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Car Accidents | Truck Accidents | Pedestrian Accidents | Slip & Fall/Premises Liability | Wrongful Death
Luck Doesn’t Occur by Happenstance We Create Our Own Good Fortune
As the Irish blessing goes, “May good luck always be your friend through life in all you do, and may trouble be always a stranger to you.” Every March 17, we celebrate the luck of the Irish. I always have a great time celebrating, but allow me to let you in on a little secret — I don’t believe in luck! Instead, I believe that through actions, hard work, and dedication, you can place yourself in situations where you may stumble upon luck and wind up “getting lucky” and hitting it big. Whether it’s in your business, professional life, relationships, financial well-being, or your fitness and health, we all create our own luck and good fortune. For example, unless you’re one of those individuals who naturally remains lean no matter what they eat and how little they exercise, for the vast majority of us, going to the gym and eating a healthy diet is the only way to achieve a toned body. Even those who just naturally “have it” can chalk it all up to good genetics — not luck. It takes dedication, discipline, and patience to achieve a trim physique, and it doesn’t just happen overnight. The same is true for pretty much everything in life. When someone achieves something positive, many will look from the outside in and say that they “got lucky” or had a connection from friends. However, at the end of the day, I know that at least for me personally, I have created my own luck. At the age of 14, I took on my first job, began creating my own income stream, building relationships, and networking. I put in long days and from that moment on, my hustle never stopped; it only ramped up. My outlook on luck is likely why I don’t play the lottery, but for those who do, maybe by playing multiple times a week, you’ll create your own good fortune. To that, I wish you the best of luck! Switching gears for a moment, did any of you catch Lebron James breaking the all-time scoring record? As I watched it from my couch, I happened to notice a post on Facebook with a side- by-side comparison photo of Michael Jordan’s game-winning
shot in game 6 of the 1998 finals. In the photo from 1998, the crowd seemed captivated and focused on Michael Jordan. However, the Lebron James photo looks completely different — the entire crowd has their phone out and you can’t even see their eyes. Everyone was so focused on capturing the moment on their phones that they forgot to take a moment to soak in what was happening in real life right in front of them. It got me thinking about how much of the world we miss out on by being absorbed in our phones, laptops, emails, and televisions. I think that society as a whole has placed such a large emphasis on the importance of working hard, and with so many distractions and advances in technology, we lose sight of what is really important. Thus, on March 3, we celebrate the National Day of Unplugging. I encourage us all to take a moment and reflect on all that we may have missed out on in life and take
some much-needed time to “unplug” and be in the moment with those who matter most. Life is too short, so make the most of it!
-Louis Bernardo Berk
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The Mac and Cheese Legal Debacle Can This Lawsuit Elbow Its Way to a Courtroom Win?
Here’s a fun fact for you: In the fall of 2022, a woman in Florida sued food giant Kraft Heinz — all because it took her a few extra minutes to prepare her mac and cheese. This may sound like a made-up plot straight out of “The Onion,” but it’s true! The woman’s name is Amanda Ramirez, and according to National Public Radio, she’s suing Kraft Heinz for $5 million over its “misleading advertising.” What exactly misled her? Well, Kraft’s cup of Velveeta Shells & Cheese claims it will be “ready in 3 1/2 minutes” — when in fact, that’s just the microwave time.
NPR reports that Ramirez’s lawsuit reaches beyond her kitchen and even beyond the state of Florida. It “looks to cover consumers in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, New Mexico, Alaska, Iowa, Tennessee, and Virginia who purchased the mac and cheese cups during the applicable statute of limitations period.” Over 100 people fall into that category, maybe including you! Does Ramirez stand a chance? It’s hard to say. NPR reports that her legal team expects Kraft to try to get the case dismissed, but the U.S. does have a history of successful lawsuits against misleading advertising by food companies. According to NBC News, a class- action lawsuit filed over a non-GMO advertising campaign cost Chipotle $6.5 million in 2020. And just last spring, a Florida attorney went to bat against Burger King, claiming its Whoppers were smaller than advertised. As we write this, the mac and cheese fiasco is still unresolved — but you can bet we’ll be watching the news. We may even chow down on a bowl of Velveeta Shells while we do it!
Apparently, Ramirez felt betrayed when it took her slightly more than 3 1/2 minutes to peel the lid off
the container and add water to the noodles. Her outrage only climbed as she waited for her pasta’s cheese sauce to thicken after 3 1/2 minutes of staring at the microwave window. Before long, she was steaming over the notion that she’d been ripped off by a greedy manufacturer intent on selling false convenience.
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What does parental alienation look like? Imagine you’re running five minutes late to pick up your child, and your ex tells them “Daddy/Mommy is late because they don’t love you anymore” — a blatant lie. In this case, you would be the “target” parent and your ex would be the “alienating” parent manipulating your child. One parent can also alienate the other by spoiling their child with gifts and travel opportunities while maliciously pointing out that the other parent can’t or won’t do the same. According to TMZ, Jolie has accused Pitt of child abuse and he now has “little to no relationship” with their six kids. If Pitt is not a child abuser — as a judge’s award of 50/50 custody seems to indicate — this would be parental alienation. Alec Baldwin details his experience with what he calls parental alienation in his book, “A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce.” What can you do about it? The ABA reports that parental alienation has been recognized by lawyers, courts, and psychologists to varying degrees for at least 200 years. In many states, parental alienation is legally recognized, which means that proving it could impact your custody agreement. Other states don’t take parental alienation as seriously, so we recommend asking your family law attorney about your specific state and situation.
In the meantime, family lawyer Patricia Fersch offers this advice in Forbes: “Document everything in a diary — missed visits, alienating behavior in the presence of the child. Be consistent with your child no matter how they respond to you. Don’t abandon them.”
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TAKE A BREAK
VAN GOGH REINCARNATED? One-Eared Rescue Dog Becomes Master Painter
When a one-eared shelter dog in Connecticut struggled to find a new family last year, one of his caretakers had a wild idea: Why not teach him to paint? With help from TikTok and peanut butter, the aptly named Van Gogh became a social media star. “I’d seen TikTok videos of other dogs creating paintings, so why not Van Gogh?” Jaclyn Gartner, the founder of Happily Furever After Rescue, told The Washington Post. “He certainly had the name and the ear for it.” To leverage what she calls Van Gogh’s “fast and creative tongue,” Gartner covered small canvases in dollops of paint, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and slathered them in peanut butter. Then, she presented the treats to the boxer-pit bull mix. He quickly licked the canvases clean, creating his “art” along the way. According to the Post, Van Gogh’s first few paintings flopped — just like the work of the human artist Vincent Van Gogh, who didn’t become famous until after he died in 1890. This star rose thanks to Jo Van Gogh, the wife of his brother Theo, who advocated for his work after both Theo and Vincent passed away. You could say that Gartner was dog Van Gogh’s Jo because, like the original painter’s, the pup’s art staged a comeback! After his first “art show” drew just two guests, Gartner started auctioning off his paintings online. His abstract work like “Peacock Swirl” and a rendition of human Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” quickly raised more than $3,000 for Happily Furever After Rescue. As his reputation soared on social media, Van Gogh also found his forever home with shelter volunteer Jessica Starowitz. He now spends his days painting and lounging on the couch. You can follow his exploits on Instagram under the handle @officialvgdog.
CLASSIC CABBAGE ROLLS
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Ingredients
• 1 medium head cabbage • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided • 1 tbsp butter • 2 14.5-oz cans Italian stewed tomatoes • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided • 1 cup cooked rice • 1/4 cup ketchup • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1 lb lean (90%) ground beef • 1/4 lb Italian sausage
Directions 1. In a Dutch oven, cook cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain. Rinse in cold water; drain. Remove 8 large outer leaves; set aside. 2. In a large saucepan, sauté 1 cup onion in butter. Add tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In a large bowl, combine rice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and remaining onion and salt. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix. 4. Remove thick vein from cabbage leaves for easier rolling. Place 1/2 cup meat mixture on each leaf; fold in sides. Starting at an unfolded edge, roll leaf to completely enclose filling. Place rolls seam side down in a skillet. Top with sauce. 5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes longer or until a thermometer inserted reads 160 F.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Embracing the Luck of the Irish
The Great Mac and Cheese Lawsuit of 2022
2
Classic Cabbage Rolls Meet Van Gogh, the Painting Dog
3
4
A Celebrity Problem You Could Face
Whether you follow celebrity gossip religiously or just like to scan the tabloids when you pass a newsstand, you’ve probably heard about the latest conflict between famous divorcees Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. A recent TMZ headline blared, “Brad Pitt Sources Say Angelina Has Poisoned Kids Against Him... She’s On a Hate Campaign.” These articles are chock-full of drama, but they also contain some legalese — specifically the phrase “parental alienation,” which journalists have applied to celebrities like Brad Pitt and Alec Baldwin and may even apply to you. If you’re divorced, have children, and aren’t on good terms with your partner, you should be on high alert for signs of parental alienation. What is parental alienation? According to a resource published by the American Bar Association (ABA), parental alienation is a “mental condition in which a child — usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation The Scoop on Parental Alienation Do You Have This in Common With Brad Pitt?
or divorce — allies him or herself strongly with an alienating parent and rejects a relationship with the ‘target’ parent without legitimate justification.” In other words, a child can fall victim to parental alienation if one of their parents constantly paints the other in a bad light through comparisons, exaggeration, lies, and manipulation. This can be emotional, verbal, or even financial.
Continued on Page 2 ...
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www.LouisBerkLaw.com 407-906-0500 March 2023
Car Accidents | Truck Accidents | Pedestrian Accidents | Slip & Fall/Premises Liability | Wrongful Death
La suerte no ocurre por casualidad Nosotros creamos nuestra propia buena suerte
Como reza el dicho irlandés: “que la buena suerte siempre sea tu amiga en todo lo que hagas en la vida y que los problemas siempre sean como extraños para ti”. Cada 17 de marzo celebramos la suerte de los irlandeses. Siempre la paso muy bien celebrándolo, pero permítanme contarles un pequeño secreto: ¡no creo en la suerte! En vez de ello creo que, mediante las acciones, el trabajo duro y la dedicación, ustedes mismos se pueden poner en situaciones en las cuales pueden tropezar con la buena suerte y terminar “siendo afortunados”, logrando grandes éxitos. Ya sea en los negocios, en la vida personal, en las relaciones, en el bienestar financiero o en la salud corporal, todos creamos nuestra propia suerte y buena fortuna. Por ejemplo, a menos que ustedes sean una de esas personas que permanecen delgadas de forma natural, sin importar lo que coman o lo poco que se ejerciten, para la inmensa mayoría de nosotros ir al gimnasio y comer una dieta saludable es la única forma de lograr tener un cuerpo tonificado. Incluso quienes lo “logran” de forma natural se lo pueden achacar a una buena genética, no a la suerte. Se necesita dedicación, disciplina y paciencia para lograr un físico elegante, no es algo que simplemente suceda de la noche a la mañana. Lo mismo es cierto para prácticamente todo lo demás en la vida. Cuando alguien logra algo positivo, muchos lo ven desde afuera y dicen que esa persona “tuvo suerte” o que tenía buenas conexiones con sus amistades. Sin embargo, al final del día, yo sé que, al menos para mí, en lo personal, he sido yo quien ha creado mi propia suerte. A los 14 años tuve mi primer trabajo y empecé a crear mi propio flujo de ingresos, construyendo relaciones y conexiones con otras personas. Trabajé por largas horas y, desde ese entonces, mi trabajo duro nunca cesó; solo aumentó. Mi actitud con respecto a la suerte es probablemente la razón por la cual no juego a la lotería, pero para quienes sí lo hacen, quizá si juegan varias veces a la semana logren crear su propia buena fortuna. Y por eso, ¡les deseo la mejor de las suertes! Cambiemos de tema por un momento, ¿alguno de ustedes logró ver a Lebron James romper el récord de anotaciones de todos los tiempos? Cuando lo vi, desde la comodidad de mi sofá, por casualidad vi una publicación en Facebook con una comparación
lado a lado del disparo ganador de Michael Jordan en el sexto juego de la final de 1998. En la foto de 1998, el público parecía estar cautivado y enfocado en Michael Jordan. Sin embargo, la foto de Lebron James luce totalmente distinta: toda la multitud tiene sus teléfonos en las manos y ni siquiera les puedes ver los ojos. Todos estaban tan enfocados en capturar el momento con sus teléfonos que se olvidaron de tomarse un momento para asimilar lo que estaba pasando en la vida real, justo frente a ellos. Eso me puso a pensar en lo mucho que nos perdemos del mundo por estar tan absortos en nuestros teléfonos, portátiles, correos electrónicos y televisores. Creo que la sociedad, como un todo, ha puesto demasiado énfasis en la importancia del trabajo duro y con tantas distracciones y avances tecnológicos perdemos de vista lo que es realmente importante.
Por eso, el 3 de marzo celebramos el Día Nacional de la Desconexión. Les pido a todos ustedes que se tomen un
momento y reflexionen respecto a todo lo que se han perdido de la vida y se tomen un tiempo muy necesario para “desconectarse” y estar presentes en el momento con las personas que más les importan. La vida es demasiado corta, así que ¡aprovéchenla al máximo! -Louis Bernardo Berk
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La debacle legal de los macarrones con queso ¿Podrá esta demanda ganar el juicio a codazos?
He aquí un dato curioso: En otoño de 2022, una mujer de Florida demandó al gigante de la alimentación Kraft Heinz porque tardó unos minutos más en preparar sus macarrones con queso. Puede parecer una historia inventada sacada de “The Onion”, ¡pero es verdad! La mujer se llama Amanda Ramírez y, según la Radio Pública Nacional, ha demandado a Kraft Heinz por 5 millones de dólares por su “publicidad engañosa”. ¿Qué fue exactamente lo que la engañó? Bueno, la taza de Velveeta Shells & Cheese de Kraft afirma que está “lista en 3 minutos y medio”, cuando en realidad ese es solo el tiempo de cocción en el microondas.
Según la NPR, la demanda de Ramírez va más allá de su cocina e incluso del estado de Florida. Pretende cubrir a los consumidores de Alabama, Georgia, Carolina del Norte, Carolina del Sur, Utah, Nuevo México, Alaska, Iowa, Tennessee y Virginia que compraron los vasos de macarrones con queso durante el periodo de prescripción aplicable”. Más de 100 personas entran en esa categoría, ¡quizá usted también! ¿Tiene Ramírez alguna posibilidad? Es difícil saberlo. La NPR informa de que su equipo jurídico espera que Kraft intente desestimar el caso, pero Estados Unidos tiene un historial de demandas exitosas contra la publicidad
Al parecer, Ramírez se sintió traicionada cuando tardó algo más de 3 minutos y medio en quitar la tapa del recipiente y añadir agua a los fideos. Su indignación no hizo más que aumentar mientras esperaba a que la salsa de queso de la pasta se espesara tras 3 minutos y medio de mirar fijamente a la ventana del microondas. Al poco tiempo, estaba furiosa por la idea de que había sido estafada por un fabricante avaricioso empeñado en vender una falsa comodidad.
engañosa de empresas alimentarias. Según NBC News, una demanda colectiva presentada por una campaña publicitaria de no transgénicos le costó a Chipotle 6,5 millones de dólares en 2020. Y justo la primavera pasada, un abogado de Florida se lanzó contra Burger King, alegando que sus Whoppers eran más pequeños de lo anunciado. Mientras escribimos esto, el fiasco de los macarrones con queso sigue sin resolverse, pero podemos estar seguros de que estaremos atentos a las noticias. Puede que incluso nos comamos un bol de caracoles de Velveeta mientras lo hacemos.
Ingredientes
Instrucciones 1. En una olla de hierro, cocine la col en agua hirviendo por 10 minutos; escurra. Enjuague con agua fría; escurra. Retire las 8 hojas grandes externas; sepárelas. 2. En una olla grande, saltee 1 taza de cebolla en mantequilla. Añada tomates, ajo, el azúcar morena y la ½ cdta. de sal. Cocine la salsa a fuego lento por 15 minutos, revolviendo de vez en cuando. 3. En un recipiente grande, mezcle el arroz, la cátsup, la salsa inglesa, la pimienta y el resto de la cebolla y la sal. Desmenuce la carne y la salchicha sobre la mezcla y revuelva. 4. Retire las venas gruesas de las hojas de la col para enrollar más fácil. Coloque la taza de 1/2 de mezcla de carne en cada hoja; doble hacia los lados. Comenzando en un borde desdoblado, enrolle la hoja para cubrir completamente el relleno. Coloque los rollos hacia abajo en una sartén. Cubra con salsa. 5. Tape y cocine a fuego medio-bajo por 1 hora. Reduzca el fuego a bajo; cocine por 20 minutos más o hasta que un termómetro insertado marque 160 ºF.
ROLLOS CLÁSICOS DE COL Inspirado por TasteOfHome.com
• 1 cabeza de col mediana • 1 1/2 tazas de cebolla picada, repartida • 1 cda. de mantequilla • 2 latas de 14.5-oz de tomates italianos cocidos • 4 dientes de ajo, picados • 2 cdas. de azúcar morena • 1 1/2 cdta. de sal, repartida • 1 taza de arroz cocido • 1/4 taza de cátsup • 2 cdas. de salsa inglesa • 1/4 cdta. de pimienta • 1 lb de carne molida magra (90%) • 1/4 lb de salchicha italiana
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