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Although Europe has not seen much class action litigation to date, it is a subject on the agenda. Already allowed in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Portugal, other countries are looking also exploring the possibility. As the likes of US law firm Coughlin Stoig Geller Rudman & Robby hits London intent on recruiting pension funds to support its actions, the major European law firms are not taking the threat lightly.



It is also on the radar of the European Commission which is encouraging more private enforcement of Competition law.



The prospect of US-style class action litigation has seen lawyers in firms such as Lovells and Allen & Overy fighting back with the launch of class action units to handle major litigation and disputes on behalf of their corporate clients.



A survey carried out by a major US law firm Bryan Cave found that about 60 per cent of companies expect class actions in London within the next three years, whilst two in three expect products liability to be a major focus of such litigation.



But whilst many a litigation lawyer may be rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of such lucrative fees, the firm believes that legal fees would be lower than those paid in the US – with one in three believing that some form of US contingency fee will be involved.



The UK has already seen class action litigation with individuals suing corporates over major disasters, with personal injury law firms such as Irwin Mitchell and Pannone & Co representing victims of disasters over many years.



And the recent Northern Rock saga saw small shareholders looking to sue the government after expressing “disgust” at compensation proposals. According to the UK Shareholders’ Association (UKSA), valuation of the shares will not be fair or independent, although this is disputed by the Government.



This group is represented by law firm Edwin Coe, which represents around 7000 of the smaller shareholders of Northern Rock and which is calling on each of these to pay £50 each to raise money to sue.



Corporates and banks are the new target for class action lawyers as the arrival in London of the US class action lawyers proves. Coughlin Stoig, which recently won $700 million dollars for Enron investors since the energy giant collapsed in 2001, has raised the game to a new level and caused corporate and banking lawyers to take note. The firm is looking to recruit pension funds and claims to have 25 clients including Standard Life and Scottish Widows.



Richard Elsen of Byfield Consulting, a legal Public Relations company, predicts that the US class action firms have their eye on the banks in the aftermath of sub-prime, with the banking sector being an especially fertile source of class actions and litigation.



He attributes this to the fact that it is difficult for the major UK law firms to sue banks, which leaves a gap in the market for the US entrants. The battle for Europe is set to begin and the big corporate law firms and lawyers are getting ready to defend against the American class action invaders.

Since prehistoric man first stumbled upon a nugget, raw gold with its radiant sun yellow coloration and metallic luster has captivated and fascinated mankind. The unique gleam of gold attracts the eye, enabling the seeker to detect the smallest of grains in an aggregate of many other materials. The tiniest flakes are easily detected.

Anthropological excavations of Stone Age burial sites indicate that gold was the first element collected and prized by man. This unique metal, gathered in the form of nuggets, seems to have been highly prized but was not used in practical applications. Rating 2.5 – 3 on Mohs scale of hardness, gold was much too pliable to be hammered into workable tools or weapons. Gold carried little value for prehistoric man except to be admired and treasured for its rare, intrinsic beauty.
However, as man developed he soon discovered numerous applications for the mysterious golden metal.

The earliest record of gold exploration dates to Egypt around 2000 B.C. Ancient records tell of an enormous alluvial gold deposit in Nubia, between the Nile River and the Red Sea in southeastern Egypt. This incredible discovery encompassed over one hundred square miles. Using the most primitive of tools and working to an average depth of less than six feet, these first “miners” pried an estimated one thousand tons of gold from this rich discovery. Egyptian artisans, recognizing the extraordinary malleability of gold fashioned incredible jewelry, ornaments and idols of breathtaking beauty.

Throughout the history of man’s involvement with gold, the precious metal has been prized not only for its beauty but for gold’s ability to withstand the rigors of time. No substance that appears commonly in nature will destroy gold. Unaffected by air, moisture, heat or cold, this noble metal will not tarnish, corrode, rust or tarnish. Shimmering gold dust, golden nuggets of placer gold and brilliant vein occurrences have survived 4.5 Billion years of cataclysmic geologic and climate changes; volcanic eruption, earthquakes, upheavals and deposition. Treasures of gold jewelry, bullion and coins, buried for thousands of years beneath land and sea have been found intact; as brilliant as the day they were abandoned.

A relatively rare native metallic element, gold ranks fifty-eighth in abundance amongst the ninety two natural elements that make up the earth’s crust. Although considered a rare element, of all metals gold is, with the exception of iron, the most widely distributed over the planet. Gold has been found on 90 per cent of the earth’s surface and is mined in high mountain ranges, in the deeply weathered soil of the tropics, harsh deserts and in the permanently frozen tundra of the Arctic.

Gold is commercially mined on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. The richest gold producing area of the world is the Witwatersrand District of South Africa. This ultra rich area has yielded eighteen thousand tons of gold with no end in sight. Additional notable gold bearing areas around the world are Siberia in the former USSR, the Porcupine District in Ontario, Canada and in the United States the Yukon District of Alaska and the famous Mother Lode District in California.

In the United States nature was extremely generous. Thirty-two states have recorded significant commercial gold production. The highest yielding areas are located within the western states, California, Colorado, Alaska, Nevada and South Dakota. Other abundant locations for prospecting include Georgia, Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Washington, New Mexico, Wyoming, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Vermont and New Hampshire. The recreational gold prospector can find gold in his pan in practically every state of the union.

Gold is an exceptional media for craftsmen. Gold is a metal that can be deformed by pounding without breaking or crumbling. Gold, in its pure form is the most malleable or workable of all metals. One single ounce of gold can be drawn and stretched into an ultra fine wire over 50 miles in length without breaking or pounded to the amazing thinness of one hundred thousandth of an inch without disintegrating. Gold is easily carved, readily buffs to a gleaming polish, can be heated repeatedly without discoloration and joins to itself or other metals by soldering without the need for a bonding flux.

For more than 6000 years gold has been considered symbolic of wealth, power and status. In 1350 B.C. the Egyptian boy king, Tutankhem, was interred in a coffin elaborately cast from 242 pounds of solid gold. Throughout history men and women have adorned their bodies with brilliant, gleaming gold. The ancient custom of exchanging gold during marriage ceremonies continues today.

The nobility of Medieval Europe liberally sprinkled gold in the form of dust, flake or leaves on their food to demonstrate the host’s great wealth. Today gold is still often used in food and has the E Number 175. However, since metallic gold is inert to all body chemistry, it adds no taste nor has any other nutritional effect and leaves the body unaltered.
Primitive man believed gold contained a hidden, internal fire, a gift from the Gods with mysterious healing and magical powers. Numerous cultures of sun-worshippers revered gold as the tangible essence of their God; solid sunshine. In modern day Japan believers seek gold’s medicinal magic by immersion in a bathtub designed in the form of a phoenix crafted from 400 pounds of pure gold. Health and gold have long been entwined in the wondrous belief that something so rare and beautiful could not be anything but healing and healthy.

Today modern esotericists and forms of alternative medicine embrace the healing properties of gold. Some gold salts have anti-inflammatory properties and are used as pharmaceuticals in the treatment of arthritis and other similar conditions. However, only salts and radioisotopes of gold are of pharmacological value, as elemental or metallic gold is inert to all chemicals it encounters within the body.

Gold is a “storehouse of value”, the natural way for man to preserve capital and protect against financial uncertainty or monetary collapse. In modern times gold has served as a hedge against the threat of inflation and as a secure and safe way to secret away assets. The “hoarding” of gold occurs most frequently during times of war, adverse world conditions and international fears of economic instability. Gold has often defeated the attempts of governments to inflate the currency of their country as well as circumventing the aims of those holding political power to direct the economy of other nations.

Throughout recorded history, gold, the crowned king of metals, has been considered the ultimate monetary exchange. Gold is the only currency that isn’t someone else’s responsibility or liability; it is more that just a paper promise to pay upon demand. Gold’s worth does not rely on the economic stability of any country, political power or financial cartel. Gold has value in and of itself.

The current world price of gold is established daily by the London Gold Market which trades gold bullion and coins with other financial world centers such as Zurich, Hong Kong , Frankfurt and Paris. The price is based on pure or “fine” gold, therefore the value of gold gleaned in its natural state may vary depending on the impurities it contains. However, raw gold sold as specimens or jewelry will always bring a considerably higher price. Gold nuggets are as distinctively different as snowflakes, although similar, no two nuggets are alike. A nugget of unique character and shape may sell for as much as five times its value by weight.

Do you have broken or discarded gold jewelry you not longer wear? Now may be the time to cash in on the current gold rush. With the price of gold exceeding the $1000 an ounce benchmark, an errant earring or broken gold chain could add up to a significant sum.

To receive the best price for gold you may wish to sell, know the karat count. Because of the softness of pure 24k gold, it is usually alloyed with base metals for use in jewelry, altering its hardness, color, melting point and ductility. Alloys with lower karatage, typically 22k, 18k, 14k or 10k, contain higher percentages of silver, copper or other base metals in the alloy. The higher the karat the more you should expect to be paid.

If you only have a piece or two to sell, try a local jeweler or take a vintage piece to an antique jeweler. They’ll take the artist’s craftsmanship into consideration and you will net a much higher price than for just the gold weight.

Nandu Green is a lifestyle portal, offering high-quality, unique, intriguing and innovative merchandise from around the globe. http://nandugreen.com

By: Marlene A. Affeld

The Globalist Free Traders have found an evangelist in Thomas Friedman of the New York Times. In his book The World is Flat, Friedman calls periods in history that paved the way for Globalization and Free Trade flatteners but he skips over some of the most major ones. The Lend Lease Act in the World War 2 era is one of them. It changed the course of history and it demonstrated that you can’t do business with people who do not have money. You either have to find a way to get money to them or you have to give them things to restore their economic values in a balanced geopolitical setting. You can not move production from place to place seeking the cheapest labor markets of the world because there is an endless pool of workers who will do most anything to survive and they will never have enough money to buy anything the economic host nation may still have left to sell.

In the end, you have a continuous diminishing process where a working poor class needs cheaper and cheaper prices while the impoverished destitute classes do not make enough money to grow their own economy proving you can not do business with people who do not have money. You can only use them for selfish purposes. This then acts as a boomerang coming back to knock you out too. It is like a dog chasing its own tail. Consumers in the USA shop their way out of their jobs. The money spent at the retail levels quickly fans out to the places where the products are made. The money does not stay in the USA to regrow its own economy.

Who won World War 2? The American workers did. Who lost World War 2 fifty years later? The American workers have. The U.S. has gone through the most massive dislocation of workers in U.S. history with millions losing their jobs. More than 700,000 workers related to the steel industry, over 400,000 auto workers and over a million workers in the computer industry lost their jobs. One third of those over 55 who lost their jobs never found another. Now, workers as taxpayers pay to bring in foreign auto assemblers. The State of Indiana after all things are considered, is paying Honda about 150 million dollars to bring an assembly plant into their state. This will provide 4000 new assembly jobs but recently, close to 20,000 auto parts factory workers have lost their jobs in the state. Taxpayers in other states have paid out even more to get KIA, BMW and other foreign auto assemblers to come to their states. Misssissippi is paying KIA 400 million dollars to assemble KIA automobiles in their state. These autos are describes as being built in the USA and not Made in the USA since the parts come from the wage slave workers of the world. The number of assembly workers in all these foreign plants is only a fraction of the workers of the existing workers in U.S. auto manufacturing plants. They also work for about one half of what the auto workers made in the past.

Who won World War two in the final analysis?

Let us go back in time to 1940. The USA was still coming out of the Great Depression. Tariffs were blamed as the major cause of the depression. However the main cause of the Depression was the stock market crash and the economy took this big hit during a time when tariffs were not even applicable. Free Traders today like to blame the Smooth-Hawley Tariffs as the cause of the Depression, but this bill was passed after the Stock Market crash in 1930 and never really did take hold before Roosevelt took over. Soon afterwards Roosevelt had the authority to lower and raise Tariffs at will in 1934

The next phase ignited the most powerful industrial might in history. Tariffs had no part in the process. Roosevelt knew our nation could not mobilize by semi-independent ways – mobilization had to come as a whole based on many vital needs whether for the military or for civilian uses. President Roosevelt had to sell the war to the American people in a sequence of actions. He started out by doing it with executive orders and schemes. Roosevelt said- what I am trying to do is eliminate the dollar sign – we need to get rid of the silly foolish dollar sign. This was good news to England and Russia who did not have much money left to fight a war.

Thus began the first wave of Free Trade but it was built on giving away products made in the USA.
Many Americans accepted the premise thinking they could stay out of the war while building up our economy at the same time.

Lack of money was the biggest problem in the world. The world was coming out of a Great Depression. After World War 1, the allies wanted Germany to be just one big farm without any production capabilities. Hitler came and filled the void by creating a strong military to invade other countries killing people who were in the way. In the process, Hitler demonstrated how a war machine can create industrial might out of nothing. China and Russia with a elite groups controlling the masses did not have this same capacities but still killed millions for their causes. They killed more than Germany ever did, but the USA chose Germany to be their first enemy. At the same time Japan was claiming a right to the mainland for the sake of their own economic survival. The U.S. approved their claim at the beginning of the century but reversed their agreements with Japan in the 1930s. Japan felt the U.S. betrayed them. This set the stage for Pearl Harbor. After all is said and done, it was really not a surprise attack.

Roosevelt did not want money to get in the way. He took many by surprise when he said, what I am trying to do is to eliminate the dollar sign- we need to get rid of the silly foolish old dollar sign. This also meshed with the new economic theories stating you do not owe anybody and money if you owe yourself. On September 2, 1940, Roosevelt gave Britain 50 Navy Destroyers under his own executive order. This violated international laws and understanding about neutrality. In essence, the U.S.A unofficially declared war on Germany on September 2, 1940.

Around the same time, Roosevelt used an old 1917 law to trade in planes to private manufacturers for newer models with the understanding the private firms would then send the old model planes to Britain at no costs. Then Roosevelt took a further step. After getting re- elected, he had Congress approved the Lend-Lease Act which bypassed any money problems the British and Communist Russia may have had. Right after getting the act passed, Roosevelt made up a list of products we could lend the allies. However, out of the billions of dollars of products sent to the allies, the U.S. was later repaid for just a fraction of the total amounts including the ten per cent of the total U.S. agricultural production that went to Britain and Russia. The U.S.A. also produced and supplied 50% of all the munitions used in World War 2.

Of course, this brought prosperity to the USA. After the war, based on the awesome industrial power, the USA launched the Marshall Plan. This helped restore the local value added economies in Europe and Asia. If we gave Japan this vast economic boost before the war, there would have been really no reason for the war with Japan. Free Traders ignore most of this and chant about non-existent Tariffs that broke our economy during the pre-war era when the undeclared war started years before with Roosevelt’s version of Free Trade. They chant how competition rules the game but as we know this was not the case during the World War 2 era. Then and now it is very questionable if the U.S.A ever had to compete in a global arena. Who, what, when and where concluded we had to compete in a global arena.

Lend-Lease did show that the only thing that works are local value added economies that grow values up several levels from raw product to the retail or end user stage. It also demonstrates , you can not fight any war of any long duration without a strong industrial sector. Today, we have chopped up our local value added economies and scattered the pieces all over the world. In the World War 2 era, we gave away the golden eggs laid by our golden goose industrial might. Now we have chopped up the goose and sent the pieces across the globe. Why have research and development if the manufacturing phase goes somewhere else? Now we have a small high tech army being defeated in a small country with human bombs. Rumsfeld war theories are like a young boy who grew too fast and needs to to get out of any fight fast before his weak stature is exposed.
Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt said, economic diseases are highly communicable. I wonder what he would say today. Free Trade is like sex, you sleep with many partners and subsequently everyone they have slept with. It is an economic epidemic.

For hundreds of more references and informative sites, search under Tapart News, Tapsearch, Ray Tapajna, Arkline Art, Clinton Years and other similar terms.

Tapart News and Art that talks main site is at
http://tapsearch.com/tapartnews/
See also http://just-go.to/tapinworld/
for a list of topics, articles and references from Tapart News.

Several history and diplomatic history books from the 1950s U.S. Army Officer Manual, 1950 Chuck Harder from For the People (You can not do business with people who do not have any money.) Tapart News and Art that Talks based on several experts in the field of Globalism and Free Trade . The World is Flat review is at http://tapsearch.com/flatworld/ There are also more than a million reference results under the phrase Clinton Years American Dream Reversed on Google. Gigablast has an unique index of specific key words under this phrase too. Much of it relates to Ray Tapajna’s topical art that talks the issues. Author’s bio can be viewed at Babe Ruth League page at Tapart News and Art that Talks

The heading may sound weird, when I say churn its not literally a Webster definition synonymous to mix, roll, agitate, shake or even blend. This is all about eating good and still burning out. Now how important is that.

According the several fitness gurus,’ nutritious food or nutrition plays almost as 70% an important role. There is however no definite reasoning to this theory. Yes nutrition plays an essential role, but what balances a nutritious diet is exercise. They are like two sites of the same coin which go hand in hand.

Your fitness schedules include weights, cardio and nutritional diet. It’s like two eyes and a nose. If any one of them is removed, then it impairs you for your life. Likewise, if any one ingredient from the fitness schedule is removed then, it’s futile to even try and lose fat.

It’s necessary for us to remember that both physical training and nutrition are essential. However, there comes a point when you can see improvements in terms of fitness. If any one of the two is supplemented during your training progress, then it leads to a improved you.

Let us take an example of a novice in fitness. He/She has no clue what nutrition in fitness means. It then becomes extensively important for them to understand what nutrition is and how important fitness is. As you would improve a poor diet, you in turn will bring good results to the muscles and there will be loss of fat. If you have not had a good food habit and you have skipped meals, its time to change. You have to eat at least 5-6 times a day. Replace processed fat and syrups with fish, fruits, veggies and grains. They bring in a humongous difference in your life.

Proteins are essential part of your diet. You not only lose weight but it is maintained low for a long time. Try protein foods like lean meat, say chicken, fish or even egg. Stick to the egg white, and you will see that you have toned muscles soon.

You can slog day and night at the gym, but if there is no nutrition then it all in vain!

As time passes by the fresh fitness freaks with start developing a good toned body and in time will realize how important it is to stay healthy with nutrition. Initially there is a lot of pressure which is mated to the body of a beginner. They are not used to any kind of strenuous exercise, because of which there may be a lot of pain and pressure on the thighs and calves. However in no time this body will yearn for more exercise.

Ever seen a Popeye episode, with a spoon of spinach, he gets the strength and muscles to fight Bluto. That is why we say that “Greens” are important as they help your bones to grow stronger. So remember, keep the nutrition and fitness in and you surely will keep the fat out.

Chris McCombs is an Long Beach personal trainer expert. At one time Chris was 143 pounds overweight at which point he looked in the mirror and decided to do something about it. Chris lost the weight and started his own fitness business Positively Fit Inc. which services clients in numerous Orange County Health Clubs

You can learn more about Chris and about Positively Fit at http://www.socalworkout.com

When thinking about properties in Arizona, most people probably think desert, golf, or maybe retirement communities, but what about the waterfront? That’s right, waterfront. Arizona actually has a lot of waterfront real estate with two of the most exciting developments, Tempe Town Lake and the Arizona Canal near downtown Scottsdale, quickly becoming hot spots.

Built on the Rio Salado, 60 per cent of Tempe Town Lake has been designated for private development while the rest will be kept as open space, wildlife habitat and parks. The condos in this neighborhood have access to a marina, boat rentals, fishing and Tempe Beach Park.

This town is dedicated to providing a great atmosphere for its inhabitants and hosts 50 community events throughout the year, including a free Sunday music series at the marina, a marathon, a music festival and a community festival and fireworks display. Take in a show at the new Tempe Center for the Arts or visit one of the hundreds of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs along Mill Avenue. The future Tempe marketplace is slotted to provide 130 acres of outdoor mall with dining, shopping and a multiplex movie theatre.

Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, the beautiful lakeside trails are perfect for enjoying a leisurely stroll or morning jog, and if you’ve ever wanted to take up dragon boat racing or outrigger canoeing, local teams offer you the chance to do just that.

Lifestyle features such as pools, spas and onsite fitness centers are common offerings in this neighborhood. Take in stunning lake and mountain views from your private patio, courtyard or balcony, and check out the outdoor community spaces when you feel like being friendly. In fact, in addition to luxury condos, there are a number of award winning, master planned developments which include areas for commercial and office space so you can set up your business in the neighborhood and walk to work. If you work further afar, no worries – these developments enjoy easy access to Sky Harbor International Airport and Arizona State University, and with the light rail bridge your commute to downtown Phoenix is a snap!

With significantly less water but no less buzz is the development along the Arizona Canal near downtown Scottsdale. This waterfront revival is bringing with it the downtown’s resurgence: there’s a lot of excitement around what some people are billing “Scottsdale’s renaissance”. As the banks of the Canal undergo landscaping improvements the area is quickly becoming a hot spot for walking, biking and jogging. A number of condo and loft projects offer access to the nearby commercial projects, and buyers will delight in the area’s one of a kind boutiques, locally owned shops and trendy eateries. The nearby championship golf courses sweeten the deal.

The residences here are within walking distance to Scottsdale Fashion Square and the Fifth Avenue and Old Town areas. With two pedestrian bridges and downtown Scottsdale’s free trolley service, getting around town has never been easier – you’ll love the freedom.

So there you have it – two of Arizona’s hottest waterfront developments. Tempe Town Lake and the Arizona Canal near downtown Scottsdale are both great options for people looking to enjoy the urban lifestyle without the responsibilities of traditional home owning. These developments are ideal for professionals, empty-nesters and anyone who likes to be outside, or just wants to enjoy the view.

Anne Eliason, a dedicated professional specializing in Phoenix AZ real estate. To do a Phoenix AZ MLS search or to find out more about waterfront properties in the Phoenix Valley, visit Anne online at PhoenixValleyRealEstate.com

Multi-level marketing is supposedly a way of making money, and it is true that some products are sold offline using multi-level methods. Therefore, there are a lot of multi-level marketing affiliate programs around.

What’s wrong with them? For a start, the whole principle of multi-level marketing is that there are many layers, and the people above you in the pyramid each take a cut of what you sell or promote. That is bad news because it means you earn less, and maybe nothing at all. In fact, they used to be called pyramid selling schemes.

Up to 10 layers in some multi-level schemes

These schemes can have ten layers, so until you get ten layers of people beneath you, you will be losing a lot of your income. To give you some idea, a two-level system is used in affiliate marketing by quite a few companies. What this means is that if you recruit someone, and he makes a sale, you get, say 10 per cent of the sale price. If the total commission was 50%, the person in the level below you would get only 40 per cent.

That sort of payout, with just two levels in the scheme, is considered acceptable, but is still frowned upon in some countries. Why? Because the person who loses that 10 per cent does so just because you recruited him, no other reason. Really, for him to get the 10 per cent, he should be doing some of the work. He is supposed to, but generally people above you in multi-level marketing do not do much if anything to help.

You can see that in a ten level system, there is hardly anything left for the people at the bottom. So when you start you are not earning for yourself but for someone else. In other words, by encouraging the people to make sales, you are actually getting them to earn money for you. This is why multi-level marketing affiliate programs are illegal in some countries.

It is also why they are a bad idea. Another reason why they are bad is there is usually a joining fee, which allows you to earn from the system. There may be a free membership as well, but you can’t earn from it.

Because there is this fee, people end up trying to recruit people instead of selling products. All this means that multi-level marketing affiliate programs are really bad news, if they go beyond two levels.

Avoid them, and find affiliate products to market directly, and you will be able to earn money online.

For FREE reports and the latest reviews of affiliate marketing products and services go to http://www.reallyusefulmarketing.com – which is run by John Hartley.