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New Orleans Covington Injury & Estate Lawyers
February 2026
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Social Media Was Supposed to Bring Us Together NOW IT WON’T LET US GO
How often do you check your social media accounts? Many people will scroll for hours throughout the day: They check their feed when they eat meals, take breaks from their work, and before they fall asleep at night. As the years have passed, social media has found ways to take over our lives and our attention spans. I doubt any of us could have predicted how social media would evolve over the past 20 years. When Facebook made its grand appearance 22 years ago, it was simply a way to connect with classmates. Thinking about Facebook’s creation really starts to make me feel old, as I was in college when it initially came out. Those who were also in school at the time or have watched “The Social Network” know that the earliest version of Facebook is vastly different from the one we have today. You had to have a college email address just to create an account, so it was really just for college students. At the time, smartphones weren’t around. Facebook came out in 2004, whereas the first iPhone didn’t hit the market until 2007, which meant that we weren’t uploading everything that happened as it occurred. Instead, we would take pictures with
a digital camera and then upload them through our desktop computers. It was always fun seeing everyone post photos after a party or event on campus. These days, social media is a completely different beast. In the past, social media was all about connection. We could connect with family members who lived on the other side of the country or reach out to friends we lost contact with years prior. Now, most social media is designed to keep us glued to our screens. If you look through Facebook now, you may see a few posts from your friends, but everything else is just videos meant to keep us entertained and scrolling on the platform. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and even LinkedIn have all fallen into this pattern. Social media isn’t really about connection anymore; for most Americans, it’s just about gaining views and staying entertained. I’ve actually removed myself from most social media platforms. During the pandemic, I deleted Facebook after seeing argument after argument about everything that was going on in the world. To this day, the only social media account that I have on my phone for personal use is Instagram, and it’s still one of those things that I have to be conscious of or else I’ll scroll longer than anticipated. Cutting down on screen time and stopping the act of doomscrolling can seem impossible without deleting the applications entirely, but remaining cognizant of your actions will help. You shouldn’t want to fill your life with filler, and that’s really all social media is these days. The other thing to keep in mind is that if something is free, then you are likely the product. Advertising revenue is the biggest source of profit for these companies, and they gain more and more by keeping us addicted to our phones. Social media is a double-edged sword. It can be a great way to connect with friends and family, but if you let it take over your attention span, it will steal hours from your day and days from your life.
–David Vicknair
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A Sticky Situation The Day Boston Drowned in Molasses
A truck carrying Tulane University research monkeys overturned near the Louisiana-Mississippi border, sparking fear, outrage, and viral headlines. David and Brad unpack the chaos, ethical questions around primate research, and the debate over transparency in taxpayer-funded labs. We also hear inspiring stories from legal and creative professionals. Tony Albrecht shares his shift from law to founding a successful LinkedIn ghostwriting agency, while attorney and professor Evan Bergeron discusses building a legal career and mentoring the next generation of advocates. Finally, content creator Alex Robinson explains her journey from design professional to thriving digital creator, sharing insights on creativity, confidence, and growing in the public eye. Tune in for legal insight, entrepreneurial journeys, and one truly wild primate story.
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.
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SMALL BIZ, BIG WINS Our new Small Biz, Big Wins series is all about celebrating the small businesses that make New Orleans one of a kind. These are the spots that add flavor, flair, and personality to our city, from longtime favorites to hidden gems you might not have discovered yet. We’ve already highlighted spots like Picnic Provisions & Whiskey, P&J Oyster Company, and LUNCH Sandwich Shop, and there are plenty more local standouts to come. Follow along on our socials to uncover local treasures and maybe stumble across your next guilty pleasure. Join us in supporting the entrepreneurs who keep our city thriving! #SmallBizBigWins #FightForTheWin Discover Your Next Local Obsession
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. DIGITAL DECEPTION SECRETS OF THE INTERNET’S SNEAKIEST SCAMS
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Injury & Estate Lawyers
(504) 384-7978 ScottVicknair.com 909 Poydras St., Suite 1225 New Orleans, LA 70112 Inside This Issue
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The Evolution of Social Media
A City Submerged in Sweetness What’s New on OVERRULED Podcast
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New Series Celebrates Small Businesses Protect Yourself in the Digital Age
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The Reason Behind Fashion’s Most Infuriating Design Flaw 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. As fashion evolved and purses became popular, the need for discreet storage waned, and dresses became smaller. There was a brief 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.
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