15 Minutes

With Prom season also comes the danger associated with drinking and driving.  Every 15 minutes someone dies from an alcohol related collision. Teenage drinking and driving has been a leading cause of death among teenagers so it’s critical teens avoid drinking and driving or riding with an impaired driver. Below is a link to a video titled 15 minutes created by students, school officials and the California Highway Patrol to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. 

15 Minutes

Source: Castro Valley High School /YouTube 

Let them know if they need a safe ride home for any reason, you are available.

Teresa

mano a mano

Great American Feuds

Throughout American history there have been feuds like when VP of the United States shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, the former Secretary of State in a NJ duel .  Thankfully things have changed a little bit.  Now feuds are usually handled in court.  But sometimes in the ring, like Pacquiao Vs Mayweather or Frazier Vs Ali.  Sometimes in the media - the beef between Cardi and Minaj.

Over a dude 

Joan Crawford and Bette Davis had a feud which lasted their entire lives.  Davis fell in love with Franchot Tone but he married Crawford.  Many years later after Davis heard about Crawford’s death, she allegedly said “you should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good.  Joan Crawford is dead. Good”.  (yikes)

Car Fights

The Dodge brothers started out being the main supplier of transmissions for Henry Ford and they were early shareholders in the company.  Then Dodge launched their own car to compete with the Ford Model T.  In response, Ford lowered the price of his model and Dodge sued.  Claiming reducing the price of the model cheated shareholders. Ford was ordered to payback dividends to shareholders, including the Dodge brothers.  After the ruling Ford made an announcement about his plans to sell the company to his son and started a rumor about a new car business.  This drove down the value of Ford shares and investors like the Dodge brothers sold their shares back to Ford; which allegedly was Ford’s plan all along.



I just had a bittersweet memory in my Ford Expedition, circa 2002 looking back at my kids in the rear seat ... No Fighting! No Fighting! No fighting!



Teresa




Source:  Brain Stuff Podcast, Time and Bleacherreport.com

Wagers, Coffee & Cakes

What are the Odds

Insurance companies don’t take bets on death. Seems clearly illegal, but they do something similar.  Both parties come to an agreement and money changes hands for a LIFE Insurance policy.  

Insurance and gambling goes back thousands of years.  The code of Hammurabi has clauses about bartering a type of insurance. Merchants would borrow money to fund a ship’s voyage and be protected if the ship sank.

Coffee, Cakes and Selfies

Posting pictures and drooling over cakes and coffee seems like an Instagram trend but in the late 1600s men would gather at Edward Lloyd’s small coffeehouse on Tower St, near the London docks to network & gossip.  He created a newsletter called Lloyd’s List with lots of info about ports, tides and ships.  His coffee shop in London became known as THE place for getting Marine Insurance.  Men would gossip, drink coffee and tea and place bets.  There were  auctions and they would insure ships.  The insurer would draw up a contract and sign his name underneath - now known as underwriting. 

Edward Lloyd’s small coffee shop became known as the place for obtaining marine insurance. Lloyd grew to became a pioneer in Insurance - Lloyd’s of London.  Today Lloyd’s list is only available in digital format.

Would you like a Chocolate Croissant  or a Glazed Donut with that coffee?

Source: BBC 

To hear more about this check out BBC podcast 

BBC Podcast 50 things that made the modern economy: Insurance

Familiar Insurance Services

Familiarinsurance.com