DiBartolomeo Law Offices - October 2018

DiBartolomeo Law Offices - October 2018

Makin’ It Better NEWSLETTER

October 2018

Oregon Workers’ Compensation | Personal Injury | Social Security Disability

1139 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103 • 503-325-8600 • JoeDiBartolomeo.com

Appropriate Ghost Stories for Any Age SPOOKY TALES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

TIP : Characters and locations in this story can vary depending on your location and audience. Where’s My Hairy Toe? This story is perfect for youngsters under the age of 10, especially if you’re still gauging their fright level. Long, long ago, an old woman was tending to her garden when she discovered a hairy toe. The harvest was unfruitful that year, so when she returned to her cottage, she reluctantly ate the toe and settled into a quiet evening at home. But she kept hearing a low voice moaning, “Where’s my h-a-i-r-r-r-y t-o-e-e-e?” With every repetition, the voice increased in intensity. All night, mysterious thumps, groans, and demands for the toe echoed throughout the house. Just as she was falling asleep, her front door flew open, and there stood a giant demanding his hairy toe be given back. The old woman, fed up with the begging nonsense, screamed, “I ate your hairy toe!” Calmly, the giant responded, “I know.” The woman was never seen again. Her neighbors, having heard the commotion the night before, found only a single large footprint outside her house in the morning. It was a peculiar print — it only had four toes! TIP : Draw out this story by describing what the woman sees and hears all night, and play around with different voices for the giant.

Ghost stories are a rite of passage this time of the year, but it can be hard to determine which stories will be appropriate for kids. If you have a youngster who is a budding scare-o-phile, here are some stories you can feel safe telling them. Feel free to shape these stories in your own way. Knowing the age of your audience and what kind of frights they enjoy will help you craft your tale. The Flying Dutchman This story is perfect for little historians and those who love maritime tales. Legend has it that ship captain Hendrick van der Decken and his crew have haunted the Cape of Good Hope ever since a storm ravaged their ship more than 450 years ago. Van der Decken was an avid seaman and captain of The Flying Dutchman. In the midst of a horrifying storm, he insisted that the ship keep pressing ahead. His crew begged him to change course, but, according to folklore, his famous response was “We’ll sail for eternity!” Van der Decken and his crew vanished in the storm, but sailors over the past five centuries have often claimed to see a mist- shrouded boat sailing toward them, only for it to disappear from their sight as they drew near. Sailors warn that if a ship crosses paths with The Flying Dutchman, it spells doom for the ship’s occupants.

The Pink Jelly Bean If you’re looking for some suspense with a happy ending, your own version of The Pink Jelly Bean is your safest bet. Here’s an example: There was a dark forest into which no one ventured alone. In the forest was a shack, the spooky setting of numerous gory tales. On stormy nights, it was said that the shack came alive. One night, brave travelers came across the shack and decided to stay for the night just as a storm was brewing. Suddenly, a gust of wind blasted the door open and flashes of lightning lit up the shack to reveal something in the middle of the shuttered living room: … a pink jelly bean! TIP : The goal is to stretch this story out for as long as you can before the final reveal. Add more doors, characters, and creepy objects — whatever it takes to build the suspense. –Joe Di Bartolomeo | 1

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

POLICE OFFICERS SING THEIR HEARTS OUT Check Out These Lip-Sync Challenges Across the U.S.

• Vehicle’s make, model, year, color, and VIN number • Driver’s license number WHY? Of all the things you might wish to do after getting in an accident, calmly reciting numbers with the other person involved may not rank highly on the list. But taking the time to do this will make the weeks and months ahead much easier. Regardless of whether you plan on pursuing a civil case, your insurance company will want this information on file. Injury claims from car accidents can take a long time and require extensive documentation. Holes in your case’s information, particularly information about the other driver and their insurance, can severely stall the process. An experienced personal injury firm, such as the Di Bartolomeo Law Office, can help you track When you think of viral police videos, 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. 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!

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO TAKE Immediately After a Car Crash

The moments after a car accident can be a blur. Between the rush of adrenaline, pain from potential injuries, and the swell of emotions that comes when the dust settles, just keeping a cool head can take all your willpower. But if you are able to think clearly in the immediate aftermath of a crash and aren’t in need of emergency attention, there’s an important step you need to take: exchanging information with the other driver. WHAT? “Exchanging information” is one of those phrases you may remember from drivers ed. As a refresher, these are the details you should exchange with the other involved driver(s) after an accident:

down these vital details after the fact, but this will take time and resources. Getting this information while you are at the scene of the crash will remove a great deal of hassle and stress. HOW? Knowing all of that does not change one simple fact: Talking to someone you’ve just had an accident with is hard. We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your emotions in check during this time. It can be tempting to assign blame in the moment, whether that means pointing a finger at the other driver or at yourself. This kind of behavior doesn’t help anyone. The accident happened; cooler heads will look over the facts and assess fault later. What matters in the moment is that you look out for your future.

• Names • Contact information • Insurance and policy numbers • License plate numbers

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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What does the program entail?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes that there is a gray area between “unable” and “able” to work. That’s why they offer the Ticket to Work Program, which acts as a bridge between your benefits and gainful employment. Ticket to Work isn’t right for everyone, but for those looking to learn a new skill or re-enter the workforce, this avenue is definitely worth considering. Here are a few facts to help you decide if this program fits your needs.

Whether you work with the VR or an EN, you will agree to an employment plan. This plan consists of milestones you will need to reach within set time frames. The service provider will work with you to find employment or educational opportunities, and so long as you stick to your plan, the SSA will not do a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) of your medical condition. As you find gainful employment, many of your benefits, including medical, housing, Social Security, and food stamps, will be affected. Certain programs here in Oregon allow you to maintain some benefits. The Employed Persons with Disabilities program (EPD), for example, gives working folks with disabilities the option to receive Medicaid while earning wages. If, over the course of the program, you find that your disability is still too great of a hindrance for you to return to work, you will be placed on a fast track to getting your benefits restored. If you are unsure whether this program is right for you, consider seeking benefits counseling. Our law office would be happy to connect you with counselors and resources to help you make the right decision for your future. Feel free to give us a call or swing by the office! Are my benefits affected?

Who qualifies?

Any disability beneficiary aged 18–64 who is in current pay status is considered eligible. In fact, you may have received some information on the program already from the SSA. If you are unsure about your eligibility, you can visit choosework.ssa.gov or call the Ticket to Work Helpline at 866-968-7842 (voice) or 866-833-2967 (TTY).

How do I start?

The Ticket to Work Program works with public and private service providers, such as the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency or independent employment networks (ENs). You should research the service providers in your area and find the service provider that best fits your employment goals.

‘HEADLESS’ APPLES ON Ingredients HORSEBACK • 16 very thin slices of pancetta (or cured, unsmoked bacon) • 2 pink lady apples • 3 ounces manchego cheese, 1/4 inch thick • Toothpicks for skewering

Inspired by Food & Wine magazine

Directions

1. Core apples and cut each into 8 wedges. Remove rind of manchego cheese and cut into 2-inch sticks. 2. Heat a grill pan or skillet to medium-high. 3. On a cutting board, lay pancetta or bacon slices flat and place an apple wedge and piece of cheese in the center of each. 4. Roll pancetta tightly and skewer with toothpick. 5. Grill until cheese is melted and pancetta or bacon is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. 6. Drain excess grease on a paper towel and serve hot.

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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1139 Exchange St. Astoria, OR 97103

What’s Inside

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Scary Stories to Tell Youngsters

Cop Lip-Sync Challenges Go Viral

Why Exchanging Information Matters

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Looking to Get Back to Work?

‘Headless’ Apples on Horseback

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The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating

WHY THERE ARE KIDS ON YOUR PORCH ASKING FOR CANDY THE HISTORY OF TRICK-OR-TREATING

As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?” Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees

(not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and

black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about.

The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th-century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!

The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com

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