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November 2018
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” FROM THE DESK OF Grady Flattmann I’ve truly been transformed by the response to our newsletter during the past few months! I want to give a sincere thank-you to everyone who has subscribed to it. Our readership has doubled thanks to you! Please keep on connecting with Flattmann Law on Facebook and keep the progress going. Unlike the attorneys you see on television, we rely on old-fashion word of mouth to keep doing what we do best: Treat our clients like family, keep consultations 100 percent free and confidential, and provide the best representation possible. Here is a challenge this holiday season of three ideas: (1) Reconnect with one family member or friend who you have been hesitant to contact. (2) Write down three things each day for which you are thankful (it doesn’t have to be earth shattering). (3) Take 5 minutes a day to yourself and listen to your own thoughts. I’ll take the challenge with you. Let’s see what progress we can make! -William Arthur Ward
THE HISTORY BEHIND THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS Turkey, Footbal l , and Black Friday
“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” –O. Henry
In our lifetimes, Thanksgiving hasn’t changed all that much. Sure, you may have modernized the menu and begun posting your family photos to Instagram, but the tried-and-true quartet of family, football, grub, and gratitude has been in place for generations. While it’s easy to take holiday traditions as a given, each one has a fascinating history all its own. Christmas trees, Valentine’s chocolate, and other de rigueur activities often have strange, unexpected origins. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the backstories behind some of the essential Thanksgiving traditions. TURKEY Unlike other items on this list, it’s likely that turkey has been a staple of Thanksgivings since the first Thanksgiving in 1621. At the time, the holiday didn’t even have a name, and it was still more than 200 years away from being officially recognized by Abraham Lincoln. There are only two primary source documents detailing the meal between the Massachusetts colonists and the Wampanoag natives, and one of them mentions the famous Thanksgiving bird explicitly. Plymouth County Governor William Bradford described the menu in his journal “Of Plymouth Plantation,”which is one of the earliest accounts of life in colonial America. “Besides waterfowl,” he wrote, “there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.” As the colonists moved throughout the continent, they brought turkeys with them. In fact, there was even a specific role, called a “turkey drover,” for the person who would shepherd the birds from one part of the country to another.
Happy Thanksgiving to all and thank you for your support!
-Grady Flattmann
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Many people assume that the holiday gets in name from retailers going from “red” (having a loss) to “black” (making a profit) on that day, but that’s actually a myth. The term was coined by Philadelphia police officers to describe the influx of suburban shoppers who flocked to the city, wreaking havoc and forcing them to work long hours. It took only a few years for Black Friday to become an unofficial city holiday. Black Friday in Philadelphia began in the 1950s. A few decades later, in the ‘80s, when America was chock-full of shopping malls, it became a nation-wide phenomenon. Even the explosion of online retail hasn’t slowed the droves of people lining up at insane hours to secure the biggest savings of the season. Thanksgiving is one of the most traditional holidays. Whether you’re content to keep the routine the same or are the type of person who likes to spice things up, it’s fun to know why Thanksgiving looks and feels the same for so many Americans.
but the NFL is how we get our Thanksgiving football fix these days. The Detroit Lions played in the first professional “Turkey Bowl” in 1934 against the Bears, and the Dallas Cowboys got in on the act in 1966. The teams from Detroit and Dallas still host holiday games to this day. The NFL, never one to miss an opportunity to make money, added a third Thanksgiving game in 2011. One year later, Mark Sanchez of the Jets produced the now-notorious “butt fumble,” laying an egg that even the largest fowl would be envious of. begins earlier and grows more annoying every year — recently, it’s started to encroach on Thanksgiving itself, making you wonder if you should stick around for pie or head off to the mega-retailer for a chance to take advantage of some screaming deals. You may be happy to know that people being irritated about Black Friday goes back as far the tradition itself. BLACK FRIDAY The wildest shopping day on the calendar
The relationship between turkey and Thanksgiving was well-established by the time the American Revolution began. Alexander Hamilton went so far as to say, “No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.” According to the National Turkey Federation, more than 40 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, so it’s safe to assume that most people are heeding Hamilton’s advice. FOOTBALL American football — or any football, for that matter —wasn’t even a sport when Thanksgiving began. However, the association between the two American icons dates back to the earliest days of the sport in the late 19th century. Harvard and Yale played the first Thanksgiving game in 1876. A decade later, the University of Michigan began a series of games that most historians believe inaugurated the tradition of Thanksgiving football in earnest.
College football may have been where the sport’s relationship with Thanksgiving began,
3 True Crime Shows You Have to See Move Over, Sitcoms, There’s a New Trend in Town
There’s a genre of entertainment that many Americans are afraid to admit is their secret obsession. It’s as if you’re hiding a secret that you desperately want to confess, but you’re afraid of the judgment and concerned looks from your friends. Then one day, you muster the courage to casually mention a docu-series you watched — hoping for absolution but concerned the jury won’t understand — and the floodgates open. Suddenly your closest friends and family have passionate opinions on the justice system and can tell you they know exactly who murdered who and how. Deep down inside, everyone loves a good mystery. Here are three of the best.
convolution, and gritty storytelling comes to one bone-chilling conclusion that will make your jaw drop. ‘THE STAIRCASE’ Did Michael Peterson kill his wife? Did the American justice system tear apart the dream it so righteously attempts to protect? What is considered fact in a murder trial? These are just a few of the questions you’ll contemplate as you go on a 16-year journey told over 13 gripping episodes. Questionable expert testimony and crime scene evidence are juxtaposed with a competent defense team and a convincing defendant, making for a story that begs viewers to take sides. In the end, the only fact you’ll know to be true is that you can’t trust your intuition.
‘MAKING A MURDERER’ Directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos take viewers through an experience that feels like the most maddening game of ping pong ever played — in any given episode, your view may bounce from one polarizing opinion to another. After watching 10 mind-bending episodes of Steven Avery and his attorneys going back and forth during the trial, you’ll have questions that demand answers. So
many, in fact, that Netflix has confirmed the production of a second season and a spin-off series titled “Convicting a Murderer.” ‘THE JINX’ Forty years of conflicting reports on three murders make for one compelling HBO series. Robert Durst goes under the spotlight after speaking for the first time about the death of three people connected to him. A web of lies,
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Commemorating the 100 th Anniversary of the End of World War I A Historic Veterans Day
The Great War that ravaged Europe resulted in a devastating loss of life, but from those ashes rose a renewed appreciation for the importance of peace and a global effort to ensure its place in the future. THE RESTORATION OF PEACE In 1918, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and the armistice ended the fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11thmonth in 1918, though the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following July. An estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians died in just four years, making it one of the deadliest conflicts inmodern history. VETERANS DAY Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the one-year anniversary of the armistice, and it became a U.S. holiday in 1938. Today, Veterans Day celebrates veterans who served their country honorably. The U.K., France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate their veterans in November. If you know a veteran, thank them for their service this month.
This year, Veterans Day takes on particular historic significance: Nov. 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First WorldWar. Countries around the world will commemorate the signing of this peace agreement with moments of silence, centennial ceremonies, and historical exhibits. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a celebration of life. It’s a day to honor the power of peace and the living veterans across the globe who have served their countries. This November, take a moment to remember the war that helped shape the international community’s dedication to peace and thank the individuals who served to defend it. THE GREAT WAR By 1914, a world war had been years in the making, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by a Serbian nationalist provided the spark that would eventually burn down much of Europe. A chain reaction of land disputes, pre-emptive attacks, and strategic alliances brought over 30 countries into WorldWar I.
Take a Break!
Spicy, Creamy
SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients
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1/2 cup dark brown sugar
•
5 pounds sweet potatoes
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 cup canned coconut milk
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1 tablespoon kosher salt
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1 tablespoonThai red curry paste
Directions
sugar, and half the butter to potatoes. 4. 30 minutes before serving,
1. Heat oven to 375 F. On a large sheet pan, bake potatoes until very soft, approximately 75 minutes. 2. Let potatoes cool until they are safe to handle, then peel andmash. 3. In a small saucepan over low
heat oven to 425 F. Spread potatoes in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Uncover potatoes, and dot with remaining butter and
heat, combine coconut milk and curry paste. Once mixed, add the mixture, salt, half the
sugar. Broil until brown, crusty, and delicious. Serve hot.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Grady PAGE 1 Why We Eat Turkey onThanksgiving PAGE 1 True Crime Makes for Gripping TV PAGE 2 A Historic Veterans Day PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Spicy, Creamy Sweet Potatoes PAGE 3 A Closer Look at Your Cup of Joe PAGE 4 What’s the first thing you do in the morning? For most of us in the United States, it’s one crucial task: getting that morning cup of joe. Our obsession with coffee is nothing new. A paper entitled“The Consumption of Coffee in the United States,”published July 18, 1861, noted that“the people of the United States habitually consume more coffee than the inhabitants of any other country.”Its popularity has only increased with time; people in the U.S. consume an estimated 400 million cups of coffee a day. Of course, we weren’t the first to find out how great coffee is. Long before anyone in the Americas enjoyed the beverage, legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder discovered the amazing effects of coffee beans—on his goats. He noticed that after eating“berries”from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic they didn’t want to sleep. News spread around the Arabian Peninsula, and cafes began to pop up, known as“Schools of theWise”for the intellectual conversations that happened there.
THAT MORNING CUP OF JOE Coffee and Its Relationship to Your Health
inmoderate amounts, the sugar and other additives that many of us like to put in it get a thumbs-down. The Dietary Guidelines also note that health alone isn’t a reason to start drinking caffeine. Folks with blood pressure concerns should be especially careful and should consult their doctor about howmuch coffee is okay to drink, as studies have shown evidence of increased blood pressure with caffeine consumption.
In addition to coffee’s long-standing popularity, science has found several reasons to give our morning habit the thumbs-up. In 2015, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines evaluated the effects of coffee and caffeine for the first time, concluding that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle“along with other behaviors, such as refraining from smoking, consuming a nutritionally balanced diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, and being physically active.”The guidelines cite “strong and consistent evidence”that consuming coffee within the moderate range (3–5 cups per day, or up to 400 mg of caffeine per day) is not associated with an increased risk of major diseases. In fact, according to observational evidence, caffeine intake may be linked to reduced risk for certain diseases in healthy adults. Scientists think that antioxidants found in coffee, such as polyphenols, might contribute to its positive effects.
Everything inmoderation, as the saying goes, at least when it comes to caffeine.
There’s one major caveat, however. While coffee shows potential benefits when consumed
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