Brooks & Crowley November 2017

Brooks & Crowley November 2017

Review Brooks & Crowley

November 2017

781-277-7321

www.brooksandcrowley.com

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026

*Services Throughout Massachusetts

Quincy represented the eight British soldiers in the Boston Massacre trial (six got off).

If you don’t want to take a tour, you can always grab the family, someone from out of town, or someone who knows the city in a different way than you do and take a walk. You are guaranteed to learn something new, and you may be surprised by what you know already. This past summer, a client of mine was in town from California for a deposition. Since he would only be in town for a short while, I wanted to be sure he saw something of Boston before he left. The meeting was on the 25th floor of a building downtown. It had glass on three sides and provided a bird’s-eye view of Boston. Once I started pointing out landmarks, it was almost hard to stop. I realized an awful lot of Boston has been captured in movies, news, or TV shows. No longer is “Cheers” the only show about Boston. There are other great ways to beat the crowds in November. It’s a good time to get a jump on holiday shopping, visit museums, or check out the theaters or comedy clubs — both of which are in full swing this month. There are also plenty of big-time sporting events to catch. The fact is, we live in a great city, but, like all locals, we get into our groove and don’t take advantage of the opportunities that surround us. So, go act like a tourist this month. Take a walk along the Freedom Trail, go to the New England Aquarium, or stroll the Rose Kennedy Greenway (you paid for it) and remember what it used to look like. With the fall colors, the nice weather, and few actual tourists, you could do a lot worse. So, get out and enjoy it before the weather changes and you want to visit somewhere warmer.

TOURISTS IN OUR OWN HOMETOWN

There are a lot of advantages to November in Boston, but one of the big ones, in my opinion at least, is the opportunity for locals like us to get out and see the city with new eyes. The college kids have settled in, the leaf peepers have headed back to wherever they come from, and the holiday madness has not begun just yet. This means we have the city to ourselves for a while. The weather’s cold but not unbearable, and I think it’s a great time to eat some comfort food and then check out this great city that we call home. We locals don’t usually take the city tours that tourists love, but with tourist traffic at a low this month, it’s a great time to do it. I once took a Boston Duck Tour with the family in the old amphibious World War II military vehicles we are used to seeing at the championship parades. It was a unique way to see the city. We’d drive around on land and then hit the water for a different perspective.

And on these tours, you’ll learn new things about our city — even as a local who's seen it all before. On the tour, the guide stopped at the Granary Burying Grounds on Tremont Street right by Park Street. As we went by the Beantown Pub, the tour guide said, “This pub is the only place in the world where you can drink a SamAdams while looking at SamAdams!” He was right, of course. I had forgotten the revolutionary who’s who that is buried there, despite passing by a thousand times. Sam Adams is buried right there at Granary along with other Declaration of Independence signers John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine. Other famously named residents include Paul Revere, Peter Faneuil, all of the victims of the Boston Massacre (there were only five), and Benjamin Franklin’s parents. This is just one example of the kind of thing you can learn when you look at Boston through a tourist’s eyes. Here’s another fun fact: Future President John Adams and Josiah

Happy Thanksgiving,

–Neil Crowley

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The Truth About Turmeric The Secrets of the Yellow Spice

For thousands of years, sunny yellow turmeric has been a staple in curries as well as a spice renowned for its ability to treat a vast number of ailments. In recent years, this South Asian native has become a sort of “spice-of-all-trades.” Turmeric’s popularity has surged throughout North America. People are adding it to food and using it to treat everything from arthritis to heartburn. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the spice can treat just about every kind of inflammation, whether it’s joint pain or a headache. Have a stomachache or nausea? Try turmeric. Have a mild rash or burn on your skin? Try turmeric. Current studies are even looking into turmeric’s effectiveness as a treatment for diabetes and dementia.

When one substance is purported to have near- magical healing powers, you have to remember to take it with an additional dose of skepticism. Can one spice really cure everything that ails you? Let’s ask science. Researchers have identified over 20 distinct compounds that work similar to NSAIDs (such as aspirin and ibuprofen). Of those compounds, six are COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 is an enzyme that causes inflammation and pain in the body. In short, these six compounds help block the enzymatic reaction that triggers inflammation. One of these compounds is called curcumin, which is often considered the active ingredient in turmeric. An article published in the medical journal Nutrition and Cancer found that, by weight, pure turmeric powder contains 3.14 percent curcumin.

However, clinical trials of curcumin have produced less-than-stellar results. A comprehensive review of 120 studies of curcumin, published in 2017 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, found no evidence that the compound produced positive results as an anti- inflammatory or antioxidant. In fact, researchers found curcumin to be an, “unstable, reactive, non-bioavailable compound.”

So what does this mean for people who use turmeric for its medicinal properties?

If it works for you, continue to use it. If you’ve thought about adding it to your diet, give it a try. It’s safe to use, and studies have shown virtually no toxicity, even in high doses.

Is It Hard to Sue Alcohol Providers in Massachusetts?

Unlike many states, Massachusetts does not have a specific dram shop statute. These laws make alcohol-serving establishments, like bars and restaurants, liable if they over-serve someone who then goes on to cause injury to others while under the influence. Instead, liability for these types of cases has been established through court decisions. So, this doesn’t mean you can’t sue a bar or restaurant for over-serving someone who causes you injury; it just means you might have more to prove. Massachusetts law does prohibit licensed premises from serving intoxicated people. In essence, you’ll have to show that the establishment continued to serve the person even after they became visibly intoxicated. If you are in a bar and someone assaults you, that will be an

easier case than if you are struck by a drunk driver on their way home from a bar. But it’s all doable, especially with a capable attorney on your side. Please note that these laws do not apply to private individuals serving alcohol to other private individuals. If you’re assaulted at a party or struck by a driver on their way home from one, you can’t sue the person who provided alcohol at that party. Of course, you will always be able to sue the person who caused the injury — and in the case of minors, possibly their parents, as well. For help navigating the confusing world of alcohol-related injuries, please get in touch with our offices. We’re happy to answer questions and provide the help you need.

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‘The Power of Habit’ Gives You the Tools to Change Unwanted Behavior Habits affect us in every aspect of our lives, from our offices to our houses. Whether it’s nail biting, eating too many sweets, or putting off tasks until the last minute, we all have habits we wish we could break. But how do you escape a behavior you know little about? In his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg examines the structure of habit, its underlying causes, and the impact of habit on our careers and personal lives. down this loop, Duhigg argues, is the key to altering behavior. If you don’t understand the “why” for an action, it becomes much harder to escape that action itself. “Once you break a habit into its components,” Duhigg writes, “you can fiddle with the gears.” From there, Duhigg zooms out to take a look at the habits of successful organizations. As a business owner, the habits you instill in your staff go a long way in Finally, in one of the most instructive sections in any book in recent memory, Duhigg details four steps to changing any habit. First, you pinpoint the routine. Then, you interrogate the reward you receive from that routine. After that, you isolate the situations that cue your behavior. Finally, you make a plan to change the behavior. Self-belief is a huge part of this process. As Duhigg says, “You have to actually believe in your capacity to change for habits to permanently change.”

determining the success of your company. Duhigg looks at organizations ranging from huge corporations like Target to the more intimate structure of NFL teams. If you’re not creating positive habits in your staff, you’re not doing your all as a leader. If you notice a way to replace a bad operational habit with a good one, you’ll improve productivity and employee happiness.

With the tools and examples Charles Duhigg details in “The Power of Habit,” you’ll be able to take control of actions you thought were unbreakable. In both business and life, there’s hardly a more valuable asset.

The first part of “The Power of Habit” investigates what Duhigg calls the “habit loop.” This loop comprises the cue (the situation that leads to habitual behavior), the routine (the behavior itself), and the reward (the feeling of satisfaction provided by the behavior). Breaking

Laugh Out Loud

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

• • • •

3 pounds sweet potatoes, roughly chopped

• • • •

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup coconut milk

2 medium carrots, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a slow cooker. 2. Season everything to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

4. Puree everything until smooth, using a blender or an immersion blender. 5. Add the coconut milk, give everything a good stir, and cook for another 30 minutes. 6. Adjust the seasoning and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of PaeloLeap.com

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439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026

Inside This Issue

1

Tourists in Our Own Hometown

The Secrets of Turmeric

2

Is It Hard to Sue Alcohol Providers in Massachusetts?

3

Change Unwanted Behavior With ‘The Power of Habit’

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup

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Boston November Events

Boston November Events

America’s Hometown Plymouth has a three-day Thanksgiving festival the weekend before Turkey Day. Why not head to where it all started? Maybe visit Plimoth Plantation for the first time since your grade-school field trip. Holiday Events The Christmas tree from the people of Nova Scotia arrives on Nov. 18, and it will be lit as part of a ceremony on the Boston Common on Dec. 8. According to Boston Discovery Guide, this is the 100th anniversary of the explosion of a munitions ship in Halifax Harbor that killed 2,000 and injured another 9,000. Within 24 hours of the disaster, a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel from Boston arrived in Nova Scotia — it was the first outside help to reach the disaster scene and the last to leave. The citizens of Nova Scotia were so

grateful that they have delivered a 50-foot Christmas tree to Boston every year since.

The Massachusetts State House Tree Lighting is Nov. 26. The Copley Square event will be Nov. 27.

Classics “The Nutcracker” starts the Friday after Thanksgiving.

What to do this month? Well, with Thanksgiving approaching, we can’t help but think of a few awesome events you might want to check out with family and friends. Here are some fun fall activities! Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival The world’s “fastest field sport” returns to Fenway Park with a doubleheader on Nov. 19. It is something to see.

The Frog Pond Skating Rink is scheduled to open on Nov. 30, and the Frog Pond Skating Spectacular is also on Nov. 30.

We hope to see you there, and we hope you savor the end of fall.

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