Flattmann Law - July 2020
FLATTMANN FILES “Quality Is No Accident”
July 2020
FROM THE DESK OF Grady Flattmann
ULTIMATE SUMMERTIME GRILL MASTER How to Become the
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, with its peak from mid- August to late October. We talked about hurricanes in an article last year, but I am bringing it up again because that is how important I think it is. While preparing for your family’s safety takes top priority, here are a few ways to prepare yourself for hurricane season financially . First, make sure you have adequate insurance coverage, including homeowners and flood insurance. Talk to your agent and be sure to mention the value of any high-end furniture, artwork, etc. that you own. Note: Insuring expensive artwork may require an appraiser. Second, spend 10–15 minutes walking around your house videotaping your contents. Make sure to capture expensive items, even those hidden in cabinets. If you have time, create a written log of any items that would be difficult to replace. Finally, make a note of your policy number and the insurance company’s phone number and keep that information in your phone. If you have any questions on these topics or any other related topics, feel free to call me at (985) 590-6182.
There’s nothing quite like firing up the grill in the middle of summer. Whether you’re having a Fourth of July barbecue or just grilling up some dinner after work, you can’t beat the classic sizzle as meat and vegetables hit those hot grates. It’s a feast for all the senses. If you’re like most people, one thought has probably crossed your mind: “How can I be a better griller?”You might have your burger game down, but what about everything else? Do you get the most out of your grill and turn out unforgettable meals every time? It doesn’t matter if you use a charcoal, a gas, or even an electric grill. Anyone can unleash their inner grill master with a few easy tips. Don’t Walk Away When you’re grilling, you never want to walk away from your grill once you’ve put the food on the grates. When your attention is pulled elsewhere, you risk ruination. All it takes is a few minutes of distraction to ruin a perfectly good steak. When the meat goes down and you watch it — and keep an eye on the internal temperature — the results will speak for themselves.
Speaking of monitoring internal temperatures, TV chef and personality Alton Brown, best known for “Good Eats” and“Cutthroat Kitchen,” recommends keeping a digital instant-read probe thermometer on hand to check on those internal temperatures, which is a must for meats like chicken and pork. Chicken, for instance, should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for dark meat and 160 degrees F for white meat. Pork should hit a minimum of 145 degrees F. Branch Out If you really want to step up your grilling game, put away the burgers, hot dogs, and steak and say hello to … pizza! You can technically grill just about anything. Just think of your grill as an outdoor oven. While the primary heat source may be below the grates, when the lid is closed, heat circulates through the entire grill space, effectively cooking or baking whatever you have inside. Pizza is a great example of what you can cook in a grill, and it’s very easy. Start with your own homemade dough or buy some at the grocery store. Roll it out to fit your grill space
I wish us all a tame and safe hurricane season!
-Grady
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and add your favorite sauce, cheese, and other toppings. Then, take it to a grill heated to about 500 degrees F. You can put it directly on the grill or on a pan or pizza stone. If you do use a pizza stone, preheat the stone on the grill first. Keep in mind that if you put the pizza directly on the grill, you will get some char around the edges of the crust, so if you want a more golden-brown crust, a pizza stone is recommended. Include Dessert Pizza isn’t the only type of pie you can grill. You can also grill dessert pie. If you’re feeling cobbler, you can do that too. Grilling pie is relatively straightforward. Simply prepare your favorite pie recipe. Fruit pies are highly recommended for grilling, but you can also grill other types of pie that you would normally bake. The challenge comes in determining when it’s done. A grill can be a little more finicky than an oven, but generally speaking, you want to keep temperatures about the same. If you would bake a pie at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes in the oven, try to hit that temperature and time in the grill. Just remember to keep a very close eye on it. Every 10 minutes, take a look and see how it’s coming along — but don’t let too much heat out. When it looks done, pull it out, let it rest, and get ready to serve up a delicious grilled pie.
Grilling is all about culinary freedom. Experiment, have fun, and dig in!
‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’
The Daring True Story of an Allied Getaway During WWII
What do Steve “The King of Cool”McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner have in common? They all starred in the 1963 WorldWar II classic “The Great Escape.” What makes the movie amazing to watch isn’t just that it’s full of legendary stars like McQueen and Garner or the fact that the action sequences were filmed using practical stunts, not special effects. What makes it truly incredible is that this story actually happened. Based on WWII veteran Paul Brickhill’s book, “The Great Escape” depicts a group of Allied officers as they attempt to escape from Stalag Luft III, one of the most heavily reinforced prison camps under German watch. Loose sand, raised prison housing, and seismographic microphones were all meant to deter prisoners from digging their way out. But one prisoner wasn’t discouraged. Squadron Leader Roger Bushell saw these factors as obstacles to overcome rather than inescapable conditions. And in the spring of 1943, he initiated a plan to get himself and 200 of his fellow prisoners out of the camp.
that the microphones couldn’t detect them and long enough to reach outside of the camp’s walls. On a chilly night in 1944 — a year after the endeavor began — one tunnel was finally ready, and the prisoners began their exit. In all, 76 Allied men managed to escape from Stalag Luft III. While freedom was short-lived for some, the escapees were successful in redirecting Nazi efforts from the front lines. And as veteran Jack Lyon said of the escape, “It did do a lot for morale, particularly for those prisoners who’d been there for a long time. They felt they were able to contribute something, even if they weren’t able to get out.” For the rest of the story, you’ll have to watch the movie or read the book. You can watch “The Great Escape” on Amazon Prime, and you can find Brickhill’s daring tale at most book retailers.
During the next year, over 600 prisoners helped with the effort of digging tunnels underneath Stalag Luft III. They had to be deep enough
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Do you know Arthur?
Knock knock! Who’s there? Theresa. Theresa who? Theresa crowd!
KNOCK KNOCK! WHO’S THERE? The Wacky Evolution of the Knock-Knock Joke
Arthur who?
Arthurmomete
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!
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:
Take a Break!
No-Churn S’mores Ice Cream
July is National Ice CreamMonth, so why not cool off with some sweet, homemade s’mores ice cream? You don’t even need an ice cream churn!
Ingredients
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14 oz sweetened condensed milk
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1 chocolate bar, chopped
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2 cups whipping cream, chilled
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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10 graham crackers, crushed
Directions 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, graham crackers, and chocolate. 2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat whipping cream until peaks form, about 3 minutes. 3. Fold whipping cream into the condensed milk mixture. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 8 hours. 4. Serve and enjoy on a hot summer day. It’s especially delicious in a waffle cone!
CAESAR FIREWORKS GRILLING INDEPENDENCE
LARKSPUR PEACHES PICNIC POPSICLES
RUBY SPARKLER SUNGLASSES SWIMMING
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Grady Flattmann PAGE 1 Unleash Your Inner Grill Master PAGE 1 Inside the Biggest Escape Attempt of WWII PAGE 2 The Wacky Evolution of the Knock-Knock Joke PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Homemade S’mores Ice Cream PAGE 3 What Does the Constitution Mean to You? PAGE 4
WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION MEAN TO YOU? Debating the Document That’s Shaped Our Country
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 15-year-old Heidi (played by Schreck in the original production) as she gives her speech and talks about the Constitution. At other times, 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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