Risk & Associates County Civil - April 2021

Risk & Associates County Civil - April 2021

COUNTYCIVIL.COM

APRIL 2021

Does History Repeat Itself?

WHY WE NEED MORE AMERICAN HISTORY CLASSES

A s both a history buff and business owner of a civil processing firm, it may not surprise you that I believe civics and American history classes are exceedingly important for young Americans. Only 32% of Americans can list the three branches of government, and, if you know our country’s history, it’s easy to understand why our branches of government are so crucial to our liberty as a nation. Without proper civics or American history classes, we can easily lose our connection to America and what it means to have our distinguished freedoms that differentiate us from the rest of the world. To honor the anniversary of the American Revolution (April 19, 1775), I thought I’d talk a little bit about why. “History repeats itself” — it’s an argument we hear all the time when it comes to why we need a civics or history education in high schools. But what does that mean? Can history predict the future? Maybe not explicitly, but when we look back in time, it often reveals relevant, repetitive facts about human behavior.

a platform for divisive, even bitter, debate. According to David Ramsay, one of the first historians of the American Revolution, “in establishing American independence, the pen and press had merit equal to that of the sword.” During the Revolution, American colonists incessantly talked, argued, wrote, and published on the subject of British imperial policy, especially taxes. The unity between colonies was fragile, but you could say American-biased news media helped keep them together. I don’t mean American-biased in a negative way, but the bias was certainly there. There were thousands of newspapers, broadsides, sermons, and other means of news and communication that became increasingly important for colonies to support each other in their grievances with the British government. Of course, biases in the news haven’t gone away, and we’ve seen how our news media can still separate us from one other. Can it lead to such severe consequences as the American Revolution? Most likely not — many recognize that our division is also our freedom. But history can serve as a warning to how we should be wary of taking news from one source, and the importance of mixing our sources of information.

With such a complex, imperfect history as ours, perhaps it will always be our difficult, near-impossible task to find common ground between all of us. In response to recent times, with various political movements around the world taking down statues — without getting too political — I understand that many people justify that destruction as an effort to remove the “esteem” of these figures, not necessarily erase them from history books. “Forgive, not forget,” as I’ve heard said. I couldn’t agree with that sentiment more. Yet, I worry about the destruction of American statues and landmarks, perhaps especially when they represent figures that don’t hold up to modern values. We need testaments to the idea that our country must learn from one another. That’s why, instead of removal, I love the idea of building more statues and landmarks to the people Americans have forgotten to appreciate — and, whether it be through statues or American history classes, I hope we can do far more to remember our rich history for all of its greatest victories and greatest mistakes. Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful April, friends. -Rick Risk

For example, today’s political culture isn’t the first time that the media has become

616-374-7170 1

Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com

UP IN FLAMES

THE FYRE FESTIVAL’S LEGAL FALLOUT FOR INFLUENCERS

Influencer marketing has long been a legal gray area, but recently settled celebrity lawsuits related to the Fyre Festival — a failed luxury musical festival — have definitely added some color to the debate. The idea for the Fyre Festival came from rapper Ja Rule and his business partner Billy McFarland, a 25-year-old CEO of a luxury concierge service. The duo created the event together and touted it as the world’s most expensive music festival. They’d also launched an attractive marketing campaign which included celebrity promotions by Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and other influencers. All the while, the organizers knew the Fyre Festival was doomed from the start. In lieu of a multiday, luxury experience, thousands of people were scammed and left stranded in the Bahamas instead. “[The organizers] had six to eight weeks to pull off something that should have taken close to a year,” says Chris Smith, who directed a Netflix documentary on the festival. “But what was most surprising to me was going to the Bahamas and seeing the aftermath of what was left behind and the effect on the people there.” The local economy was devastated. “They had engaged with so much of the local community to try and pull this off. There were hundreds of day laborers working,” says Smith. “Fyre had such a high profile that

I don’t think anyone could have assumed that it wouldn’t work out.”

As the Fyre Festival fell apart, Gregory Messer — the trustee in charge of overseeing the bankruptcy for Fyre Media — looked into the finances. He began to suspect that there had been “fraudulent transfers” between the founders and many of the event’s promoters, and he began to sue the celebrities and influencers that drove the hype behind the festival. For example, McFarland and Ja Rule reportedly paid Kendall Jenner over $275,000 to publish an Instagram post promoting the festival. Although Jenner denied liability, she did not disclose on the post that it was paid and sponsored. Messer’s attorney further argued that Jenner had not told her Instagram followers that she’d pulled out of the festival after learning of its disastrous problems. Although more legal parameters will likely spring up in the future to further define the limits of influencer marketing, this will certainly make any celebrity think twice about accepting money to promote events and brands. And that’s definitely for the best!

4 Fun Recipe Ideas for Your Family!

TAKE THEM ALONG ON YOUR NEXT SPRINGTIME HIKE

COOL KID POPSICLES

If you plan to go on a hike with your kids, you might want to bring along some treats to snack on. Why not make them with your kids? The kitchen is definitely a kid-friendly place with these fun, tasty snacks and meals. Just be careful to instruct them every step of the way! NO-BAKE STICKY OREO BARS You only need three ingredients for these bars: marshmallows, Oreos, and butter. Take one 16-ounce package of Oreo cookies and crush it. Melt 5 cups of large marshmallows and 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave until puffed, about 1–1 1/2 minutes. Stir to combine with the crushed Oreos and then pour into an 8x8-inch baking pan and let it set for 10 minutes. Voila! Cut and enjoy!

place your flattened bread discs in a muffin tin to fill with various breakfast toppings, from eggs to veggies to cheese. PEANUT BUTTER BANANA QUESADILLAS This easy treat can be made with tortillas or any substitute you desire (i.e., grain-free tortillas or even purple cabbage leaves)! Just put peanut butter on one side and slices of banana with chocolate chips on the other. Not only is this a super healthy snack, but it holds up well and is easy to package in a flat plastic or reusable bag! From our families to yours, we hope these recipe ideas give you a dose of inspiration in the kitchen! Let us know if you try any!

These flavorful popsicles will make you feel like a cool kid. Combine one 3-ounce package of Jell-O, one packet of Kool-Aid, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of boiling water in a pitcher. Stir until dissolved. Then, mix in 2 cups of cold water and pour into a mold. You can use anything as a mold, from Dixie cups to ice cube trays. Freeze for 4–6 hours until solid. Use a warm water bath to wiggle the frozen dessert free! BREAKFAST TOAST CUPS Want something a tad healthier and more filling? Your kids will love breakfast toast cups at any time of the day. Just flatten slices of bread, cut out circles with a cookie cutter, and

2 COUNTYCIVIL.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro •

Can Humans Outrace the Bots? THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN DAY COIN COLLECTING

Rick loves coin collecting and sharing his hobby with his grandchildren. We also love sharing cool coin facts with you in this newsletter! However, more and more coin collectors — especially the newer generation — may need to watch out. Robots are starting to compete with everyone else. HOW A WWII ANNIVERSARY COIN SPARKED CONTROVERSY When the End of WWII 75th Anniversary Coin and Medal Program launched in 2020, the U.S. Mint released two beautiful coins with the collection: a 24-karat gold coin and a silver coin that was 99% silver.

The banning didn’t stop resellers with thousands of bots, therefore unaffected by individual bans. It stopped frustrated coin collectors instead, including an editor from a major coin magazine. Lo and behold, the same day as the coins’ release, they were being resold on eBay for up to 500% of the original sale price. Although the U.S. Mint issued an apology for this event, it sparked a larger conversation about the future of coin collecting that many collectors are experiencing. How can collectors outrace bots, and how do you ensure the sales go to individuals, not to robots? Some coin collectors rely on fast computers, AutoFill, and website tracking tools to ensure that they’re in tip-top shape for launch day. For many others, the answers are still unclear. Many similar collecting hobbies struggle from the same challenges. However, at County Civil, we believe that technology (and possibly even law) will continue to evolve to solve this issue so coin collecting, like many other collecting hobbies, can remain an accessible pastime for families and individuals of all ages.

Upon its midnight launch on Nov. 5, the U.S. Mint experienced the “highest traffic” they’d ever experienced. However, that wasn’t a good thing for customers. If you tried buying a coin, most people were hit by constant website errors. If you refreshed the page too many times, your account was banned . This is to fight bots (a software that runs an automated task) designed to purchase available stock to resell at a much higher price on other websites. These bots will often refresh a page a hundred times a minute to buy available stock during its online launch.

ARBOR ARIES

DIAMOND ENVIRONMENT GARDEN KITE

BASEBALL CHERRIES CHOCOLATE DAISY

RAINBOW SHOWERS

616-374-7170 3

• www.NewsletterPro.com

2383 Tamarack St., Lake Odessa, MI 48849 616-374-7170 | COUNTYCIVIL.COM R isk & A ssociates

Rick Risk is Founder and President of Risk & Associates, a legal support service provider in Michigan, and has assisted hundreds of attorneys, municipalities, courts, Sheriff Offices, businesses, and others with their strategic process needs.

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 2

Does History Repeat Itself?

The Fyre Festival’s Legal Fallout for Influencers

4 Fun Recipe Ideas for Your Family!

3 4

The Challenges of Modern Day Coin Collecting

Nonalcoholic Beer, Then and Now

More Than 100 Years of Nonalcoholic Beer AND WHY IT’S MAKING A COMEBACK

You may not be surprised to learn that the U.S. has a holiday devoted to a certain frothy brew — April 7 is National Beer Day — though you may be surprised that more and more Americans are celebrating

with a nonalcoholic (NA) pint. The hoppy holiday is a relatively recent creation, but brewed concoctions have a long history, even those of a nonalcoholic variety. In fact, NA beer has been around since medieval times in Europe when very weak fermented brews were said to be less dangerous to drink than potentially contaminated water. Some even viewed the beer as a healthy alternative to water, and since they had very little alcohol by volume (ABV), laborers could drink them while they worked. In the U.S., the 100-year history of NA beer is closely linked to the temperance movement, which began in the late 1800s. This led to Prohibition and the adoption of the 18th Amendment in 1919. It was illegal to sell, transport, or consume alcoholic beverages, which were defined as any drink with more than 0.5% ABV. Beer with less than 0.5% ABV was considered nonalcoholic and could be consumed, if not enjoyed, by teetotalers. That standard has informed a new and growing wave of NA beer in the U.S., which pulled in about $100 million in 2018. Sales of NA beer worldwide, however, are projected to jump to almost $6 billion by 2023. In 2018 and 2019, sales of domestic beer decreased, fueled by a

generational shift in drinking habits. Millennials drink less than their Gen Z and baby boomer counterparts, and periods of giving up booze, like Sober October and Dry January, are becoming more popular in general. Brewers — foreign, domestic, small, and large — are getting in on the growing trend by expanding NA offerings and experimenting with alcohol-free brews from easy- drinking lagers and ales to flavor-filled India pale ales. Heineken released its first NA beer in 2019 and competitor Budweiser answered with its own version a year later. Craft breweries across the U.S. have flagship and seasonal NA offerings,

and in 2015, Bravas, located in Newport Beach, California, became the nation’s first brewery producing exclusively NA beers. If you want to see what all the buzz is about without getting buzzed, crack open an NA beer from your favorite local bottle shop.

4 COUNTYCIVIL.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com