Risk & Associates County Civil - August 2020

Risk & Associates County Civil - August 2020

COUNTYCIVIL.COM

AUGUST 2020

True Friends Fight Like Family

WHY ARGUING CAN LEAD US TO LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS

A s I’m writing this, there’s a lot going on in the world — I hope you’re all healthy, safe, and enjoying these summer months as best you can. National Friendship Day is Aug. 2, so I thought I’d cover a topic that’s very important to me: the importance of taking risks and embracing disagreements with our friends. We might not think about having arguments as taking a personal risk, but as an adult, it can be too easy to avoid conflict. Taking the time to argue and risk your friendship truly means something in today’s world. While sharing some of my summer vacation memories last edition, you learned about how my childhood friendships meant the world to me and how they’re still a part of my life. I had plenty of disagreements with people as a kid and still do as an adult. But my friends and I grew and evolved together from these disagreements. Keeping people in your life as an adult can be challenging at times, but I have a saying I’ve been using for years: You know somebody’s a true friend if you can fight with them like family. While it’s an old value, I don’t think it’s a dated belief, and things were different in my day. As a kid, my parents were social all the time, often having friends over for cards and drinks. That’s nice growing up. You

“I don’t think our most life-changing friendships are perfect. In fact, I think we fight to earn them.”

interact with friends and relatives that way, but it was also just the cultural atmosphere back in those days. In the early ‘60s and ‘70s, everything in life was about getting together. We were often getting in the car to go see someone or watching a new movie at a drive-in theatre. Now you just jump on FaceTime to see someone. There’s a difference. Not everything in the past was perfect — drive-in theaters had issues with violence (even gun fights). While my grandchildren’s reaction to the idea of drive- ins is awe, I know there’s a reason almost none exist today. Yet, people are quick to dismiss their friends lately. They might remove or block someone on Facebook after they’ve made a disagreeable post. But I don’t think our most life-changing friendships are perfect. In fact, I think we fight to earn them. I’m not talking about acquaintances but friends you want to make a real commitment to. Instead of shutting those people out of your life, why not argue? Just be candid and speak from the heart. Sometimes people betray your trust repeatedly, and

that’s different, but so long as friends show they care about you and your future, that’s a perfectly good reason to work things out (especially during disagreements). For example, you might not expect to get along perfectly with family all the time — but we always expect to care about their future. No matter what, our family members benefit from our total honesty because we share so much of our lives together. If we truly want to be committed to our friendships in life, we should approach them with the same attitude. More often than not, people appreciate that kind of dedication, even if some conversations aren’t pleasant to have. Also, remember that dedication is truly rare. If you care enough about a friend and your future with them, you might be the only person in the whole world who’s willing to be honest with them. So, if you run into trouble with friends, don’t shy away from an honest conversation; you just might find a friend for life. Have a very happy Friendship Day, everyone. -Rick Risk

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ONE SWEET LAWSUIT DID JELLY BELLY MISREPRESENT ITS PRODUCT?

Most of us consider it common knowledge that Jelly Belly’s popular jelly beans,

This, the plaintiff’s lawyers explained, misled consumers into believing the product did not contain sugar. In the complaint, the plaintiff stated, “In order to make the product appear even more appropriate for athletes and less like a candy, the defendant lists ‘evaporated cane juice’ as an ingredient in its product.” However, the product’s Nutrition Facts label states that one serving of Sport Beans contains 19 grams of sugar. In a motion to dismiss, the Jelly Belly company called the claims “nonsense” and said that “no reasonable consumer could have been deceived by Sport Beans’ labeling.” Such clever labeling is common enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has addressed it. The FDA makes clear that evaporated cane juice is, in fact, sugar. Its guidelines to food manufacturers state that “sweeteners derived from sugar cane should not be declared on food labels as evaporated cane juice,” though this is merely a suggestion and not a legal requirement.

and any other candy, contain sugar. The candy, made by Jelly Belly Candy Company, has been in production for decades, and many consider it an American confectionery staple. But when the company began offering its famous jelly beans in a new sport- enhancing product line, it left at least one consumer confused.

In 2017, Jessica Gomez filed a class-action lawsuit with the Superior Court of California against the Jelly Belly Candy Company. Gomez alleged fraud, negligent representation, and product liability. The suit also alleged that the product violated California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, false advertising law, and unfair business practices law. What was the alleged fraud and negligent representation? The suit claimed Jelly Belly purposely excluded the word “sugar” from their Sport Beans products, which are marketed as enhancing athletic performance. Instead, the ingredient was listed as “evaporated cane juice.”

A Sacramento judge threw out the lawsuit saying it “did not pass legal muster.”

Walking Makes a Major Comeback The Science Behind Taking a Neighborhood Stroll

Hiking, yoga, meditation — all easy-going recreational activities — seem to have received more attention in recent years than walking. Before the pandemic, it might’ve even been hard to imagine that walking for fun would become so popular. Now, it’s become a permanent part of many Americans’ routines. What is this doing for American health? Wonders, doctors say. When you walk, a lot more is going on than you may think. In fact, the walking cycle is so delicate and precise that, despite the fact we’ve launched spaceships, engineers struggle replicating a human-like gait in robots even today. This is because your leg has so many “links” that interact as soon as you desire to move forward. It’s impressive

how little we are aware of the intricate systems between our hip and knee, knee and ankle, muscles in the feet, and the casual brain chemistry that allows us to adapt to obstacles without really thinking about it. If even just one of those links is frayed, the whole seamless process breaks down and requires months of therapy. Obviously, both your body and brain are processing a lot when you walk. According to the American Heart Association, research shows that walking at a “lively pace” at least 150 minutes a week can decrease risk of serious disease (stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer), improve blood pressure, increase energy and stamina, improve mental and emotional well-being

(and reduce the risk of depression), improve memory and reduce the risk of dementia, boost bone strength, and prevent weight gain. Many of our greatest thinkers had famous walking practices as well, including Nietzsche and Thoreau. It’s hardly surprising: Stanford researchers in 2014 found that roughly 60% of participants thought of ideas better while walking than sitting. When there’s a lot on your mind, it’s hard to argue against a walk to help work things out. Fortunately, summer nights are especially beautiful for walking in Michigan. From everyone at County Civil, we hope you enjoy this summer, whether you’re going skydiving or taking a brisk walk around town.

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Study Tips for Your Children THE TRICKS TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUCCESS

Heading into a new school year can be exciting for kids as they get to reconnect with friends and try out new extracurricular activities like clubs or sports. However, all these exciting back-to-school activities can distract some kids from their academic performance. But these study tips will help elementary students stay focused and on track. INVITE FRIENDS TO STUDY If your student is a social butterfly, have them invite their friends over for study sessions to prepare for quizzes or complete big homework assignments. Monitor their focus to make sure they actually study. This encourages kids to study at home and emphasizes the importance of community and support if they’re struggling with a particular topic. CREATE TESTS If your kids are reading a chapter or researching something for homework, have them build a test for you to take later. This gives them a chance to revisit the material and look at the content from a different perspective. Additionally, informing them of this beforehand encourages them to take detailed notes, which forces them to take a closer look at what they’re reading. HAVE A CONVERSATION After your kids have finished their homework, review their paper or project and ask them if there is anything they are struggling with. This

is a simple way to discover the area in which your student may need extra support. Knowing this can help you and your child to be proactive in finding additional resources when needed. USE FLASHCARDS For history, English, and science, making flashcards is a great way for children to retain what they learn. For

homework requiring your kids to read chapters or research specific topics, task your child with making flashcards for the terms they find along the way. Writing things down is an effective way to learn and remember things. Writing out the facts they

find also gives them a chance to get ahead since they can use these to study for tests.

While a healthy amount of praise and reward can go a long way, the greatest reward of studying is seeing your efforts pay off. We hope these tips help!

CAMPING FAIR FRIENDSHIP FIREPIT PERIDOT POPPY

RAFTING SCHOOL SUNDAE THUNDERSTORM VIRGO WATERMELON

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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.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 2

True Friends Fight Like Family

Why Jelly Belly Was Sued for Misrepresentation

Walking Makes a Major Comeback

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The Tricks to Elementary School Success Meet the Man Who Stole the ‘Mona Lisa’

The Most Famous Art Heist You’ve Never Heard Of MEET THE MAN WHO STOLE THE ‘MONA LISA’

One hundred and nine years ago this month, one man — or was it three? — fled from the Louvre Museum in Paris, carrying what would quickly become the world’s most famous painting: Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

suspect in favor of J.P. Morgan, Pablo Picasso, and playwright Guillaume

Historical accounts of the theft agree only on who was the ringleader: 30-year-old Louvre handyman Vincenzo Peruggia. He was a house painter, an immigrant, the bearer of a glorious Monopoly Man mustache, and a vehement Italian patriot. At some point on the morning of Aug. 21, 1911, Peruggia lifted the glass case he himself had constructed to house the “Mona Lisa” and smuggled the painting from the building. Some versions of the story say Peruggia was assisted by two brothers, fellow Italian handymen Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti. NPR reports the trio spent the night preceding the theft huddled in one of the Louvre’s supply closets, lying in wait to steal the portrait. In his documentary about the theft, director Joe Medeiros claims Peruggia acted alone, driven by an obsession with the work and a dream of returning the painting to Italy. Either way, we know that Peruggia successfully spirited the painting back to his one-bedroom apartment. There it lay concealed in a false- bottomed trunk for more than two years. This period of mysterious absence (during which police grilled and dismissed Peruggia as a

Apollinaire) is what made the “Mona Lisa” world famous.

Peruggia was eventually caught attempting to sell the painting in Italy. He pleaded guilty and spent eight months in jail.

After his release, he enlisted in the Italian army to fight in World War I, surviving the war only to die of a heart attack on his 44th birthday.

Though Peruggia married after the war, some suspect that the true love of his life was the “Mona Lisa” herself. In a CNN article, author and art history professor Noah Charney speculates that over his two years with her, Peruggia developed romantic feelings for the portrait. Perhaps he fell victim to a kind of “reverse Stockholm syndrome,” Charney suggests, the captor falling in love with his hostage. “In this case,” he says, “the hostage was a work of art.”

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