Law Office of Paul Black - May 2021

Law Office of Paul Black - May 2021

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www.Georgia-EstateLaw.com

May 2021

ON RECONNECTING WITH PEOPLE, POST-PANDEMIC Roses and Garbage

With spring upon us, I have been spending more time in the garden. Looking at our growing crops reminded me of a passage I read from a book called “You Are Here,” written by a Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Nanh. He writes about when we look at a rose, we often admire its beauty and cleanliness. But how often do we look at a rose and have admiring thoughts of rot and death? Everything contains everything, says Thich Nhat Nanh. In a few days, a cut rose will wilt. As it is thrown into the garbage, it will rot. Then, eventually, it will go into the soil and feed another growing rose. In many ways, “the fragrant rose and the stinking garbage are two sides of the same existence.” Without the rot and death of other plants, the elegant rose would have never grown. This can be a very useful analogy to keep in mind as we reconnect with our loved ones. As the vaccine becomes more available, and we are able to hug one another again, some may feel awkward about interacting again. However, in many ways, we have never been disconnected from other people. Think about the paper this newsletter is written on — then think about who logged the wood to create the paper, then the logger and their family, then the logger’s mother. It might sound silly, but this piece of paper is connected

“When I touch this piece of paper, I also touch the clouds. There is a cloud floating in this piece of paper. You do not have to be a poet to see it.”

to a logger’s mother. Endless branches of people are linked to this paper.

how we are all connected one way or another. We are all part of one another in our massive community of humanity, even if people do not always act as we expect them to. One season, I planted seeds in my garden for kale. Nothing came out of it at first, and I thought, “Wow, those seeds were a waste of money.” But then, almost eight months later, the kale sprouted throughout the winter months. I was amazed — the universe truly does not run on our time. But we need to plant the seeds and be there before opportunity will ever present itself. So, whether we are rewarded for our efforts today or tomorrow, we need to enjoy every moment while it lasts. Every good moment and every bad moment ends: I find great comfort, though, knowing it is always connected to a much, much better moment in the future either way.

In the book, he explains this meditative thought with the piece of paper he is writing on: “This piece of paper I am holding in my hand is something that exists right now … Without the sun, without the rain, the tree [that created this paper] would not have lived, and there would have been no piece of paper; I touch the sun. When I touch this piece of paper, I also touch the clouds. There is a cloud floating in this piece of paper. You do not have to be a poet to see it.” During the pandemic, we have experienced a lot of social justice movements that are cries for empathy. People are tired of feeling different, but we must be aware of a natural bias for identifying people as different.

Although our differences should be celebrated, we can also identify with a certain sameness in Do you have estate planning or elder law-related questions? Write to me at [email protected] with “Asked and Answered” in the subject line. Your identity will be kept confidential. The opinions offered in this column are not intended to replace or substitute any financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. -Paul Black

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DON’T LET HIDDEN ENERGY COSTS DRAIN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT What to Do About Your Home’s ‘Energy Vampires’

APPLIANCES Appliances, like refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers can be used very inefficiently. Refrigerators, for example, work best when they’re full. If you have a fridge with only a few things in it, you’re wasting a lot of energy. When it comes to dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers, make sure you run larger, less frequent loads. Running the appliances for smaller loads is very costly — even with ENERGY STAR- rated appliances. One of the biggest energy drains in the home is the electric water heater. For the most part, that’s to be expected. But what people don’t realize is that sometimes, the water temperature is set too high. In this case, your water heater has to work extra hard to keep the temperature up, resulting in an energy drain. The best way to combat this is to simply lower the temperature on the unit.

What are these energy drains and what can you do about them?

ELECTRONICS TVs, PCs, surround sound equipment, and video game consoles typically drain energy. It comes down to the simple fact that practically every electronic device made today stays “on” even when we turn it off. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that these electronics — while off — still contribute to more than 10% of household energy bills. Some electronics offer settings that allow people to truly turn them off, but even that’s not a guarantee. Another option, however, is to use energy-saving power strips or plug-ins. These power strips allow you to control power to select devices — and ensure these devices are only powered when you want them to be.

We’ve all been there: You’re hit with an unusually high energy bill and you aren’t sure why. While we expect our energy bills to increase during certain times of the year, we still expect some consistency. When there are unusual bumps, we want to know why. In some cases, these unusual bumps can be traced to hidden energy drains, or “energy vampires.” Most of these energy vampires are far more insidious than a noticeable bump to your energy bill. Why? Because we’re often paying for electricity we didn’t even realize we were using.

INFLUENCER IN FLORIDA ACCUSED OF VOTER FRAUD

A February 2016 analysis by MIT Media Lab revealed that Twitter account “Ricky Vaughn” was the 107th most important influencer in the then-upcoming election. That’s a higher ranking than many other groups and individuals like NBC News (114), Stephen Colbert (119), and Newt Gingrich (141). Everyone had one question: Who in the world is Ricky Vaughn? As it turns out, the Florida man was really stepping up his game. Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, is based in West Palm Beach and gained an audience on Twitter with over 58,000 followers by 2016. Many would describe him as an internet troll, or someone who posts hurtful comments for his own amusement. He’s posted anti-Semitic memes in the past, though, those offenses were hardly illegal. That changed when Mackey allegedly went too far.

convince people to “vote” by text instead of going to the polls or using the mail-in ballot. In one instance, he posted an image depicting an African American woman holding a sign, reading “African Americans for [candidate].” The images would then include instructions on how to vote by texting a specific number. Mackey and his associates also created images with Spanish instructions, obviously targeting minorities as well. Of course, voting by text is not a legitimate way to cast a ballot, yet the deceptive campaign duped over 4,900 unique phone numbers. William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, reported in their press release, “Protecting every American citizen’s right to cast a legitimate vote is a key to the success of our republic. What Mackey allegedly did to interfere with this process — by soliciting voters to cast their ballots via text — amounted to nothing short of vote theft.”

It’s certainly fascinating and terrifying to see just how influential social media can be on an election and even go as far as to lure people into wasting their vote. We’re glad, however, to see these types of cases being brought to court — Mackey was recently arrested on federal charges of election interference for this 2016 voter disinformation campaign. Some influencers are taking their title much too seriously!

Using hashtags like #go[candidate], Mackey posted false, edited campaign images to

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SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT — WITH 5 ORGANIZATION HACKS

NO. 3: REPURPOSE OLD DRAWERS TO BE UNDER-THE-BED STORAGE. Most people will throw out their old wardrobes, but if you have leftover drawers, you don’t have to get rid of them. Refinishing them is optional — they make great storage containers as-is for under your bed! Store toys, board games, and more beneath your bed, sofa, or anywhere else that has a narrow opening. NO. 4: CONVERT AN OLDWINE RACK INTO TOWEL STORAGE. It can be a tough task to stow your towels in a fashionable way. But as you begin to upgrade your home decor, you may find an extra wine rack on your hands, which happens to be perfect for storing rolled towels! NO. 5: USE A HOLLOWED BOOK FOR REMOTE CONTROL STORAGE. Have a thick book that you’re about to get rid of? It might feel sacrilegious to repurpose a book, but it’s also one of the coolest ways to celebrate literature in a stylish, practical way. Hollow out a book and use it to store many things, including remote controls.

You may want to throw away your bread tags, old rakes, and shower curtain rings, but what if you can reuse them for a more sustainable, organized lifestyle? You’ll never lose your remote control or confuse your power cords again, and it won’t even cost you anything extra.

NO. 1: USE SHOWER CURTAIN RINGS TO HANG CLOTHING ITEMS. Tank tops and delicates (like scarves) tend to scrunch and pile up in the corner of your closet or drawers. But if you’re replacing your curtain rings anytime soon, don’t toss your old ones — you can attach them to hangers and hang ties, belts, hats, and many other accessories! NO. 2: ORGANIZE POWER CORDS WITH OLD BREAD TAGS. Have a chaotic power strip that’s impossible to navigate or reorganize on the fly? Luckily, you already have labels that’ll easily attach to any cord you have: bread tags. One side of your bread tag may list the “best by” date for your bread. The other side is blank! That’s where you can take a permanent marker, write down the name of the cord, and attach it to the cord near the power strip.

We hope these tips will inspire you to reduce and reuse! See you next month!

Inspirational MOMENT

Thai Minced Pork Salad Inspired by EatingThaiFood.com

INGREDIENTS

• • • • •

5 tbsp uncooked Thai sticky rice

• • • • •

Juice of 1–2 limes, to taste 4 small shallots, thinly sliced 4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 lb ground pork 1/2 tbsp chili flakes

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” –Henry Ward Beecher

1/8 tsp sugar

Cilantro leaves, to taste Mint leaves, to taste

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1. First, make toasted rice powder: In a frying pan over low heat, dry-roast the rice, stirring continuously until it turns golden brown and smells fragrant, about 15 minutes. 2. Let toasted rice cool, then grind into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor. Set aside. 3. In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, fry pork, breaking it into small pieces as you go, until fully cooked. 4. Remove from heat and add 1 heaping tbsp of toasted rice powder along with all other ingredients. Stir to combine. 5. Taste and adjust, adding more lime juice and herbs to suit your palate. Serve with rice. DIRECTIONS

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Decatur Office Location: Main Location One West Court Square, Suite 750 | Decatur, Georgia 30030

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1

On Reconnecting With People, Post-Pandemic

2

Eliminate Your Home’s ‘Energy Vampires’ Influencer in Florida Accused of Voter Fraud

3

Reduce and Reuse With 5 Organization Hacks! Inspirational Moment Thai Minced Pork Salad

4

Atlanta’s Unique Community 7-Acre Farm

ATLANTA’S UNIQUE COMMUNITY 7-ACRE FARM Take a Walk in a Local Free Food Forest

Living too far away from a grocery store can be a real cause of starvation — and in Atlanta, that problem is acute. According to the USDA, at least 1 in every 4 Atlantans (or 125,000 people) live in areas defined as food deserts based on their geological distance from grocery stores.

that benefits both as well as global and local climate. Agroforestry is becoming an increasingly popular way of establishing local free food sources, with more free food forests expanding in cities across the nation. Originally filled with mature pecan trees and blackberry brambles, it wasn’t difficult to turn this pecan farm into the free food forest it is today. A combination of community, corporate, and nonprofit partners have committed over 1,000 volunteers to the project to clear non-use bushes and plant new crops. Reports of people taking more than they need are rare. “It’s really a park for everyone,” Atlanta city councilwoman Carla Smith told CNN. “Every time I go, there’s a community there who respects and appreciates the fresh healthy foods. There’s a mentality there that people know to only take what they need.” According to the Conservation Fund, gardening and cooking classes are also being held to help teach community members about healthy food, and the project includes community garden beds that the most enterprising of visitors can utilize. It’s a wonderful place to visit if you’re ever hungry or want to support your local free food source — don’t be shy!

This fact has empowered thousands of people to come together — and now, Atlanta has the nation’s largest free food forest.

The Conservation Fund created the Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill with assistance from the city of Atlanta and the U.S. Forest Service. This old pecan farm, located on Browns Mill Road (only 10 minutes away from Atlanta airport), now contains over 2,500 edible and medicinal plants available to anyone in need. It’s a passion project of many civilians and organizations, both public and private, to help grapple with problems of hunger in Atlanta. “Access to green space and healthy foods is very important. And that’s a part of our mission,” says Michael McCord, a local arborist.

Why is it a free food forest and not a farm? It utilizes a practice known as “agroforestry,” a term that describes marrying the forest and the field in a way

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