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Valentine's Day Trivia
*Approximately one billion valentine cards are sent each year.
*Valentine's Day is the second largest card-sending holiday following Christmas (2.6 billion).
*Woman purchase 85% of all valentine cards.
*Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, and Australia also celebrate Valentine's Day. |
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G&A Pet Corner
Many of you know that, although always an appropriate gift for your valentine, chocolate can be a deadly treat for your pup. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is indigestible for dogs. But did you know that grapes, raisins, and onions are also toxic?
That's right-many pint-size pooches love the occasional raisin snack, but raisins, grapes or onions in high quantities can prove lethal. Symptoms generally begin within six to twenty-four hours after ingestion, and include vomiting and lethargy, and end in kidney damage and/or renal failure. Depending on the weight of your dog, the following could be lethal:
Grapes
15 pounds = 12-14
25 pounds = 23 grapes
50 pounds = 50 grapes
75 pounds = 75 grapes
Raisins
15 pounds = 30-45 raisins
25 pounds = 50-75 raisins
50 pounds = 100-150 raisins
75 pounds = 150-225 raisins
Lastly, if you're traveling by airplane to see your valentine, be cautious when you put your pooch in the crate and check him with your baggage. Unfortunately, far too many dogs face dangerous situations when their collars get caught on the cage when nervous and bewildered in the baggage hold. This can lead to strangulation or a broken neck. If you can, take the dog's collar off and leave it in the crate with him. You'll want him to be waiting for you, wagging his tail, on the other end of your journey! |
Short Sales??
By: Charles Gallagher
The bottoming out of the real estate market has often been profiled in the press as of late. With the mass of mortgages in default and large scale of foreclosures across the country, the lending market is now in uncharted territory. But what does that mean for the average homeowner or home buyer? And what exactly is a "short sale."
Short sales refer to mortgages in default where the bank will accept less than is owed on the mortgage and release the borrower from any further liability. Traditionally, if the borrower paid less than was owed they would be liable for the difference, often referred to as a deficiency judgment.
Now, banks would rather obtain some return on their money as opposed to carrying a large inventory of foreclosed properties. For the borrower, this is a windfall, since the lender is typically reporting the mortgage as satisfied, even though the full balance has not been paid. Even better for borrowers, they are not paying capital gains taxes on the "written off" excess amount owed. So for the first time in the history of mortgage lending, borrowers can get out of non-performing mortgages for less than the balance owed.
Banks are accepting offers from potential buyers for amounts far less that the amount due under the mortgage. |
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Firm Email Directory
Charles R. Gallagher III
Bobby L. Reynolds
Lindsay W. Brown
Ginny Keeter-Bodkin
Sheryl L. Clark
Michelle L. Budniewski
Lindsey C. Kofoed
Mary K. Moser
Anna Ouellette
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Firm News and Notes
Sheryl Clark was the runner-up of the American Bar Association 2008 National Arbitration Competition.
Charles Gallagher & Bobby Reynolds recently gave mock interviews to law students at Stetson College of Law's Career Services Program.
Anna Ouellette was selected as Miss Young Maine and will be competing in the national Miss Young America pageant in Nashville, TN this June.
Lindsey Kofoed met one of her legal idols, Morris Dees, the director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, at Stetson College of Law's recent Inns of Court Banquet.
Charles Gallagher recently spoke at a seminar on "Living Wills and Health Care Directives" sponsored by Stetson's Elder Law Society at Pasadena Community Church.
Michelle Budniewski recently became engaged and is currently planning her wedding in South Carolina.
Lindsay Brown recently completed her first bench trial as State Attorney Certified Legal Intern.
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| The Origins of Valentines Day
By: Michelle Budniewski
It is well known that February is the month for romance. This is in large part due to Valentine's Day being February 14th. Valentine's Day was named after St. Valentine or Valentinus. In 498 A.D., Pope Gelasius created St. Valentine's Day to be celebrated on February 14th.
Who is St. Valentine? This question is harder than it may seem because the Catholic Church currently recognizes three different saints named either Valentine or Valentinus. All three of these saints were martyred. Looking to legends provide some insight as to who St. Valentine is.
The first legend takes place in Rome in the third century. The emperor ruled that marriage was now illegal, his reasoning being that single men were better fighters since they did not have wives and families. Under this legend, St. Valentine secretly performed marriages to those in love. When the emperor revealed St. Valentine's secret, he was killed.
The second legend says that St. Valentine helped Christians get out of Roman prisons. The conditions in Roman prisons were said to be harsh, and the prisoners were beaten and tortured. Once discovered, St. Valentine may have been killed for his actions.
In the third legend, St. Valentine himself was in prison. While in prison, he fell in love with a girl who visited him. Before he died, St. Valentine sent his love a letter, signing it 'From your Valentine.'
Why February 14th? There are many speculations as to why Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14th. Some believe that the day is connected to the death or burial of St. Valentine. However, others believe that the Christian church picked February 14th in order to Christianize an ancient Roman festival/tradition. In ancient Rome, February was considered a time for purification and spring cleaning. On February 15th, there was a fertility festival where a goat was sacrificed for fertility and a dog for purification. Later in the festival, the young women would all gather together and put their names in a pile to be raffled off to the city's bachelors. The man and woman pair would be together for the following year. However, the lottery system often led to marriage. This practice was outlawed by Pope Gelasius as being un-Christian.
Although the lottery system ended, the tradition of Valentine's Day continued. The practice of exchanging valentines hit America around the early 1700s and is still going on today. As such, Gallagher & Associates wishes you a Happy Valentine's Day!
For more on the history of Valentine's Day, please go to the History Channel's website at www.history.com. |
G&A Cases In The News
Two of our cases were recently featured in the local news media.
On January 10, 2008, the Sarasota Herald Tribune featured a story on the case of Deskins v. Sarasota & Eckert in a case where our client's son's death was caused by the failure of the Sarasota County's Sheriff's Department to investigate Ms. Deskins' son who was slumped over the steering wheel of the car appearing unconscious. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Department was sued in connection with its failure to render aid.
On January 9, 2008, the Manatee Herald Tribune featured a story in the case of Childress v. Hess where a local Hess convenience store sold alcohol to a minor which resulted in a multiple fatality auto accident. Florida law makes it illegal for a seller of alcohol to knowingly sell alcohol to a minor. In this case the Hess clerk was a friend of the 17 year old driver. For more information on either case, please contact G&A at www.attorneyoffices.org. |
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10 Healthy Valentine's Day Tips
for the Working Person!!!
By: Anna Ouellette
Now that the holiday season is finished, many of us (whether we like to think about it or not), might have over-indulged a bit on the delicious holiday foods. Now that vacation time is done, and many of us are back to work. However, do not fear there is a way to live a busy life while at the same time maintaining a healthy lifestyle! Here are some healthy tips for eating right while on the job! You can do it, easily, quickly, conveniently and inexpensively.
Tip 1: Moderation and Less stress is the best: Maintaining your health while working a 40-hour-week can be a difficult task. However, it is essential that you take time for yourself and reduce stress factors. Try setting up a healthy eating regimen that suits your needs. Don't worry so much about the latest diets, or the quickest way to lose those pounds. Go your own pace. If you like sweets, go ahead and enjoy them! Everything in moderation is the key!
Tip 2: Bring foods from home: In rushing to work at 8 am, we rarely think about preparing our meals ahead of time. But, doing so saves time and money! If you can't seem to make your own meal, try to order lunch from a "Non-chain" (aka. Mom and Pop/local restaurants) restaurant. "Chain" restaurants rarely have food made from scratch. Most of the food is shipped long distances; machine made, and contains limited nutritional value!
Tip 3: Snack throughout the day: Consuming less and less calories is not a sensible way to lose weight. Eating throughout the day helps build up your metabolism and helps your body avoid starvation mode. Always carry a protein or fiber bar! Protein and fiber bars are excellent snacks, especially if you're a busy person with little time to eat.
Tip 4: How much you eat and what you eat: Eating throughout the day is sensible, but don't over-do it! Eating smaller portions throughout the day is best! Salads are wonderful to have for lunch, but make sure that's not all you eat. Many diets involve salads, vegetables, fruits etc. Many of us aren't satisfied when eating just these items for lunch. Try adding nuts, pieces of chicken or fish, egg whites, beans, whole wheat croutons, cranberries, or other sources of "filling" fiber and healthy fats to your salad.
Tip 5: Fat free isn't so free: With the stresses of a busy life, many of us fall into the misconception that fat is bad. Some fats are not bad at all. Olive oil and canola oil are excellent sources of the Omega-3 healthy fatty acids, which keep the heart healthy. Try buying products containing such oils! Instead of worrying about being fat-free, try light or low in fat rather than dismissing it all together. Fat-free milk is fine; however low-fat is just as tasty. Try to drink organic milk in any case because it doesn't contain antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. Remember, if you eliminate fat altogether, at some point on the job your body is definitely going to crave, badly!
Tip 6: It's all in how you season it: If you love to cook try to bake, broil, grill, or saut� foods instead of deep-frying. You can reduce your cholesterol and saturated fat intake this way. If you are cooking meats, buy the leanest cuts of meat and trim all visible fat before cooking. Also try to reduce the amount of fat and/or sugar in your recipes. Just like fat-free, try not to use sugar-free. Sugar substitutes contain unhealthy chemical additives that can cause health problems down the road. If you can, try organic sugar cane. It's delicious and healthy, just as nature intended it to be.
Tip 7: Get up from that chair: When working an 8-hour day, fitting in time to exercise might not seem appealing. Try moving around at work. Instead of sitting at the desk all day, get up and move around. If you have talk to your co-workers, walk to see them. Another thing, if its lunch time and the "non-chain" restaurants are within walking distance, walk there! Believe me, you'll feel much better. You will be burning more calories than just sitting alone. After work, maybe do some walking. Walking is a definite way to unwind, meditate and de-stress after a long day of work! If you can fit exercise in your schedule 30 minutes a day is sufficient!
Tip 8: Double Hydrogen and Oxygen: Yes, ladies and gentleman it may lead you to make a few more trips to the gentlemen and ladies room, but this source is essential and many of us lack the necessary glasses per day. Water!!! Drink lots of water. If you can't seem to drink 8-10 glasses per day, spice that water up! While at work, add some healthy water"lifters" as I call them. They contain minimal calories and definitely sweeten the taste of water! Crystal Light, Lipton and Nestea have some excellent flavors!
Tip 9: Smile. Try going to work everyday with at least some sort of positive mindset. It can be a long day if all your thinking about is, "is it 5pm yet?" Try coming to work with a smile on your face; it will set your mood for the working day. You might feel more accomplished if you finish work knowing you enjoyed it, and at the same time made the environment around you a little more pleasant!
Tip 10: Make sure YOUR needs are met: Along with eating healthy and trying to stay fit, have a great time doing it! Make sure you're mentally set, before you try to fix the physical! You might find it much easier when YOU feel you NEED to change your eating and exercising habits, than feeling forced by external environmental factors! Try starting out your day with a healthy breakfast. Maybe include some of these healthy foods. They are guaranteed you'll feel better about yourself. Eggs, whole wheat toast, low-fat yogurt, grapefruit, whey protein drinks, light cottage cheese, raspberries etc. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition, but it also provides an enjoyable aspect to eating. Try a fruit or vegetable that you have never eaten before, or one that has disappeared from your shopping list for quite some time.
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Gallagher & Associates Law Firm, P.A. accepts cases throughout the Tampa Bay area. Our main practice areas include: insurance litigation, real estate & business litigation, accident/injury litigation, consumer law, and employment litigation. |
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The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. This web site is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. | |
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