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October 2025
Claustrophobia, Courtrooms, and Courage THE TRUSTED ADVISOR
Don’t Let Fear Stop You
Everyone is afraid of something, even us. Whether it’s standing over the edge of a balcony, crawling through a pitch black cave, or wondering what’s next as you recover from an accident, fear can creep up on you in unexpected ways. Halloween is right around the corner, and we’re reflecting on some of our fears and what it means to face them head-on. Zac: Interestingly, I have a fear of heights, but only in certain situations. I can fly in a plane or ride a chair lift high into the air, but I get nervous walking on a bridge or looking over a balcony. As humans, we always think of the worst- case scenario, and as trial lawyers, we must constantly keep those in mind as we advise clients. But the truth is that most of the time, those worst possible outcomes are unlikely to happen. As you get older, you learn to cope with fear better by focusing on reality and the positive side of things instead of assuming the worst. Anytime I am afraid, I turn to my mindset, reminding myself not to imagine chaos but the likely situation, which isn’t all that scary. When you’re younger, you worry about irrational fears like the monster under your bed. As you live life more, you realize you don’t need to stress about the things you were hyper-focused on and worried about. My mother-in-law used to say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” and it’s so true. Often, the little things won’t have a significant effect on you at all. Clients dealing with a personal injury case obviously have many unknowns and fears to face. We present both the best-case and worst-case outcomes. But we try to reassure them we’ll be there to guide them through the process and that they won’t be alone. Nick: I have common phobias, particularly a fear of tight, enclosed places and snakes. When I have fears, I tend to challenge and face them head-on instead of avoiding them. In college, I actually bought a pet python because I was determined to overcome that fear. When you can handle a snake, put it around your neck and walk around with it, that changes how you feel about them. Later in life, on a trip in Budapest, I went caving, which was nerve-wracking. It was pitch black, and all I had was a small headlamp and a guide leading me through the tight tunnels. I pushed myself through it. I said, it’s in my mind. I can do
NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000 1 – Zac Leacox & Nick Norden this, and I did. I’ll never say I’ve completely overcome them, but I’ve learned how to control my response when I feel anxious. Many fears arise from not understanding something or embarking on something new. If you let fear control you, you miss out on many meaningful things in life that you might have enjoyed or excelled at. Don’t shy away from trying things out of fear, because they could change your life. Whether it’s public speaking or scuba diving, challenge yourself to experience something different, and you’ll likely see it’s not as scary as you thought. One of the most common fears we see in clients is about the pain and impending medical treatments or surgeries. We encourage people to get a second opinion or talk to another doctor to ensure it’s the right option. More than anything, we have a conversation with them. If the pain is so bad that it’s impacting their lives, that scary surgery can have incredible results and get them back to everyday life. I’ve had multiple surgeries myself and can tell them from firsthand experience that they’ll get through it and be better on the other side. The positive results often far outweigh the fear.
The instrument made its public debut in 1906 with the opening of Telharmonic Hall in New York City. Guests could grab one of the phone receivers placed throughout the venue and listen to the synthesized music Telharmonium operators were performing on the floor below. Soon, phone users embraced Cahill’s technology at theaters, eateries, hotels, and homes nationwide. Unfortunately, the system proved glitchy — the organ’s electronic tones interrupted ordinary phone users mid-conversation — and AT&T decided not to invest in Cahill’s impractical invention to expand its reach. That inconvenience, coupled with high manufacturing costs (each Telharmonium cost $200,000, a fortune then) and operational demands (it required 2–4 musicians to play), eventually led to declining popularity and the closing of Telharmonic Hall by 1920. The Birth of Streaming Sound RECEIVERS AND RHAPSODIES
We celebrate the late Steve Jobs of Apple and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek as innovators in the world of music streaming, but the true pioneer of how most of us enjoy tunes in 2025 is a man who died nearly a century ago. A lawyer by trade, Thaddeus Cahill (1867–1934) spent his free time as an innovator, a hobby that eventually led him to revolutionize sound. In 1897, he received a patent for the Telharmonium, a 200-ton organ created to turn telephones into what could be considered the world’s first iPods. Looking more like a NASA control board than a musical instrument, the Telharmonium used electromagnetic impulses to create sounds similar to those of modern synthesizers and transmit them over telephone networks, essentially making the “hold music” of its time. Although bulky, the invention captured the hearts of music aficionados, including Mark Twain, who famously said, “I couldn’t possibly leave the world until I have heard this again and again.”
Sadly, no surviving audio recordings of the Telharmonium are believed to exist, and its last known version was dismantled and scrapped in the early 1960s.
Surprising Southern Halloween Laws
Clergy, Candy, and Criminal Codes
Depending on where you live, Halloween is either a holiday for spooky fun or a one-way ticket to the wrong side of the law. Surprisingly, certain parts of the country have Halloween-related laws regulating everything from who can wear a mask to whom you’re allowed to make laugh. Here are a few obscure-but-true laws in the South that, if broken, are scarier than any haunted hayride. The Great Mustachioed Priest Menace If you’re a Halloween reveler in Alabama, be careful with your costume choice — God and the law are watching. Dressing up like a priest, rabbi, nun, or other clergy member on Oct. 31 or any other day of the year could cost you a fine of up to $500 or up to a year behind bars. The law was established to show respect to religious institutions by discouraging citizens from impersonating faith leaders. Additionally, Alabama’s focus on maintaining a sense of decorum in religious practices extends to what citizens do in the presence of actual priests.
Naturally, disrupting services by prompting attendees to burst out laughing is bad form, which is why the state prohibits anyone from wearing a fake mustache in church to elicit a chuckle. Was this practice really widespread enough to inspire an actual law? While the law’s historical origins are unclear, it demonstrates the state’s commitment to religious faith and willingness to fine anyone who attempts to mock it. The Decriminalized Children of Dublin Dublin, Georgia, has an odd — and, depending on your age, totally fun — legal perspective concerning facial coverings. Although the city’s rules were loosened temporarily at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, municipal laws prohibit people from “wearing a mask, hood, or other apparel or regalia in such manner as to conceal [their] identity, or in such manner that [their] face is not fully visible, or in such manner that [they] may not be recognized.” However, Dublin makes an annual exception for children under the age of 16 who “may be
garbed in the usual or customary children’s Halloween costumes.” While parents or older siblings will face a misdemeanor charge if they’re caught wearing a mask while accompanying their little ones trick-or-treating, at least children in Dublin won’t be deemed juvenile criminals for covering their faces while on the hunt for neighborhood candy.
2 NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000
Strong Starts Denmark’s Secrets to Raising Happy Kids
In a black-and-white world, Danes embrace the gray.
directions. Additionally, Danish parenting stresses the importance of validating a child’s emotions instead of telling them how to feel. This ongoing encouragement to embrace and examine feelings likely enables Danish children to develop stronger self-trust and a clearer
The University of Oxford’s “World Happiness Report” cites Denmark as the second-happiest country behind Finland. Denmark clearly knows a thing or two about fostering a culture that prioritizes contentment and personal well-being. Not surprisingly, the rest of the world often looks to Denmark for inspiration to lead a more positive life. Regarding parenting, Danish citizens have crafted a philosophical and practical approach that could benefit children in countries far from their own. Attitude Determines Attitude First and foremost, Danish parenting is a practice steeped in empathy, caring, communication, and respect. While these core tenets aren’t particularly revolutionary, parent-child relationships in Denmark thrive because of how they apply each. Stringently nonviolent, Danish parenting focuses on the inherent goodness in all children and encourages independence, optimism, and honesty. For example, parents eschew “helicopter parenting” to allow their children to engage in playtime and other activities with as little intervention as possible. Practitioners believe granting their little ones this high level of freedom enables them to develop greater self-esteem and leadership skills than if they constantly dictate their actions and give strict
perception of the world around them. Bad Patches and Damaging Praise
Naturally, plenty of old-fashioned tough love balances the openness apparent in Danish parenting. Parents rarely shy away from addressing negative events, feelings, and circumstances head-on with their children. Suppose a Danish parent is having a rough day or is upset about unexpected bad news. In that case, they’re more likely to explain to their children why their disposition is darker than usual rather than bottling up these thoughts and shielding the little ones from reality. While talking things out is the norm in Denmark, overloading children with compliments is considered bad form. For example, studies suggest that constantly praising a child’s intelligence harms their self-worth when they encounter mentally challenging tasks later in life. Instead of working through these obstacles, they’re more likely to give up in frustration. To that end, Danish parents emphasize effort over accomplishment , helping children gain greater confidence in overcoming hurdles.
Have a
Apple Upside- Down Cake Inspired by IHeartEating.com
Laugh
Ingredients Topping •
• • • • • • •
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• •
1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup milk
3 Honeycrisp apples
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Cake •
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
•
1 large egg
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a 9-inch round cake pan, add butter for topping. Place in oven for a few minutes until melted. 3. Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter. 4. Cut apples into half circles about 1/4-inch thick (no need to peel) and arrange them in circles, overlapping slightly until they fill the entire pan. Set aside. 5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. 6. Add milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Whisk until combined. 7. Pour batter over apple slices, smoothing as needed. 8. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 9. Let cool to room temperature, invert on a plate, and serve.
3 NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000
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Inside This Edition
1 What Are You Afraid Of? 2 History’s Forgotten Music Machine Pulpits and Pumpkins 3 Apple Upside-Down Cake Danish Parenting Demystified 4 Lyrics and Litigation
HALFTIME HEAT Hype, Hits, and a High-Stakes Lawsuit
“I wanna make a move. I wanna play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.”
which, interestingly, also oversees the plaintiff’s music catalog. In an amended complaint filed shortly after the Super Bowl, Drake alleges that Lamar “duped” the audience into believing he had immoral proclivities. “It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” the suit adds. Faced with a major lawsuit filed by one of its artists, UMG quickly issued a public statement, voicing dismay over Drake’s legal maneuverings in recent months. “Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another.”
4 NordenLeacox.com | 407-801-3000 Lamar’s performance of the track exacerbated an already contentious defamation suit Drake filed in January against Lamar’s record label, UMG Recordings, conflict — the Lamar/Drake schism reached epic proportions during the February sporting event, playing out in front of a global audience of more than 130 million. Most incendiary of all, “Not Like Us” features lyrics suggesting that Drake — who has sold more than 500 million units in his musical career — has a sexual interest in minors. These were the words rap superstar Kendrick Lamar used during his halftime performance at this year’s Super Bowl to introduce his song “Not Like Us.” Although he may have intended it to be a joke, his words proved prophetic. Of course, the “they” referenced in Lamar’s intro was fellow rapper Drake, with whom he’d been engaged in a high-profile feud resulting in “diss tracks” and fiery public statements. Although rap battles are nothing new — the late 1990s murders of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur are widely rumored to have been linked to their public
While the ultimate conclusion of Drake’s latest move in his longstanding feud with his musical arch nemesis was unknown at the time of this writing, what is clear is that combining a bruised ego with big money often leads to interesting times for the legal world.
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