GA Injury Advocates - February 2022

GA Injury Advocates - February 2022

Auto Injury T R I B U N E

February 2022

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WILL THE REAL FIR PRESIDENT PLEASE

STAND UP?

Naming Him Isn’t as Easy as It Sounds It’s a fact learned by every grade-school child: George Washington was the first president of the United States. He was a Founding Father, revolutionary, war general, and visionary, and every Feb. 22, we celebrate his birthday and the gifts he gave to our nation. So, you might be a little surprised when I tell you that George Washington wasn’t really the first person to hold the U.S. presidential title. Before the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the newly created country had a different set of governing principles called the Articles of Confederation. The Revolutionary War was still raging, but someone had to do the work of governing. George Washington certainly wasn’t available — he was commanding troops. So, the job fell to another founding father, John Hanson. John Hanson began his political career in Maryland, where he served in the Colonial Assembly. He strongly supported the revolution and had a large hand in convincing Maryland to back the rebels against the British. In 1779, he became a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation were passed, and the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. John Hanson was elected as its president, but it certainly wasn’t the stuff that children dream of. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no executive branch. Hanson’s role was largely ceremonial, and he primarily handled correspondence and official documents. In fact, he wanted to quit — but due to a strong sense of patriotism and duty, he decided to stick it out for the mercifully short one-year term. Interestingly, while proponents of the idea that George Washington wasn’t our first president tend to argue it was Hanson, this isn’t technically true either. When the Articles Of Confederation went into effect in March 1781, the Continental Congress already had a president: Samuel Huntington. He immediately became the first president of the Congress of the Confederation.

Samuel Johnson was the first person elected to the new role under the Articles, but he declined to serve. A second election was held, which resulted in a win for Thomas McKean — but he only served for four months. Clearly, this was not a coveted job. Only John Hanson was the first person elected as president of the Congress of the Confederation who served his full one-year term. There would be eight other men who followed him. In the end, it all depends on how you count. But in our current constitutional arrangement, Washington was indeed the first president. He helped secure the U.S.’s freedom and became extremely popular for it. Soon, the public saw him as the only person who could hold a fragile new nation together. The Electoral College unanimously elected him even though, like his predecessors, he did not really want to be president. Despite his initial reluctance to lead, Washington proved well-suited to the task, and he left behind a legacy that still impacts the nation to this day. Washington created the first presidential cabinet, which was not outlined in the Constitution. The most important legislation passed under his presidency was none other than the Bill of Rights. And he set a precedent of a two-term presidency. Since Washington, only one president has served more than two terms, and the term limit is now enshrined in the Constitution. In his farewell address, Washington ensured his continuing influence by stressing the importance of national unity and warning against putting any party or regional loyalty above that to the nation. Many politicians continue to study this 7,641-word document and let it guide them in their endeavors. First president or not, John Hanson can’t claim any of that.

El Abogado Ramiro (El Abogado Amigo) y su equipo hablan español

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(770) 233-7400

Over the past decade, wearable technology has seen an incredible boom. Wearables like Fitbits and the Apple Watch used to be nothing more than glorified step counters. Since their debut, though, fitness trackers and wearables have gone through various updates that have made them essential to the fitness community as a whole. This is because wearing a fitness tracker can add great benefits to your lifestyle and can even improve your daily life. IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH FITNESS TRACKERS HEART RATE A built-in heart rate sensor is possibly the most vital feature available in almost every wearable device and fitness tracker. There are many exercise machines that track your heart rate, but those are only useful if you know your resting heart rate. With a fitness tracker — whether you’re sleeping, sitting, running, or exercising — you will know exactly what your heart rate is and what’s normal for you. This is important because it will help you notice irregularities so you can better understand your heart health. SLEEP MONITORING Many fitness trackers give you insight into your sleep routine and will even track your movements so you can find out if you were tossing and turning all night. Others go further by detecting your body temperature, heart rate, and energy expenditure. You can use this information to create a sleep schedule that works for you or make any adjustments to your sleeping conditions if they are preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. FUTURE UPDATES Fitness trackers and wearable devices are still a relatively new technology. Tech companies are continually updating them and introducing additional features. For example, new wearables that are hitting the market can track blood sugar, which could be incredibly beneficial to those with diabetes. Wearable tech will continue to evolve — only time will tell what features and functions companies will unveil next.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Your Little Sweethearts

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for adults. Let your kids know they are the most important loves in your life with these sweet, inexpensive ideas that the whole family can enjoy! Your children will remember these traditions for years to come. Make a special Valentine’s Day breakfast. Guess what? Pink pancakes, pink milk, and even pink eggs are a thing! With strawberry milk, food coloring and strawberries in the pancakes, and food coloring in the eggs, you’ll have an effortless and special breakfast for the little ones.

Tip: Set the table the night before after the kids go to bed to make serving Valentine’s Day breakfast easier the next morning.

Create Valentine’s Day cards for each kid. Tell your children all of your favorite things about them with their own personalized cards. There are so many ways you can get crafty with construction paper and glitter. Your kids are sure to love getting mommy-made or daddy-made one-of-a-kind valentines. Bake Valentine’s Day goodies together. What’s better than baking with your little ones? If you are short on time, you can find premade dough, usually with a Valentine’s Day theme. Or, you can try out your skills with heart-shaped cookie cutters and sprinkles. It can get messy, but it’s certainly worth it! Wrap up a small Valentine’s Day gift. Whether it’s a Valentine’s Day outfit, candy, a teddy bear, or a necklace, it doesn’t have to be big or costly! Your children will enjoy feeling the love, and they’ll be excited to get something new. Don’t forget to have fun with the wrapping! Most stores have Valentine’s Day gift bags and wrapping paper around this time of year.

Your baby valentines have stolen your heart — make sure they know it by spreading the love! Happy Valentine’s Day!

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WHY IS FEBRUARY ONLY 28 DAYS?

How the Shortest Month Got Its Start

February sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s cold but lacks the festive dressing of December or the sense of a fresh beginning granted by January. It’s also the shortest month of the year by a long shot — while every other month has 30 or 31 days, February is stuck with a puny 28. How did this come to be? Like many quirks of our modern calendar, it traces back to the Romans. Thousands of years ago, farmers primarily used the calendar to keep track of planting and harvesting seasons. The official year was only 10 months and 304 days long, with a nameless season filling the space between December and March. Since crops didn’t grow in winter, it was unimportant and remained unnamed.

change. He decided to line up the calendar with the year’s 12 lunar cycles, for a total of 12 months and 355 days. January and February were added and tacked onto the end of the calendar. But for all the improvements he made, the king still made some interesting decisions. Romans believed even numbers to be unlucky, so he wanted to create as many odd-numbered months as possible. He granted 29 days to seven months and 31 to four more. But one month inevitably ended up with an even number. Perhaps because it fell at the end of the year — or maybe because Romans used the month to honor the dead — February received the unlucky 28 days. Pompilius also created a “leap month,” which was inserted sporadically and somewhat at a leader’s whim — often to grant their political

allies more time in office. Around 45 B.C., Julius Caesar worked with experts to create a new calendar that eliminated the leap month, instituted leap years, added 10 days, and moved January to the beginning of the year. The Julian calendar is extremely similar to the Gregorian calendar we use today. Though it may have made more sense to add two days to February and subtract them from two months that had 31 days, it seems that even Caesar was set in his ways. February was known as the short month then, and it remains as such thousands of years later.

In 713 B.C., King Numa Pompilius realized this was nonsensical, and he set about to make a

SUDOKU

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

RECIPE:

This succulent chicken stuffed with cheese, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes is impressive on the plate but easy in the kitchen! Our recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

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2 chicken breasts 2 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed 2 canned artichoke hearts, chopped 4 tsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 10 large basil leaves, chopped

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 365 F.

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2. Cut a slit lengthwise to create a pocket in the middle of each chicken breast. Place the breasts on a baking sheet. 3. In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, basil, and garlic. 4. Divide the mixture in half and stuff each chicken breast pocket. Using toothpicks, seal the edges of the pockets. 5. Season the chicken with curry, paprika, salt, and pepper, then bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F. 6. Remove the toothpicks and serve with rice, potatoes, salad, or roasted vegetables!

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2 cloves garlic, chopped

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1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Solution on Page 4

Salt and pepper, to taste

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Solution from Page 3

Inside

Celebrating George Washington — And the Other ‘First Presidents’

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Your Kids

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Improve Your Health With Fitness Trackers

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Why Is February So Short?

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breast

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Valentine’s Day Safety Tips

INJURIES AREN’T ROMANTIC TIPS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY SAFETY

Certain holidays tend to be associated with increased risk. Everyone knows drunk driving is a problem on New Year’s Eve, you should practice firework safety on the Fourth of July, and the darkness can pose a danger to Halloween trick-or-treaters. But when it comes to Valentine’s Day, what could go wrong? While it’s not the riskiest of holidays, bad things can happen any day of the year. Before you celebrate, ensure a happier and safer experience by taking heed of these reminders. Practice fire safety. Are you trying to spark a little romance? Just remember to put it out afterward! Whether you’re lighting up the fireplace or putting out some mood-setting candles, be sure to follow fire safety practices. Inspect and test your fireplace in advance and

keep soft or flammable materials away from any fire. When you leave the room, don’t leave a still-burning flame behind. And, of course, make sure your smoke detector batteries have recently been changed! Protect your valuables. If you’re headed out for Valentine’s Day, you probably want to look your best, and that might mean breaking out your most valuable accessories. If you plan to wear valuable jewelry or carry an expensive handbag, it can make you a mark for thieves. Try to only frequent well-lit, populated areas where you’re less likely to be targeted. Also, consider carrying only minimal cash — credit cards are a lot easier to replace. Don’t forget about the pets. Valentine’s Day can also pose a hazard to our furry friends.

Flowers and chocolates are popular gifts, but both can make your pet sick. Chocolate, particularly dark varieties, is poisonous to dogs, and many plants are harmful to animals. Baby’s breath, which appears in countless bouquets, is mildly toxic to dogs and cats. And while the flower itself is safe, a pet trying to eat roses could injure themselves on the thorns. Keep dangerous items away from your pet for a stress-free holiday. Finally, remember to never drink and drive. It’s common to have a few glasses of wine with Valentine’s Day dinner, but if you’ve reached your limit, don’t risk it. Call a cab or ride-share service to make sure you get home safe. It may not be ideal, but it’s a lot more romantic than a visit to the emergency room.

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