Great tips: Police Reveal 4 Common Ways to Get Pulled Over

Here's a helpful article from ESURANCE (an insurance Company): Police Reveal 4 Common Ways to Get Pulled Over

SOURCE: http://blog.esurance.com/police-reveal-4-most-common-ways-to-get-pulled-over/#.VHh7aWPZd8E
Here’s what not to do if you want to avoid that next traffic ticket.

We’ve all seen it — someone changing lanes without signaling. Or a person driving while texting. And, if we’re honest, maybe we’ve even been that person. Nobody’s perfect. But when you’re trying to avoid being pulled over (which most of us are), it helps to know more about those bad driving habits we’ve all been (admittedly) guilty of at some point.
Edmunds.com polled 3 police agencies to get an idea of the most common driving no-no’s that cops encounter.
So, in the ongoing interest of helping us all become model motorists, here’s what Johnny Law had to say:

Speeding

(pulled over because you can’t drive 55 … in a 35 mph zone)

In the Edmunds survey, every cop surveyed listed stopping speeding drivers as a main priority. So why do police officers key in on speeders? Well, issuing speeding tickets has a huge impact on safety. For every 100 extra speeding citations given in a month, there are 14.3 fewer crashes and 5.6 fewer injuries.
Point is, if your need for speed gets the better of you, be prepared to put your money where your lead foot is — a whopping 34 million speeding tickets are handed out each year in the U.S.

Distracted driving

(pulled over because you’re texting, emailing, eating, and driving)

The police officers surveyed say their main reasons for giving distracted-driving tickets include illegal texting and driving or other dangerous cell phone use. And with good reason, too. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a stunning 40 percent of U.S. teens admit to having been in a car while the driver used a cell phone in an endangering way. We don’t know about you, but it seems this phenomenon can’t get enough police intervention.

Equipment violations

(pulled over because those windows are just a bit too dark)

Equipment offenses are easy bait for tickets because they’re so simple to spot. A police officer doesn’t have to make any judgments about the situation. Rather, he or she can simply see that something isn’t up to code and make a move. According to the cops surveyed, the most glaring violation (pun intended) was illegal window tints. Following that were burned-out lights, broken windshields, and expired license plate tags.

Tailgating and improper lane changes

(pulled over because you’re bound to cause an accident)

These 2 violations ranked as equally important on the Edmunds study. Both are reckless maneuvers that cops said they monitor closely. One police officer even qualified exactly what he thinks is considered a dangerous lane change: cutting someone off or moving without looking.
Using the left lane for cruising instead of passing, driving too slowly, and squealing your tires are also high on the list.

Use common sense

When reviewing these offenses, it’s not exactly a surprise that they attract attention. True, you can’t control what other people will do on the road. But you can control yourself. So next time you notice you’re about to fall into one of these habits, think about the repercussions. Safe driving is good for you and everyone else on the road.
Want to learn how these driving no-no’s can impact your car insurance? Check out our moving violations insight center.

About Alex Glenn

A copywriter for Esurance, Alex has professional experience in everything from film to literature to (thanklessly!) correcting the grammar in friends' emails. As a fervent Minnesota sports fan, he spends most of his non-writing time gently weeping into cereal bowls. View all posts by Alex Glenn →

Dolly's Story on her 10th Birthday (and Tyler's 5th birthday): A Special Weimaraner with 2 Famous Names

Dolly and Tyler celebrate today!

Today marks Dolly's and Tyler's birthdays (Dolly turns 10, Tyler turns 5). We know Dolly's actual birthdate, but don't know Tyler's, so because they're bonded we decided to make them the same day. 

A Special Weimaraner with 2 Famous Names

     A newborn puppy and her siblings should never have to experience what Dolly, our Weimarner did. Despite being abandoned, carried away a couple hundred miles, raised in a strange place with her brothers and sisters, she became the world's most loving canine companion.

    I (Rob) adopted our Weimaraner in March 2005 from Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue in Tennessee, when she was just 3 months old. She taught me what unconditional love was and prepared me to meet Tom -  the love of my life later that year whom I married in 2009.

The day Rob met Dolly in March 2005 in Tennessee

    Dolly Loretta, originally named Chloe, was born on Nov. 29th, 2004 in a litter of 6 at a breeder's house in Atlanta. When Dolly's mom stepped on a rusty nail and contracted tetanus, the breeder dumped the newborn pups at a shelter. They were a week old. The shelter called Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue in Knoxville, Tennessee (the nearest Weimaraner rescue) and Amber (the rescue manager) raced to Atlanta from Knoxville and picked up all six puppies. She and others bottle fed them for many weeks, raising and caring for them until they were 3 months old and old enough to adopt out.

    Timing is everything. On Feb. 22, 2005, I had a Weimaraner puppy named Buzz Wyatt who was killed by a speeding car when his leash opened on a walk. A couple of weeks later, my friend Lynn encouraged me to give that love to another Weimaraner and sent me web links to rescues for the breed. I searched through them and saw "Chloe" as she was called then. I fell in love. My broken heart was about to be mended, although Buzz Wyatt would always be in there, too.

     I filled out the required paperwork on line, did a 1 hour interview on the phone, had a local person do a home visit and I was cleared for adoption. On March 18th, 2005, my friend Jeff accompanied me on a 9 1/2 hour drive to Knoxville for my first in-person meeting with Dolly Loretta. It was sheer joy. I named her Dolly Loretta after my favorite singer, Dolly Parton, and my friend Jeff's favorite singer, Loretta Lynn (as a way to thank uncle Jeff for making the drive for this special occasion).

Napping is good on a birthday

     Dolly is now turning 10 years old. She and I have go through school together, and I've never seen a more loyal, obedient and extremely affectionate canine child. She follows us around the house and always needs to be with someone. She loves our dachshunds Franklin and Tyler, and has bonded like a mother to little 4 year old Tyler. In fact, Tyler keeps her young by playing, eating and sleeping together.

One of our friends calls Dolly a "classy lady," and she really is.

Rob Gutro

  

"Food for Thought" for this Thanksgiving- a short video

Our friend Susan W. shared this video and we thought it appropriate to share around Thanksgiving, because it's about being thankful for what you have and helping others even if you have so little. Please watch.
  It's called "  Asking Strangers For Food! (Social Experiment)"  from OCK TV.  
- It will also bring a tear to your eyes and make you think about things.
VIDEO: http://youtu.be/1fC6RP6tZ1Q

Tyler Making the Grade!

Tyler awaiting instruction in his "Drool is Cool" shirt

The instructor setting up stuff for training

Our 5 year old black and tan Dachshund Tyler has been doing great at pre-agility school. He's learned how to run figure eights between obstacles, weave back and forth with poles in a straight line, come when called, stay if I drop a treat and wait until I tell him to pick it up, and more. He's come a long way!  
  He always goes to school in his yellow shirt that has a dog's face on it- and the shirt says "Drool is Cool!" 
   He loves school, and at the end of the hour, he's usually exhausted and collapses in the car ride home. 
    If only Daddy Rob would be a little more coordinated with "front crosses" and directions, Tyler would ace everything. However, Daddy Rob needs more work! :)

A Look at Saratoga Springs, NY Architecture

Welcome to Saratoga Springs' oldest area

Here's a Look at Saratoga Springs, NY Architecture from my weekend visit in October.

WHAT IS GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE?

Greek Revival architecture in Saratoga Springs

According to Britannica.com: Greek Revival, architectural style, based on 5th-century-bc Greek temples, which spread throughout Europe and the United States during the first half of the 19th century. The main reasons for the style’s popularity seem to have been the general intellectual preoccupation with ancient Greek culture at the time, as well as a new awareness of the actual nature of Greek art brought about through widely circulated illustrations of notable ancient temples and the Elgin Marbles. The growing recognition of the Parthenon in Athens as a major monument helped secure the dominance of this Grecian form

Sign marking the former location of the Winans-Crippen House

WHAT IS THE WINAN'S CRIPPENS HOUSE? -   Franklin Square was one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods at the time local merchant David Winans commissioned noted architect J.D. Stevens, who had designed the United States and Grand Union Hotels on Broadway, to design his new home he would build in 1871 at 66 Franklin Street that became known as the Winan-Crippens House.

Greek Revival Architecture

DEMOLISHED -  Today, the Winans-Crippens House is an empty lot located at 66 Franklin Street  in the Franklin Square Historic District.

The Winans-Crippen House, had long been at the center of a dispute with the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation to preserve the structure (was was in disrepair).   Demolition of the historic Winans-Crippen House at 66 Franklin Street began in November 2013, bringing to a close the long debate in Saratoga Springs as to whether the building warranted preservation.

Quick Visit: Saratoga Springs, NY

Saratoga Springs, NY City Hall

The fall colors on Oct. 5 were great!

Back in the first weekend of October, I (Rob) traveled to upstate New York for a  weekend to do a benefit for the Adirondack Save a Stray rescue. I posted a blog about the event, and one about Glens Falls, NY, the town it was located in, but forgot to share pictures from Saratoga Springs, NY. This is a really neat town, famous for it's relationship to horse racing. 

The downtown has quaint shops

  The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 200 years. The city is just north of Albany.  SOME HISTORY: The picturesque area was occupied by the Algonquian-speaking Mahican Indians before they were pushed out by European settlement, both Dutch and English colonists. The English built Fort Saratoga in 1691 on the west bank of the Hudson River. The current village of Schuylerville, New York was settled about a

Lots of dog shops- a dog town!

mile south by English colonists shortly after the fort; it was known as Saratoga until 1831.
  In 1863, Saratoga Race Course opened, moving to its current location the following year. Horse racing and its associated betting greatly increased the city's attraction as a tourist destination at a time when horse racing was a popular national spectator sport.

A little history of the area -a a Square named after our dog Franklin :)

NEXT A LOOK AT THE ARCHITECTURE IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

Beautiful flowers in the downtown area

Historic old homes

   

Nice architecture

Nice neighborhoods

Tyler Recovering from trouble in triplicate

Tyler is not feeling well

Taking your dog to an annual exam is a good thing. Having his #1 and #2 tested is also a good thing.
The morning of Tyler's pre-scheduled annual exam, he peed in the house, near the back door (while I was shaving and I didn't hear him. However, he did walk in the bathroom to let me know- but I wasn't paying attention). 
  So, I knew there was something wrong and later in the day took him outside and got a sample to confirm my suspicion of a urinary tract infection. I also gathered the other business for a test.
  The tests came back positive. Tyler did have (and still does) a urinary tract infection, so he's on antibiotics. He also has 2 different types of worms/parasites in his #2, which he likely picked up in the area of his outside training because there are so many dogs there. So, he's also on 2 other medications for those.
  Poor Tyler!  You wouldn't know that he's dealing with those three issues, though because he's still energetic, but he should be over them in about 10-14 days.

Happy Birthday Tom!

One of our few normal pictures

TOM!!!!

Today, Nov. 23rd marks the birthday of the love of my life. Tom celebrates another  year today (I won't tell you what year it is). But I knew he was the one since the day I met him.   He's funny, quirky, loves dogs, is an amazing architect who never runs out of ways to improve the house and yard, he cleans like Mr. Monk, we're in total agreement about food, politics, (no) religions, clothes, travel, etc. Our differences are strengths that make us complete. It's a rare thing to find the love of your life, and I'm thankful for him every day (except when he says I didn't clean something well-enough. LOL).  Seriously, wish him a happy birthday today, and as our friend Beth says, "Do it with smudges for Tom." 
   Here are some fun pictures to celebrate!   - Rob

A fav pic from England

Our kids

With Tom's folks

Fixing something as usual!

Ready for travel!

Tom could've written this

Tom's grin

With Rob's family

With Darby and Isabella

Smooching Tyler

A serious Ghost investigation

The Downton Abbey Exhibit with Cristina

Wedding fun with Steve and Jane

Does your dog have Arthritis?

We never really think of dogs having arthritis, but they get it..  Thanks to Wonder Weims Rescue for publishing this helpful diagram of symptoms... AND this recommendation to help alleviate your dog's pain:
 
    Does your dog suffer from Arthritis or stiff joints? One of our volunteers, Wendy, has been taking her Weim to get Adequan injections. It has made a huge difference in Weims quality of life. One article states: it is the only arthritis treatment that can actually help to "heal" arthritis.

Treatment entails: 1 shot every four days for the first month and then one shot a month there after .Average cost is $35 per injection. $245 for the first month .. then $35 once a month there after. Small price to pay to have your dog pain free!

 

Hero Dog of the Month: Parker the Weimaraner Who Battled Cancer

  Recently on Facebook I came across a page for a special Weimaraner named Parker. Parker was battling cancer and passed on Oct. 6th of this year. His family posted pictures and updates, and we just want to thank them for taking such great care of their beloved dog, and pay tribute to Parker. 

Here's the letter they posted on Oct. 10th about Parker:

https://www.facebook.com/ParkersBucketList 
Dear Friends,

With heavy hearts, we said our goodbyes to Parker on Monday, October 6th. We are still grieving and missing him very much. We had hoped Parker would be a cancer survivor, but his cancer was relentless. We would have moved mountains to save our sweet angel. He was a brave and courageous fighter all the way to the end.

Parker was scheduled to start his 4th chemo agent last week, but his red blood cells were extremely low, so therapy was suspended. We had hoped that once the last chemo agent was cleared from his body that his red blood cells count would go up, but it didn't. His tumor continued to grow and he continued to become severely anemic. He developed a heart murmur from the anemia and his heart rate became very rapid. He was not eating which made taking pills more unsettling for his stomach. He was getting fluids a couple of times a week to keep him hydrated, but he even lost his interest in peanut butter the last few days.

Parker never lost his interest and desire to be with his family, though, which made it difficult to accept that the end had

come. However, his breathing was labored and his body was shutting down. He wasn't in any pain, but he was uncomfortable. We discussed giving him oxygen, but that would only help his breathing while he was receiving oxygen. We discussed a blood transfusion, but the fact that his own red blood cells were not increasing on their own meant that he had internal bleeding or the cancer cells were killing the new red blood cells. We attempted to give him iron supplements, but this caused GI distress on an empty stomach. We never wanted Parker to be in any pain, so we felt it was time to let him go with dignity.

Parker went to the park one last time on Monday morning. He wasn't able to walk with us, but he did enjoy being there with us. When it was time to say goodbye, we held him and told him how very special he was, as we showered him with kisses. We are so very grateful for the 5 wonderful years he was in our lives. He was loved deeply and will be missed immensely.

We sincerely thank you all for your support and encouragement these past few months as we have been sharing Parker’s life. Your kind words have been a comfort for us.

Forever in our hearts : Parker, August 29, 2006 ~ October 6, 2014

xoxo, Parker’s Family

Great article: Dolly Parton and her 'lack of judgment'

I (Rob) have loved Dolly Parton since I first heard her in 1978on the radio and then 9 to 5 came out and she was instantly my favorite entertainer and always will be. 

   In this new article, she tells everyone to love everyone and NOT judge. No one is better than anyone else.

    When I was a teenager trying to figure things out, I listened to her interviews and her music and loved the optimism she has. I learned from that. I learned to be optimistic,, to welcome everyone and be kind to others. I learned to appreciate the simple things in life, like a sunrise or sunset, a hug, a letter in the mail (or email) from a friend, even light traffic. Now, the respect I have continues to grow as she tells people to stop judging others. (Of course, she's already taken heat from the right-wing wackos about it). 

   Enjoy this article from the Daily Kos: 

Sun Nov 16, 2014 at 04:30 PM PST

Dolly Parton and her 'lack of judgment'

by Steven PayneFollow for Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/16/1343576/-Dolly-Parton-and-her-lack-of-judgment?showAll=yes#

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

The fact that Dolly Parton has become such a beloved entertainer across so wide a spectrum of American audiences is a unique story. She is one of country music's brightest stars, but she is so much more. That big hair floating above her flamboyant outfits straining to contain those epic boobs, Dolly is a talent bursting at the seams. Dolly Parton is loved for many reasons, but most of all she is loved for her authenticity. Please join me below the fold.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, she has long been an icon to the gay community. Her blazing talent aside, we are drawn in by her high camp and charmed by her deep heart. She is able to laugh at herself while being unapologetically exactly who she is. We just get that and love her for it. She has long acknowledged her gay fan base and shown us many signs of support over the years. Never was that support more pronounced than during an interview she gave to PrideSource last spring:

It's more than just you being non-judgmental. You said growing up you felt different, something many gay people can empathize with. Do you sense that relationship? Yes, I do. I've always felt that. I've always felt that's one of the things that's drawn my gay fans to me. They do know that I do feel different, and all of my life I will be different. I always have been. But I enjoy and appreciate and respect that difference in myself just like I do in other people. God made me the way that I am and it's my business to be true to that.
You were one of the first major country artists to advocate for gay rights. Why did you decide to take that step and stand up for LGBT equality?
Why wouldn't I stand up for everybody, for all people? In the country field, we're brought up in spiritual homes, we're taught to "judge not lest you be judged," and it's always been a mystery to me how people jump all over things just to criticize, condemn and judge other people when that is so un-Christian - and they claim to be good Christians! We're supposed to love one another. We're supposed to accept and love one another. Whether we do or not, that's a different story. But that's what we're supposed to do.

"God made me the way that I am and it's my business to be true to that." Friends, that is wisdom.
Dolly has always unabashedly celebrated her Christian faith and I deeply admire what it has taught her. Towards the end of October, she upped the anti on her anti-judgment message for her fellow Christians in an interview with Billboard. This time, she firmly grasped the fundamentalist finger of judgment and turned it directly back toward them, using their own weapon of choice, the Bible.

VIDEO: http://bcove.me/kmgctb9j

Dollywood attracts lots of church groups, but it has also become a draw for the LGBT community. What does that say about you? It's a place for entertainment, a place for all families, period. It's for all that. But as far as the Christians, if people want to pass judgment, they're already sinning. The sin of judging is just as bad as any other sin they might say somebody else is committing. I try to love everybody.
You have a large gay following. To what do you attribute that?
They know that I completely love and accept them, as I do all people. I've struggled enough in my life to be appreciated and understood. I've had to go against all kinds of people through the years just to be myself. I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are, and to love who they love. I don't think we should be judgmental. Lord, I've got enough problems of my own to pass judgment on somebody else.

As I smiled at those words and silently thanked Dolly to myself, I knew that heads would be exploding across the tracks. These people didn't disappoint. The Christians she was directly speaking to became unhinged for being so directly called out. Ken Ham of the Creationist Museum was first up to bat:

I doubt Dolly Parton realizes it but in saying “if people want to pass judgment, they’re already sinning,” she is doing exactly what she tells Christians not to do—she’s judging! And I sincerely doubt that she, or anyone else for that matter, would say that we can’t judge murderers or thieves and call their behavior wrong.

And on Tuesday, Jennifer LeClaire, editor of Charisma magazine, chimed in:

One of the most common outcries against calling out homosexuality as a sin insists, “Thou shalt not judge.” That’s actually not one of the 10 commandments Moses brought down from Sinai when he found the Israelites worshipping Baal and got so angry that he took the golden calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it (Ex. 32:19-20) Think about it for a minute. Let’s say there’s a patient sitting in a doctor’s office awaiting test results from a biopsy. The results clearly show that cancer is killing him, but the doctor doesn’t want to point out anything negative so he tells the patient everything looks fine and sends him on his merry way. The cancer progresses, and the patient dies. That’s called malpractice. It’s also called carelessness. The doctor didn’t care enough about his patient to tell him the truth. That’s not love.
We cannot stand by—like a physician who doesn’t want to tell his patient he has cancer because he doesn’t want to hurt his feelings—while so many are earning the deathly wages of sin. That, my friends, is not love, and it’s not biblical. And I won’t take part in it. Amen.

Dolly's compassionate words pose a clear threat to those whose stock and trade is doling out judgment. Her acceptance of gay people is sure to resonate with a large swath of her fellow Christians who love and respect her. The number of True™ Christians who insist they can never peacefully coexist with gay people is rapidly dwindling, thanks in large part to brave people like Dolly Parton who are willing to stand up to the judgmental bullies within their own midst.

Originally posted to Daily Kos on Sun Nov 16, 2014 at 04:30 PM PST.