News is full of stories about hundreds of millions of dollars of legal settlements between state and local governments against drug manufacturing companies. The allegation has been that these drug companies knowingly failed to disclose the full addictive nature of the pain medicine they sold. 

A major concern I have with these payments for alleged drug addiction actions by manufacturers is that the money does not go to those who were harmed. The payments go to government units which are free to use these funds anyway they wish. 

Walmart, known for a diversity of merchandise at low cost, is entering the health care field in a significant way. In a few select stores a wide variety of health care products such as dental and medical services will be available. Here’s a list of some services:

Primary care
Dental
Counseling
Labs and X-ray
Health screening
Optometry
Hearing
Fitness and nutrition
Health insurance education and enrollment

Former President Jimmy Carter was recently in the news. At age 95, he had surgery to relieve pressure from his brain after several recent falls. First reports indicate the surgery went well.

Since leaving the White House, the former president has taught Sunday School on a regular basis.  Even now, despite his weakened health, he still schedules himself for teaching twice a month. At 95, most of us wouldn’t be so ambitious.

Additionally, Jimmy Carter has been very committed to the work of Habitat for Humanity. When physically able, he still goes to project sites to swing a hammer, lend his name, and encourage volunteers.

Amazon rose as a juggernaut in the marketplace and many competitors scratch their heads and say, how can we compete? The casual observer might think Amazon will never lose their dominant position.  

A hundred plus years ago people said the same things about Sears.  Sears was a dominant retailer, and other companies struggled to compete. America was different then.  Sixty per cent of the people lived outside of cities. Sears marketed itself as “the cheapest supply house on earth.”  Similarly today, Amazon markets itself as the least costly option for buying goods.

Many years ago, Sears sold homes in catalogs.  These homes were a popular option from 1908 through the 1940, selling 70,000 homes. The customer would order one of several housing designs, and the prefabricated materials would arrive at the customer’s location. Everything from screws, nails, wood and shingles was included in the package. I have a family member who purchased one and still lives in one of these homes.  When I visited a few years ago, I was amazed at how good the home was designed and how well the house held up over many years of use. 

One may think the day of the mail-order house is over, but not true. Recently I came across some information on Amazon, the online store that helps you find almost anything is now selling homes. I found packages between $5,000 and $65,000 for all kinds of do-it-yourself kits ranging from a small vacation cabin to a 1300 square-foot home.

King Solomon wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, NIV)