Rey, Darth Vader, or Princess Leia. But in 1977, less than five months after the release of the first movie in the popular franchise, getting your hands on “Star Wars” merchandise was a bit more difficult. Ben Cooper, a costume company in Brooklyn, had the foresight to license “Star Wars” for costumes right after the movie
came out. Unfortunately, they didn’t foresee how great the demand for these costumes would be. Retailers across the country were selling out of “Star Wars” costumes as fast as they came in. Some stores reported selling more “Star Wars” costumes than pumpkins. Kids who got their hands on an authentic Han Solo or C-3PO costume were considered lucky. But
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