The Moak Law Firm August 2019
Dog Days Adventures with Omar and Vite Vite
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M y father worked on an Air Force base in France while I was growing up. Many years of my childhood were spent playing in the French countryside with my brothers and our two Saluki dogs, Omar and Vite Vite. Salukis are one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Tribes in Africa used them to hunt gazelles. Later, these dogs became prized by royal families and often appear in many ancient paintings of aristocrats. Their appearance is striking: both big and graceful. As a child, Omar and Vite Vite were pretty big compared to myself, and when I took them on walks, they were almost able to pull me down. Salukis are as loyal as they are mischievous. When Omar and Vite Vite got out, they would cause havoc among the farms in that area, chasing chickens and goats. My brothers and I would have to go out and catch them every time. Remember how I said Salukis were used to hunt gazelles? An adult Saluki can run up to 43 miles per hour, and we would spend hours, sometimes all day, trying to find Omar and Vite Vite. They were very fast. Occasionally, a farmer would catch one or both of the dogs before we did. We’d show up to find the dogs tied to a post, and we’d have to stand there and listen to the farmer express his great anger and dismay at what the dogs had done to his place. Getting Omar and Vite Vite back home and out of trouble often required apologizing as much as we could and paying compensation. Our dogs’ mischief didn’t just involve dragging us all over the French countryside. They often got into trouble by being too smart for their own good. For example, one time my mother made a gorgeous chocolate cake — I’m sure you can see where this is going. When we left the house, my mom made sure to store the cake safely in the
“Our dogs’ mischief didn’t just involve dragging us all over the French countryside.”
cabinet above the sink, too high for the dogs to reach. Or so we thought.
When we got home later that day, it was clear both the dogs had gotten into the cake. Somehow, they climbed up onto the counter, opened the cabinet door, and got the cake onto the floor. The amazing thing was that the plate was unbroken! I wish we’d had a camera in there because I still don’t know how they got the plate onto the floor in one piece. By this point, you might be worried since chocolate is toxic to dogs. Don’t worry, Omar and Vite Vite were fine … eventually. They both got so sick and were confined to the backyard for a week, but they lived to escape and terrorize French farmers another day. Those dogs could be terrors at times, but I look back on those days with fondness. It’s the semi-traumatic events that make me laugh today. Despite the chaos, Omar and Vite Vite were good dogs, the kind any boy would be lucky to have.
–Walter E. “Pete” Moak
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August 2019
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The Art of Stargazing
Helping Humans Slow Down and Look Up
1. The Higher, the Better If you’re a city dweller, meander a little way out of town or try to find a tall building to keep the light pollution to a minimum. 2. Extra Set of Eyes While novice stargazers often want to immediately throw their money at a new telescope, astronomy experts recommend starting with binoculars instead. You’ll need to identify several anchor planets or constellations to help you navigate the sky before using a telescope. 3. Utilize Assets Put your phone to good use by downloading apps like Stellarium, Starwalk, and Google Sky Map. Each of these apps offers a unique benefit for aspiring stargazers. For example, Starwalk lets you point your phone at the sky to see Losing a loved one is never easy, but losing someone suddenly tears a hole in your life that feels like it can never be filled. In addition to the grief, an unexpected death will often saddle families with medical bills, funeral costs, and other financial burdens that keep them from being able to properly cope with their loss. This is why surviving family members may file a wrongful death case. In Arizona, a wrongful death is defined as a death caused by a “wrongful act, neglect, or default.” This includes but is not limited to a defective product, an accident, or another person’s negligence. In these tragic circumstances, the law provides surviving family members a path to receive damages for their loss by holding the guilty party accountable. Who can file a wrongful death case? Only the following surviving family members can file a wrongful death case:
Modern humans are stuck in a routine of expected and constant industriousness. But with all this rushing, people often drag themselves home at night with no energy left to enjoy the most splendid show nature has to offer: the wondrous night sky. Most people go through life looking straight ahead, but if they would stop and peer skyward, they’d bear witness to a massive, unexplored frontier made up of the moon in all its phases, burning stars sailing through the sky, constellations with epic origin stories, and meteor showers bright enough to warrant sunglasses. If you’re looking for a hobby to help you slow down and appreciate the world around you, stargazing is a great option. Here are some tips to get you started.
stars, constellations, and planets in real time based on your location. 4. Mark Your Calendar In 1972, beloved singer-songwriter John Denver wrote about a meteor shower he witnessed during a camping trip in Colorado. He describes the scene by singing, “I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky.” The “fire” he recounted was actually the Perseids meteor shower, the most recognized shower on Earth. This astrological wonder takes place every year from July 17 to Aug. 24. During this time, viewers should be able to see shooting stars associated with the Perseids, but the shower reaches its maximum rate of activity on Aug. 12–13 this year. Grab some friends and family, and head outdoors to put your newfound stargazing knowledge to work. Common law partners, siblings, or other relatives cannot file a wrongful death suit under Arizona law. Why file a wrongful death case? It can be challenging to calculate damages for a wrongful death case. There are hard numbers to take into account, like loss of financial support or the costs of medical or funeral costs, but there are also the immeasurable values of a human life, such as loss of companionship. The compensation from a wrongful death case cannot make up for the loss of a loved one, but it can help ease the financial burden of their loss so families can focus on putting the pieces back together. Wrongful death cases are painful for so many reasons, but you don’t have to deal with this pain alone. Call 480-755-800 to speak with an experienced, compassionate wrongful death attorney. Learn how to get the closure you need after your life has changed forever.
Finding Closure
What Is a Wrongful Death Case?
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Spouse
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Parent or guardian
Child
Legal representative of the above
Do you know anyone overwhelmed with debt o
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How to Rebuild After Bankruptcy: Part 7
Over the last several months, we’ve covered six essential strategies for building and maintaining a high credit score. These are tried-and-true methods that experts recommend for improving credit and overall financial well-being. But they’re not silver bullets. When it comes to improving your credits, you can’t start throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. You have to make a plan and play the long game. Sit down and create a plan for how you will use these individual strategies to build a higher credit score and better financial habits. Maybe you’ll start with a couple of secured cards or as an authorized user on another account, spending no more than 10%–20% of the credit ratio. After a year of making your full payments on time every month, when your credit is better, you apply for an unsecured card. Start using that card regularly, be consistent with your payments, and start looking for opportunities to increase your credit limit or take out larger, reasonable loans as needed.
apps you can use to help monitor your score and get notifications when your credit limits increase on an account and how that impacts your score. It’s also important to regularly review your credit report and look for errors that bring your score down. You can dispute these errors and have them removed from your report, which will help bring up your credit score. isn’t free or extra money. Good credit means using credit to make reasonable purchases and then quickly paying all of that credit off. Making the minimum monthly payments won’t help your score. Overspending and going into debt will cause you to end up in the same place. If you’re going to use a credit card to improve your score, commit to using it responsibly. Your credit will not magically improve overnight or even over the course of six months. It can take 12–24 months to finally reach that 720 score. Building credit means sticking to your plan as much as possible, and if you do that, it’ll pay off in the end. Ultimately, the secret to having a good credit score is being responsible with your money. Credit
Plan for Success
While you’re using credit, you must also be proactive and monitor your credit score. There are
Roasted Corn Salsa
Word Search August Word Search
Corn is plentiful during the summer months, and this easy-to-make salsa is sure to be a hit at your next get-together.
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Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Heat a cast-iron skillet to high. Char corn, turning occasionally, for 10–14 minutes until kernels begin to blacken in spots. 2. Using a sharp knife, remove corn kernels from cobs and transfer to a large mixing bowl. 3. With a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently crush corn to release starch and juices. 4. Add jalapeño, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Mix to combine.
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2 medium ears of corn, shucked
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1 jalapeño or Fresno chile, seeded and thinly sliced
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1/2 red onion, diced
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1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
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1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, sliced
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5. Top with lime juice and season with salt.
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Kosher salt, to taste
6. Serve alongside your favorite tortilla chips.
who was injured in an accident? We can help!
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INSIDE This Issue
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Summers with Salukis
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The Art of Stargazing I’ve Lost Someone. Should I File a Wrongful Death Case? Make (and Stick to) a Success Plan Roasted Corn Salsa
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The Best Movies About Dogs
We’re well into the dog days of summer, the hottest, most humid days of the year. These weeks have nothing to do with real dogs; they were nicknamed after the “dog star” Sirius by the Greeks to reflect the hottest time of the year following the star’s heliacal rise. Still, it’s a pretty good excuse to escape the heat with a dog movie marathon. Here are the films we recommend. ‘Air Bud’ Most people remember “Air Bud” for the wild loophole, “Ain’t no rule says a dog can’t play basketball,” but this movie is about much more than a dog playing ball. After the death of his father, 12-year-old Josh Framm feels depressed and distant from his family. Enter a stray golden retriever named Buddy, who teaches Josh how to open his heart again. The two bond and learn lessons in overcoming loss, fighting for what you love, and, yes, playing basketball. “Air Bud” spawned a number of sequels
and spin-off movies, but this first film is a true classic. ‘Lady and the Tramp’ “Lady and the Tramp” is the classic story of two dogs who come from different worlds: the refined, loyal Lady and the rogue with a heart of gold, Tramp. This movie has music, laughs, and a spaghetti scene that
rivals the balcony monologues from “Romeo and Juliet.” One of the few animated Disney classics about animals that won’t have you in tears, this is a movie the whole family can enjoy together. ‘Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey’ Looking for a bit more action in your animal movies? “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” delivers! After three beloved pets are left behind when their family goes on vacation, they trek across the Sierra Nevada wilderness to be reunited with the humans they love. Their adventure has thrills, close calls, and a heartwarming ending that will make you want to hug your pets close. When it’s too hot to go outside, make some popcorn and enjoy these great movies with your family. Don’t worry, none of the dogs die at the end.
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