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The Power of Network Effect – Why is it so valuable?
by Team Lapaas | Oct 15, 2020 | Marketing | 0 comments
Living in a society controlled by network invention, people can easily connect to services available in the market and with each other.
Networking has tremendous effects as it has not only helps in connecting with other people but also helps in marketing your business or products.
Networking has completely changed the rules to not only how we market products, and value is created, but also how a reliable business infrastructure is developed and maintained.
Have you ever thought why companies like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. are ruling in their niches without fear of their opponents.
Have you wondered why people prefer these platforms?
No, let me tell you, it is because of the phenomena of a network effect.
Network effect refers to an environment where a rise in the adoption or use creates more value for all members in a community or network – it's called a positive network. The reverse is also true and is called a negative network effect.
It is the idea that a product or service becomes more refined as people use it. For instance, only a few users were there—outside people given minimal preference when the Internet came into existence. But if we talk about today, billions of people are using the Internet.
I hope now you have little understanding about network effect, let's delve more into this and discuss its benefits, type, and power.
What exactly is Network Effect?
How Does the Network Effect Work?
Why Your Marketplace Needs Network Effect?
What are the Types of Network Effects?
Network Effects are not Virality
Network Effects are not Economics of sale
Steps to make use of Power of Network Effect
The network effect's theory is responsible for a fast-growing company and a product or service of the Internet era. It becomes more relevant for users as a large number of people are using it.
The network effect is how the value of something to customers changed when the number of other people also use it to improve. It is also known as demand-side economics od ale and network externality.
For instance, having a smart mobile phone has become much more valuable as the number of customers connected to the telephone network is proliferating. Simply put, it is an aspect in which the goods or services are gaining more value as more customers are using them.
Phone and social network is a real example of how network effects may influence the service or product. As more people begin to adopt this technology, it becomes vital for communication. It enhances their value for existing and future users and the weakness of this alternative.
For example, when landlines phones came to existence, and everyone started using this technology. It had become the most accepted way to talk to people, increasing the user base of these phones, need, and value while reducing the telegraph's need.
Furthermore, when the bulk of people and businesses begin to connect on Facebook, it has become the most accepted way to communicate with the rest of your network, increasing its user base, need, and value while reducing the value of MySpace.
As you can see, using the network effect can significantly increase the size of your user base, the market share of your company, and it's a product or service value.
In evidence to the market, the network effect is when a service becomes more valuable as more people use it, thereby causing an expansion in the number of adoptors.
For the organization, the network effect means the organization's actual value is exponentially higher than the number of individual members. As a member, you make connections with one another. Metcalfe's law is one of the first attempts to estimate the network's effect and proposes that the network's value is proportional to the square of the number of users (n ^ 2).
So, if you have 10 users, then the network's value provides 10 ^ 2 = 100. In other words, your association can facilitate 100 connections between the different members.
But, some experts argue that the law only accounts for a connection one-to-one and does not fully appreciate the group-forming networks' ability.
A newer mathematical statement comes in the form of Reed law – which shows how much coverage to evaluate network effects. Reed believes that the network is how many unique "connection group" members you can form are represented by a power of two (2 ^ n).
If in the association you have 10 users, the same group has the power to grow the 1024 connection, a unique subgroup (2 ^ 10 = 1024).
One of which is the one that may be the genesis for the link of a lifetime, new business chances, or brainstorming session, which causes the "ensuing great thing."
Why Your Marketplace Needs Network Effects?
Although the network effect sounds like a common term, they have been around for ages. When the phone networks first appeared in 1878, it creates added value for its users every time a new phone installed. What has changed is how important it has become, especially for the online market.
As the global market such as Amazon and Alibaba entrench their hold on the global B2C and B2B retail and vertical market-focused mushrooms, competition for consumer wallets will get more fierce.
It has become essential to differentiate the value proposition of your market competitors. As already mentioned, the network effect can make them competitive advantage by promoting a higher ratio of a match between what sellers are offering and what the buyers want.
Another significant advantage of focusing on the trigger network effects is that it heals fantastic businessman syndrome 'if we build it, they will come.' And it has forced the owner of the market to put the relationship between buyers and sellers in the core of the development platform, which means continuously analyzing user behaviour and use the fast iteration to build the product-market fit.
We can make the network effect's model in different ways. But they don't work in the same way, and they can generate different results. There are four types of network effect business models:
Direct Network Effect
Direct network effects are defined as the value of service increases naturally as the number of uses increases. It is also known as the same-side effects.
Things shared by many digital platforms benefit from the network effect quickly, which means that the platform is even more engaging to users because the number of users on the same side of the platform grows.
The telephone network and online games are examples of direct networking effects.
Indirect Network Effect
The indirect network effect is a phenomenon in which an increase in the use of the product leads to the increased value of complementary networks or products, which adds to the value of the original product. It is also known as the cross-side effect.
Examples of indirect network effects are Windows and Android operating. Increased use of OS enhances the value of the applications made to work on this platform, which, in turn, enhances the value of the operating system.
Two-Sided Network Effect
It is a kind of network effect that uses the properties of both Direct Network Effect and Indirect Network Effect.
Amazon's business model is the best example of a two-sided network effect in which middleman connects sellers and buyers.
Local Network Effect
The microstructure of a network of underlying connections often affects the importance of network effects.
For example, using the instant messaging, each user is immediately impressed by the choices of only a petite group of other users – that they are "connected" to.
Network Effects are not Virality.
Network effects and Virality are two different concepts. A viral product is the one whose adoption rate increases with each new user. Whereas network effect has no concern with volume, it is only responsible for additional value.
The network effect is all about growth in values, whereas Virality is more about an increase in numbers. Marketplace like Airbnb has a strong network effect but low Virality.
Network Effects are not Economics of Sale.
Economies of scale occur when there is an adequate volume of results to massively reduce costs so that the most significant player can maintain the most leading margin profitability.
Network effects are distinct from economies of scale because they produce higher value for the marginal increase in cost. While the networks grow, cost increases, but the product's value increases more rapidly.
Steps to Make Use of Power of Network Effects
To attract users to your platform with satisfaction, follow the following steps:
Build a product feature that creates a unique value declaration for all users.
Make sure that your platform following the requirements of complementary products.
Deal with the industry that develops complementary products.
It can be combined with your platform to build value for users and boost your platform's overall power. It will attract more users, and reach other businesses to build a complimentary product for your platform that will lead to the emergence of indirect network effects, develop a mutual advantage of each other.
Create an adequate business model.
Tailors to each buyer segment and assure that it is scalable to handle growth over time.
Build a strategy and go-to-market.
To initial interest buyers, selecting the initial market section as a unique market niche proves the product-market fit you. Then plan for continued expansion into other markets.
Bettering economics of scale on both the demand and supply sides.
It gives innovative products to consumers on the demand side and provides cutting-edge technology/software providers on the supply side. It helps create a unique value analysis and difference for your users to solve the "unmet" needs. Creating a brand will help benefit more buyers.
The network effect is a compelling method for a successful business. All large organizations are using this method in their business strategies to upgrade to unimaginable heights.
In this generation, where almost everything depends on the media and technology, using network effects are preferably easy and genius. All you need is to have the next great idea.
Also You can Read our Blog on INTERNET MARKETING AND ITS TYPES| 6 STEP PROCESS TO START
Why are network effects significant?
The network effect says that a good or service becomes more important when more people adopt it. Accurately, more the acceptance of the product or the service, more is its worth.
What is the network effects platform?
Network effects are the incremental advantage of an existing user for every new user that adds on the network.
What are the negative network effects?
Negative network effects are a device for privatizing gains and socializing declines on a national level.
Does Uber have network effects?
Uber made an application that lets customers call a car to take them to their destination. May be Uber does not follow a direct network effect, but it builds a network dynamic between the riders and drivers.
What is an example of a good with a positive network effect?
The best example is the telephone, in which the number of users enhances the value to each.


These steps may vary with different versions of 9front, as well as the virtualization software that is used (VMware Workstation, VMware Player, VirtualBox, QEMU, etc). For this guide I will be installing 9Front "Solar Eclipse" as a virtual machine in VMware Workstation 14.
Why install 9front? To explore an updated port of the Plan 9 operating system which has some very unique design features and historic significance.
A file archiver utility capable of decompressing gzip archives. I will be using 7-Zip which is free and open-source software.
Download the 9front ISO either directly or by torrent from http://9front.org/iso/.
The file name ends in .gz which indicates it is gzipped. Use 7-Zip to decompress the contents of the .gz, with 7-Zip installed on Windows this should be as simple as right clicking on the file 9front-6165.2a79d5dddf41.iso.gz, navigating to the 7-Zip option on the right-click menu, and then selecting Extract Here.
For "What type of configuration do you want?" select Custom.
The default Hardware Compatibility options are fine.
For "Guest Operating System" select Other with Version Other.
Name the virtual machine as you wish, I named mine 9front Solar Eclipse.
Select the default processor configuration.
You may adjust the memory allocated to the virtual machine, however, 9front is a fork of Plan 9 which was developed in the 1990's and does not require much memory at all. You should be able to run it on 32 MB of RAM, though I have my installation a bit of breathing room with 256 MB, the default recommended memory in VMware workstation.
For the Network Type I went with the default of Use network address translation (NAT).
For I/O controller types I selected the default, BusLogic.
For Virtual disk type use the default, IDE (Recommended).
For Select a Disk I chose to Create a new virtual disk.
The default of 8 GB will be more than sufficient for installing 9front. Plan 9 required ~300 MB of disk space, and if we have room to spare it gives us space to install additional software and move files around on 9front without worrying, especially since I have chosen NOT to allocate disk space now. I went with the default option of Split virtual disk into multiple files so it would be easier to move the virtual machine if needed.
For Disk file I went with the default file name based on the virtual machine name I chose earlier.
Select the New CD/DVD (IDE) device and choose to Use ISO image file.
The virtual machine should BOOT from the 9front ISO and eventually prompt you for bootargs at a black screen with white text. From here you can follow the 9front Installation Guide, picking up at the step titled 4.2.2.3 – Bootargs. Alternatively, I will continue to list the steps here.
At the user prompt you may change the username that will be used. I went with the default of glenda, the Plan 9 bunny.
vgasize can be adjusted later, for the install I went with the default of 1024x768x16, if you have a screen smaller than 1024×768 then you may want to chose 640x480x16 instead.
For the monitor type select the default, vesa.
For mouseport select the default, ps2. Even if your mouse is not plugged into a PS/2 port on your computer it will still translate to PS/2 in VMware.
You should now be met with a graphical user interface running rio, the Plan 9 windowing system. A terminal is open for you to begin the installation.
Click inside the term window and type inst/start and press enter.
Select the first of the three unfinished tasks, configfs, by pressing enter.
If you created the virtual machine with a disk size of less than 12GB, it is recommended to use the experimental hjfs file server. I decided to go with this since I chose 8 GB for the installation. Type hjfs at the prompt and press enter.
Press enter again to proceed with the partdisk task.
At the partdisk menu it will list your disk devices, at the least there should be a VMware Virtual IDE Hard Drive, and VMware Virtual IDE CDROM Drive. With my virtual hardware configuration the VMware Virtual IDE Hard Drive that I want to install 9front to is listed as sdC0 so I typed sdC0 at the Disk to partition prompt and pressed enter.
For the master boot record I specified mbr and pressed enter.
The suggested paritioning listed by fdisk should work fine, press w and enter, then q and enter.
Press enter to proceed to the next task, prepdisk.
There is likely only one partition found from the previous step, press enter to select it to be subdivided.
Again the suggested defaults should work fine, press w and enter, then q and enter.
Press enter to proceed to the mountfs task.
Press enter to proceed with the default partition that is selected.
If prompted for RAM filesystem cache size, the default should be fine. For my hjfs filesystem it is 38 MB.
Press enter to proceed and "ream" (format) the filesystem.
Press enter to continue to the configdist task.
Since the installation media we have is an ISO mounted as local media, press enter to proceed with the default distribution media of local.
Press enter to proceed to the confignet task.
Since I chose to set up the virtual machine using NAT, I also chose to go with the default network configuration of using dhcp.
Press enter to proceed to the mountdist task.
This task will scan your storage devices and detect storage media, it should detect the cdrom and you can press enter to select the default option of /.
Again press enter to select the default option, the directory that contains the distribution is the root directory of the cd image, /.
Press enter to proceed to the copydist task.
You will see the text "processing /sys/lib/sysconfig/proto/allproto", this indicates that the distribution files are being copied from the install media to the hard disk. There is no progress bar and this step may take some time. Once it is complete it will prompt you with the next task.
Press enter to proceed to the ndbsetup task.
The Setup network configuration prompt will now ask you for the sysname, the hostname of your system. It provides a default of cirno, the 9front mascot. I specified a new hostname of felloff. One of the 9front slogans is that the "plan" fell off, a reference to a Clarke and Dawe sketch – The Front Fell Off.
Press enter to proceed to the tzsetup task.
Being in the Central timezone, I specified US_Central at the prompt and pressed enter.
Press enter to proceed to the bootsetup task.
Press enter to proceed with the default boot partition.
When prompted to Install the Plan 9 master boot record, type yes and press enter.
When prompted to Mark the Plan 9 partition active, type yes and press enter.
All that's left now is to reboot, press enter to select the finish task.
The virtual machine will now reboot. From the VMware Workstation menu select VM -> Removable Devices -> CD/DVD (IDE) -> Disconnect, this will unmount the 9front ISO from the virtual CD drive.
9front will reboot to a black screen with white text again, do not fret, simply press enter to select the default bootargs, then enter again at the user selection.
You will now be prompted with the graphical user interface of your new 9front installation.
Once you have selected a document to read, you will need to press Shift and Sym(bol) simultaneously to enable Text-To-Speech reading. Shift is the bottom-left-most circular button on the face of the Kindle, Symbol is the 9th circular button from the left in the third row of buttons on the face of the Kindle.
Fiat 500 with the 2010 Engine of the Year hitting the US market? Full of win. Hopefully Abarth will sell a conversion kit for it since there are rumored to be many different editions coming to the US between 2011 and 2012.
Here's a mid-80's Mercedes Benz 300D with a turbo diesel, spotted in Naperville, Illinois. For me this is right next to the VW Rabbit as the coolest diesel cars to hit the North American market. It would be even cooler if converted to a grease car.
Yes, that's a car phone to the right of the steering wheel.
We went to my grandparents' house for Father's Day and I took some pictures of my grandpa's '57 Chevy Bel Air. That's him in the Chuck Taylors! 😎 The blue car is his neighbor's '55 Chevy.
Spotted on I-355 North this morning.
Posted on June 12, 2010 Author tinmanCategories Automobiles, Blog, UncategorizedLeave a comment on Rat Rod Project?
I took a ride up to Waukesha, Wisconsin yesterday to pick up the head and intake manifold for the 4.0L straight-six that's going into my AMC Gremlin. Forest, at Independent Tuning Solutions, ported them for me and they look great. I'll have some pictures of that with the motor sometime soon. Monday is the last day of this semester for me, so I should be back to working on the Gremlin pretty soon.
On the ride home I spotted a CASE IH sign and an International sign from I-94 and decided it would be a good photo opportunity.


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Dana ( or ) as a surname may have several origins. In England, it came from dann, the valley of a meadow, and it may mean the dweller of that valley. In Continental Europe, it probably came from Dane (or Danish, from Denmark). This surname is related to Danese in Italy and it can be found mostly in the Piedmont region. It may also be a modification of Huguenot French origin, probably a variant of d'Aunay, of geographical origin. It may be also a Gaelic patronymic, since it is a common forename in Ireland. Dana is a relatively common surname in the US, ranking 7161 out of 88,799 in the 1990 U.S. Census. Dana is also the Persian word for wisdom.

At least into the first half of the 19th century, many American Danas were descended or of close relatives to Richard Henry Dana, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts around 1640.Dana title also found in India.In India ,all Dana title bearing peoples are Hindu.

People with the surname Dana

Amasa Dana (1792–1867), American congressman (D-NY)
Audrey Dana, French actress
Bill Dana, see William Dana (disambiguation)
Charles Dana (disambiguation)
Daniel Dana (1771–1859), American educator, president of Dartmouth College
Deane Dana (1926–2005), American politician
Doris Dana (1920–2006), American writer and translator
E. Elizabeth Dana, proprietress of Miss Dana's School for Young Ladies
Edmund Trowbridge Dana (1818–1869), United States jurist
Edward Salisbury Dana, American mineralogist and physicist
Fra M. Dana (1874–1948), American artist
Francis Dana, American lawyer
Felipe Dana, Brazilian Photographer
George Augustus Dana (1840–1911), Canadian politician and playwright
Henry Dana (1820–1852), founder of the Native Police force in Victoria, Australia
Jack Dana (1921–1983), American basketball player
James Dana (disambiguation)
John Dana (disambiguation)
Joseph Dana (1742–1827), United States clergyman
Judah Dana (1772–1845), Maine statesman and United States Senator
Leora Dana (1923–1983), American actress
Lowell Dana (1891–1937), American football coach
Mazen Dana, Palestinian Reuters cameraman who was shot dead by US soldiers
Muriel Frances Dana (1916–1997), American child actress
Napoleon J.T. Dana (1822–1905), a career U.S. Army officer
Olive E. Dana (1859-?), American writer
Paul Dana (1975–2006), American race car driver
Paul Dana (journalist) (1852–1930), American journalist
Philippe Dana (born 1959), French journalist
Reza Dana, American doctor
Richard Dana (disambiguation)
Robert Dana (1929–2010), American poet
Sam Dana (1903–2007), American football player
Samuel Dana (1767–1835), Massachusetts politician, lawyer and judge
Samuel Dana (clergyman) (1739–1798), Massachusetts clergyman and politician
Samuel Luther Dana (1795–1868), a Massachusetts textile and agriculture chemist
Samuel W. Dana, American lawyer and politician
Simphiwe Dana, South African Xhosa singer-songwriter
Stephen Winchester Dana (born 1840), United States clergyman
Sophia Dana, nineteenth-century feminist, a Transcendentalist and later a Catholic
Susan Lawrence Dana American feminist, suffragist and member of National Women's Party
Vic Dana (born 1940), American dancer and singer
Viola Dana (also known as Viola Flugrath, born Virginia Flugrath), silent movie actress
Walter Dana, Polish-American musician
William Dana (disambiguation)

See also
Noah Dana-Picard, Israeli mathematician and Talmudic scholar
Paul Dano, actor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Mostly whistleblowing, NHS underbelly but other stuff too!
Alexander's Excavations
About Alexander's Excavations – disinterring the truth, one sod at a time.
Chronological list of posted articles & correspondence
Send this letter to your MP to help protect UK whistleblowers
Please sign and share this Westminster petition, to ask the UK government to replace current UK whistleblowing law, and protect whistleblowers and the public. Deadline 17 February 2021
Whatever happened to Jeremy Hunt's Just Culture Task Force?
August 30, 2017 August 30, 2017 by minhalexander
Dr Minh Alexander NHS whistleblower and former consultant psychiatrist 30 August 2017
The Department of Health's denial machine speeds on despite occasional reports of its demise.
Good news stories, synthetic totems and ready made 'radicals' are its stock in trade.
For example, NHSIQ do a notable line in manufactured cool:
Click to access nhsiq_white_paper.pdf
Notwithstanding, whistleblowers are unimpressed with NHSIQ's exhortations to 'rock the boat but not too much'. It is an unhelpful demonisation of serious dissent.
The NHS Just Culture Task Force was another faux DH attempt at creating a 'movement', and was announced in January. It came with a folksy looking blogsite for added authenticity. It proclaimed its existence and an initial, core membership.
However, the task force flopped quickly when questions were asked about the status of the project and issues of inclusivity, administration and accountability. Most of the information posted on line about the project was removed. There has been no visible activity since.
https://minhalexander.com/2017/01/25/call-for-just-culture-taskforce-core-members-to-step-down/
Since then, the Department of Health has behaved quite ludicrously in response to an FOI about the establishment of the Just Culture Task Force, including Jeremy Hunt's role in the matter. The DH has failed to answer some of the questions and resisted for months a request for internal review of its FOI response. Departmental staff have appeared embarrassed and were very apologetic about successive delays and repeatedly missed deadlines.
"I apologise profusely for the length of time it has taken to carry out your requested internal review into the handling of FOI 1069346"
Eventually, I copied the FOI correspondence to Hunt's office to put staff out of their misery. An internal review response has now finally been provided. As suspected, there is a refusal to provide more information. This is on the grounds that it may prejudice the conduct of public affairs – a catch all that is some times used when senior officials and politicians simply do not want to be embarrassed.
"We have considered the request again and I can confirm that DH has carried out searches for information within a broader interpretation of the scope of your request and has now identified a number of emails which relate to the establishment of the Just Culture Taskforce, its terms of reference and selection of its members. However, we consider these emails to be exempt from disclosure under Section 36 (2)(b)(i) and (ii) and (c) – prejudice to the conduct of public affairs."
The DH has retreated to this bunker before and has been reprimanded by the ICO on some occasions for the groundless use of this exemption.
But the refusal to disclose tells me all I need to know about the nature of this project, so I won't trouble the ICO, who have enough on their hands.
The lack of visible, development activity since January suggests that the DH may be hoping that the Just Culture Task Force 'movement' will fade from memory and not cause the Minister too much more embarrassment. Indeed, one of the DH officials originally associated with the project has since moved to NHS Improvement.
Nevertheless, the DH gamely insists in its latest correspondence that it will properly engage whistleblowers and NHS staff in work on the Just Culture Task Force – but just not now:
"Our work on Just Culture is born out of the recommendation of the Expert Advisory Group for the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch to set up a Just Culture Task Force to support the whole healthcare system to move towards a just culture of safety. The policy for taking this forward is still under development and any discussions and policy thinking are therefore exempt for the reasons set out above. However, our intention is that whistle-blowers and NHS staff will be properly engaged in this work."
Not very radical at all it seems.
These are the key elements of the FOI correspondence with the DH about the Just Culture Task Force:
FOI request 23 January 2017
DH FOI launch of Just Culture Taskforce 23.01.2017
DH response 17 February 2017
DH response Just Culture Task Force FOI 1069346 reply
Request for internal review of DH's FOI response
Request for internal review 18 Feb 2017
DH internal review response 30 August 2017
DH internal review response 30 Aug 2017 170830 Minh Alexander IR 1069346 FINAL FOR ISSUE
https://minhalexander.com/2017/04/18/nhs-bodies-5-years-of-ico-decisions/
Previous postFour years of published coroners' Section 28 reports in England and Wales
Next postNational Guardian 'Expects'
3 thoughts on "Whatever happened to Jeremy Hunt's Just Culture Task Force?"
zrpradyer says:
I get the impression that all of our institutions are now run by P.R consultants.
Of course, they are aided and abetted by those within those said institutions who have big titles and low integrity.
Indeed, they hide behind P.R. because they are incapable of doing anything else.
Thank you for soldiering on, Dr A.
Zara.
dms91 says:
Spot on Zara Spot on!
a Just culture? (wheres that then?)
Artwork by dissidentdaubs aka Ian my husband, an absolute brick
Whistleblowers of the world unite
https://minhalexander.com/please-sign-and-share-this-westminster-petition-to-ask-the-uk-government-to-replace-current-uk-whistleblowing-law-and-protect-whistleblowers-and-the-public-deadline-17-february-2021/
Whistleblowing resources
Coronavirus: Fact deficit about COVID-19 paediatric hospital admissions and a media skirmish
Coronavirus: SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies): National lockdown may not be enough to prevent spread of the new COVID-19 variant

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In a groundbreaking legal opinion, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mathias E. Rodriguez has determined that the wives of Snap-on Tools dealers have an independent legal right to sue the franchisor in court before a jury, in connection with their own fraud claims against the company and, accordingly, are not bound to bring their claims in arbitration.
Prior to Judge Rodriguez's decision, Snap-on had argued that claims of the spouses, like those of their tool dealer husbands, had to be brought in a proceeding before the American Arbitration Association.
"This decision has nationwide implications for all 3,400 current Snap-on dealers, as well as all former dealers and their wives who claim that they were defrauded in their franchise agreement by Snap-on," said Gerald A. Marks, the Red Bank, N.J.-based attorney representing the three plaintiffs in the case before Judge Rodriguez. The plaintiffs in the New Jersey case are: Nancy Casey of Middletown, Abbye Goldwasser of New Brunswick and Maritza Franco of Scotch Plains. Marks now plans to institute additional suits on behalf of the wives of other Snap-on franchisees in New York, Florida, California, Ohio, and other states nationwide.
"The wives wanted to present their claims before a jury because the terms of the arbitration clause limits their legal rights by shortening the time to bring suit, limits the scope of pre-trial discovery and prevents the wives from banding together in either a joint or class action," Mr. Marks explained. "A jury trial offers the most objective forum for the spouses to prove their claim that Snap-on had engaged in a consistent, deliberate policy of inducing families to invest their money into a franchised tool route, when Snap-on knew that the territory contained an insufficient amount of customers, or that a previous dealer had failed in that very same route."
Commenting on the Court's decision, Susan Kezios, President of the American Franchisee Association, said, "The gates of justice are now open to wives and other family members who were hurt by Snap-on's wrongful action. Like many other franchise companies, Snap-on will no longer be able to hide adverse decisions against it through the arbitration process. This confidential process does not permit a finding of franchisor wrongdoing in one arbitration to be used in another, as is the case in normal court proceedings."


I love to watch movies in the evening with the Mr accompanied by some delicious snacks (and wine), and we were lucky enough to be sent a variety of Baked Naan Chips from the lovely people at Warburtons to try.
The chips are made from a naan bread recipe and come in three delicious flavours; Creamy Korma (mild), Classic Tikka (medium) and Fiery Madras (hot) to suit a variety of taste buds. We are big curry eaters, including the Mini Mes, so we decided to open them straight away! The aroma was captivating, it really reminded me of the rich Indian dishes themselves.
The chips are thick and crunchy and ideal to use with dips or as an alternative to poppadoms. We dived in and thought that they were very nice. The Mr who loves his food spicy was keen on the Fiery Madras whereas the Mini Mes and I preferred the other two milder flavours. We finished off the bags over a few days enjoying them with curry and a selection of dips.
The 150g bags are ideal for sharing but there are smaller individual sized bags available too. The chips are baked, not fried , and therefore contain 33% less fat than potato crisps. There are also no artificial ingredients.
We were also sent a packet of Pitta Chips to try and these were loved by us all too!
You can find some great recipes from TV Chef, Monisha Bharadwaj, on the Warburton's Facebook Page to enjoy with them.


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text:
Peter Kingsbury
After graduating from York University with a degree in Computer Science and Maths, Peter trained as teacher, initially secondary maths and PE and latterly retraining as a primary teacher. He has been teaching at Pencaitland Primary School in East Lothian since 1998 having previously worked in schools in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
His cricketing career started at Darley Dale in the Derbyshire County League. After playing for several clubs in Yorkshire he joined Penicuik CC in 1997 where he is still an active playing member.
In 2012 he wrote CricketStats, an online results and statistics package which is now used throughout Scotland.
As well as his work as the ESCA treasurer, a post he has held since 2008, Peter is also an active member of his children's school's parent council.


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Fatal Accidents Including Deadly Automobile Accidents and Deadly Work Place Accidents Should Be Properly Investigated To Determine The Cause of The Fatal Accident and Help Prevent Future Fatal Accidents by Texas Fatal Accident Lawyer, Fatal Work Place Accident Lawyer, Fatal Car Wreck Lawyer, and Fatal Accident Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Losing a loved one is difficult. This is especially true if the loved one is killed by the carelessness, conscious disregard, or negligence of another. However, in the aftermath of losing a loved one and grieving the loss of a loved one, it is important to understand how the fatal accident occurred and to help prevent future similar deadly accidents from occurring.
Fatal Automobile Accidents should be Investigated Including Deadly Car Wreck Accidents, Deadly Motorcycle Accidents, and Deadly Truck Accidents by Texas Fatal Car Wreck Accident Lawyer, Fatal Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, Fatal SUV Accident Lawyer, and Fatal Automobile Accident Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Automobile accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Texas and in the United States. Many of the accidents could have been prevented and can help prevent future accidents. Automobile accidents that result in someone's death should be properly investigated to determine what happened and to make sure that other people are not injured in similar fatal accidents. In addition to the police investigation, insurance companies typically investigate fatal automobile accidents to determine and limit their liability in any fatal automobile accident claims that may arise out of a fatal accident. Many times the insurance adjuster, trucking company representatives, or courier service representatives will be sent to a fatal accident site in attempt to protect the insurance company or business from liability. The information obtained through these investigations as well as the police investigation can be extremely important in performing an independent investigation of the fatal accident. For more information on fatal accident lawsuits, please feel free to go to the following web pages: Texas Fatal Accident Lawsuits, Fatal Failure to Deploy Defective Airbag Lawsuits, Fatal Rollover Crash Lawsuits, Truck Collision and Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuits, Truck Accident Investigations, and Texas Fatal Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits.
Preservation of Evidence After a Deadly Accident is Essential to an Effective Investigation
After a deadly or catastrophic injury accident, an efficient and effective investigation can create advantages in the preservation of key evidence and information that can win a large verdict in a law suit or result in an early and large settlement of an insurance claim. For this reason, it is important to have professionals working for you that understand how to investigate a serious accident and preserve key evidence that can prove liability or damages.
Deadly Work Place Accidents should be Investigated Including Deadly Construction Accidents, Deadly Refinery Accidents, and Deadly Industrial Accidents by Texas Fatal Construction Accident Lawyer, Fatal Construction Equipment Accident Lawyer, Fatal Work Vehicle Accident Lawyer, and Fatal Work Place Accident Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Work places can be extremely dangerous. Falling objects, dangerous machinery, serious falls, electrocutions, explosions, toxic exposure, drunk drivers, hidden traps, and several other dangerous conditions can kill workers. It is estimated that over 6,800 workers per year are killed in on the job work related accidents. This does not include undocumented workers and many workers killed by toxic exposures. For more information on Texas Work Place Death Lawsuits and Texas Fatal Work Place Accident Lawsuits go to the following Fatal Work Place Accident Lawsuit Information.
Seeking Compensation From Guilty Parties After A Fatal Accident by Texas Fatal Accident Lawyer, Fatal Work Place Accident Lawyer, Fatal Car Wreck Lawyer, and Fatal Accident Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
After losing a loved one in an accident, it can be difficult to locate all potential recoveries as well as to prove to insurance companies and guilty defendants the full extent of damages that your family has suffered. This is true even if the damages suffered include the loss of a main contributor of financial support to your family or if there are large medical and funeral bills created by the death. These damages can cause a ripple affect of other damages that can result in the loss of a home, loss of vehicles, loss of ability to go to college, and other serious financial problems.
For more information on this topic, please feel free to go to the following web pages, Deadly Accident Causes of Action and Truck Accident Insurance Compensation.
Several Factors Are Causing an Increase in Texas Will Contest Lawsuits - by Austin Texas Will Contest Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Several factors including an aging population, do it yourself Wills, discovery of family wealth including mineral interests, and proximity of families living in different locations are all contributing to the increase in Texas Will contest lawsuits, Texas contested probate lawsuits, and Texas family inheritance lawsuits. These factors are creating an environment where many Wills may not be valid or trusted by family members.
There are several different scenarios as to how these Texas Will contest lawsuits and Texas contested Probate lawsuits begin. In some scenarios, an aging or elderly person is forced or fraudulently tricked into signing a Will by someone that is living with them or close to them. In these situations the person exerting undue influence on the elderly person can be a family member or an outsider that has access to the elderly person. The Will can be a do it yourself Will, a forged Will, holographic Will, or other more formal Will. The key in these situations is to determine if the Will is valid and if the Will is an unnatural disposition of property that was made under undue influence or incompetence.
Many Families have Spread Out Across The United States and Throughout the World, Therefore it is Often Helpful to Hire a Texas Probate Lawyer to Assist with the Texas Probate Process and to Handle Estate Issues by Texas Will Contest Lawyer, Austin Texas Large Estate Lawyer, Texas Probate Litigation Lawyer, and Texas Family Inheritance Litigation Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Many families have spread out throughout the United States and around the World. For many families, gone is the time where several generations live with in a few miles of each other in the same town, city, or county. This lack of proximity can make it difficult, when a family member in Texas passes away. This can be especially true when a new Will pops up that disinherits relatives living in other states or other parts of the World in favor of someone that has had access and influence over the decedent.
In these situations, the family members that live out of state are often caught off guard and need help from a Texas Will contest lawyer that is familiar with the Texas probate process, Texas probate law and Texas probate courts. For these family members it can be extremely important to act quickly and hire a Texas Will contest lawyer that can help expose an invalid or fraudulent Will.
With The Growing Popularity of Do It Yourself Wills Texas Will Contests, Fraudulent Wills, Forged Wills, and other Texas Contested Probate Lawsuits will become More Common By Texas Will Contest Lawyer, Texas Probate Litigation Lawyer, and Texas Family Inheritance Lawyer
As do it yourself Wills and other do it yourself estate planning packages become more popular, many Texas families are opting to save money in the short term by using these cheap Will packages. However, some of these do it yourself Wills are not compliant under Texas probate law and do not come with a Texas probate lawyer that can make sure that a valid Texas will has been created. In some of these situations, the do it yourself will can be determined to be an invalid Will and can result in the Will being thrown out and a prior Will or no Will being able to be probated. In both instances, the wishes of the decedent will not be adhered to and either earlier testate dispositions will be used or Texas intestate dispositions will be used.
Both earlier testate dispositions and Texas intestate dispositions can cause a huge change in inheritance and can cause some beneficiaries and heirs to lose a significant amount of inheritance. These shifts in inheritance can often result in Texas contested probate lawsuits.
Vast Fortunes Including Mineral Interests, Oil Royalties, Stocks, Bank Accounts, Gold, and Real Estate Can Be Lost or Stolen Through Probate and Inheritance by Texas Inheritance Fraud Lawyer, Texas Probate Fraud Lawyer, and Texas Trust Fraud Lawyer
Vast fortunes including mineral interests, oil companies, oil royalties, gas royalties, stocks, real property, gold, stocks, jewelry and other wealth are commonly lost or stolen through trusts, fraudulent wills, ignorance of inheritance laws, poor record keeping, opportunists, and individuals that steal wealth from families. It is important to keep records and an inventory of all family wealth including real estate, mineral interests, royalty rights, land, buildings, houses, businesses, stocks, jewelry, life insurance, bonds, and gold.
Texas has produced more oil and natural gas than any other state and remains a large producer of oil and natural gas in the United States. In Texas there are seven major oil and natural gas producing regions. These basins include the Permian Basin, the Val Verde Basin, the Anadarko Basin, the Maverick Basin, the Fort Worth Basin, the East Texas Basin, and the Gulf Coast Basin. Of these Texas oil producing basins and Texas natural gas producing basins, the Permian Basin dominates oil production in the state and the Gulf Coast Basin dominates natural gas production. The major oil fields in Texas include Wasson, Yates, and Spraberry in West Texas, as well as the largest Texas oil field, East Texas field in the East Texas Basin. The Permian Basin has been the most prolific oil-producing province in U.S. history. For families with real estate and other interests in these areas, it is usually necessary to hire a Texas Oil Probate Lawyer to defend these interests and transfer the interests through probate to the rightful heirs and beneficiaries.
Additionally, the Eagle Ford Shale in central Texas promises to bring a large amount of new money and new wealth to the owners of real estate in the Eagle Ford Shale region including mineral right owners, royalty interest owners, and working interest owners. However, determining the rightful owners of Texas real estate and mineral interests is not always easy. Title to real estate and property can be clouded by probate issues, tax issues, and transfer issues. For more information on Central Texas Eagle Ford Shale contested ownership and probate lawsuits, please feel free to go to the following web page: Texas Eagle Ford Shale Contested Real Estate Ownership Probate Lawsuits.
For more information on protecting family wealth or seeking back family wealth, please go to the following web page on Texas Oil Royalty Inheritance Lawsuits.
A Failed Back Surgery Can Cause A Patient To Suffer Significant Pain, Paralysis, and Disability as well as Require The Patient to Have To Endure Additional Corrective Surgery and be the Basis of a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit - by Texas Failed Back Surgery Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Failed back surgery, neck surgery, lumbar surgery, and cervical surgery can be extremely painful and result in catastrophic injuries, permanent paralysis, physical impairment, and the need for additional surgeries. These failed back and neck surgeries can be caused by a variety of factors including improper use of implants, improperly placed hardware, negligently implanted devices, defective spinal-devices or hardware, doctor carelessness, off-label use of stimulators, or surgeon negligence.
Back Surgery and Neck Surgery Are Typically Intended To Decompress a Nerve Root That Is Pinched, Stabilize a Painful Joint, or Implant a Device to Health Suppress a Person's Pain by Texas Failed Discectomy Lawyer, Failed Laminectomy Lawyer, and Failed Fusion Spine Surgery Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
When considering going through back or neck surgery, please keep in mind that spine surgery is basically able to accomplish only two things: decompress a nerve root that is pinched, or stabilize a painful joint. In other words, back surgery or spine surgery cannot literally cut out a patient's pain. It is only able to change anatomy. Therefore, it is important that an anatomical lesion (injury) that is a probable cause of back pain should be identified prior to rather than after back surgery or spine surgery is performed. In other words, it is important for your surgical team to have a surgical objective prior to cutting into the patient.
Further, it is best if you and your surgeon understand the goal of the back surgery or neck surgery prior to the surgery being performed. Fortunately, medical science has come a long way in treating back injuries and spinal cord injuries. Good neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons can often perform back surgery that can help severe spinal cord and back injuries.
Unfortunately, there are medical clinics, medical implant sales people, and doctors that are more interested in profit and their bottom line than what is best for a patient. Some of these medical professionals carelessly cause painful and difficult conditions to become much worse by paralyzing patients that are seeking relief from pain.
Patients with Serious Back Injuries Including Severed Spinal Cords, Crushed Discs, Bulged Discs, and Herniated Discs when Seeking Pain Relief can sometimes Fall Victim to Defective Products, Negligent Health Care, and "For Profit" Medical Professionals Seeking to Increase Profits: Unnecessary Back Surgery and Unnecessary Neck Surgery Can Be The Result of Negligence as well as "For Profit" Assembly Line Back Surgeons by Texas Failed Discectomy Lawyer, Failed Laminectomy Lawyer, and Failed Fusion Spine Surgery Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Patients and their families should beware of assembly line mass patient surgeons and clinics that are only interested in performing as many surgeries as they can for the purpose of making a profit. It is important that the medical professionals on their surgical team are interested in their health and can fully explain the objectives of the surgery as well as possible complications. The "for profit" surgeons and clinics can often perform unnecessary surgeries, push patients that are not fit for surgery into having ill advised surgeries, or bypass more conservative treatments and rush patients to unnecessary back or neck surgeries.
Additionally, please keep in mind as medical budgets go down and healing people becomes more of a "for profit" business, cost cutting measures are causing more medical mistakes. Overworked surgeons, doctors, residents, and nurses are much more likely to make mistakes than well rested health care professionals.
"Back specialists are discouraging the use of surgery as a therapeutic technique for patients with back pain. Hubert L. Rosomoff, MD, called a moratorium on back surgeries when he realized that, after two weeks of rehabilitation, his back patients no longer required surgery. He said this approach can avoid the majority of surgeries. 'Following this kind of concept you can eliminate 99 percent of the surgical cases. In fact, the incidence of surgery if one really looks at this appropriately is one in 500.' Dr. Rosomoff was among the speakers in the session 'Failed back syndrome,' during the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 17th annual meeting". Failed Back Syndrome: The Disturbing Statistics | DocGuide
Lynn Johnson, MD, was the moderator for the AAPM session. He said that failed back syndrome can occur in as many as 10 to 40 percent of patients who get some type of lumbar spine surgery.
Dr. Johnson is board certified in anesthesia and pain medicine and director of the Center for Pain Medicine of North Carolina, which is affiliated with East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. Failed Back Syndrome: The Disturbing Statistics | DocGuide
"This means there is an alarming prevalence to the syndrome," he said. "There is a lot of misunderstanding about what causes back pain at the outset, prior to surgery. Moreover, once they have had surgery and don?t do well there are continued problems in not only diagnosis but management of the problem."Failed Back Syndrome: The Disturbing Statistics | DocGuide
For more information on this topic, please go to the complete article: A Failed Back Surgery Including A Failed Discectomy, Failed Laminectomy, or Failed Spine Fusion Can Cause A Patient To Suffer Significant Pain, Paralysis, and Disability as well as Require The Patient to Have To Endure Additional Corrective Surgery and be the Basis of a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit or Product Liability Lawsuit by Texas Failed Discectomy Lawyer, Failed Laminectomy Lawyer, and Failed Fusion Spine Surgery Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
The Federal Government and Many States Including Texas Are Expanding Medicaid Recovery Laws To Detect Medicaid Fraud and Encourage More Health Care Professionals to Expose Medicaid Fraud by Texas Hospital System Medicaid Fraud Lawyer, Health Care System Medicaid Fraud Lawyer, Health System Medicaid Compliance Fraud Lawyer, Hospital Medicaid Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer, Health System Medicaid Reimbursement Fraud Lawyer, & Hospital Medicaid Compliance Whistleblower Protection Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Medicaid is a public health care problem in the United States that provides health care, dental care, and orthodontic care for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. The Medicaid Program is jointly funded by state and federal governments, but is managed by the states. Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income in the United States and the Medicaid program has been increasing. The fastest growing aspect of Medicaid is nursing home coverage and this is expected to continue as the Baby Boomer generation begins to reach nursing home age.
Unlike Medicare, which is solely a federal program, Medicaid is a joint federal-state program. Each state operates its own Medicaid system. Each state's Medicaid Program must conform to federal guidelines in order for the state to receive matching funds and grants. For many states Medicaid has become a major budget issue as on average the state's matching costs of the Medicaid program is about 16.8% of state general funds. According to CMS, the Medicaid program provided health care services to more than 46.0 million people in 2001. In 2008, Medicaid provided health coverage and services to approximately 49 million low-income children, pregnant women, elderly persons, and disabled individuals. Federal Medicaid outlays were estimated to be $204 billion in 2008. Medicaid payments currently assist nearly 60 percent of all nursing home residents and about 37 percent of all childbirths in the United States. The Federal Government pays on average 57 percent of Medicaid expenses.
Texas Medicaid Whistleblowers with Original and Specialized Information of Medicaid Fraud Are Eligible to Collect Large Financial Rewards for Filing Texas False Claims Act Lawsuits, Texas Medicaid Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuits, Texas Medicaid False Billing Whistleblower Award Lawsuits, Texas Medicaid Double Billing Fraud Lawsuits, Texas Medicaid Fraud False Billing Lawsuits, Texas Unnecessary Medical Treatment Relator Lawsuits, and Texas Medicaid Fraud Whistleblower Lawsuits by Texas Hospital System Medicaid Fraud Lawyer, Texas Health Care System Medicaid Fraud Lawyer, Texas Health System Medicaid Compliance Fraud Lawyer, Texas Hospital Medicaid Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer, Texas Health System Medicaid Reimbursement Fraud Lawyer, & Texas Hospital Medicaid Compliance Whistleblower Protection Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
In Texas, the Medicaid program is administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. More than 3.7 million Texans are eligible for Medicaid, and there are more than 57,000 active Medicaid providers. A provider can be any person, group of people, or health care facility that supplies medical services to Medicaid recipients. Providers include doctors, medical equipment companies, podiatrists, dentists, licensed professional counselors, hospitals, adult day care centers, nursing homes, clinics, pharmacies, ambulance companies, case management centers and others.
The Texas Medicaid program costs about $30 Billion each year and is expected to continue to increase in the future. Of this cost, it is estimated that Medicaid fraud costs are between Two Billion Dollars ($2,000,000,000.00) to Four Billion Dollars ($4,000,000,000.00) each year.
There are many types of Medicaid fraud including:
billing Medicaid for X-rays, blood tests and other procedures that were never performed
falsifying a patient's diagnosis to justify unnecessary tests;
giving a patient a generic drug and billing for the name-brand version of the medication;
giving a recipient a motorized scooter and billing for an electric wheelchair, which can cost three times more;
billing Medicaid for care not given;
billing Medicaid for patients who have died or who are no longer eligible for Medicaid;
billing Medicaid for care given to patients who have transferred to another facility;
transporting Medicaid patients by ambulance when it is not medically necessary;
requiring vendors to "kick back" part of the money they receive for rendering services to Medicaid patients (kickbacks may also include vacations, merchandise, etc.);
billing patients for services already paid for by Medicaid;
billing Medicaid for phantom patients;
double billing Medicaid for services;
upcoding services for increased Medicaid payments.
Medicaid fraud violates federal and state criminal laws and can result in significant fines and/or incarceration. Those convicted of fraud may also lose their status as Medicaid providers. To prevent Medicaid fraud, Texas has enacted the Texas False Claims Act and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.
Being the First to File on as well as Having Original and Specialized Information of Medicaid Billing Fraud, CHIP Fraud, or Medicare Billing Fraud is Essential for a Texas Medicaid Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit
It is necessary for a Texas health care professional whistleblower, Texas health care executive whistleblower, Texas health care administrator whistleblower, or other Texas Medicaid fraud whistleblower to have original and specialized knowledge of Medicare fraud to be eligible for Medicare whistleblower reward. It is also essential to not delay in coming forward with a Texas Medicaid fraud whistleblower claim as the first whistleblower to file is the only one eligible to be a relator and make a large recovery for exposing the fraud.
It is also important to realize that when a fraudulent Medicaid scheme is exposed, the people that kept the fraud secret can sometimes be found liable for criminal activity for not exposing the Medicaid fraud that was being committed and further be held liable for continuing criminal activity.
The SEC Is Offering Large Financial Bounties For Insider Trading Whistleblowers That Properly Expose Executive Insider Trading, Hedge Fund Insider Trading, Money Manger Insider Trading, Hedge Fund Manager Illegal Trading, Stock Manipulation Schemes, and Other Violations of Securities Law by Hedge Fund Insider Trading Whistleblower Lawyer, Private Equity Fund Insider Trading Whistleblower Lawyer, Stock Manipulation Scheme Whistleblower Lawyer, & Executive Insider Trading Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Coomer
The SEC is offering large financial bounties to insider trade whistleblowers that expose executive insider trading, hedge fund insider trading, private equity fund fraud, money manger insider trading, hedge fund manager illegal trading, stock manipulation schemes, and other violations of securities law. These insider trading whistleblower rewards can be obtained by financial professionals with knowledge of illegal insider trading and other SEC violations. The SEC encourages all financial professionals with original knowledge of executive insider trades, hedge fund insider trades, private equity fund fraud, false misleading information on a company's financial statements, false information on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, stock manipulation schemes; embezzlement by stockbrokers; and other securities fraud to properly expose the violations.
Statement on the Application of Insider Trading Law to Trading by Members of Congress and Their Staffs by Robert Khuzami Director, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
"Insider trading threatens the integrity of our markets, depriving investors of the fundamental fairness of a level playing field. To deter this conduct and to hold accountable those who fail to play by the rules, the detection and prosecution of those who engage in insider trading remains one of the Division of Enforcement's highest priorities."
"Insider trading has long been a high priority for the Commission. Approximately eight percent of the 650 average annual number of enforcement cases filed by the Commission in the past decade have been for insider trading violations. In the past two years, the Commission has been particularly active in this area. In fiscal year 2010, the SEC brought 53 insider trading cases against 138 individuals and entities, a 43 percent increase in the number of filed cases from the prior fiscal year. This past fiscal year, the Commission filed 57 actions against 124 individuals and entities, a nearly 8 percent increase over the number of filed cases in fiscal year 2010."
"The increased number of insider trading cases has been matched by an increase in the quality and significance of our recent cases. In fiscal year 2011 and the early part of fiscal year 2012, the SEC obtained judgments in 18 actions arising out of its investigation of Galleon hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam, including a record $92.8 million civil penalty against Rajaratnam personally. The SEC also discovered and developed information that ultimately led to criminal convictions of Rajaratnam and others, including corporate executives and hedge fund managers, for rampant insider trading. In addition, we recently filed an insider trading action against Rajat Gupta, a former director of both Goldman Sachs and Procter & Gamble, whom we allege provided confidential Board information about both companies' quarterly earnings and about an impending $5 billion Berkshire Hathaway investment in Goldman Sachs to Rajaratnam, who traded on that information."
Dueling Portrayals of Former Goldman Director at Insider Trading Trial - NYTimes.com
A former director of Goldman Sachs and Procter & Gamble, stands accused of leaking boardroom secrets about those two companies to his friend and business associate Raj Rajaratnam, the convicted former money manager who ran the Galleon Group, once one of the world's largest hedge funds.
The government depicted Mr. Gupta, a resident of Westport, Conn., as the ultimate insider who, after running the elite consulting firm McKinsey & Company, joined the boards of Goldman and P.& G. As a director, he was privy to these companies' most closely guarded secrets.
"Gupta threw away his duties, threw away his responsibilities and broke the law," Mr. Brodsky said.
Mr. Brodsky emphasized the ties between Mr. Gupta and Mr. Rajaratnam, who began doing business together during the middle of the last decade. Mr. Gupta invested in Galleon's funds, and the two helped start a $1 billion private equity fund together.
Insider Trading Risk Surrounds Facebook Stock Debut as Morgan Stanley Hits Back at Subpoena - International Business Times
"Facebook, its banks and some of its biggest backers could face allegations of insider trading if legal actions which began this week reveal preferential treatment to certain investors in the run-up to its now infamous $16bn stock market debut."
"A state subpoena issued to Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the Facebook IPO, and a class-action lawsuit filed against Morgan Stanley, its IPO banking team, the Nasdaq OMX Group and Facebook itself could land certain investors and analysts in deeper legal difficultly, a British-based barrister told the IBTimes UK."
"If analysts were found to have only verbally told a select number of institutional investors that they had revised their original share estimates before the Facebook IPO last Friday, and those select people's share purchase history illustrated a sizeable discrepancy with other clients, there may be grounds to file charges of insider trading."
Spina Bifida Is The Most Common Type of Neural Tube Birth Defect: Spina Bifida Defects May Be Caused By Certain Medications Given to a Mother Before or During Pregnancy by Texas Spina Bifida Lawyer, Drug Neural Tube Defect Lawyer, Infant Spinal Cord Defect Lawyer, Brain Birth Defect Lawyer, Spina Bifida Defect Lawyer, and Spina Bifida Dangerous Drug Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that certain medications may cause an increased risk of neural tube birth defects including spina bifida in children. Women that are pregnant, attempting to get pregnant, or may become pregnant should be aware that certain antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and other medications may cause an increased risk of birth defects. Further, parents with children that have spina bifia, neural tube birth defects, or other birth defects that they believe may be the result of a medication should report the adverse effect to their doctor and the FDA.
Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect and it is estimated that there are approximately 70,000 people in the United State living with spina bifida. It is an all too common birth defect in the United States affecting about approximately 1,500 new born babies each year.
In a child that has a spina bifida birth defect, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy. These children typically suffer nerve damage from the birth defect that causes at least some paralysis of the child's legs. Severe cases of spina bifida can result in full or partial paralysis and other problems such as hydrocephalus, bowel and bladder problems, and learning disabilities.
There are several forms of spina bifida and the birth defect can cause mild to severe health problems. Myelomeningocele spina bifida is the most severe form of spina bifida. Myelomeningocele is where the spinal cord and meninges protrude from a spinal opening. In myelomeningocele spina bifida cases, the new born child will require surgery after birth to put the exposed nerves and cord into the spinal canal. Children with myelomingocele are at high risk of infection until the back is closed surgically. In spite of surgery, in these myelomeningocele spina bifida cases, some nerve damage is usually permanent and will include paralysis and bowel and bladder problems.
Bladder and bowel problems as well as paralysis are common in most forms of spina bifida. Both spina bifida bowel and bladder problems as well as spina bifida paralysis are caused by nerve damage. The nerves that control bowel and bladder functions are damaged and unable to work properly as the nerves that control other parts of the body can be damages and unable to control other parts of the body. These damaged nerves prevent the child from being able to control their bodies including their bowels and bladder. As such, many children suffering from severe spina bifida do not have full control of the bladder and bowels. These spina bifida bowel and bladder problems can often result in urinary tract infections, suffer kidney damage, and incontinence.
Several forms of spina bifida can also cause hydrocephalus, which is increased fluid on the brain. The increased fluid or hydrocephalus can be caused when the fluid around the brain cannot drain properly. In cases of spina bifida hydrocephalus, the spina bifida defect will typically block the fluid's normal path and will often require a shunt to be placed in the child to drain the fluid from the brain and reduce fluid pressure on the brain.
Meningocele spina bifida is the rarest type of spina bifida where the protective membrane covering the spinal cord (the meninges) develops incorrectly and protrudes through an opening in the spine. Because this form of spina bifida does not involve the spinal cord itself, meningocele spina bifida can usually be treated through surgically and allow children to develop normally without paralysis. However, children with meningocele spina bifida can develop hydrocephalus and bowel or bladder problems.
Occulta spina bifida is the mildest form of spina bifida where there is a small defect, gap or malformation in one or more of the vertebrae of the spine. In occulta spina bifida cases, there is often no nerve damage or symptoms for the child, but as the child develops problems may arise through progressive neurological deterioration. Some affected individuals have a dimple, hairy patch, dark spot or swelling over the affected area, and most affected individuals with mild occulta spina bifida will need no treatment.
FBI — Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 107 Individuals for Approximately $452 Million in False Billing
WASHINGTON—Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that a nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities has resulted in charges against 107 individuals, including doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing.
"Today's arrests send a strong message to criminals that the consequences of committing Medicare fraud are serious," said HHS Secretary Sebelius. "In addition to these arrests, we used new authority from the health care law to stop all future payments to 52 health care providers suspected of fraud before they are ever made. Today's actions are another example of how the Affordable Care Act is helping the Obama Administration fight fraud and strengthen the Medicare program."
The defendants charged are accused of various health care fraud-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering. The charges are based on a variety of alleged fraud schemes involving various medical treatments and services such as home health care, mental health services, psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, durable medical equipment (DME), and ambulance services.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and oftentimes never provided. In many cases, court documents allege that patient recruiters, Medicare beneficiaries and other co-conspirators were paid cash kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to providers, so that the providers could submit fraudulent billing to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided. Collectively, the doctors, nurses, licensed medical professionals, health care company owners, and others charged are accused of conspiring to submit a total of approximately $452 million in fraudulent billing.
Medical Professionals Including Physicians and Hospital Administrators Are Blowing the Whistle on Medicare Fraud, Medicaid Fraud, TRICARE Fraud and other Health Care Fraud That is Costing Taxpayers over $100 Billion Each Year by Texas Medicare Fraud Physician Whistleblower Lawyer, Texas Medical Doctor Whistleblower Lawyer & Texas Medical Professional Whistleblower Lawyer Jason Coomer
Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, and health care fraud are becoming the fastest growing and most lucrative crimes in the United States. It is estimated that Medicare fraud, Medicaid fraud, and other forms of health care fraud cost tax payers between $100 Billion and $200 Billion each year. As such, the United States Department of Justice is cracking down on criminals committing health care fraud.
107 charged in health care fraud bust
The United States Department of Justice is also encouraging medical professionals, physicians, and hospital administrators to become Medicare fraud whistleblowers and Medicaid fraud whistleblowers to help expose these health care fraud schemes. These Medicare fraud whistleblowers and Medicaid fraud whistleblowers can protect themselves from potential criminal liability from knowing about health care fraud and not reporting it, help expose corruption and fraud in the health care system, and potentially recover a large financial reward for being the first to file on significant health care fraud schemes.
Health Care Professionals That Hire a Medicare Fraud Physician Whistleblower Lawyer, Hospital Administrator Medicare Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer & Medical Professional Whistleblower Lawyer Can Help Protect their Career and Have Assistance in Developing and Evaluating a Potential Health Care Fraud Whistleblower Qui Tam Lawsuit
Medical professionals that have the knowledge and evidence of systematic Medicare fraud or systematic Medicaid fraud usually are well educated, well trained, and have a substantial investment in their career that needs to be protected. For these health care professionals, it is usually a good idea to consult with or hire a Medicare Fraud Physician Whistleblower Lawyer, Hospital Administrator Medicare Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer & Medical Professional Whistleblower Lawyer that can help protect their career and provide advice as to how to prevent retaliation that can damage a professional's career. The medical professional whistleblower lawyer can also provide confidential and privileged assistance in investigating, reviewing, developing, and evaluating a potential health care fraud whistleblower qui tam lawsuit prior to the medical professional whistleblower being exposed to any potential retaliation or damage to the professional's career.
Death With Dignity: How Doctors Die - Mind & Body - Utne Reader
"Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call "futile care" being performed on people near the end of life. The patient will get cut open, perforated with tubes, hooked up to machines, and assaulted with drugs. All of this occurs in the intensive care unit at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars a day. What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, "Promise me if you find me like this that you'll kill me."
Read more: http://www.utne.com/mind-body/death-with-dignity-zm0z12mjzros.aspx#ixzz1u1AKaCH8
The Blood Thinner Pradaxa May Cause Fatal Blood Loss, Internal Bleeding, Hemorrhaging, And Death: Persons Taking Pradaxa Should Be Aware of These Potential Health Risks by Texas Pradaxa Lawyer, Texas Pradaxa Fatal Blood Loss Lawyer, Texas Pradaxa Hemorrhaging Death Lawyer, and Texas Pradaxa Death Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
On December 7, 2011, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety review of post-market reports of serious bleeding events with the anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating post-marketing reports of serious bleeding events in patients taking Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate). Pradaxa is a blood thinning (anticoagulant) medication used to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of heart rhythm abnormality.
Pradaxa Fatal Blood Loss Lawsuit, Defective Blood Thinner Medication Lawsuit, Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Lawsuit, Pradaxa Hemorrhaging Death Lawsuit, Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Death Lawsuit, and Pradaxa Lawsuit Information by Texas Pradaxa Fatal Blood Loss Lawyer, Pradaxa Hemorrhaging Death Lawyer, and Pradaxa Death Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Scientific evidence has recently confirmed that the the blood thinner, Pradaxa, may cause serious health problems including internal bleeding and hemorrhaging in certain populations of patients that may cause death. Further, there are allegations that the drug manufacturer may have been aware of certain dangers of the drug's use, but did not warn the public in a timely manner of these health dangers. Several Pradaxa lawsuits have already been filed and many more are expected in the future.
The Blood Thinner Pradaxa May Cause Risk of Fatal Blood Loss, Internal Bleeding, Hemorrhaging, And Death: Persons Taking Pradaxa Should Be Aware of These Potential Health Risks by Texas Pradaxa Lawyer, Texas Pradaxa Fatal Blood Loss Lawyer, Texas Pradaxa Hemorrhaging Death Lawyer, and Texas Pradaxa Death Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
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It was a little windy and chilly out there on Wonder Lake, but 10 hardy souls from the Yacht Club and some helpers from the Sportsman's club put the buoys in the lake on Saturday, 4/28. No work detail is complete without some custom grilling which includes Ken's marinated seared tuna.
17mph wind with a gust here and there resulted in two great races. First race saw Schroeder and Barr having a tacking duel to the finish line. Pierce was breaking in a new crew and Palys is learning how to get out of the irons. Big thanks to Patti Hartmann for saving the committee boat with a dead battery.
It was a very windy day for a sail, however these hardy sailors braved the elements - Ken, Greg and John. Ken #14 is our club's dominant skipper, but it was fun to see Greg #12 lead the race at the start for a while.


We have very similar food dislikes, totally with you on the goats cheese - it's not so much the flavour as the way it drys my mouth out.
Exactly the same issue as you with cucumber. Shudder.
Aubergines I can eat but I can never really be bothered to.
I'll give these cheese a go if I can find some, thanks for the tip-off!
I do love goat's cheese, but so glad I've found someone else who doesn't like cucumber. Most people think I am crazy for not liking it.
That tart looks amazing - definitely want to try that goat's cheese as not one that I have come across before. Glad you have come around to goat's cheese, even if it is just that one!
I don't like hard goats cheese but I really do like the soft white one. I was told by a lady at a farmer's market once, that the trick to making good mild creamy goat's cheese is not the let the billy anywhere near the girls..
I'm going to lobby Brock Hall Farm for online orders!
@Sharon - I'm still astonished. Cucumber is evil.
@Josordoni - Is that true???
Ha, I love aubergine, cucumber and goat's cheese (oh and cardamom in sweet as well as savoury).
I have not yet tried Sarah's product, I want to, I must. I SHALL!
Glad you agree beetroot tastes great with Sarah's cheese ... far better than that foul pickled stuff !
Too funny - you hate all the things I love most. Don't tell me you LIKE sultanas??
@Sarah - I would like to visit your saintly goats.
@Greedy Diva - Actually I don't like sultanas either!
I only like certain goats cheeses too,this one sounds lovely!
My ew is liver. I WANT to be proved wrong but that gritty softness, ack. Also wine. Meh.
Glad to see you;re coming round on the GC stakes though - you should try some of the mild Cornish goats cheeses as they can be beautifully creamy.
As for the Aubergine. Oh MiMi. You're missing out. We'll have to get some properly made baba ganoush sorted for you. Unless...have you tried them steamed with a punchy sichuian chilli nutty sauce. Mmm.
@Northern Snippet - Well, I didn't like any before, but this one is so delicately dreamy.
@Sasa - My like for liver comes and goes. Wine - hell, you know I don't like wine.
@The Grubworm - I have the shoes of a puritan. Big buckles.
That Chilli Cool aubergine was good (and that's why I linked to it), but that's because it disguised the aubergine, like the squid dish that Rachel from Catalan Cooking made for me.
@ Sasa - if it's gritty it's not been cooked by someone who knows what they're doing. Good liver is as soft as a kiss on a summer's day.
@ meemalee - loved the article! Can't persuade my other half that any kind of goats' cheese is nice, but a cheese and onion tart is what converted me too!
I wanted to post something that I don't like but I can't think of something right now. Damn.
I love goats cheese though so now I really want to try the Brock Hall Farm range. If it's enough to convince you it must be good!
Ewe's cheese I don't like. A step too far, goats yes, sheep no.
Also you're mad, aubergines and cucumbers are wonderful, especially when used to make a gin and tonic (the cucumbers, not the aubergines - that would be weird).
@Lucy - Thank you! High Five Goats' Cheese Conversion!
@BeccaRothwell - Every time a jug of Pimm's comes with cucumber in it, somewhere a fairy dies.
I share your horror of goats cheese too and wonder if this would convert me?!
Just the thought of that 'farmy' tang gives me shivers though! Ick!
@Anne - "Farmy tang" is such a polite way of putting it!
I've heard that that belchy cucumber business is quite common, and easily cured by removing the skin of the cucumber.
@Lizzie - Really? Ooh, must try that - thanks!


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$1K reward after pups found in dumpster
DEL REY OAKS, CA
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The puppies were found Sunday afternoon in a Dumpster next to a Wells Fargo Bank at the Stone Creek Village Shopping Center in Del Rey Oaks.
A man heard whimpering coming from inside the trash receptacle, found the puppies inside and brought them to the SPCA on state Highway 68 at about 3 p.m., SPCA Lt. Danielle Scheid said.
The puppies, 7-week-old mixed breeds named Sadie and Lulu by SPCA staff, are in good condition but Sadie has a large scar on her head from a previous injury, Scheid said.
"The puppies are acting very, very sweet," she said.
The SPCA is not yet looking for homes for the puppies; first they want to find out who left them in the Dumpster.
"Whoever did this could easily have driven another five minutes and surrendered the puppies to us, no questions asked," said Beth Brookhouser, the SPCA's director of community outreach.
The center is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible party.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the SPCA at (831) 373-2631 or (831) 422-4721 ext. 213. All calls are confidential.
LINK: SPCA for Monterey County
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We left Cincinnati at 4:00 am and were on our way to Orlando for a week vacation. We re-directed our route in order to stop by the last two state highpoints I had not visited in the South – Alabama and Florida.
After leaving the main freeways, the drive up to the highpoint is fairly scenic, though it is likely more scenic during the other three seasons as many of the trees were leafless and brown. The roads are well-kept but narrow.
We pulled into the state park to find some very nice-looking bungalows and a restaurant. There is a $1.00 per person fee to enter the park. The guidebook we were using said there were cabins in the park, but these looked more like condos. If I had known they were so nice, I may have arranged our trip so we stayed there that night (though the bed and breakfast where we ended up staying that night was also very nice).
From where you enter the park it is about 2 miles to the summit tower. There are a bunch of cellular and radio towers next to the summit tower along with some other stuff, but what the other stuff was or will be was not apparent as much of it was under construction when we visited (see the pictures below).
We parked opposite the summit tower and found the highpoint marker along the path leading up to the tower. The door to the tower was closed and I wasn't sure if we could just walk in, but I tried it anyway and it opened right up. I quickly realized why the door was closed – the summit tower is heated! That's right, a heated summit tower. Never seen that before.
The climb is quick and at the top, there is a 'pay-to-view' telescope in a beautiful, wood-paneled lookout. The lookout room at the summit offers a nice, panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. The view isn't America's best, but it is pretty nice. The only problem we had with the summit tower was that, with how cold it was, the windows were accumulating condensation, so you couldn't really capture an entire vista without cleaning the windows (it wasn't too cold, but it was surprisingly chilly, say mid-40s or lower with the wind chill).
We had another couple visiting the highpoint snap some pictures of us and we did the same for them. They were from Alabama and were very nice. We spent a few minutes up there snapping pictures and enjoying the view (the fact the tower was heated helped us want to stay).
Overall, it's a nice highpoint to visit, especially considering it is a drive-up (the only hiking involved is climbing the summit tower). The final thing I should note is that, instead of re-tracing our route back to I-20, we continued on SR-281 hoping to save ourselves some time as we were headed south. The result? First, we missed a turn and ended up driving about 5 miles before the road we were on ended. It was actually quite disappointing because that road was wide, very nice, and recently paved. When we realized we couldn't continue on that road, we backtracked and found SR-281, which quickly degraded into a road that had been paved 20 years ago (though it was adequately patched). The road was also very narrow, barely affording room for two small-sized cars. There was, however, one cool thing about it – it had banked turns (and a lot of them). When possible, I approached the road as a race track, not slowing much for the turns and enjoyed the feeling of my momentum being re-directed. When you can't see beyond the turn, you obviously shouldn't speed through them as I did pass about 6 or 7 cars coming the other way, but when you can, the high-speed banking makes the narrow road kind of fun to drive.
We drove the to southern border of Alabama that night and stayed in Olde South Inn bed and breakfast, which was very nice, before continuing on to Florida's highpoint and Orlando the next day.


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How Now Shall We Live?
Wisdom Psalm 128:1–2
New Testament James 2:1–4,8,12,14–17
Old Testament Ezekiel 34:2,11-12a, 15–16
How Now Shall We Live? is the title of a book by Chuck Colson, former 'hatchet-man' of President Nixon, founder of Prison Fellowship, whose life was completely changed as a result of an encounter with Jesus Christ.
Centuries ago, when the people of God were in exile and despair, they cried out to God, "How should we then live?" (Ezekiel 33:10, KJV). The same question rings down through the ages. As 'believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' (James 2:1), how now shall we live?
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Bask in blessings
God promises peace, prosperity, long life and blessing on family life for those who walk in his ways: 'Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways' (v.1).
You will eat the fruit of your labour (v.2). Some people slave away for money and success but never enjoy what they have earned.
But, 'all you who fear God, how blessed you are! How happily you walk on his smooth straight road!... Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!... Stand in awe of God's Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God! Enjoy the good life...' (vv.1–6, MSG).
These promises are superseded by Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' (John 10:10, GNT). Our life on this earth may be short and, for many, full of trouble and difficulty. But the blessings are even greater and eternal (17:3). Eternal life is a quality of life that starts now and goes on for ever.
Bask in his blessings. Walk in his ways and lead others to do the same.
Lord, thank you for these amazing promises. Help me to bask in your blessings today.
James 2:1–4,8,12,14–17
2My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Live with love
The poor come to us in many forms. Mother Teresa said, 'Never turn your back to the poor, for in turning your back to the poor, you are turning it to Christ.'
Love for the poor is not an optional extra. It is at the heart of the New Testament. It is evidence of living faith: 'If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbour as yourself," you are doing right' (v.8). Your love is shown especially in what you do for the poor (vv.2–7), the hungry (v.15) and the needy (v.16). 'Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time' (v.13, MSG).
Treat the rich and the poor equally. If we discriminate against the poor, then we have 'become judges with evil thoughts' (v.4). God's bias, if anything, is in favour of the poor (v.5).
James goes on to say, 'Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?' (vv.15–16).
As believers in Jesus, we are called to live differently. Your faith must be evidenced by your deeds. All the way through the New Testament, these two go together. As do words and actions; proclamation and demonstration; the conversion of individuals and the transformation of society.
James writes, 'What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them?… Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead' (vv.14,17): 'Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-action is outrageous nonsense?' (v.17, MSG). In other words, if your faith does not change how you live, it is not real faith at all.
James continues, 'You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove' (v.18, MSG).
He proves that mere intellectual belief in God is not enough: 'You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder' (v.19).
Interestingly, like Paul, James uses the example of Abraham. Paul used the example of Abraham to show that justification comes by faith. James uses his life to show that 'his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did' (v.22).
James' second example of this 'seamless unity' is a more unusual one. He looks at the actions of the prostitute Rahab. She demonstrated her faith in God by helping out two Israelite spies (see Joshua 2) and was 'considered righteous' as a result – though she can hardly be described as a model citizen!
By using her as an example, James makes clear that he is not talking about earning our way to God by being good people. Rather, he is demonstrating that there is a 'seamless unity of believing and doing' (James 2:25, MSG). Rahab acted on what she believed. James concludes, 'As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead' (v.26).
As John Calvin put it, 'Faith alone justifies, but faith which justifies is never alone.' You cannot earn your salvation. You are not saved by your good works, but you are saved in order to do good works (Ephesians 2:9–10). The book of James does not contradict the apostle Paul (as some have suggested). James' point is not that you can earn your salvation by good deeds. Rather, he is saying that genuine faith will be evidenced by how you live.
Lord, help me to live a life of love and to act urgently on behalf of the poor – locally and globally.
Ezekiel 34:2,11-12a, 15–16
2 '...woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?'
11 "'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.
15 I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak... I will shepherd the flock with justice.'
Shepherd the sheep
The Lord spoke out against the leaders of Israel – 'the shepherds of Israel' (34:2). He accused them of only taking care of themselves and not taking care of the flock (v.8). 'You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost' (v.4).
The Lord said, 'I myself will search for my sheep and look after them… I myself will tend my sheep… I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice' (vv.11,15–16).
God's message to his people through Ezekiel had a very similar theme to that of James. The Lord said to Ezekiel, 'They listen to you speak, but don't do a thing you say... They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it' (33:31–32, MSG).
How now shall we live? When we compare the good shepherd to those who have failed to look after the flock, it is clear that there are a number of things that you are called to do:
Strengthen the weak
We do this through good teaching, encouragement, prayer and building community.
Heal the sick
Honour all those in the medical profession and all those involved in the healing of the sick. You can lay hands on the sick and pray for them in Jesus' name.
Bind up the injured
There are so many broken people in our society – in the prisons, homeless on the streets and even in the boardrooms of companies. The Spirit of the Lord enables you to bind up the broken-hearted as you pray for them, embrace them, listen to them and care for them in your community.
Go after the strays
There are many prodigal sons and daughters who have strayed from the Father, like lost sheep. Help them come back to the Father's arms.
Search for the lost
At times, you may have to leave the other sheep to search for the one who is lost, to bring them back to repentance and cause more joy in heaven. (Luke 15:1–7).
Shepherd with justice
Seek justice on behalf of the oppressed, the needy and the poor. We should rescue children, women and men from slavery, bring the perpetrators to justice, set the captives free and care for them.
God's promises to tend his flock become intertwined with the promise of a new shepherd, 'my servant David' (Ezekiel 34:23). This promise points back to the historical king David, who was Israel's best shepherd to date, but it also points forwards to an even greater 'David' who will fulfil all these promises – Jesus, our King and Shepherd.
Jesus said, 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:14). Through him you receive the 'showers of blessing' (Ezekiel 34:26) and salvation (v.27). He says, 'You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God.' (v.31).
Bask in his blessings. Live a life of love. Strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, search for the lost and look after people with justice. This is how you should live today.
Lord, let me not just hear your words, but put them into practice.
James 2:13b
'Mercy triumphs over judgment.'
It is more important to be forgiving than to be right.
James 2:13 (MSG)
'Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.'
'Never turn your back to the poor, for in turning your back to the poor, you are turning it to Christ.' |- Mother Teresa
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Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. 'NIV' is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
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