Houston & Alexander, PLLC - April/May 2019

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APRIL/MAY 2019

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DEFENSE DOCKET

THE FIRST AUTOMOBILE ROAD TRIP AN ADVENTURE FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK

The first great American road trip took place in 1903. It was accomplished by automobile enthusiast Horatio Nelson Jackson and former bicycle racer and gasoline engine mechanic Sewall Crocker. They started their trip in San Francisco and intended to finish in New York City; it was a 4,500-mile journey they bet $50 could be accomplished in under 90 days. HOW IT ALL STARTED Four days prior to the start of his journey on May 23, Jackson found himself in the middle of an argument in San Francisco’s University Club. The debate was over whether the new automobiles that were steadily appearing in the city were better or worse than horse-drawn carriages. Many of the people involved spoke against the automobile for its unreliability, but Jackson disagreed. Thus the $50 wager was made. Despite the failure of all previous cross-country automobile trips, Jackson was determined to make a successful journey. With 22-year-old Crocker at his side, Jackson purchased a used 20-horsepower Winton touring car, which he named Vermont in tribute to his home state, for their epic journey. They packed the car with camping gear and cooking supplies and were soon on their way. THE TRIP One of the biggest problems the duo faced was the condition of the roads. While carriages were uncomfortable, they could handle the bumpy ride far better than an automobile. However, bumpy roads were far from the only problem they faced. Automobiles at that time were prone to frequent breakdowns, and Vermont was no exception. Fifteen miles outside of San Francisco, Jackson and Crocker experienced their first delay of many: a tire blowout. Making their way through Nevada and up toward Idaho, Jackson and Crocker experienced many more breakdowns and delays, including a clogged oil line, a broken clutch, wrong turns, and a gas tank leak. With every holdup they faced, the pair was forced

to wait for supplies to be delivered by stagecoach or, if they were lucky enough, a friendly passerby to help them. In one instance, a cowboy lassoed Vermont and towed the car with his horse to a nearby town in Oregon. After traveling for 19 days, they arrived in Idaho. There, hoping to change their luck, Jackson purchased a bull terrier they named Bud. Bud drove with Jackson and Crocker, and they fitted him with goggles to protect his eyes from the dirt. While he probably didn’t improve their luck, Bud did travel with them for the rest of their journey. THE LAST LEG On day 46 of their trip, the trio finally found themselves back on the road after having to wait six days for parts and repairs outside of Rawlins, Wyoming. With more than half the country still ahead of them, they nevertheless maintained their optimism, which was largely fueled by the reception they received across America. Word of their trip spread throughout the country and many people from the towns and cities they passed through gathered to see Vermont and the trio of travelers for themselves. Larger cities, such as Chicago, welcomed them with automobile dealers as well as city officials, and a convoy led them through the city of Cleveland. Vermont finally rolled into Manhattan, traveling down an empty Fifth Avenue at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 26. The first cross- country automobile trip had been successful. Despite the delays they faced, their road trip only took them 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes, leaving them with almost a month left of the 90-day bet. Unfortunately, the journey cost Jackson about $8,000. The trio became national celebrities, being featured in many of Winton’s advertisements and newspapers across the country. As for Jackson, tried and exhausted after his adventure, he pointed his car toward Vermont on July 30 and began the last part of his journey. The car only had enough life left in it to get Jackson home before its drive chain broke and moved no more. 1 423-267-6715 | TNDUIAttorney.com

Worlds Within Pages Books to Engage the Whole Family

Learning to read opens up a world of possibilities. When your child walks through the back of the wardrobe into Narnia with Lucy Pevensie or rides with Harry Potter on the train to Hogwarts, they connect to something beyond their own experiences. In the U.S., April 23 is World Book Day, and the date commemorates the deaths of legendary authors Cervantes, Shakespeare, and Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as the birth of author Vladimir Nabokov. World Book Day is the perfect time to sit down with your family and let yourself be transported to new worlds. So, here are three great stories to help you take young readers on brand-new adventures.

depictions of each animal. This book was written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Petr Horácek.

FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOLER: ‘THE NIGHT DIARY’

Twelve-year-old Nisha navigates her world after the partition of India creates the new country of Pakistan and her family is forced to leave their home. Her mother may be gone, but Nisha finds solace in writing nightly letters to her in her diary as she discovers what the future holds. Based on author Veera Hiranandani’s memories of her own family, this moving tale lets readers experience life through someone else’s eyes.

FOR TEENS: ‘BRAZEN: REBEL LADIES WHO ROCKED THE WORLD’

FOR THE ELEMENTARY READER: ‘SONG OF THE WILD: A FIRST BOOK OF ANIMALS’

While some might not think of comics as proper reading, Penelope Bagieu’s graphic novel forces reconsideration. Her clever, colorful artwork and engaging narrative take the reader through the biographies of 30 women, from Bette Davis and Mae Jemison to lesser-known but equally intriguing ladies like Giorgina Reid. All in all, this book provides a great way to get kids excited about history in an entertaining form.

“Song of the Wild” makes a great read-aloud book for beginner readers because they can get lost in the beautiful artwork while you read the text. Written in prose and rhyming poems, this book showcases sprawling landscapes — savannahs, jungles, and oceans — and features the wildlife living there. It’s worth a read simply to appreciate the colorful

Exploring the Crimes of Antarctic Wildlife Legal Case Study: Adélie the Rock Thief

On an island off the coast of Antarctica, a BBC film crew caught footage of a crime taking place. In the video, as one male Adélie penguin leaves his nest to search for additional rocks to add to it, his neighbor waddles over, removes a rock from the nest, and carries it back to his own. When the first penguin returns from his search, his neighbor plays it cool, but at each opportunity, he repeats the crime and steals his neighbor’s rocks. While animals aren’t actually subject to legal action, and the Adélie penguin was only behaving according to natural instinct, the fine writers for the blog Legal Grounds point out that the rock thief situation presents an interesting legal case study.

committed an act of theft. Theft is defined as “the taking of someone else’s property with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of that property.” In some places, when a thief leaves the scene of the crime, the theft is considered complete. If the thief returns and steals additional items, that could be considered a new crime and result in additional charges. So, since the neighbor penguin takes a rock, leaves the scene of the crime, and returns, he could be found

guilty of multiple theft charges. If he’d decided to go big and take his neighbor’s entire nest at once, he might’ve been charged with grand theft. Now, if the penguin who was stolen from had used force to protect his precious nest rocks, the case would be complicated even further. Allowable force is generally limited in cases of theft. To prove self-defense, the victim penguin would have to show there was a threat of force against him, that he didn’t provoke the neighbor penguin in any way, and that he didn’t have the option to escape. From a legal perspective, it was probably best that the victim penguin didn’t use force. For now, we’ll leave the Adélie penguins to their nest-building business and save the legal cases for the human world.

By taking his neighbor’s rock and putting it in his own nest, the neighbor penguin

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Yorkie Doodle Dandy Smoky the World War II Canine Hero

Considering the stress of combat, it’s no wonder military dogs tend to be tough breeds known for their size and strength. German shepherds, boxers, and various bully breeds are well- acquainted with the battlefield. But in World War II, the most famous military dog weighed only 4 pounds and stood a mere 7 inches tall. Smoky the Yorkshire Terrier wasn’t exactly what most people associated with Shakespeare’s “let slip the dogs of war,” but her small size is part of what made her such a hero. In 1944, after being discovered beside a foxhole in the jungles of New Guinea, Smoky met Corporal William A. Wynne, an American soldier from Cleveland, Ohio. The two quickly became inseparable, and she stayed by Wynne’s side the entire time he was stationed in the South Pacific. Smoky is credited with going on 12 combat missions, surviving 150 air raids, parachuting 30 feet, and earning eight battle stars. Smoky’s sensitive hearing allowed her to alert Wynne and other soldiers of incoming air raids.

Luzon. The engineers needed help, so Wynne tied a strand of telephone wire to her collar and Smoky ran through a 70-foot- long pipe in a matter of minutes. Without Smoky, it would have taken three days to lay the wire. Her work kept over 250 ground crewmen and 40 fighter and reconnaissance planes out of danger from enemy bombings. In addition to saving lives on the battlefield, Smoky is also considered to be the first recorded therapy dog. She learned a number of tricks to cheer up troops and would visit injured soldiers at the hospital in New Guinea. After World War II, Smoky and Wynne visited veteran hospitals across the United States. “Corporal” Smoky lived for another 10 years after the war before dying on Feb. 21, 1957, at approximately 14 years old. Wynne would go on to write a memoir about his time with Smoky titled “Yorkie Doodle Dandy.” Almost 50 years after her death, a life-sized bronze statue of Smoky was erected at her final resting place in Lakewood, Ohio. Her statue is dedicated to the bravery of all war dogs, and it is a reminder that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Smoky’s most famous act of heroism occurred when she went where no man could go at an air base at Lingayen Gulf,

“I highly recommend Johnny Houston to anyone in need of an AMAZING lawyer! He was very knowledgeable, easy to contact and talk to, and provided me with timely feedback regarding my case. He left no stone unturned and worked very hard to get my case settled. If I ever need an attorney again, he will be the man for the job!” Client Testimonials

Easy Bacon and Spinach Stir-Fry

Inspired by OhSnapLetsEat.com

• 3 slices bacon • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped • 2 bunches spinach • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper • Salt and black pepper, to taste Ingredients

Directions

–Anonymous

1. Heat a large skillet to medium. 2. While skillet is warming, cut bacon into squares. 3. Cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is almost to your desired doneness. If desired, you can remove bacon fat from skillet and replace with 1 tablespoon oil. However, keeping the fat is recommended for flavor. 4. Add garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes. 5. Add spinach and crushed red pepper and stir-fry for 10 minutes. 6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

“After speaking with multiple attorneys, I felt most comfortable with Johnny. He did a great job throughout the whole process and kept me well informed! His hard work shows and it paid off in the end. I would highly recommend him to anyone!”

–Anonymous

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The First American Road Trip

PAGE 1

Books to Engage the Whole Family

PAGE 2

A Chilly Legal Case Study

PAGE 2

Never Judge a Dog by Her Size

PAGE 3

Easy Bacon and Spinach Stir-Fry

PAGE 3

Should You Skip Breakfast?

PAGE 4

Is It Okay to Skip Breakfast? The Truth About the First Meal of the Day

Sometimes you skip breakfast simply because you don’t have time to eat. Other times, you skip breakfast because nothing really appeals to you. This is a common occurrence for many people across the country. But when you skip breakfast, you may find that you feel just fine. It begs the question: Is breakfast really that important? Do you need to eat breakfast? It depends. Most people can skip breakfast and be totally fine. They’ll make it to lunch without skipping a beat. It all comes down to how you feel . Some people need breakfast or they’ll

day is whichever meal you get the most out of, whether it’s nutritional value, enjoyment, or both.

Having a healthy, protein-rich breakfast does come with benefits, though. It gives you energy for the day and helps you avoid scrambling to find something to eat a couple hours later when hunger sets in. All too often, skipping breakfast (or having a carb-heavy breakfast) leads people to raid the vending machine or make unhealthy food choices they wouldn’t ordinarily make. Along these same lines, skipping breakfast may encourage you to eat more later in the day at lunch or dinner. You may think you’re saving calories, but over the course of a day, you can end up consuming more calories than if you had simply eaten breakfast. With so much research on the subject of breakfast, one thing is clear: You should eat when you feel hungry. You don’t have to live by the conventional wisdom of “three squares a day.” When you listen to your body, you’ll feel better for it!

have to deal with mood swings — often referred to as being “hangry” — caused by low blood sugar. A healthy breakfast can stabilize your mood, helping you feel more positive, energized, and focused throughout the morning. We can, however, bust the notion that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” This phrase was used to market breakfast cereal in

the last century. In reality, it doesn’t mean anything. The most important meal of the

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