What qualifies as a common-law marriage? Take your pick: 1. Leaving too many clothes at your girlfriend’s house? 2. Living together six months 3. Living together seven years?

Chances are you picked third answer, but all three response are equally wrong. A common misconception is that length of cohabitation creates common-law status. This is not true.

Three elements are necessary and none relate to a time-frame. A couple must 1. Live together 2. Agree between themselves to be marriage 3. Represent themselves as married (also called “holding-out.”)

But world today has taken this violence one step further - they have incorporated it in a child's playthings. The "shoot 'em up, blow 'em up" mentality has permeated even toy aisles in every city.

While being vigilant or "street smart" is, of course, a major concern for parents of children, old adage of "What came first - chicken or egg" seems to emerge. Was idea of these recent violent crimes always out there - in reality world - or was it nurtured and fed by violent TV, movies and now toys?

When is child is placed in a situation of making a choice when angry with another child, does he/she make decision based on knowing that he/she can't make them disappear into cyberspace by using a laser gun, jumping over tall buildings and disappearing, or eradicating them by all sorts of other means? It seems to be getting harder and harder as toys portray violence from cars turning into robots or bugs, viscious looking creatures that permeate a person's worse nightmares, and now are sold for $29.99, packed in cellopane, and ready for a child to create their own "nightmare." As parents, responsibility of helping a child grow into maturity with a "right" sense of preservation and protection for person and property seems to be swaying to side with help from "ad" agencies and toy manufacturers.