Bigger & Harman, APC - September 2018

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DAILY

Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC

THE

DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road

THE EXTRA YARD SEPTEMBER 2018 Football and My Father

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Sundays this time of year were often spent hurrying home from church to make some spaghetti and watch the Seahawks games on TV. This was a big deal for me as a child because my parents hardly ever let us use the television. But football brought our whole family together in our little living room, which probably played a role in igniting my love of the sport. I became the No. 1 campaigner in the household to watch football, especially when Seattle was playing. Eventually, my advocacy caught on with my father, turning him from someone mildly interested in football to a diehard Seahawks fan in his own right. While we were living in Tacoma, we sometimes got to go to a live game at the old Seattle Kingdome as a special treat. I’ll never forget the first game we went to. It was Dec. 18, 1983 — the last home game of the season. We’d gotten there early to watch warmups, and I was thrilled to see the players I’d idolized on TV in action! touchdown pass to my childhood hero, Steve Largent. I remember it so clearly because I happened to be in the bathroom at the time and it sounded like an earthquake! To this day I’m still haunted by missing the play that helped propel the Seahawks to a 24-6 victory over the Patriots and helped send my Hawks to their first playoff season in franchise history. We weren’t a family that had extra money to spend on recreation and didn’t get a chance to attend many games. Whether we were watching the seahawks play on TV or squinting down from the nosebleeds in the Kingdome, Football I was 7 or 8 years old at the time, but I distinctly remember Dave Krieg throwing a deep

fostered a real bond between my father and I. We’d talk back and forth about the best players and see who could come closest to guessing what the final score would be before the game started. Attending those games was such a foundational part of my childhood that when I grew up and got my law degree, I was determined to give the same experience back to my father.

I got my chance on Feb. 1, 2015, when I took my father to Super Bowl XLIX to watch our beloved Seahawks once again take on the New England Patriots. Now, I won’t sugarcoat it; the game itself was a painful loss. That cursed interception still makes me wince. But my dad and I had a blast during the game, even during Katy Perry’s halftime show. (We may have made fun of her performance.) After the game, we both needed to process the loss. Since we were in Arizona anyway, we drove out to the Grand Canyon and took a deep breath. That was the medicine we needed. We were reminded that, win or lose, we are blessed to live

Whether we were watching the seahawks play on TV or squinting down from the nosebleeds in the Kingdome, Football fostered a real bond between my father and I.”

in a beautiful country. A nation where a kid from a working-class family can get taken to the occasional football game by his dad, go to law school, and one day return the favor and attend the Super Bowl with his dad. That’s a win in my book.

Go Hawks!

–Mark Bigger

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More and more Americans are keeping pigs as pets than ever before. With their keen intelligence, laid-back amiability, goofy snorts, and, of course, their stubby little legs, it’s no surprise that people take to these plump, fuzzy animals. And here’s an extra bonus: Apparently, they also save lives! THAT’LL DO, PIG OINKERS THAT SAVED THEIR OWNERS’ BACON

she crammed her bulk through the much- too-small doggie door. In the process, she scraped her belly badly, drawing blood, but she pressed on in order to check on Jo Ann. Realizing that something was seriously wrong, she slammed back through the doggie door and scrambled out into the road, where she lay down. Lulu eventually convinced one conscientious motorist to slow down and see what the commotion was about. He found Jo Ann unconscious in her home and quickly dialed 911. Though Lulu wasn’t allowed in the ambulance, her owner was rescued and recovered after an intense open-heart surgery. And, of course, Lulu got patched up too!

Take the aptly-named Lucky , for example. When Illinois resident Ina Farler woke up to the frantic porcine screams of her best friend, she knew something was up. “He would jump down, run to the door, and then jump back on the bed and hit me really hard,” she told Chicago 5 News. “When I sat up, I realized the room was really smoky.” Her house was ablaze, and her room was quickly turning into an oven. But thanks to Lucky, she was able to grab her two grandchildren, escape from the house, and call the fire department to stifle the blaze before it took down the entire property.

Lucky isn’t the only hog to have saved the day. Jo Ann and Jack Altsman adopted Lulu the pot-bellied pig after baby-sitting her for their daughter. Lulu grew to be great pals with Bear, the family’s American Eskimo dog. When Jo Ann suffered a heart attack while her husband was away on a fishing trip and no one else was around, Bear and Lulu teamed up to rescue their beloved owner. Sensing something was up, Bear barked furiously to get the attention of Lulu, who was out in the yard. Though she’d never come into the house from the yard before,

FIND THE RIGHT FOOD BALANCE

Foods That Cause and Reduce Inflammation

The food you eat plays a major role in how your body functions on the cellular level. Some foods can wreak havoc on your body, while others can make you feel great. This is especially true when it comes to that all-too-common ailment, inflammation.

the body. You know all of those detox diets? They don’t work. In fact, the only way to detox is to let your liver do its job. When you consume alcohol, it’s harder for the liver to pump out the toxins in your body. When it can’t do its job properly, the result is inflammation.

Here are a few examples of foods that lead to inflammation:

Now, for the good stuff. Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:

SUGAR: One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation, sugar is far worse than eating fatty foods. It’s best to skip foods that have added sugar (and this includes sugar of any kind, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose). Many manufacturers now label food with more specific kinds of sugar to hide the fact that they added sugar to their product. Be sure to read labels carefully!

BLUEBERRIES: Many studies call blueberries one of the best fruits you can eat to ease symptoms of inflammation. These blue orbs of goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, polyphenols, and so much more. Eat a handful every day! SALMON: As a source of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of the best protein choices for people with inflammatory conditions, or for those who want to keep inflammation at bay.

REFINED CARBS: Basically anything made from white flour falls into this category, including bread, pasta, baked goods, and

cereals. Research suggests that refined carbs may be a bigger contributing factor than fat in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

BROCCOLI: One of the most nutritious and easily accessible vegetables around, the little green buds that cover the tops of broccoli are loaded with anti- inflammatory compounds.

ALCOHOL: Too much alcohol puts a burden on your liver, an organ that helps flush toxins out of

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If you are a commercial driver, you have likely been warned about Hours of Service (HOS) violations. These types of violations might sound somewhat crazy to workers more accustomed to the typical 9–5 workday. They might ask, “Why would you get in trouble for working too much?” HOS rules exist to keep the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) scores low. They also help drivers and the companies they work for avoid costly interventions, increase roadside inspections, and reduce the risk of accidents. HOS rules apply to any commercial motor vehicle engaged in interstate or international commerce or transport of passengers for business purposes. To help you avoid running into these violations, our traffic defense attorneys here at Bigger & Harman, APC, want to offer some quick tips regarding the number of hours you can work before you’re required to take a break. CAN YOU GET IN TROUBLE FOR WORKING TOO MUCH? Our Attorneys Can Help You Avoid HOS Violations

HAVE A LAUGH

THE 10/11-HOUR HOS RULE

A driver hauling goods may only drive for 11 continuous hours before they must take a 10-hour rest break. A driver transporting passengers for business purposes may only operate for 10 consecutive hours after an 8-hour break and cannot work for more than 15 consecutive hours total.

PUZZLE

THE 14-HOUR HOS RULE

The 14-hour rule is a little more complex than the 11-hour rule. It starts 14 hours after you clock in, regardless of hours driven. For example, if you get delayed in a traffic jam, spend 4 hours waiting for a load, and then have a 30-minute break, all those count toward the 14-hour rule. In short, if you begin your shift at 9 a.m., you must end it at 11 p.m. regardless of the events of the day.

THE 60/70-HOUR HOS RULE

A driver hauling goods cannot drive more than 70 hours within an eight- day period without taking 34 continuous hours off. A driver transporting passengers can only drive 60 hours in a seven-day period, or 70 hours in an eight-day period.

THE 30-MINUTE HOS RULE

This last rule states that a driver must take a 30-minute break before their eighth hour on duty. For example, if a driver begins a shift at 9 a.m., they must take their break before 5 p.m. If the driver waits 4 hours to get loaded and then gets stuck in traffic for an hour, they must still take their break before 5 p.m. Likewise, if they take their break too soon during a 14-hour driving shift, they might have to take a second 30-minute break.

If you have any other questions regarding these HOS rules or just want legal advice, please give our office a call at 661-349-9300.

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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Football and My Father.................................. PAGE 1

Pigs to the Rescue.......................................... PAGE 2

The Best and Worst Foods for Inflammation.............................................. PAGE 2

Can You Get in Trouble for Working Too Much?........................................ PAGE 3

International Talk Like a Pirate Day............ PAGE 4

YO HO HO, LANDLUBBERS! Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge! Ahoy, matey! Wednesday, Sept. 19, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Brush up on your pirate vocabulary, grab your eye patch, get your puffy shirt dry cleaned, and bring a little seafaring fun to your office or classroom. DID PIRATES REALLY TALK LIKE THAT? Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day

The “pirate-speak” popularized in movies and Disney attractions probably sounds nothing like real pirates did in centuries past. Today’s swashbuckling phrases delivered in a strong Southwest England accent can be traced back to Robert Newton’s 1950 portrayal of Long John Silver in the movie “Treasure Island.” Historically, English-speaking pirates probably sounded more like Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately, the pirates of the Golden Age didn’t leave behind any YouTube videos to confirm this. Participating in Talk Like a Pirate Day is easy — you just need to know a few key phrases. “Ahoy, matey” means “Hello, friend!” “Blimey, that son of a biscuit-eater hornswaggled me out of me doubloons” means “Darn it, that jerk cheated me out of my money!” “Shiver me timbers, that old salt is three sheets to the wind” means “Wow, that old sailor has had too much beer.” And if a pirate (or your boss) says, “Swab the deck, ye bilge rat, or it’s Davy Jones’ locker for ye!” start mopping the floor immediately. LEARN THE LINGO, LANDLUBBER

THE HISTORY OF THESE SWASHBUCKLING SHENANIGANS

The holiday began as an inside joke between pals John Baur and Mark Summers in 1995. For reasons not even understood by themselves, they began speaking like pirates while playing racquetball, saying things to each other like, “That be a fine cannonade” (“Nice shot, dude”) and “Now watch as I fire a broadside straight into your yardarm” (“But watch this”). They decided Talk Like a Pirate Day needed to become official, so they chose Sept. 19, which was Summers’ wife’s birthday (and the only date he could remember besides Christmas and the Super Bowl). In 2002, they pitched the idea to humor columnist Dave Barry, who promoted it in his syndicated column, and the concept quickly spread internationally.