Take a look at our March newsletter!
For The Ambitious Advocate BRIEF RECESS
MARCH 2023
FROM THE LAW OFFICES OF J. PRICE MCNAMARA
Don’t Let the Star-Bellies Distract You YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY FOUND YOUR POT OF GOLD
March brings St. Patrick’s Day, and ideas of luck and fortune come with it. But as we consider these ideas, we must ask ourselves, “What are we really lucky to have?” While pots of gold and endless riches are a focal point of St. Patrick’s Day, real luck is having good friends and a family that loves you. In this sense, I’m incredibly lucky. I was reminded of this good fortune a few days ago when I saw Dr. Seuss’s birthday is also in March, and upon seeing this, I immediately remembered one of his stories that I used to read to my kids called “The Sneetches.” “The Sneetches” epitomizes this false idea that the “lucky” ones in life are those with status. And at one point or another, we all wanted to be that person with a great job, a fast car, designer clothes, or a huge house. Having these things would make us special and, most importantly, happy .
paid Sylvester McMonkey McBean to use his device. Soon, all of the Sneetches were Star-Belly Sneetches!
Well, the Star-Belly Sneetches would not stand for this. So, Sylvester McMonkey McBean charged them $3 to have their stars removed. This cycle of star removal and application continued until the Sneetches were so mixed up that no one knew who was an original Star-Belly Sneetch and who wasn’t. Sylvester McMonkey McBean drove off, leaving the Sneetches penniless. In the end, the Sneetches realized they were all the same: “Sneetches are Sneetches, And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.” What was important to them was no longer their status from a star on their belly but their relationships with each other.
This month, as we focus on ideas like luck and fortune, I think we start to believe that there is some benefit to looking better in the eyes of others.
Social media is filled with people who show off their wealth or expensive items, and we all look on wishing that were us; if only we were so lucky. But all that stuff, Star-Belly or not, is just a distraction. And when you’re distracted by the Star-Bellies, you’re just taking away more time and attention from the things you’re actually lucky to have in your life. You don’t need a star on your belly, a fast car, or a designer watch to be lucky, and you don’t need a million friends, either. If you have a few great friends you can lean on and a loving family that’s healthy and happy, you’ve already found your pot of gold. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
In the case of the Sneetches, it was a star on their belly that made them special.
These “lucky” Sneetches were called Star-Belly Sneetches and were considered better than Plain-Belly Sneetches, who “had no stars upon thars.” The story details that while the stars on their bellies were quite small, the Star-Belly Sneetches would brag to the Plain-Belly Sneetches and avoid interacting with them when they could. “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!” they said.
So, the Star-Belly Sneetches looked down their noses at the Plain-Belly Sneetches until a certain Sylvester McMonkey McBean arrived. Sylvester told the Plain-Belly Sneetches that if they each paid him $3, he would let them use his machine to put a star on their bellies. Of course, the Plain-Belly Sneetches
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Hang on to Your Rods!
“Good is the enemy of great.” This is how Jim Collins begins his book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t,” which discusses how a handful of companies perfected their business strategies to create great businesses. If you’ve ever wondered why some businesses only last a season while others last 15–20 years, then “Good to Great” is a must-read. Over the past three decades, Collins has analyzed 28 businesses by studying their leadership skills, practices, and business strategies to understand how these companies skyrocketed past their competitors. After conducting dozens of case studies and analyses, Collins outlines several results that make excellent companies stand out. Here are three takeaways from “Good to Great.” DO YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS TO THRIVE? READ ‘GOOD TO GREAT’ BY JIM COLLINS!
The Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo
Does your office turn away calls about “long-term disability insurance” claim denials because you don’t handle administrative appeals or “ERISA litigation” in federal court? We want to hear from you! We happily share fees on referred ERISA long-term disability, life insurance, and accidental death insurance denial cases. Send us an email at BriefRecess@jpricemcnamara.com or call (225) 201-8311 to start the referral process! But this enormous event came from mysterious beginnings, with its origins still unclear. The most widely circulated story was that a fisherman named Hugh M. Wilkinson caught two tarpons in the same fishing spot under a 19th-century coastal defense fort on Grand Terre Island. This double catch inspired Wilkinson to pitch the idea of a tarpon fishing tournament to the businessman John Cletus Donovan Jr, owner of the Alker- Donovan Company. Donovan immediately agreed to sponsor the event, and they started the Grand Isle Tarpon Club. WE VALUE YOUR REFERRALS! As a Grand Isle camp owner (which survived Ida by some miracle) and a lifelong fishing enthusiast whose family shares the passion, I read an interesting article about the history of the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo. In the article, the author describes the fishing event as the “grand-daddy of fishing rodeos,” a fishing competition that’s been going on every July since the 1920s. But, this competition didn’t earn the “grand-daddy” title by being the oldest; it’s also one of the biggest, with more than 2,500 participants each year.
The first key takeaway is determining your “hedgehog concept” — a strategy you can use for many years. This approach is based on Greek philosophy: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” To find your hedgehog concept, ask yourself these questions: What can your company be the best at? What can you and your colleagues be passionate about? What economic indicator should you focus on?
When creating habits and using technology, you don’t need to use everything on the market. There are millions of platforms, software, tools, and technologies to use within your business, but which one will strengthen your hedgehog concept? Collins suggests only implementing technology that complements your business. He recommends waiting before jumping onto a new trend, platform, media platform, and technology. Be sure it aligns with your values, goals, and hedgehog concept. What do you do when your business is faced with uncomfortable situations, facts, or data? Great companies and business leaders don’t sweep hard facts under the rug and deny them. However, leaders don’t wave the white flag or give up. Instead, great companies and business owners acknowledge hard facts, identify pain points, and implement strategies to help overcome struggles and strengthen abilities. Along with learning tips and strategies from these three lessons, you will also have a chance to learn more about Collins’ case studies, what companies he studied, and the techniques used to create business powerhouses. You can find “Good to Great” online and anywhere books are sold. Happy reading!
ERISA is all we do!
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MONTHLY LONG-TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS WON ON APPEAL! HOW WE OVERTURNED THIS UNFORTUNATE DENIAL
Their first competition occurred at sunrise, on Thursday, Aug. 23, 1928, with just 11 boats in attendance. Almost immediately, one of the contestants brought in a 103-pound tarpon, and others would later catch four more in the waters that day. The second day of the tournament would produce even more tarpon caught.
But these giant fish weren’t the only thing caught from this first competition; word of the Grand Isle Tarpon Club caught on and spread fast.
The rodeo gained in popularity and attendance, and so did the prizes. In 1951, winning the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo meant the possibility of coming home with “a 1951 Plymouth four-door sedan, a 32-piece silver set, 17 rods and reels, tools, a savings bond, three sets of automobile tires, a lawnmower, eight outboard motors, a .22 caliber rifle, an aquaplane, deck chairs, a fishing suit,” and countless trophies. But, these expensive prizes ultimately became a thorn in the rodeo’s reputation. Participants began doing anything to win, including net- catching fish, catching fish beforehand, and keeping them until near death. Valuable prizes were no longer an option.
Our client Mary (not her real name) suffered from an extreme mental illness disability triggered by work burnout. Her claim story and her symptoms are scary, as you’ll read below, for several reasons. Mary’s treating physicians told her she could not work until she got better. Yet the Principal Insurance Company ignored the doctors and denied her claim for disability benefits. Principal claimed that the evidence she presented was insufficient to prove her case, despite her treating psychiatrist’s unwavering opinion. We worked closely with Mary to help her build her claim carefully and systematically with new, undeniable evidence far beyond what she had presented to Principal before they denied her claim. In helping Mary gather evidence to build her case, we needed to learn all the details of her story. As we did, we quickly realized that her story of burnout, and truly delusional bipolar disorder, was the most extreme we had ever heard. In her appeal, Mary simply needed to tell her story more vividly and effectively to the insurance company. Mary’s delusional symptoms were terrifying and included “hearing voices and seeing her dead relatives.” She thought she was constantly monitored and would not let anyone near her with a mobile phone. She felt her office was bugged and would only communicate in whispers with coworkers. She thought people were taking pictures of her through the skylight and while using the toilet. She was convinced trucks were following her, and she believed everyone who worked on her house, such as plumbers, yard, and maintenance personnel, was part of the mafia. She became extremely hyperactive, assigning staff to clean out cabinets and refrigerators at 2 a.m. during an ice storm and fired good staff members for no reason. With Mary’s help, we spoke with some of her physician supervisors to create detailed descriptions of their direct observations of Mary’s bizarre behavior. These descriptions were made into formal, signed statements. We created a more vivid, detailed statement for Mary’s signature describing her symptoms. Thankfully, presented with undeniable new evidence in Mary’s appeal and court opinions, Principal finally did the right thing. It paid her for all past-due benefits and began paying her the $7,500 per month that was owed to her under the policy. Unfortunately, disability insurance companies unfairly deny legitimate claims every day. But these unfair denials can be overturned with properly presented, stronger evidence. If you’ve suffered an unfair disability insurance claim denial, we’d love to hear your story and see if we can guide you to benefits. Call or text (225) 201-8311 for a consultation today!
Today, the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo has spread its influence to include 29 species of fish and now has three divisions: Big Game, Shoreline, and Inside.
So, the next time you’re on the Gulf in July, look out for the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo!
SMOKY SPICY BROCCOLI FRITTERS
Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli • 1/4 cup chopped onion • 1/4 cup packed cilantro • 1 tsp oil, plus more for frying • 1/3 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp garlic powder • 1/2 tsp smoked or
regular paprika • 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder • 1 tbsp barbecue sauce • 3/4 cup chickpea flour
Directions 1. In a food processor, add broccoli, onion, cilantro, and 1 tsp oil and process until uniform. Transfer to a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to distribute. 2. Let mixture sit for 2 minutes for the broccoli to leak enough moisture so you can form patties. If mixture is too wet, add more chickpea flour. If mixture is too dry and does not stick well, wait another few minutes or sprinkle some water and mix. 3. Shape into 5–6 patties. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and spread it in the pan. 4. Pan-fry the patties for 4–5 minutes per side. 5. Serve with Sriracha, ketchup, barbecue sauce, marinara, or a cooling ranch as desired.
Inspired by VeganRicha.com
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
ERISA INSURANCE J. PRICE MCNAMARA Claim Attorney
10455 Jefferson Hwy. Suite 130 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (225) 201-8311 WinMyBenefits.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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What ‘The Sneetches’ Can Teach Us About Luck
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Have You Found Your Hedgehog Concept?
The ‘Grand-Daddy of Fishing Rodeos’
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Smoky Spicy Broccoli Fritters
Mental Health Disabilities Deserve Benefits, Too
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How a Cat Saved Her Humans’ Lives
SCHNAUTZIE SAVES THE DAY FACING A GAS LEAK, SHE THOUGHT FAST
Besides a fire, a gas leak is one of the worst things that can happen in the middle of the night. Fortunately for one Montana couple in 2007, Schnautzie the cat was on the case. She woke up her owners to alert them to the danger, preventing a deadly — and explosive — tragedy. People magazine reported that Greg and Trudy Guy adopted Schnautzie from a local pet store in April 2007. They’d gone with hopes of adopting a puppy but instead fell in love with a tiny black kitten. The couple only intended to foster Schnautzie, but she proved herself a hero and became a permanent family member. That October, Schnautzie climbed up on Trudy’s chest at 2 a.m. and started pawing at her nose. Since cats sometimes do strange (and annoying) things, Trudy didn’t think too much of it — until Schnautzie kept at it.
Now, Schnautzie had her attention, especially when Trudy noticed her persistently sniffing the air around her. Once fully awake, Trudy noticed a hissing sound somewhere in the house. Getting up to investigate, she found a broken pipe outside her bathroom, pumping gas into the basement. “The gas was just fuming,” Trudy remembered. “Our house was saturated in a short time.” The Guys quickly vacated the house with Schnautzie in tow and called the fire department. Only upon the rescue workers’ arrival did the Guys realize the extent of the danger they had faced. While the gas alone could have killed them, it was also an unseasonably frigid night in October. Had the heater or water tank turned on, it would have ignited the fumes and caused an explosion.
Schnautzie was a hero to the Guys, but extra treats and a permanent home were thanks
enough for her. Still, she received a bit more than that in 2010. The Great Falls Animal Foundation learned how Schnautzie had saved the day and
decided to honor her with the Purple Paw Award. While Schnautzie appreciated the thought, Greg said she didn’t enjoy the reception. “She’s shy around strangers,” he explained. But there’s no doubt that Schnautzie deserved her award. Sally Cerny of the animal foundation told Catster.com that the Purple Paw is given to pets who uniquely demonstrate the bond between animals and humans. And, she concluded, “There’s no more special way to show that than to save your family.”
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