SWERDLOFF In The Know
www.lawwithasmile.com • 310-577-9104
OCTOBER 2018
GETTING BACK TO MY HOBBY AND REMEMBERING TOHAVE FUN
When I was a kid, the real fear I had in grade school stemmed from safety drills. This was right at the critical moment of the Cold War with Russia, so they had us preparing for anything and everything, diving under our desks in case the worst happened. Eisenhower was president, and he talked about problems all over the world. Listening to that was enough to make me afraid to go outside! I got very frightened that the whole world was going to blow up. It’s the biggest fear I can remember having as a kid. One day our school did a group interview, a kind of survey, where they asked us how we felt about the state of the world. “I’m not hopeful,” I said. I was about 9 years old. “The world’s going to end.” Boy, did I get in trouble for that! My pessimism was not what the teachers wanted to hear from such a young person. I wasn’t the only one who was scared, though. Our parents feared for the safety of their children. Polio was another scare for people in those days. There were a couple summers when the epidemic was at its high point, and our parents would barely let us out of the house — no going to movie theaters or swimming during those years. This was before vaccinations, and they were afraid we’d get polio. Since we couldn’t go to the pools or movies, and television wasn’t much of a distraction in those days, we had to find other ways
to entertain ourselves. I was just starting to get into photography, and we had a little house in the backyard that I converted into a darkroom. My mom gave me a little Hawkeye box camera, and I started with pictures of our family, then friends and athletic events. Photography began to blossom into a real passion. In middle school, I took sports photos, and in high school, I took photos for the yearbook. I even got some published in our local newspaper. I’ve loved taking pictures ever since. Somehow, despite all the scary possibilities when I was a kid, it all worked out. The fear began to lift and things got better. Thank goodness for photography. Having that to turn to helped me get through some of my fears and not focus on the scary possibilities that the radio broadcasted. Without photography, I probably would just be hiding under a rock. It’s still a hobby I enjoy today. I just returned from a visit to see my son, daughter-in-law, and little 7 1/2-month- old granddaughter, and it was a good opportunity to get back to my hobby. Though I have several cameras, these days, I usually use my cell phone. It takes great pictures and videos. You can bet I took some photos and videos of my granddaughter! I took some great ones from her time in Gymboree, where I went mostly as an observer. The instructors played music, the little ones bopped and bounced, and I tried to get some action shots during all of this.
For “parachute time,” a parachute goes under the little ones, then they shake it, and lift it above them — they bring it up and down, and it’s a hoot. My granddaughter squealed with delight. The instructors try to make it a really good time, and it looked like it was working! I delighted in seeing her enjoy herself so much. In these stressful times, it's important to find moments of joy. What are you doing for fun this month? –Arthur J. Swerdloff
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HOW TO REWIND LIFE’S CLOCK USING SOCIAL MEDIA THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT?
situations. But as children grow older and eventually leave home, parents are forced to adjust to their dwindling social lives. While some adults thrive in meeting new people, many struggle to find ways to connect with their peers. Fortunately, there are apps for that.
requirements in a partner. Some are seeking casual relationships, while others are looking for someone to grow old with. OurTime is a dating app that allows seniors to find partners with similar values, priorities, and passions. It’s a great way to find new people to share the golden years with. SKYPE You don’t have to wait for the holidays for your next group gathering; Skype allows you the opportunity to have video chats with anyone who has a smartphone. Maybe your conversation about the football game got cut short at church, or maybe you never finished your discussion at book club. Whatever the occasion, Skype gives you the option to connect with the people around you, even when you don’t feel like leaving the comfort of your house.
EASY FACEBOOK FOR SENIORS The mother ship of social media can
sometimes be more of a maze than a way to connect with others. Facebook took notice of this and created a simplified version of the app specifically designed for those who want to avoid all the distractions. Ease of use makes the opportunity to connect with others who have similar interests simpler than ever. OURTIME Dating in your 50s can be tricky, especially when many singles are looking for specific
One of the hardest challenges of aging isn’t coping with the physical changes or new limitations associated with getting older; it’s finding new groups of people with similar interests, especially for empty nesters. Many adults build their peer networks around their children, making them the focal point of conversations with other parents in similar
THINK YOU’RE READY TO CREATE YOUR LIVING TRUST?
Make Sure You’ve Checked These Boxes
This might be one of the most important things you ever do: putting a plan in place for your loved ones. Last month, we shared some of the different types of wills and trusts that you can choose from. If you’ve decided that a living trust is right for you, there’s a little more preparation you’ll want to do before putting it into place. First, list all of your assets. This includes everything you own, both tangible — like your home, car, and business — and intangible — like stocks and life-insurance policies. This list will be helpful in seeing what you are leaving behind to loved ones as you start to think about how to divide your assets. Next, organize deeds, titles, stock certificates — all of the paperwork proving that you are the owner of these assets. Your attorney will need to have these accessible as they draft your trust.
die. These can be family members, friends, and even organizations like charities. If you’ve designated beneficiaries on any insurance policies or retirement accounts, talk to your attorney to see that there’s no conflict between what’s listed there and what your living trust will designate. This can help prevent legal disputes among beneficiaries later on. Finally, you’ll designate a successor trustee, the person who will handle your accounts and distribute your assets after you’re gone. In a living trust, you’ll select yourself as the trustee so you can still have control over your assets. The successor trustee will only take over if you are incapacitated or after your death. When you’re ready to put these pieces into place, contact the Swerdloff Law Firm. We are here to help you create a legacy for your loved ones and ensure their future is secure.
You’ll then want to select your beneficiaries, anyone who will receive assets when you
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ONE COUPLE TAKES ON TURTLE AND TORTOISE RESCUE IN MALIBU
HOW WORLD TURTLE DAY CAME TO BE
When Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson adopted two Russian tortoises in 1990, they didn’t know that they would go global in a growing effort that would eventually result in the rescue and rehoming of close to 4,000 turtles and tortoises. Today, they continue their cause through the American Tortoise Rescue, the nonprofit they established for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, with its home base at a Malibu ranch. There, turtles and tortoises roam the property, happy to be home. These include Russian tortoise Evil Knievel and rehabilitated Little Guy. Why turtles and tortoises? They are frequently mistreated, and there’s too much misinformation about how to care for a pet turtle or tortoise, which leads to animal deaths and deformities.
for slaughter, and baby turtles are sold illegally, despite this being banned in 1974.
• Don’t buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop. This increases the demand and removes them from the wild. • If you see a turtle in the road, you can help it safely to the other side, but don’t turn it around — it will just turn right around again. Keep your own safety in mind while doing this!
In addition to rescuing and caring for turtles and tortoises who’ve been mistreated, Susan and Marshall are passionate about the educational piece that’s been missing in the case of turtles and tortoises. They’re on a mission to get accurate information out there through their organization, events, and publications. In 2000, American Tortoise Rescue founded World Turtle Day on May 23, and the event has been growing since. The 2018 event was celebrated around the world, including at the Lahore Zoo in India. One statistic stands out on the American Tortoise Rescue website, tortoise.com: Scientists predict the disappearance of turtles and tortoises in the next 50 years. The American Tortoise Rescue has a few suggestions for how you can help protect this vulnerable species:
• Don’t take turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
• Write letters to your legislators and ask them to stop offshore drilling — it can lead to sea turtle deaths — and to keep sensitive areas preserved.
• If you see a tiny turtle — less than four inches — being sold, report it.
The illegal sale of turtles continues today — live food markets sell turtles
Please see tortoise.com for more information.
SUDOKU
PALEO PUMPKIN COCONUT SMOOTHIE
This meal-in-a-glass smoothie will cure your craving for a pumpkin spice latte. It’s packed with nutrients and fall flavor. If you’re the type of person who uses your blender more than your pots and pans, you’ll definitely want to add this recipe to your rotation.
Ingredients
• 1 frozen banana, sliced • 1 cup ice
• 1 cup coconut milk • 1/4 cup organic pumpkin purée • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or substitute with cinnamon and ginger)
Instructions
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. 2. Blend on high or on smoothie setting until smooth. 3. Transfer to a cold glass, garnish with pumpkin pie spice, and serve.
Inspired by cookeatpaleo.com
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INSIDE
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Facing Your Fears
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Turn Back Time With Social Media A Checklist For Estate Planning
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A Turtle Sanctuary in Malibu Paleo Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie
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Cop Lip-Sync Challenges Go Viral
POLICE OFFICERS SING THEIR HEARTS OUT Check Out These Lip-Sync Challenges Across the U.S.
When you think of viral videos of police officers, you may not imagine your local police department lip-syncing pop songs. But this new online trend is taking the internet by storm. To show a more positive side of their departments, many stations all over the country have participated in a lip-sync challenge. While these challenges were created to make viewers laugh, their driving purpose was to create a connection between officers and their communities. They hope to remind civilians that behind every badge is a person who isn’t all that different from you. The challenge started when Alexander Mena, a deputy in the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, posted a video of himself lip-syncing “Fuiste Mala” by the Kumbia Kings on June 19 of this year. His video, which gained over 1.5 million views, encouraged other officers to follow suit.
Mena, a recruiting-team deputy with Bexar County for three years, has been making lip-sync videos since he downloaded Snapchat on his phone. The day he recorded this particular video, he sent it to his sergeant, who passed it along to the officers who handle social media for their office. Then it went viral. Several of the other individual officers responded with their own videos of mainstream hits like ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” and One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” The popularity of these initial challenges inspired other stations to create their own videos featuring entire departments singing and dancing in unison. Some of the videos with the most views are the Norfolk Police Department lip-syncing Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” the Apple Valley Police Department lip-syncing The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and
the San Francisco Police Department lip-syncing Too Short’s “Blow the Whistle.” Keep checking your social media to see who gets challenged next!
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