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FROMTHE DESKS OF Razumich & Delamater
MAYPOLES, MAYFLIES, AND THE MAYFLOWER Celebrating May’s Impact on the English Language
As I’m writing this, it’s March 25, and the Governor’s “shelter in place” order has been in effect for about 15 hours. It’s my hope that by the time this reaches you, the worst of the current health crisis will be beyond us. These are difficult times, moreso for a practice that focuses on protecting the accused. Many of our clients have had their cases continued until at least May, and we’re doing the best that we can to provide answers regarding issues of bail and release from custody. Like many businesses, my team is largely working from home right now. I want to stress that we ARE working, we ARE addressing your concerns as quickly as ever, and we are STILL HERE to protect your future and your freedom. It’s easy to give into despair at these times, but we want everyone to know that we are prepared to continue fighting to protect your rights. Criminal charges don’t go away, and it’s important to keep focused on making sure that you aren’t treated harshly by an indifferent legal system. Hopefully this article will seem dated when we hit publication. If it’s not, we are still here for you.
to using m’aidez , which means “help me.” Soon, the English added their own spin, deciphering the phrase as “mayday.”The new phrase went global thanks to bulletins posted in popular publications, and today, it’s known as a worldwide distress signal. Not to be confused with the international phrase for help, May Day is a cultural celebration dating back millennia. For some cultures, May Day, traditionally held on May 1, is an important day signifying the halfway point of the year. Other cultures celebrate and honor fertility on May Day with maypoles that represent male fertility and wreaths and ribbons that depict female fertility.
There are many reasons to celebrate in May. Among thanking Mom, honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and embarking on postgraduation adventures, there’s no shortage of importance when it comes to May. And the English language makes this pretty clear. Check out these unique facts about English words or phrases that use the word “may.” AVOIDING MAYDAY ON MAY DAY About 100 years ago, the English and French faced quite a dilemma. As aircraft paths were more frequently crossing the English Channel, the countries needed to develop a distress signal that could be easily distinguished over the radio. While SOS was commonly used by armies across the globe as a sign of mayhem, “S” sounds were hard to hear over the radio. The French reverted
-John Razumich and Joe Delamater
Today, May Day celebrations continue in their traditional format, while some people
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celebrate the holiday by simply doing kind deeds for their neighbors. Thankfully, there’s little cause for mayday on May Day. MAY’S MOST FAMOUS SHIP The Mayflower, named after the English word for the small, white hawthorn flower, served as a merchant ship before making its biggest voyage in 1620 from England to the eastern coast of North America. But the Mayflower was one of many. There were actually dozens of English ships named Mayflower, and in 1620, today’s most famous ship in the bunch headed
down the River Thames into the English Channel with another boat, the Speedwell. A group of Puritans and others fleeing religious persecution boarded the vessels, hoping for a new home in the West. But there’s a reason why we only recognize the Mayflower and why the Speedwell has been forgotten for most of history. Just as the two ships began their journey in August, the Speedwell sprang a leak. Waiting for repairs pushed the journey’s start date to September, and that attempt was just as unsuccessful. After this second leak on the Speedwell, weary travelers either gave up on the trek altogether or joined the hopeful Pilgrims on the Mayflower. In November 1620, after a treacherous, dangerous, and deadly journey, the Mayflower finally landed in present-day Cape Cod. The rest is history — literally. LIVING LIKE A MAYFLY Life is short, especially if you’re a mayfly. To no surprise, mayflies hatch in May, but they traditionally only live a few days. Most of that
time is spent mating and reproducing, which mayflies are particularly skilled at. The average female mayfly can lay anywhere between 400–3,000 eggs. After being dropped in water, the eggs grow and mature before hatching every May. Many people who live near rivers have come to expect the mayflies’ uncanny ability to blanket entire towns in a mask of creepy-crawlies when they hatch each spring. Despite their short lifespans, mayflies are actually powerful little creatures. Fish feed on the insects and their carcasses, making them popular bait among fishermen. Scientists even use mayfly eggs as a marker for water pollution and clarity. The eggs are extremely sensitive to pollution of any kind, and only one-fourth survive mild pollution. Still, researchers believe mayflies are evolutionary wonders. They are believed to have been around before dinosaurs, and the famed Greek philosopher Aristotle even mentioned mayflies in his writing. If there’s one thing you take away from this article, it should be that we could all live a little bit more like the mayfly and seize the day.
THE TIMELESS CHARMOF THE DRIVE-INMOVIE Plus, How to Create Your Own Outdoor Cinema
Summertime is synonymous with many childhood experiences: hours splashing in the pool, sleepaway camp, and snow cones, to name a few. A quintessential summer destination that isn’t as common these days is the drive-in theater, yet many childhood memories are built on this little bit of nostalgia. The first drive-in theater opened in 1933 in Camden, New Jersey. At the time, films cost 25 cents per person, plus 25 cents per car, and drive-ins usually got movies in the second run, after they’d shown at indoor theaters. The trend started off slow, but by the ‘50s, Americans had fully embraced the outdoor theater experience. The ‘80s brought a charismatic Michael J. Fox to audiences in “Back to the Future,” and shortly after, “The Sandlot” hit the big screen and gave us lines that we’d quote for the next decade (“You’re killin’me, Smalls!”).
As of 2018, USA Today estimated that only about 330 drive-in theaters still exist in the United States. But if you don’t have one in your area, there’s a way you can enjoy the outdoor movie experience without having to leave your backyard. Your outdoor cinema starts with a projector. If you don’t have one, they are readily available to purchase at most big-box stores. For playing the movie, you’ll need a laptop and streaming service or a DVD or Blu-ray player. You’ll connect these devices to your projector through an HDMI port. As long as you’re not broadcasting to the whole neighborhood, stereo or computer speakers should be just fine, but you can also opt for a Bluetooth speaker that will give your audio a big boost. Next, you’ll need a flat surface to display the movie. A plain, white bedsheet makes a good screen, or you can make your own with white
fabric from craft stores or online. Cushions, blankets, and outdoor hanging lights add a fun touch to your cinema. Just be sure to turn the lights off before the movie begins — and silence those cellphones! Once your setup is complete, select your movie, get the popcorn popping, and enjoy some movie magic right in your backyard.
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THE STORY OF GRANDPAMASON How a Feral Cat Came to Care for Orphaned Kittens
When cats are orphaned as kittens, they don’t get the chance to develop all the skills needed to become successful cats. Just like human children, kittens need older role models too. The most famous cat role model had a rough start in life but became an inspiration for kittens and humans alike. His name was Grandpa Mason, and during the last years of his life, he stepped up and gave love, care, and guidance to the orphaned kittens that lived with him.
The Canadian animal rescue group TinyKittens rescued Grandpa Mason in 2016 from a property that was scheduled to be bulldozed. The poor feral tabby was suffering from many health problems, including severe dental issues, a badly injured paw, and advanced kidney disease. Since TinyKittens is a no-kill rescue organization, euthanization was out of the question. Given his health conditions, veterinarians predicted the battle-scarred Grandpa Mason didn’t have long to live, so TinyKittens’ founder, Shelly Roche, took him in and provided him with a comfortable place to sleep, plenty of food, and time to relax in the last months of his life. Grandpa Mason had a hard time adjusting to domestic life and would often shy away from being petted. In an interview with The Dodo, Roche described him as “an elderly gentleman [who] lived his whole life a certain way, and then, all of a sudden, [was] forced to live completely differently.”
After Grandpa Mason grew accustomed to his home, Roche took in several foster kittens, and those new roommates completely altered Grandpa Mason’s behavior. Roche expected him to hiss, swat, or growl at the kittens when they invaded his space, but he didn’t. Instead, he allowed them to crawl all over him and appeared to enjoy it when they licked his ear. Suddenly a playful, affectionate, and gentle personality came out of Grandpa Mason as he played with, bathed, taught, and cared for the orphaned kittens that Roche welcomed into her home. Potentially due to the kittens’ influence, Grandpa Mason surpassed his prognosis by more than two years. During the last few years of his life, Grandpa Mason passed on important lessons and good manners to the kittens he looked after and adored, as a true grandfather should. He passed last September, but he spent his last night in his ultimate happy place: snuggling in his bed surrounded by kittens.
Take a Break!
GRILLED PRIME RIB
Inspired by Primal Palate
Who says the cookout has to ruin your diet? Try this paleo-friendly recipe for amain dish that’s worthy of your next barbecue.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 lbs beef rib roast 1 tsp Himalayan salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
1. Take rib roast out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. 2. Season roast with salt and pepper and allow it to rest for 10 minutes while you heat a gas grill to 600 F. 3. Sear roast for 3–4 minutes on each side. 4. Turn off the grill but continue cooking the steak, flipping every 4–5 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 F. Remove from grill. 5. Allow the roast to rest — its internal temperature will continue to climb — for 5–10 minutes. Slice and serve.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desks of Razumich & Delamater PAGE 1 Facts About Words That Start With ‘May’ PAGE 1 The Timeless Charm of the Drive-In Movie PAGE 2 The Best Grandfather a Kitten Could Have PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Grilled Prime Rib PAGE 3 A $60,000 Robbery With No Jail Time PAGE 4
THE $60,000 HEIST YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF CRIMELESS THEFT IN CYBERSPACE
In 2017, sometime between Sept. 11 and 12, a total of $60,000 worth of digital assets were stolen from people around the world. The conspirators didn’t hide their identities, and they faced no criminal charges. As it turns out, there are no laws against stealing spaceships in a video game — even if they’re worth thousands of real-world dollars. EVE Online is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that was launched in 2003, and it was on this game that the theft occurred. This science-fiction game is all about spacefaring, but one notable feature of the game is that it allows players to purchase in-game assets with real money. This attracts players who can spend large sums on the game, with some of the game’s largest spaceships costing $9,000. But one thing to note in EVE Online is that no matter how much you pay, once you lose an asset, it’s gone forever.
Because of the risk-reward nature of the game, many players unite in huge factions for safety and to pool their resources. One of these groups, Circle of Two or CO2, was the target of the 2017 attack. Within a matter of hours, CO2’s bank accounts were drained and the space stations holding their fleets of ships were sold to their enemies. It was clear from the beginning: This was an inside job. The thief was CO2’s own head diplomat, a player called“The Judge.” For years he’d worked his way through the alliance’s ranks, only to use the access he eventually gained to rob it blind. But greed may not have been his only motivation. He’d had public disagreements with CO2’s leader called Gigx, and a rival faction was able to capitalize on this internal conflict. During an in-person EVE Online summit held in Iceland, representatives fromThe GoonSwarm Federation convinced The Judge to leave
CO2 and commit the single largest robbery in gaming history on his way out.
In the real world, The Judge’s actions were completely legal —currently, international law doesn’t treat such virtual objects as personal property. But this perceptionmay be changing. As in-game purchases become more widespread in video games, legal lines have blurred, causing an increasing number of lawmakers to rethink what constitutes“ownership” in the digital age. But, for now at least, it seems like a good time to be a space pirate.
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