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July 2020
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What to Enjoy in July Fireworks and Frozen Custard
souvenir black mark on my elbow for several days to remind me not to do that again!
July is a month that always brings back great memories. As a kid, I used to get out of the house as much as possible to enjoy the summer break, and every once in a while, my parents would take us down to a pizza place called Mozzio’s for a treat. While we were there, I had the chance to play my favorite video game, Spy Hunter. In addition to the summertime pizza and video game, I also loved celebrating Independence Day. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. I love celebrating the ideals this country was founded on. And while it may not feel like it so much now, it always felt like the one holiday all Americans could celebrate together. I loved it when I was a kid, and I still do now that I’m an adult. Dad liked to listen to WRR (the classical music station), and he heard that the Dallas Pops Orchestra would put on concerts in the park and then we could watch fireworks. So off we went to the middle of downtown Dallas to listen to a classical music concert. While it might sound like it would be boring to an early teenage boy, I always thought it was a lot of fun. Sometimes we would go to watch the Texas Rangers baseball game and stay for their fireworks, too. One year, I remember watching the fireworks through an elevator in Houston. It was an outside elevator with glass sides, which gave us a great vantage point. Our perspective of the fireworks show was straight on, which was fantastic. While enjoying the show, I learned something about elevators that night, too. Someone was keeping the elevator door open (there were just a few people in the building), when all of a sudden, whatever was keeping it open moved and it started to close. It made a buzzing noise, but I didn’t know that meant the door was closing and to get out of the way, so I quickly stuck my elbow in the door to try to get it to open again, and my elbow got stuck. Dad pulled me out right away, but I had a nice
When my kids were younger, we would celebrate the Fourth of July by taking them to nearby Richardson, which always has a good show. Unfortunately, quite a few people know about it these days, so it’s always packed. These last few years, we’ve gotten our fireworks fix by standing outside the house and watching them shoot off over Southfork Ranch. Not quite the same effect as being closer, but the dogs are happy we stay home with them. While I look forward to enjoying these family traditions each year for the Fourth of July, something I also love in the summer is ice cream. When I graduated from college, my first job was working in management at a restaurant that made and served frozen custard, which is a super-premium, homemade-style ice cream. The flagship store was in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the company opened a division in Austin where I was hired to run one of the stores. During my time there, I learned all the ins and outs of making frozen custard because it was made in the store continuously. At these stores, frozen custard treats usually start out with a vanilla or chocolate base, and sometimes we had a third flavor (always in Raleigh, depending on the day in Austin). Then we would take other flavors, such as Oreos, fudge, nuts, or whatever and mix them in. My favorite flavor was the vanilla custard with raspberry and marshmallow cream, which was fantastic. Sometimes, I’d get creative and just take vanilla and squeeze a lemon into it. And if I felt particularly adventurous, I’d take a vanilla cone and poke a hole through the center of the frozen custard so I could pump hot caramel into the center of my ice cream. All great stuff! The business ran year-round, which meant we could enjoy frozen custard whenever we wanted. Sometimes when making an order,
we might throw in strawberries when the customer ordered raspberries. Ooops! We’d throw it in a freezer in the back, and take it home later. When Wendy was pregnant with our oldest daughter, Grace, I would take her home some of these. Pregnant ladies are supposed to love ice cream, right? Well, after a short while, our freezer was jammed. It turns out, my wife was sick of ice cream at the time and couldn’t stand it, but she didn’t want to tell me to stop bringing it home. Instead she craved Bennigan’s, where we went a few times a week for a while. For me, though, the frozen custard was always really good, especially the seasonal flavors. There was a fantastic pumpkin frozen custard, and the eggnog was one of my favorites. Wendy really enjoyed our peppermint. Unfortunately, the custard shop only lasted a few years before it went out of business, shortly after I entered law school. It didn’t have an inside sitting area and, being in Austin, there weren’t a lot of people who wanted to sit out under the blazing sun. It was a great product, but the concept just didn’t translate well from North Carolina. I know that despite the uncertainty that continues to linger in the air, we can still enjoy the Fourth of July and our favorite frozen treats as much as ever this summer. No matter how you choose to celebrate this year, I hope you all have a wonderful July!
-Aaron Miller
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THE CASE THAT WAS FROZEN ON ARRIVAL THE WOMAN WHO SUED DISNEY FOR COPYING HER LIFE IN ‘FROZEN’
violated copyright law. She cited 18 “similarities” to bolster her massive claim. For instance, Tanikumi claimed that both her book and the movie had stories of intense sisterly love, scenes under the moon, and talk about cold hearts. The tenuousness of the similarities alone would cause most people to dismiss Tanikumi’s claim like they would the ramblings of a red yarn- loving conspiracy theorist. And that’s just what the judge who oversaw the case did, granting Disney’s motion to dismiss. The judge stated that copyright law protects expressions but not ideas. The themes that Tanikumi believed Disney had stolen from her story were under public domain, usable by anyone without permission. Only Tanikumi herself knows for sure why she went through all that trouble. Everyone else will just have to speculate what gave her the gall to take on a media juggernaut like Disney in court with next to no viable case. That said, several reviews of her memoir on Amazon mention ties to “Frozen,” so make of that what you will.
This is the story of a woman who just couldn’t let it go. It was the fall of 2014 — Dennis Rodman became friends with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Ellen DeGeneres’ selfie with Oscar winners at the Academy Awards became the most retweeted image of all time. And an author sued Disney for $250 million after she claimed that the company stole major elements of her published memoir to craft the movie “Frozen.” “Frozen”was released in November 2013 and saw massive box office success and critical acclaim. It seemed like Walt Disney Animation Studios was finally hitting their stride and catching up to Pixar movies’ quality animation and storytelling. Unfortunately, high-profile movie projects and financiers with deep pockets tend to attract all sorts of hullabaloo in the form of frivolous lawsuits. Author Isabella Tanikumi, whose only notable work to date is her 2011 memoir “Yearnings of the Heart,” sued Disney for an egregious $250 million after claiming that the winter wonderland adventures of Anna, Elsa, and Olaf were stolen straight from her memoir and her life and
BEWARE OF THESE CORONAVIRUS EMAIL SCAMS They’re Still Around!
email address looks legitimate. Scammers use links to spread malware on computers, which helps them get your personal information.
While it seems like the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic might be behind us, that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down completely — especially when it comes to internet scams designed to prey on the fear and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. It’s no surprise that scammers have found ways to use the coronavirus scare as an opportunity to steal personal information from the vulnerable. Fortunately, you can spot coronavirus scammers using the same techniques that help identify otherwise run-of-the-mill phishing scams. REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION When the federal government started distributing relief checks, several scammers sent out unsolicited emails, disguised as legitimate instructions, asking for personal information from people in order to receive their $1,200. Since many people have now received their checks, this particular scam may become less common, but always be suspicious of emails that ask for personal information, no matter the circumstances. SUSPICIOUS LINKS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES During the past few months, people’s email inboxes have been littered with advertisements for fake coronavirus tests and cures, fake alerts from government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and fake coronavirus updates. If you get an email containing an unusual link in your inbox, do not click on it — even if the
SPELLING AND GRAMMAR MISTAKES This is usually a dead giveaway. While genuine, official updates about the coronavirus will be meticulously checked for spelling and grammar,
scammers aren’t as careful. Missing periods, misspelled words, and wacky syntax errors are all hallmarks of scam emails. Make sure you carefully read any email you’re not sure about.
If you can spot spelling and grammar mistakes, delete the email. Much like the coronavirus will remain in the American psyche long after cases and deaths have peaked, scammers will
continue using it as a means to steal from honest, hardworking Americans. But, if we keep our guard up, we can make sure they get absolutely nothing from their efforts.
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TAKE A BREAK
KNOCK KNOCK! WHO’S THERE?
The Wacky Evolution of the Knock-Knock Joke
Knock knock! Who’s there? Theresa. Theresa who? Theresa crowd!
Unless you’re living under a rock, odds are you’ve laughed, grumbled, or groaned in response to a knock-knock joke. You may have even told a few yourself before you realized knock-knock jokes had gone out of style in favor of sarcasm and memes. That’s because at their core, knock-knock jokes are a quintessential American experience — and the perfect homegrown fodder for International Joke Day, which falls on July 1. But where did they come from, and why do so many people knock the knock-knock joke today? Well, according to NPR, knock-knock jokes have had a roller coaster of a history. Near as we can tell, they actually evolved from another kind of joke: the “Do You Know” joke. This style of joke was popular in the early 1900s, and according to an Oakland Tribune article NPR dug up, this was a typical one:
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Do you know Arthur?
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Ingredients
Not very funny, is it? Well, over the years this style of back-and- forth jesting evolved into knock-knock jokes. The popularity of the “knock knock” bit of the joke could harken back to Shakespeare, who BestLife credits with “the first-known occurrence of a knock knock, who’s-there dialogue” in Act 2 of “Macbeth” (though it likely wasn’t intended to be funny), or it could be a reference to 1936 vice presidential hopeful Frank Knox, whose name made “knock knock” irresistible wordplay for the radio. Whatever the reason, knock knocks were all the rage in the 1930s, to the extent that people formed knock-knock clubs, businesses held knock-knock contests, and orchestras set them to music. However, the heyday was short-lived. In the following years, people started getting sick of knock knocks, and even psychologists turned against them. According to NPR, “people who loved knock- knock jokes were said to have social problems.” Today, knock-knock jokes are still around, but they’re mostly considered a game for kids or demoted to the realm of “bad dad jokes.”Maybe you think that’s warranted, maybe you think it’s tragic — either way, odds are the format will continue to evolve and probably outlive us all!
onion, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and yellow squash are great on the grill)
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1 tsp salt
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1/4 tsp pepper
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1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
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5 tbsp olive oil
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1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
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2 tbsp lemon juice
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2 lbs assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved (asparagus, mushrooms, red
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1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. 2. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place in a large bowl. Top with lemon juice and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. 3. Prepare the grill at medium-high heat. 4. Grill vegetables in batches, cooking 3–5 minutes on each side until browned and tender. (Carrots will cook longer, 6–9 minutes per side.) 5. Remove from the grill, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
214.292.4225 www.AaronMillerLaw.com 2301 Ohio Drive, Suite 200 Plano, Texas 75093 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
My 2 Favorite Parts of Summer
The Case That Was Frozen on Arrival How to Spot a Coronavirus Scam Email
2
The Secret to Delicious Grilled Veggies The Wacky Evolution of the Knock-Knock Joke
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4
What Does the Constitution Mean to You?
WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION MEAN TO YOU? Debating the Document That’s Shaped Our Country
15-year-old Heidi (played by Schreck in the original production) as she gives her speech and talks about the Constitution. At other times,
Most teenagers are more interested in hanging out with their friends and listening to the next cool band than diving into the United States Constitution. But that’s exactly how some students have been spending their mornings, afternoons, and evenings: studying and preparing to debate their peers all over the nation about the contents of the 200-year-old document. Their motivation? Prestige, honor, and thousands of dollars of scholarship money. Sponsored by the American Legion, these constitutional debates were started in 1938 with the intent to “develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students,” according to the Legion’s website. In the process of writing the speeches they’ll debate, students under 20 learn the history of U.S. laws and develop a better understanding of the rights and privileges of American citizenship. The legion offers up over $188,000 annually in scholarship money to debate winners. For one of those winners, in addition to helping pay her way through college, the debate experience also provided fodder for a Broadway play. In “What the Constitution Means to Me,” playwright and actor Heidi Schreck recounts her experience of debating the Constitution in American Legion halls all over the U.S. In the largely autobiographical play, theatergoers get to see the experience through the eyes of
viewers see the grown-up Schreck reflect on the evolution of the Constitution’s meaning over the years and how her debate experiences shaped her understanding of what it means to live under the rules of this governing document.
For Heidi Schreck, as well as for hundreds of other debaters, developing a
close relationship with the Constitution helped pay her way through college and gave her a better understanding of the principles our country was built on. This month is a great time to take a look at the document that shaped our country’s past
and continues to shape its future.
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