A new study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA), finds that more than two thirds of dog owners routinely drive while petting, feeding and even cradling their dogs in their laps.

Safety experts are concerned that unrestrained dogs in the passenger compartment create a distraction to drivers which may be even more dangerous than texting or cellular telephone use.  This can be deadly for man and dog.

Unlike seatbelts, no states currently require drivers to buckle up their pets or prohibit drivers from holding their dogs in their laps.

According to Motivation Design LLC, a firm that manufactures pet travel products, an 80 pound, unrestrained dog can exert 2,400 pounds of force inside a vehicle during a crash at 30 mph.  The resulting crash and/or deployment of airbags, can injure or kill the pets or other occupants of vehicles involved in such crashes.  

In addition, after a wreck, dogs can become territorial and protective of their owners, hindering rescue attempts by emergency responders. This can lead authorities with no other alternative than to shoot the animal to rescue the driver and passengers.

A recent study conducted by AAA polled one thousand dog owners who have driven with their dogs in the last year. The study found that 55% of these dog loving drivers petted their dog while driving, and 21% said they held their dogs in their laps, 7% fed or watered their dogs and 5% played with their dogs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 6,000 people died, and more than a half a million were injured, in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2008.

Compiled from Tribune Newspapers

Florida will have a few new laws go into effect on July 1st and may affect you! Graduation requirements, School Prayer, Horse Meat, Bong Sales just to name a few. Check out the article on the OrandoSentinel.com website here.

The United States Supreme Court favors Florida's authority to pump new sand onto shoreline of resident's beachfront property. Erosion of property rights? Read the Courts findings here: Supreme Court Ruling

According to the USA Today, Toyota Motor Company Could Face Criminal Charges Related To Safety Recalls

Recent complaints against Toyota Motor Corporation which have triggered a federal probe into reporting of acceleration defects, a congressional investigation and a growing number of civil lawsuits may have also created the possibility of criminal charges being brought against Toyota.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the timeliness of Toyota's reporting of its sudden-acceleration complaints and repairs, and the Transportation Department has disclosed that it will seek the maximum civil fine of $16.4 million from Toyota.

The Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act, created following the rollover recalls in 2000 involving Ford Explorers and Firestone tires, subjects individuals who intentionally mislead federal regulators about safety defects to possible criminal fines and/or prison.

Toyota has revealed that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York has issued subpoenas for documents relating to sudden acceleration in various Toyota vehicles and braking issues in the Prius.. The grand jury subpoenas indicate that the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has initiated a criminal investigation.

Spring Training, 2010, has started and hope springs eternal for all fans of every major league baseball team.  The Detroit Tigers look forward to a great season this year with several additions to last year’s roster which posted a strong but disappointing 2009 season.

Miguel Cabrera, Maglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen look great in Grapefruit League play.  On Friday afternoon’s game against the Houston Astros, starter Phil Coke allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out three in his two innings of work. Eddie Bonine worked two quick scoreless innings, and Joel Zumaya is back, and racked up back-to-back strikeouts to escape a bases loaded situation.

It is still too early to judge the impact of losing Curtis Granderson, or the value added by his replacement, Austin Jackson, in center field.  But Johnny Damon looked great as designated hitter. 

GO TIGERS

The Michigan State Spartans play for a championship Sunday, March 7, 2010 at home against rival University of Michigan

The Spartans did not play like a team on the cusp of a their second Big Ten Championship in Thursday's 67-65 narrow escape against the Penn State Nittany Lions. Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green scored 10 of MSU’s final 11 points in the last 4:37 of the game, bringing the Spartans back three times from two-point deficits. Morgan hit the go-ahead free throws with 1:24 left, then increased the lead to four with 11.8 seconds left.

If the Spartans beat Michigan on Sunday, they will share the championship with Ohio State and perhaps Purdue, which needs a win at Penn State on Saturday.

The Spartans' 9-0 start in the Big Ten was the best in school history. The Spartans started 4-0 in Big Ten road games, giving them a program-best stretch of 12 wins in 13 Big Ten road games. Five of MSU's losses came against good competition away from home -- at highly ranked North Carolina and Texas, and against a good Florida team in Atlantic City., then at Wisconsin and Illinois. The Spartan’s sixth and seventh losses came at home to the Big Ten's best, Purdue and Ohio State.

Depending on their performance in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins March 11, the Spartans may qualify for as high as a number 2 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament which begins the following Thursday, March 18.

GO SPARTANS!

The Michigan State Spartans may be one of the best teams with one of the worst records in the Big Ten Conference this season.  After losing in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day to the Georgia Bulldogs, MSU lost nearly all of their ground game with the graduation of senior running back Javon Ringer. This season, the Spartans lost a very close game to Central Michigan, and then suffered a  very close, come-from-behind, loss to the nationally ranked Irish of Notre Dame. The Spartans did not look great against Wisconsin, losing by 8 points, but their three consecutive losses were by a total of 13 points. The most important, season saving game has to be the overtime victory against the rival University of Michigan Wolverines. This victory marked the first time that MSU has defeated the Wolverines in consecutive seasons, home and away, in 40 years.  Only time will tell how the Spartans do the rest of the season, but if you are going to win only one conference game in a season, beating the Wolverines is definitely the one to win.

As one of the area’s largest Detroit Tigers’ fan, I was hoping to have the opportunity to enjoy some more fall baseball.  Unfortunately, that was not to be.  Many would criticize my team for the "collapse" of a seven game division lead in September.  While I don't feel particularly happy about my team’s failure to make the post season (again), I am satisfied that they were competitive to the end.  It is important to remember that the Tigers did not play particularly well all season and led the weakest of the three divisions.  With one month to go, and a 7 game lead, all that they were expected to do was to play .500 ball to win the Central Division. They did that. The Twins did something quite exceptional and not expected by winning 17 of their last remaining 21 games to force an extra game to end the season. That game was a twelve inning epic.  I don't believe that the Tigers collapsed as much as the Twins overwhelmed. Good luck to the Twins.  Beat the Yankees.

Well, maybe not. Florida law recognizes various degrees of property crime; theft, burglary, and robbery.

You or someone you know maybe a victim of (or charged with) a crime know as theft. Theft is basically charged when property is taken, or attempted to be taken, from someone, with the intent that the owner of the property is deprived of the value or use of the property. The severity of the charge increases with the value of the property.

Burglary may or may not involve a theft. A burglary is committed when one enters, or remains in a structure, vehicle, or dwelling, with the intent to commit a crime. That crime may be theft or some other crime. The severity of the crime depends upon the crime committed once in the structure or vehicle and whether a weapon was used.

Robbery does include a theft and is charged when a theft is committed with the use of, or threatened use of force. Of course, the greater the force and use of a weapon increases the severity of the burglary.

The Detroit Tigers are heading into the All Star break clinging to a small, but meaningful lead over the surging Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins in the Central Division.  This gives Tigers fans great hope for the post season for the first time since the World Series year of 2006.  Detroit’s pitching is soundly anchored by Justin Verlander, who is having a tremendous year after a pretty poor performance in 2008.  The addition of Edwin Jackson, and the return on Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya to the rotation/bullpen also say good things for the second half of the season.  Even newcomer Luke French recently went 6 ½ innings of one hit ball against the Royals. 

GO TIGERS!

           The statute, F.S. 316.126(1)(b) can be reviewed online at www.leg.state.fl.us.

Congratulations to the Michigan State Spartans Men’s Basketball team, which got to the National Championship game.  While the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels was not a close one, and the Tar Heels are this year’s champions,  Spartan fans are very pleased with the season that the team put in.  To get to the final game, the Spartans had to beat the defending National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, the overall number one seeded University of Louisville, and the number one seeded University of Connecticut Huskies.

Coach Tom Izzo’s record remains in tact.  Every player who has stayed until his senior year under coach Izzo since his taking over as head coach in 1995, has gotten an opportunity to play in a Final Four. 1999, 2000 (National Champions), 2001, 2005 and 2009.

As a kid growing up in Detroit in the 1960’s and 1970’s, it is only natural to grow up to be a fan of the Major League Baseball Detroit Tigers.  Between their last World Series Title in 1984, under manager Sparky Anderson, and the World Series year of 2006, there was really nothing at all to cheer about as a Tigers fan.  The team would predictably fold up during the month of June and be so far behind by the All Star break in July that there was nothing to really follow.

Fortunately for Tiger fans around the world, the Tigers ownership spent some money, hired a new general manager, a new coach, and some good players and the Tigers have regained the competitive edge that makes them a contending team once again.

Despite a last place finish in the Central Division in 2008, the Tigers once again have the horses to contend for the playoffs in 2009. Spring Training is almost over and the Tigers look pretty good to start the season.

Friday, March 27, the Tigers were hosted by the Atlanta Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.  Starter Justin Verlander, Rookie of the Year in 2006, who struggled last season pitched 7 strong innings, giving up only 2 hits and no runs.  This was a good sign for manager Jim Leyland, who needs good outings from the designated opening day starter Verlander. 

Unfortunately, middle reliever Fernando Rodney gave up two runs in the 8th and closer Lyons gave up the winning run in the 9th, for a 3-2 loss.  But I understand that Jim Leyland is more concerned about team performance than wins and losses at this time of the season.

Join me in rooting on the baseball Tigers for another trip to the World Series and the first championship in 25 years.

The most effective way to terminate a marriage in the state of Florida is by dissolution, more commonly know as divorce.  Under certain circumstances, a party to a marriage can obtain a decree annulling a marriage based upon the fact that a valid marriage never existed.  Florida has no special rule or statute which governs annulment. 

Annulment is an appropriate method of termination of the marriage where one of the parties lacked the legal capacity to enter into the marriage contract, either because of a prior existing marriage, extreme intoxication of lack of the requisite mental capacity.

A lack of physical capacity to consummate the marriage may also be sufficient grounds for annulment.  Also, a marriage induced by fraud or deceit can be annulled where the marriage has not been consummated.  Misrepresentation of pregnancy is an insufficient reason for annulment.  

If you or someone that you know gets into a domestic disagreement with a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, sister or child, the police may be called to the home to investigate.  In the current social climate within which we all live, the police will probably make an arrest, even if the person identified as “the victim” doesn’t desire prosecution.

Even after “the victim” contacts the prosecutor’s office, the state will not agree to drop the charges without the victim attending a domestic violence seminar.  If convicted of domestic violence battery, the Court must place the accused on a minimum of one year’s probation which must include 26 weeks of batterer’s intervention counseling.  If the conviction includes an adjudication of guilt (conviction) the sentence must also include five (5) days of incarceration in the county jail.

Because of these mandatory sentencing requirements imposed upon the government, as with most other criminal charges, it is important that anyone charged with a domestic violence battery charge to consult with an attorney experienced in these kinds of matters.

In the current financial situation that we find ourselves, money is scarce and tough choices need to be made.  Unfortunately, many are forced to choose between feeding, clothing and housing their families, and insuring their vehicles.

This creates a very dangerous situation in which many uninsured drivers are on the roads endangering the safety of others without adequate automobile insurance to cover the damages to persons and property caused by their negligence.

It is more important than ever that you review your auto insurance policy to ensure that you have the necessary Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance that will pay your medical bills in the unfortunate event of being involved in a crash with an uninsured driver.  You may also purchase Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM) coverage, so that the other driver’s failure to use due care in the operation of their vehicle doesn’t leave you without legal resource to be compensated for your pain and suffering in the event of a crash that was not your fault.

Contact your insurance agent, or a lawyer that is experienced in handling a variety of automobile negligence claims to be sure that you are really “fully covered” with insurance.  You will be happy that you did.

Author: munish

Divorce is an upsetting process. Strong emotions of anger can remain for years. Mind-set of being cast off can even be carried over to new relationships. For many divorcing couples, the most painful part of the proceedings is often the loss of self-esteem. Confronted with hardhearted thoughts of fear and anger, many people in the process of divorcing each other are often distraught by the ease in which they seem to forsake values that they had held in deep regard such as empathy, compassion, and respect. The need to hurt often takes the place of what used to be enduring and deep love. Revenge replaces considerate. Anger supplants civility. When such humanitarian values are given up, it results in the loss of self-esteem and self-respect that is often seen in divorce procedures.

By: Thomas McNally

The "Estate Tax" is the tax that the government puts on the assets that are transferred to your beneficiaries when you die. Taxable assets can include real estate, stocks, money in a bank account, and other valuable belongings. It does not look like the estate tax will permanently go away. However, with careful planning, you can reduce taxes substantially.

Americans have been planning their estates in accordance with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act since 2001. This Act is important because it changed 441 tax laws and was the biggest estate tax reduction in 20 years. Here is an overview of what the Act covers:

By: Etienne A. Gibbs

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, known commonly as FACTA, was put into law in the United States to help to protect consumers from identity theft and to help in its prevention. FACTA ensures that all citizens are treated fairly when they apply for a mortgage or other form of credit and it entitles them to a free annual credit report to verify its accuracy.

Becoming a major epidemic, Identity Theft occurs when a criminal uses another person's personal information to take on that person's identity. Identity theft includes the misuse of a Social Security number, credit cards, mail fraud, scam, schemes, frauds, or any other form of misuse or abuse of a victim's identity.