Hegwood Law - May 2020

Hegwood Law - May 2020

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MAY 2020

KIM HEGWOOD ONWHEN SHE KNEW SHE WAS TURNING INTO HER MOM

Growing up, my mom worked two and three jobs to keep a roof over our heads. We lived paycheck to paycheck. In spite of our humble circumstances, my mom always made sure my sisters and I knew that we could do anything we wanted in life if we wanted it badly enough. Our mother’s unwavering support has made all the difference to us. We girls turned out alright. My baby sister has a doctorate in education, and my middle sister is an office manager. She still lives close to where we grew up and absolutely loves managing that office. My mom always emphasized the importance of loving what we do for work. It was amazing to have somebody so confident in us making sure we could do anything we wanted with our lives. And then that day came … I knew I was turning into my mom when I snapped my fingers and pointed at my kid. Growing up, my mom did not have to say a word. We knew that if she snapped her fingers and pointed, we were to remove ourselves from whatever we were doing and go wherever her pointed finger told us to go. I remember her boyfriend at the time watching her do it to me as a kid, and he was like, Are you magic?

The older I get, the smarter my mom becomes. When you are younger, you cannot fully appreciate a parent’s wisdom or rationale, but as you get older, you see that with age really does come wisdom. As an adult, I can see plain as day how I have been blessed in my life. My sisters and I have the very best mom. To my mom and to mothers all around the world, Happy Mother’s Day.

She was not magic. It just takes training. I know because I did it with my own kids. And it worked.

My mom will be 75 years old this year. She still works, and she lives few hours away from me. She recently lost a dear friend and needed some family time, so my sisters and I took her shopping and had lunch. I feel lucky that we get to have this time. Spending time with Mom is a blessing (and my sisters — of course!)

-Kim Hegwood

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THE $60,000 HEIST YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF Crimeless Theft in Cyberspace

In 2017, sometime between Sept. 11 and 12, a total of $60,000 worth of digital assets were stolen from people around the world. The conspirators did not hide their identities, and they faced no criminal charges. As it turns out, there are no laws against stealing spaceships in a video game — even if they are worth thousands of real-world dollars. EVE Online is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that was launched in 2003, and it was on this game that the theft occurred. This science-fiction game is all about spacefaring, but one notable feature of the game is that it allows players to purchase in-game assets with real money. This attracts players who can spend large sums on the game, with some of the game’s largest spaceships costing $9,000. But one thing to note in EVE Online is that no matter how much you pay, once you lose an asset, it is gone forever. Because of the risk-reward nature of the game, many players unite in huge factions for safety and to pool their resources. One of these groups, Circle of Two or CO2, was the target of the 2017 attack. Within a matter of hours, CO2’s bank accounts were drained and the space stations holding their fleets of ships were sold to their enemies. It was clear from the beginning: This was an inside job.

The thief was CO2’s own head diplomat, a player called “The Judge.” For years he had worked his way through the alliance’s ranks, only to use the access he eventually gained to rob it blind. But greed may not

have been his only motivation. He had had public disagreements with CO2’s leader called Gigx, and a rival faction was able to capitalize on this internal conflict. During an in-person EVE Online summit held in Iceland, representatives from The GoonSwarm Federation convinced The Judge to leave CO2 and commit the single largest robbery in gaming history on his way out. In the real world, The Judge’s actions were completely legal — currently, international law does not treat such virtual objects as personal property. But this perception may be changing. As in-game purchases become more widespread in video games, legal lines have blurred, causing an increasing number of lawmakers to rethink what constitutes “ownership” in the digital age. But, for now at least, it seems like a good time to be a space pirate.

KIM HEGWOOD ONWHY TEACHERS CHANGE US

I had an incredible English teacher during my sophomore year of high school — Betty Lain. While my classmates in other English classes had easy and straightforward assignments, we had amuch different experience. It was a challenge to get good grades in Betty Lain’s class because she always had off-the- wall assignments, which were very challenging and different. These days, I think teachers are saints. They teach because it is their passion, and they do not get enough credit. One of my “extra” kids is a teacher. She is like a daughter to me and is doing her first year of teaching right now, which, of course, is difficult. Since National Teacher Appreciation Day is in May, I wanted to celebrate teachers who truly try their best to teach and point out one of the great injustices in American education: Our rules and regulations force teachers to teach more to standardized tests rather than to develop a student’s love for true knowledge.

Betty Lain was not just my English teacher. She was also the school librarian, and later, a lifelong friend. I read everything she handed me for the next three years after her English class. We stayed friends even after high school and stayed in touch until she passed away. She was a huge inspiration to me growing up. Teachers shape our children and are essential to how our children see the world, and I got very lucky with the good teachers I had throughout my education. My kids have had really good teachers, and nowmy grandkids do, too. Considering the hardships of the field, it is nothing less than a calling, honestly. I commend teachers for following it!

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BIRD-WATCHING FOR BEGINNERS Why May Is the Best Month to Start

Bird-watching is like a lifelong scavenger hunt that you can play anywhere on Earth. The activity provides a mixture of science, travel, and beauty, and it is a chance to get outside for feathered adventures and quiet reflection. The month of May is a great time of year to go birding because rising temperatures prompt spring migration. So if you are eager to begin bird-watching, there is no better time than now. Here are some tips to get started. Educate Yourself Thousands of species of birds span all corners of the globe. That is why finding them is an exciting prospect — there is no end to the hunt! Start by researching birds that are native to your location. Purchase a field guide with pictures of each bird and maps of their range and use it to figure out where different birds live. From there, it is easy to pick your first spotting goal. You can even get yourself extra excited by watching a few bird documentaries. Gear Up One of the best things about birding is that you do not need a lot of equipment to do it.

As long as you have got your field guide and comfortable walking shoes, the only other thing you will need is a pair of binoculars. And they do not have to be fancy. As long as they can zoom in on faraway trees and perches, they will work for now. You can always upgrade later. Go Exploring Your very first birding excursion is important because you do not want to be overwhelmed or underwhelmed. So use your field guide to home in on a single bird and go find it. It may be local, or you can plan a trip to a specific bird’s natural habitat. Stay focused and do not get distracted by other species. The thrill that comes with spotting your first bird will keep you coming back to find the rest. Bird-watching is a wonderful hobby because it is easy to get started and can last a lifetime. As long as you can walk, drive, or look out a window, you can be a birder. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and find some birds!

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CUPS

WORD SEARCH

Ingredients

For the chocolate shells: • 2 cups chocolate chips • 2 tbsp coconut oil

For the mousse filling: • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips • 2 cups heavy cream • 2/3 cup powdered sugar • 6-7 large strawberries, sliced for serving

directions

1. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in 30 second intervals. Stir well. 2. Spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp of melted chocolate into each liner. Gently tilt muffin tin to coat the bottom and sides of liners. Refrigerate until hardened, 1 hour. 3. Meanwhile, make filling: In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips in 30 second intervals. Let cool slightly. 4. In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Add about 2 tbsp of cooled melted chocolate and continue to beat until incorporated. Add remaining melted chocolate and fold in until just combined. Refrigerate 1 hour. 5. Carefully unwrap chocolate cups from liners. Place mousse into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip and pipe into cups. Garnish with a strawberry slice and refrigerate until ready to serve.

BASEBALL BEES BLOSSOMS GARDENING GREEN KITES

PUDDLES RAINBOWS RAINDROPS SPRING TULIPS UMBRELLA

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 Kim Hegwood on When She Knew She Was Turning Into Her Mom 2 A $60,000 Robbery With No Jail Time Honoring Teachers on National Teacher Appreciation Day 3 Bird-Watching for Beginners Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cups 4 Find Your FREE Virtual Workshop Today!

FIND YOUR FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP TODAY! Plus, a Surprise at the End of the Video! We hope this newsletter finds you and yours in good health! With so much going on in our nation, you might be thinking about your well- being and the well-being of your loved ones much more often. Many Americans are feeling the weight of each decision, but not everyone has all the resources to get the legal information they need. In a time where working from home and uncertainty for the future are the new norms, Hegwood Law Group has been adapting many of its services to suit our clients’ changing needs. Being legally informed and finding the right FREE resources is just as important as ever — that is why our new Virtual Workshop Library is here to help. It has been a long tradition for our firm to provide workshops for clients trying to navigate their legal issues; we are used to helping people get through some of the most challenging times in their lives. Now, you can access these workshops straight from home for no cost at all!

schedule a free consultation within 24 hours of viewing the workshop! It is that easy to find the legal advice and protection that you need. To access our Virtual Workshop Library, jump into our portal at HegwoodLaw.com/Library. If you have any questions or need assistance, please give us a call at 281.218.0880. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Once you sign up for access, you can pick between any of our workshops about the varying fields in our practice. Then, you can

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