Dogs Beyond Attacks: Fun Facts about America’s Most Favorite Pet

 If you are from Los Angeles, chances are, you are aware that dog bite accidents are recorded almost every day.

According to Los Angeles attorneys, hundreds of personal injury cases are pursued each year in the State of California due to dog bite accidents. However, despite the prevalence of dog attacks in California, people should not only associate or stereotype dogs with aggressive behavior, because these furry little animals have so much fun and enjoyment to offer.

Aside from the fact that millions of Americans get bitten by dogs each year, there are also other more pleasant facts about pooches. The following are some of miscellaneous fun facts and trivia about canines:

•    Puppies only get to see and hear their surroundings after 10 to 14 days from their birth; they are born blind and deaf
•    Dogs are believed to have descended from wolves in Asia about 14,000 years ago
•    Oldest known dog breeds include Basenji, Akita Inu, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Terrier, Chow Chow, Alaskan Malamute, and Afghan Hound
•    There are at least 74 million pet dogs in the United States
•    Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the United States since 1990
•    Border Collie is recognized as the most intelligent dog breed because it can be easily trained and it can figure things out without the assistance of a trainer or its owner
•    At least 4,000 dogs have served in the American military during the Vietnam War
•    About $17.4 billion were spent on pet food in 2009 alone
•    According to historical accounts, because of his people’s so much interest and devotion to dogs, Julius Caesar had to remind Ancient Rome citizens to pay more attention to their family members than their dogs
•    Experts suggest that dogs have at least 100 different facial expressions
•    The oldest dog ever that lived was an Australian Cattle who lived for about 29 years

Dogs can be very fun to pet and to own as long as you provide it with proper training, care, and affection; otherwise, it can hurt you or other people.

420: All about Cannabis Users’ ‘Holiday’ and Disability Discrimination

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Cannabis advocates are very familiar with “420,” “4:20,” “4/20,” and “four-twenty”. These numbers are not just any ordinary numbers as far as Cannabis users and activists are concerned.

The meaning of 420

The real definition of 420 widely varies but one thing is certain – it involves consumption of Cannabis.

The term can mean time: as in 4:20 a.m. or p.m.; or date: as in April 20th. According to accounts, the origin of the term started in 1971, when teenagers from San Rafael, California meet in San Rafael High School every 4:20 p.m. to look for an abandoned Cannabis crop they learned about.

Worldwide celebrations

Today, after four decades, the term 420 has become widely-used by Cannabis smokers and activists not only in California but also in almost every country. Traditionally, Cannabis enthusiasts celebrate on April 20th. Celebrations include concerts, talks, peaceful demonstrations, and simultaneous consumption of Cannabis. Countries that participate in such unofficial holiday include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and others.

Legal status and employment discrimination

In the United States, there are currently 16 states and a federal district that allow consumption of Cannabis for medicinal/medical purposes, and these are:

•    Alaska
•    Arizona
•    California
•    Colorado
•    District of Columbia
•    Delaware
•    Hawaii
•    Maine
•    Michigan
•    Montana
•    Nevada
•    New Jersey
•    New Mexico
•    Oregon
•    Rhode Island
•    Vermont
•    Washington

In California, pursuant to Compassionate Use Act of 1996, people with certain health complications like eating disorder, depression, migraine, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, HIV-AIDS, epilepsy, and more can use medical Cannabis as long as they have prescription from a licensed physician. However, this law does not give protection to employees and applicants; hence, employers can discriminate against them if they find out that they are using Cannabis regardless whether it is for recreational or medical purposes.

Additionally, there is no law in California that prohibits employers to discriminate against medical Cannabis users. However, if an employee or applicant was discriminated not because of his or her disability that he or she is treating with Cannabis, he or she may have a claim for disability discrimination.

Accordingly, Los Angeles workers who were subjected to Los Angeles workplace discrimination can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).

Celebrities Who Had Miscarriage; and Rights of Pregnant Workers

Female celebrities are not problem-proof—they, just like any other person in the world, can be subjected to trials and tribulations.

One of the most devastating and depressing behind-the-camera problems a female celebrity can experience is miscarriage – in it, there’s no cuts or retakes. Several famous celebrity moms have experienced miscarriage, including Jennifer Aniston, Beyonce Knowles, Whitney Houston, and Demi Moore.

Jennifer Aniston – Popular movie and T.V. actress Aniston has had two miscarriages when she was still married to Brad Pitt. Aniston and Pitt lost two children when the former miscarriage in 2003 and in 2004.

Beyonce Knowles – R&B’s royal couple Beyonce and Jay-Z did not have all good beats prior to the birth of their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. The couple has revealed that Beyonce had a miscarriage before giving birth to Blue Ivy.

Whitney Houston – Deceased Whitney Houston is known in the circuits of music industry as one of the most gifted singers of all time. Amidst her successes, she also had a fair share of life tragedies. Houston and her husband Bobby Brown lost a child in December 1996 due to miscarriage.

Demi Moore – Hollywood actress Demi Moore is best known for her outstanding movies like Ghost, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal. In 2005, she married actor Ashton Kutcher. The couple almost had a baby in 2005, but Moore had a miscarriage.

According to medical experts, stress is one of the most common reasons why miscarriages happen. Hence, pregnant Californians need to stay from anything that can give them stress to ensure their healthy pregnancy.

Pregnant Los Angeles workers should know that they have the right to take leave from work if they need to. Pursuant to Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), pregnant workers eligible for FMLA benefits have the right to take unpaid leaves for serious health condition like pregnancy complication.

Pregnant Los Angeles workers who were denied with pregnancy benefits are advised to seek legal assistance from Los Angeles employment lawyers to pursue their claim.

Addressing Employment Discrimination in California

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The United States government had long thought and created different laws and mechanisms that would help its labor force. All of this is manifested by the procedures done by California’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). Because of this government arm, most of the problems about discrimination that creates hostile work environment in California can now be addressed.

The division’s efforts can be seen through the availability of the different languages in the forms provided to the applicants.  Certain samples of these include the Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and of course, English. This fully explains that the DLSE administration takes note of the diversity of the different nationalities that preside in the country and how they can be remedied in a way that they can be able to vent out their grievances.
Because of the length of time that the government has been handling cases of discrimination, its officials have already have seen trends or patterns. This involves the most probable actions that abusive employers do to commit discrimination within their companies:

•    Demoting employees
•    Suspending workers
•    Reducing wages
•    Reducing the hours of work
•    Refusing to hire
•    Not promoting deserving workers
•    Unlawfully discharging employees

To help these citizens more regarding their rights, the DLSE had made procedures, which can be easily followed. The information that is provided here could be retrieved and accessed at the website of the DLSE.
To be able to file a complaint, the worker must first fill up the available forms from the agency. They can be requested through calling the agency’s office or an easier way is through downloading them from the agency’s website. The documents after they have been filled out will be sent to the DLSE office. However, copies to be sent should not be the original copies. All of forms must be signed and sent to this address:

•    Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
Discrimination Complaint Investigation Unit
2031 Howe Ave., Ste. 100
Sacramento, CA 95825

Afterwards, the DSLE will the review the case and if the agency found out that it is not under its jurisdiction, it will transfer the complaint to the Retaliation Complaint Investigator (RCI) under the Labor Commissioner.

The complainant will be informed by the DSLE that even if there has been a complaint filed in their department it does not prevent the worker from making another lawsuit against the ailing company. Workers must be notified that their complaint should be filed six months from the date from the occurrence of the retaliation or discrimination. 

Five FAQs about Rights of Homosexual Workers and Applicants in California

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Pursuant to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), employers with five or more employees are prohibited from discriminating and harassing homosexual workers and job seekers. However, despite the implementation of the said California employment law, certain employers and even homosexual employees are still not aware of their responsibilities and rights.

The following are the answers to commonly asked questions regarding FEHA’s provision on homosexual discrimination:

1. Can I be fired because I am gay?

You cannot be terminated by your employer only because you are gay. FEHA prohibits California employers to base their employment decisions on an employee’s sexual preference or gender.

2. I am a homosexual job applicant; can the employer deny my application because I am gay?

No. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against job applicants based on their gender alone. If you are qualified for the position and the employer denied your application because you are a homosexual, he or she may face legal charges for such action.

3. If I was discriminated, can I file a complaint?

Gender discrimination victims in California can file a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). This agency has the power to investigate and resolve gender discrimination issues in the California employment sector.

4. Will I receive compensations if my employer discriminated me due to my homosexuality?

Yes, you can, as long as your employer is found guilty of discriminating against you. Under the law, employers who discriminate against employees and applicants based on their gender should provide victims with compensatory damages, like loss of income and pain and suffering damages.

5. Should I hire an attorney for my discrimination case?

It is ideal and practical for workplace discrimination victims to hire a Los Angeles employment lawyer who can represent their complaint or case. Employment attorneys can provide effective assistance to victims to avoid compromising their claim.

Being a homosexual is not against any law in California, but discriminating against a homosexual employee or applicant is. If you suffered from discrimination based on your sexual orientation, you should immediately hire a good Los Angeles employment lawyer to help you file a discrimination claim.

How to Appropriately Dress for A Personal Injury Court Hearing

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Personal injury cases in the State of California are not uncommon due to prevalence of negligence-related accidents like car accidents, slip and fall accidents, animal attacks, products liability accidents, and others. With this existing circumstance in California, it is not surprising to know that hundreds and thousands of personal injury claimants end up attending court hearings to fight for their rights.

Personal injury claimants who are at ease with the settlement stage of their case usually bring their claim to court; thus, injury case hearings happen. If you are about to attend a personal injury hearing in a California legal court, you do not only have to think about the legal components of your case, but also the other seemingly menial things, like your attire.

Even though there is no written rule about dress codes in court hearings, it is the ethical responsibility of personal injury claimants to dress up appropriately to show respect to the judge and to the court per se. If you will attend a court hearing for your personal injury case, keep in mind these tips:

Wear something formal – Claimants must realize that court hearings are formal events, which is why it is just proper to wear clothing that compliments the place and the affair. For males, it is suggested for them to wear suit, while for women, wearing formal dress like skirt and blazer is advisable.

Wear comfortable clothes – Some court hearings last for several hours and the last thing claimants would want is to be bothered by their clothes while the case is being processed.

Do not wear something inappropriate – Claimants wearing revealing or very laid-back clothes like sneakers and t-shirts may give an impression to the judge that they are not serious about their case.

Do not wear expensive jewelries – If you are claiming for compensations, wearing expensive jewelries is a big no-no because the judge may think that you do not deserve the demanded injury damages.

Attending court hearings in proper attire would not give you the assurance of winning your claim, which is why it is still best to hire the best Los Angeles attorney who will represent you in court.
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