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June 2023 FLATTMANN FILES “Quality Is No Accident” Will You Try Grady’s Safe Driving Challenge? Prevent an Accident This National Safety Month!
fourth step. We all know good driving habits, but do we enforce them? Now is the time to start driving with our full attention and become more cautious of our surroundings. When driving on our daily routes, we often become too comfortable. What I mean by this is that drivers become less cautious and simply put their minds on autopilot. This is a recipe for disaster and a primary reason why most accidents happen so close to home. The fifth and final step to my challenge is to start taking mental notes. We often experience various distractions when driving, whether it’s rowdy kids, a ringing phone, or fixing the lid on our morning coffee. Whatever the distraction, think of how it affects your driving and how you can minimize it. Distracted driving is often considered just as dangerous as drunk driving. That’s why we all must ensure we focus on the road. Like working our muscles at the gym, we can train our brains to react efficiently to potential hazards. This easy challenge can be eye- opening to all the ways we’ve been slacking when it comes to safe driving. As we continue to practice defensive driving, it will become second nature. We should be cautious, even on the roads we’ve driven 100 times before. Our team has worked hard to compile excellent safety information that you can find on our website, FlattmannLaw.com . There, we are constantly adding articles covering car and truck collisions, pedestrian accidents, personal injuries, and more. Our Facebook page also has a treasure trove of information! I’ve recently started a new segment, Flattman Law’s Dashcam Captures, where I share dashcam footage of dangerous and outrageous drivers. It’s astounding to watch! I hope you try my safe driving challenge this month and remember to stay focused on even the most mundane drives. Be sure to check out our website and Facebook page for more news and crazy dashcam footage!
In my line of work, accidents and severe injuries are all too frequent. That’s why I don’t just provide safety information for my clients; I also try to find ways to stay safe in my own life. June is National Safety Month and the perfect time to share a shocking statistic. Recently, I learned that most car accidents occur within just 5 miles of a person’s home. While this may seem scary, I think of it as good news. Why? Well, with this information, we know exactly where an accident may take place and can take action NOW to help prevent it. I want you to think about the usual routes you drive throughout the week. Regular routes often include the work commute, school drop off, or familiar journey to Rouses, Target or Walmart. I’ve created a simple challenge I hope we both can give a try this National Safety Month, and it only takes a few steps.
You’ve already done the first step! Review and pay attention to your typical drives and the various intersections, stop signs, etc. along the way. Next, think about the possible accidents that can happen at these spots or the potential actions of other drivers. Do people often run this light? Have you seen an accident at this intersection before? When you know all the possible outcomes, you can better prepare for them. Now, imagine how you should react in these dangerous situations. Use your already ample knowledge of safe driving and apply it! Simply visualizing how you would react in a possible accident can help you handle the crash if it were ever to occur. This leads to the
-Grady Flattmann
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Why People Can’t Get Enough of Pickleball
America’s Fastest- Growing Sport
and old alike can fairly square off. Professional athletes can enjoy the sport, but so can children and seniors. Best of all, they can play together on mostly even footing. With its low-impact nature, pickleball first found favor among adults 65 and older. But as its popularity grew, the sport began attracting younger and younger players. USA Pickleball reported in 2021 that most growth was in players under 55. Pickleball courts are in high demand, and they’re popping up everywhere. So, if you want to try the game, you shouldn’t have to travel too far. Enthusiasts predict the sport has a future in the Olympics — not too bad for a game that began with a family trip and a rowdy dog.
If your friends and neighbors aren’t talking about pickleball, they will be soon. In 2021, news outlets reported an explosion in the sport, with NPR estimating 4.8 million players. By 2022, that number had ballooned to 36.5 million players — an astonishing 14% of Americans. Even star athletes like Lebron James and Tom Brady are playing. For the uninitiated, pickleball is often described as a combination of tennis, badminton, and pingpong. Three fathers invented the game in 1965 to entertain their bored children on vacation. They rounded up the limited equipment they had on hand, including a wiffle ball, pingpong paddles, and a badminton net they lowered to tennis height. As the game developed, they realized the ball bounced nicely on asphalt — even though legend says a family dog named Pickles kept running off with it. Like in tennis, pickleball involves hitting a ball back and forth over a net. Usually played by four people in teams of two, a player can hit the ball back over the net from in the air (a volley) or after it bounces on the ground (a groundstroke). But the creators instituted a seven-foot no-volley zone, “or kitchen,” next to the net. The extra space deters spiking and minimizes running. Those are the basics. Learn a few rules about serving, scoring, and when different hits are allowed, and you’re ready to play. But that still leaves a question: What’s the big deal? The ease of learning the sport is one of pickleball’s greatest appeals, but the reasons people love playing it go far beyond that. One of pickleball’s key advantages is that it rewards skill — not size, age, strength, or fitness. Thanks to the kitchen, young
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TAKE A BREAK
PUPPY POWER IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN How Do Cute Images Affect Your Mind?
SOLUTION
“Kawaii” is the Japanese word for “cute,” which apparently alters our brains more than we thought! During The Power of Kawaii study, Hiroshima University researched the effects of viewing images of cute animals, and what they discovered was shocking. Researchers found that these adorable animals can help us improve our concentration, especially on detail-oriented tasks. Participants who viewed images of puppies and kittens could accomplish tasks with greater care and attention than those shown other pictures. How did they measure concentration, and why cute animals? What method was used in the initial experiment? In the first experiment, researchers split a group of 48 participants and had each person play a surgery game similar to “Operation.” Using tiny tweezers, the participants had to grasp small objects without touching the edges. Afterward, one group observed images of puppies and kittens, and the other viewed photos of adult dogs and cats. After viewing the pictures, both groups played the game again. The result? The first group had a significant improvement when playing the game. They approached the game more deliberately and at a slower pace to carefully remove the objects without touching the edges. Meanwhile, the second group showed no difference in their performance. Why do these cute images affect us? After more experiments with increased difficulty, the researchers concluded that the sweet animals made a noticeable impact on our brains. Participants showed higher levels of focus, concentration, and carefulness both mentally and behaviorally. The reasoning may be that seeing baby animals triggers our nurturing side and, in turn, makes us more careful and alert. We sense something needing protection, care, and focus. At a subconscious level, you likely will become more cautious in how you think and behave after looking at pictures of baby animals. So, the next time you need to do something tedious or detail-oriented, prep yourself with a cute puppies and kittens slideshow to ensure you get the job done right!
GOAT CHEESE AND THYME STUFFED CHICKEN
Inspired by BBCGoodFood.com
Ingredients
• 4 pieces of thin-sliced bacon • Olive oil • 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced • 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts • 3.5 oz firm goat cheese • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 2–3 sprigs
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Split the chicken breasts almost in half along the long side, open them like a book, then flatten the sides out. 3. Put the goat cheese on the “open book” side of the chicken and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Fold the chicken over to enclose the cheese, then wrap each breast in 2 slices of bacon. 4. Lightly oil a shallow gratin or casserole dish, then arrange overlapping rows of zucchini and tomatoes on the bottom. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then set chicken on top. Place thyme sprigs on chicken. 5. Bake for 40–45 minutes until the bacon is crisp and golden and the zucchini is tender.
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Flattmann Law (985) 590-6182 FlattmannLaw.com 213 W. 21st Ave. Covington, LA 70433 “Quality Is No Accident”
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Stay Safe on Repetitive Routes
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Pickleball Is Taking America by Storm
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Goat Cheese and Thyme Stuffed Chicken Cute Puppies = Concentration
You’re Legally Obligated to Walk Your Dog?
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Walk Your Furry Friend or Get Fined A PECULIAR ROMAN REQUIREMENT:
reasons illegal. Additionally, the city will recognize those feeding and caring for the countless stray cats roaming the stone- paved streets. And last but not least, round fishbowls are also illegal, as the circular shape forces the fish to swim in circles, which is disorienting and can affect the fish’s mood and behavior. But Rome isn’t the only city in Italy with animal-friendly laws. In Turin, for example, dog owners are required to walk their pets at least three times a day or face a fine of $650. Meanwhile, in Reggio Emilia, it is illegal to boil live lobsters. The city officials considered this cooking method “useless torture.” Even though Italy is known for stunning landscapes and delicious cuisine, it can also take credit for holding pet owners accountable and ensuring they take proper care of their animal companions.
with ongoing problems due to dogs being cooped up in small apartments or abandoned in the streets. Monica Cirinna, who created the law, explained, “It’s good to do whatever we can for our animals who, in exchange for a little love, fill our existence with their attention.” She also told the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero that “the civilization of a city can also be measured by this.” How authorities in Rome can enforce this law is still unclear, but the city also passed other less-ambiguous animal welfare laws. Aside from the mandatory daily dog walk, docking an animal’s ears or tails and selling animals at fairgrounds are also illegal acts. While Rome may seem dog-biased, cat people will be happy to learn the Italian city didn’t forget felines. They passed another law to make declawing a cat for aesthetic
If you live in Rome and feel too lazy to walk your dog, you better think twice before breaking the law. Wait, the law? Yes! In 2005, the city of Rome passed a law requiring every dog owner to walk their furry friend at least once a day if they wanted to avoid a fine. This was one of the multiple laws protecting the safety and well-being of Roman animals. The city had been dealing
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