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LabCorp Settles with State of California Over Kickback Marketing Scheme–Lab Wars
Both Quest and LabCorp were doing this and this is funny in the information here from BNET that he had the actual PowerPoint slides. Quest settled up for $241 million for their portion of gaining market share.
Quest Diagnostics Agrees to Settle California Medicaid Suit for $241 Million-Overcharging for Lab Tests
Quest does not appear to be done yet though as now they have a whistle blower alleging even more fraud, maybe a billion and this case is a little more complex and has to do with billing during the time of the Uni-Lab purchase.
Lawsuit Filed Against Quest Diagnostics–Whistle Blower Case Alleging Medicare and Medicaid Over Charges of $1 Billion Or More
Labcorp is to pay up $49.5 million to settle the claims billed to Medi-Cal during a 14 year period. A whistle blower was also who brought it to the attention of the State of California in this case as well. To get a discount doctors were told to refer to LabCorp versus the other lab companies. BD
Labcorp's (LH) $50 million settlement with the California attorney general over a kickback scheme highlights the federal government's bizarre lack of interest in whether Medicare is being ripped off for hundreds of millions of dollars nationally by companies that provide diagnostic tests for doctors and hospitals.
The scheme wasn't difficult to figure out — the company described it in PowerPoint slideshows that told employees what "not" to do. Prohibiting employees from breaking the law is fine, of course, but the Labcorp slideshows only made sense if the company knew how to execute a complicated "pull-through" kickback scheme, and knew it was wrong. One PowerPoint had a chapter labelled "Kickbacks."
http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-business/meet-the-company-that-outlined-its-kickback-scheme-in-powerpoint/9532?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Technorati Tags: LabCorp,lawsuit,fraud,marketing,Medi-Cal,whistle blower,medical claims
Both Quest and LabCorp were doing this and this is funny in the information here from BNET that he had the actual PowerPoint slides. Quest ...
Insurance , Medically Related
Another New Portable Device Slated to Make Fitness Fun - A Keychain to Reward for Exercise and Donate To Charities
How many more of these things are we going to see. Folks I know that bough the Fitbit tried it for a while and got bored. I don't have one and this is just what others told me as they said it was something else they had to do and they had enough overload with all the other consumer IT stuff and gadgets to worry about. I think from what I hear on these devices is just like the consumer, the attention span is short and again it something you have to do something with and most all have a smartphone today, so I guess we will see when it arrives on the market.
You know I just try and report on all of this and that in itself makes me tired <grin>. What I found out too that most of the time the developers and the folks who work at some of these companies don't use their own products, one of those "it's for those guys over there" but send money please. You have to wait until October so we see the proverbial promo to tease and generate interest here and the price shown is $99. BD
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fitness is about to become a lot more fun with Striiv. The Silicon Valley-based start-up today revealed its first product which takes active gaming outside of the living room to turn everyday activities into fitness opportunities. A sleek, portable fitness device, Striiv motivates activity throughout the day via games, personal goals, and donation opportunities -- all powered by physical activity.
Striiv offers a playful approach to fitness. Comprised of social game and technology industry veterans, the team behind Striiv brings a wealth of business and development experience to defining this new product category at the forefront of gaming and personal health. Whether it's a real workout or simple daily interactions like walking to lunch, taking the stairs, or shopping – with Striiv any activity is earned, tracked and transformed into an opportunity to get fit, give back, and have fun.
"Fitness and health are top-of-mind today. But for many people, especially moms juggling careers and family, finding time for exercise is hard to fit in to a busy day," says David Wang, CEO and co-founder of Striiv. "We've combined charities, gaming, and personal challenges with cutting-edge technology to create a seamless way to motivate physical activity. We're building a playful and inspiring 'movement around movement' so that fitness now fits throughout your day."
Small, convenient and designed to easily move between a key chain, belt clip, or pocket, Striiv is always with you and always on. Striiv features a high-resolution color touch screen to track your progress. Key features include:
Walkathon in Your Pocket: With Striiv every step counts toward a donation to charity. At launch, Striiv is partnering with GlobalGiving to donate clean water to children in South America or a polio vaccine to a child in India. New charitable partners will be added over time.
Activity-Based Games: Unlike traditional time-based social games, Striiv games are completely powered by physical activity. In the first game, MyLand, the more you move, the more your enchanted island fills with exotic wildlife and plants. More games will be added.
Daily Challenges and Trophies: Earn rewards and bonuses for walking to lunch or taking the stairs. Unlock daily challenges based on real-world distances, from climbing the Eiffel Tower to crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.
TruMotion Technology: Striiv's proprietary TruMotion technology is always on and can sense if you are walking, running, and even climbing stairs or hiking.
Technorati Tags: Striiv,exercise,consumer IT,games,rewards,walking
How many more of these things are we going to see. Folks I know that bough the Fitbit tried it for a while and got bored. I don't have one...
Non Profit HEALTHeLINK Partners with United Healthcare Subsidiary Optumsight to Remote Monitor Diabetics In Buffalo in Pilot Program
I try to keep track of mergers and acquisitions here and the partner Axolotl was purchased by Ingenix in August of 2010, about a year ago, so when you hear of insurers buying up technology companies here's one and where bottom line revenues end up contributing to for profit insurers.
Ingenix Acquires Health Information Exchange Services/EHR Provider Axolotl-United Health Group Behemoth Continues to Grow–Subsidiary Watch
Here's another post from the past that gives a little more background on the HIE and business intelligence algorithms used by United subsidiaries.
Axolotl (A Subsidiary of Ingenix) Creates Reporting and Analytics Solution for Health Information Exchanges–Algorithms for HIE–Business Intelligence -Subsidiary Watch
In addition other subsidiaries sell electronic medical records as well and Care Tracker has been around for a number of years, sold by Ingenix, now under the Optum name.
ClickFreeMD Selling Software EHR, Practice Management Bundled Records Solution–Emphasis on AMA Endorsement And Software "Powered" by Ingenix–Tethered or Untethered
At a cost of $250 per patient per month that adds up to some additional income and yes it is less expensive than visits to the ER room if that can be avoided. If this ends up being a workable solution with proper implementation for a national model, that's a lot of profit for the subsidiary to add to the corporate bottom line too. Buffalo has has their IT issues reflected too in this story from a year ago where it was found that the City paid over $2 million in premiums for dead city employees and from what I understand, they were having to go to court to get it back? I'm sure all the folks being monitored though are not in that group. I'm just curios too as to who all really has access to the data as analytics are are part of the deal here as that's the way it works out there today with everyone wanting data.
City of Buffalo Has Paid Over $2 Million to Provide Health Insurance for Hundreds of Dead People-Some as Many as 4 Years
I'm just curios too as to who all really has access to the data as analytics I'm sure are part of the deal here as that's the way it works out there today with everyone wanting data. Another division of United sells prescription data for underwriting and other purposes.
The RHIO didn't want to be in the monitoring business though so it appears this is where the technology subsidiaries of United came in to play here. The article said there was some resistance but again if they are United approved MDs and have had any recent cuts, then that could maybe stand to reason for some of it and I don't know how many United policy holders are in this part of New York. BD
BUFFALO, NY – One hundred patients with diabetes have signed up for a telemonitoring pilot spearheaded by HEALTHeLINK, the regional health information organization (RHIO) serving Western New York State. The nonprofit's innovative approach to telemonitoring could serve as a model for the rest of the nation, according to Todd Norris, Western New York Beacon Project Director.
HEALTHeLINK is one of the 17 Beacon Communities tasked by the Office of the National Coordinator to positively impact quality, cost and population health through the use of healthcare IT. The RHIO is focusing on several initiatives to "move the needle in a positive direction" for diabetes care management, which is its specific goal under the Beacon Community Program. With more than 60,000 diabetic patients under the care of 250 healthcare providers, Western New York has one of the largest diabetic populations per capita in the country, Norris said. The telemonitoring pilot, which will accommodate 150 patients, is one of 12 interventions the RHIO is deploying for diabetic care.
Blood pressure readings and other vital signs pertinent to diabetic management are downloaded from mobile devices and transmitted to healthcare providers in the form of alerts through HEALTHeLINK's health information exchange platform, which is powered by OptumInsight, formerly Axolotl. The RHIO, however, has adjusted the traditional model to address known barriers to telemonitoring adoption.
The cost is approximately $250 per patient per month. Norris pointed out that the elimination of one emergency department visit per patient pays for the program and also contributes to better health of the diabetic population. With economies of scale, the cost per patient per month for 40,000 patients would be $150 per month. At this level, Norris said, "You're going to see lively acceptance."
Technorati Tags: HEALTHeLINKS,United Healthcare,RHIO,healthcare,health IT,remote monitoring,data,diabetes,Buffalo,Beacon,Health IT,Communities
I try to keep track of mergers and acquisitions here and the partner Axolotl was purchased by Ingenix in August of 2010, about a year ago, s...
Insurance , Medically Related , Other Items of Interest
Abbott Labs to Discontinue Distributing FreeStyle Navigator Glucose Monitor in the US
The FDA just approved the Freestyle easier to use monitor in June of 2010 and received the European CE Mark in May of 2011. In December of 2009 there were strip recalls for the old version of the Freestyle, however other Abbott models had a lot more strips recalled in December of 2010.
Abbott Diabetes Care Recalls Tons of Glucose Test Strips–The US Has the FDA Recall Blues-Solution Has Been Touted Here for a Year-It's Time for a Fix–Readers Have Voted
Supply interruptions was the reason given for the discontinuing in the US; however in Europe they will continue to sell and market, so not enough money here in the US is the first question I ask and glad we have enough other glucose monitors available for diabetics. I just hope glucose monitors don't take the same path as some of the drugs we can't get today and hope this is an isolated instance. Abbott still has many other Freestyle monitors they sell and market besides this model, but this one with wireless looked to be pretty advanced. BD
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) announced that it permanently discontinued its FreeStyle Navigator glucose monitor due to an inconsistent supply chain that has amounted to several disruptions in product availability for U.S. patients.
"We know FreeStyle Navigator System customers in the U.S. have lived with some uncertainty and frustration," the company wrote in its official statement. "We are grateful for the commitment patients and providers have devoted to the FreeStyle Navigator System over the years, and we are sorry that we have been unable to consistently meet their needs."
"The discontinuation of the FreeStyle Navigator System in the U.S. is not for safety reasons," Abbott wrote. "The System is safe and effective and continues to be available to patients in seven other markets outside the U.S."
http://www.massdevice.com/news/diabetes-abbott-takes-freestyle-glucose-monitor-us-market
Technorati Tags: Abbot Labs,recalls,FDA,medical devices,drugs,pharma,technology,Twitter,Microsoft,MicrosoftTags,cell phones,Freestyle
The FDA just approved the Freestyle easier to use monitor in June of 2010 and received the European CE Mark in May of 2011. In December of ...
Medically Related , Other Items of Interest , Pharma/FDA News
Non Profit Social Interest Solutions Group and Microsoft Partner To Advance State and Government Health Exchange Initiatives
Back in February of 2011 Microsoft Government also announced their low cost State Insurance Exchange solutions. Microsoft's HIX solutions eliminate the need for states to evaluate numerous point solutions from various firms to find one that works well with government policies or existing IT infrastructures.
Microsoft Announces New Low-Cost Turnkey State Health Insurance Exchange Technology Solutions
From the Social Interest Solutions Website:
"Wherever possible, Social Interest Solutions utilizes the standard HIPAA transaction sets to form the basis of our interfaces as we have found that many of the entities with whom we share data have already adopted these standards. Our HIPAA companion guides are available upon request.
Social Interest Solutions is able to support a variety of data formats, including, but not limited to: HL7, HL9, X12, XML, Flat files, Comma Separated files and many others.
Social Interest Solutions is proud of our system integration capabilities and believe it is a key differentiator in making sure persons in need of benefits are efficiently supported. To learn more about the interfaces we support see interfaces. "
"Systems using a web service to communicate with each other don't need to go through a great deal of change, as long as they adhere to the common message format. Services that can be used by multiple systems are more easily shared through web services because of the flexibility and reusability they provide. This shared usage is more cost effective because web services allow seamless integration and use of functionalities across multiple systems without the need to make significant changes to the systems that need to exchange information"
Social Interest solutions e-apps have been deployed in Arizona and California and connects low income families to programs ranging from Medicaid to food stamps. One-e-App has screened nearly 7 million people and generated over 9 million applications for programs so far. The PAL application is a web based tool that allows both doctors and patients the ability to apply for co-pay assistance for medications and other services. From what I am reading in the press release though the focus here lies with insurance exchanges. It's nice to see a technology company involved here instead of the technologies of the insurers as we don't know as we can't audit and see if the procedures and algorithms are accurate all the time ad Microsoft doesn't have a conflicting interest of healthcare claims that are processed for bottom line share holder profits either. BD
Social Interest Solutions and Microsoft Work Together to Leverage Social Interest Solutions' Thought Leadership, Policy, Enrollment and Integration Expertise to Advance State and Government Health Insurance Exchange Initiatives
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Social Interest Solutions (SIS), a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to leveraging technology innovation to improve consumers' access to health and human services, today announced a strategic alliance with Microsoft. The relationship will involve working collaboratively to help government entities save time and money in the design and deployment of the technology and processes underlying health insurance exchanges.
"We are pleased to be working with Microsoft at this historic time"
"We are pleased to be working with Microsoft at this historic time," said Claudia Page, co-director at Social Interest Solutions. "Both organizations have a successful track record of working closely with state agencies to help them achieve greater integration across health and human services silos and both view the implementation of health insurance exchanges as a way to reform the health delivery system and improve health outcomes."
"With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), states have new mandates to follow, deadlines to meet and risks to mitigate that require significant process improvements combined with innovative technologies," said Brian Russon, national practice leader for Health Insurance Exchange, Microsoft.
"We are pleased to join forces with Social Interest Solutions and look forward to working collaboratively to help our clients meet the demands of implementing effective health insurance exchanges."
For the health insurance exchange collaboration, Microsoft will be providing technology and state government expertise, while Social Interest solutions will be providing valuable knowledge and experience focusing on enrollment, standards, interoperability.
For nearly a decade, Social Interest Solutions has been instrumental in helping to modernize the process for identifying and enrolling in health and human services programs. In early 2003, Social Interest Solutions developed One-e-App, a Web-based system streamlining the complicated eligibility and enrollment process by making it possible to transparently connect and share data across otherwise disparate state and local social services systems and programs. Today, One-e-App is deployed in Arizona, California, Indiana and Maryland and has served nearly 9 million individuals. The innovative integration and process improvements achieved with the One-e-App platform will play a critical role in helping states using One-e-App to develop and deploy health insurance exchanges.
Social Interest Solutions is also focused on effective policy development and helped to craft language in Section 1561 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Section 1561 requires the Federal government to establish enrollment standards to facilitate access to coverage. Subsequently, SIS directors have served as consultants to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to support the development of ACA enrollment standards and protocols. Social Interest Solutions has also worked with states to conduct ACA IT gap analyses, assessing the current status of IT systems against where the state plans to be in 2014. Gap analysis work has been completed for Arizona, Maryland and New York and is underway in Alabama.
About Social Interest Solutions
Social Interest Solutions (SIS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to leveraging technology innovation to improve consumers' access to public and private health and social services. As an active influencer and promoter of policy reform, SIS has successfully developed and deployed pioneering technology solutions having a positive impact on the quality of life for the nation's underserved population. www.socialinterest.org
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110831005482/en/Social-Interest-Solutions-Microsoft-Join-Forces
Technorati Tags: Social Interest Solutions,Microsoft,coding,algorithms,analysis,policies,coverage,ONC,Health IT,ACA,Affordable Care Act
Back in February of 2011 Microsoft Government also announced their low cost State Insurance Exchange solutions. Microsoft's HIX solutions e...
Medically Related , Microsoft/Windows News , Technology
California Bill to Regulate Health Insurance Rates Dies Due to Lobbying By Insurers and Other Groups So No Serious Audit Algorithms for Now to Control Premium Hikes
Well here's one more not for the consumer. If you read through the article in the LA Times the bill died as lobbying efforts claimed here would not allow for a majority of votes to pass. It will be tried again next year. It's funny that we go through great lengths and trouble to audit and certify medical records, but the payers in all of this run their business intelligence models and reconstruct and change them with their analytics and laws can't keep up. I said back in August of 2009 we need a Department of Algorithms but until we get lawmakers that understand how business models worth and how math moves money, we are kind of stuck here.
"Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?
You have to some day sooner or later start auditing this stuff or we are all screwed. It's easy to fleece the digital illiterates and I see it all the time with those in denial who can't get this function yet. On another note, we are looking at the same on Wall Street too as the hardware wars are almost over and then….we have data and the algorithms that process it and it will get really tough then with writing code that can no longer be read with layers of aggregation, so remember you heard it here first. It too Medicare long enough to get to that point with using technology to audit medical claims for fraud.
CMS Announces Anti-Fraud Algorithms Will Begin Auditing Claims on July 1, 2011 Just As Insurance Companies Have Done For Years
We don't have an executive in charge of HHS that has enough Health IT in her background and thus 2 years ago when she took office she could not forecast how this was going to move forward, but folks that write code do and that's what you see here and I'm just a tiny ant in the coding world for that matter but I can predict easy enough and add on a number of years in PR and Sales and it just flows. Granted HHS has hired some really spiffy folks, but again as a director she has to go to them and needs additional reports where as someone with on hands experience thinks a lot different and can picture the future with the mechanics of code, so executives without this ability are just flat out behind an 8 ball when it comes to such decisions. When she was nominated I made that call, nothing personal at all but said in 2 years the director of HHS was going to be about 80% health IT, so here we are today and I don't think I'll get any arguments there.
Times were a little different back then too but again the code heads can see and project where others cannot. This is what I said in February of 2009 and it makes it hard for people in those positions to function with the crazy unpredictable world we live in today and others just eat their lunch and we all suffer. I think was politically correct and just stated facts as a coder sees them. Are people just now starting to listen to folks who know math? So once again we are late coming to the table but we can't go backwards and have to some how work with what we have, and it changes every day.
Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas Governor for HHS – Please not! Put the "Smart" People in these key positions
In the meantime, California lawmakers are kind of behind this 8 ball too and don't get the math here with how the algorithms with insurers work. If you look back and read on the recent couple of years, look how many times they adjusted them and ran back to the table with justifying their increases and some were way off too. It's all about the math and we have lawmakers in California that don't get it just like we have in Congress, too complicated, I don't want to deal with it right? I think we are seeing a lot of this today. The COs and folks that do have this in their background are stressed and dropping like flies too all over and I understand that very well as I have dealt with that for much of my time in technology, it's thankless, misunderstood and you deal with people who have shut off their learning faucet and fabricate a lot and its' hard. There are also those who read and want to learn and work with you too but we all have the folks that feel threatened and well look what we see in the news today with the GOP, craziness and to me it all comes back to not knowing what to say or do with not participating in at least a medium level of consumer IT literacy. Makes for good OMG news but that's about it. BD
A bill that would allow California officials to regulate health insurance rates for millions of consumers has died in the Legislature after forceful lobbying campaigns by insurers, healthcare providers and other groups.
Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) said he is pulling his measure, AB52, because he could not muster a majority of votes in the state Senate, the final stop in a months-long effort to increase state regulators' authority over health insurance premiums.
Feuer said he is putting his bill on hold until next year, when it can be taken up again. It marks the fourth time in four years that Democratic lawmakers have failed to win support for insurance oversight that would mirror the type of regulation already in place for auto policies.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insurance-regulation-20110901,0,4400280.story?track=rss&dlvrit=52116
Technorati Tags: California,lawmakers,digital literacy,healthcare,premiums,consumers,complcated,Health IT
Well here's one more not for the consumer. If you read through the article in the LA Times the bill died as lobbying efforts claimed here w...
Insurance , Medically Related , My Commentaries
United Healthcare To Buy Huge Chunk of Orange County, California Managed Care Business with the Purchase of Monarch Healthcare–Subsidiary Watch
This is in my back yard in the OC and for a few doctors I know this just might be the big push to start a Concierge Medical Office. Newport Beach which is south of where I live has a ton of affluent residents and the Boutique practices there do well as money for many in the area is not a problem. Monarch has been around for many years and they are at all the Hoag Hospital money raising events and is very active, so things might be changing in time.
What will be interesting though is to see if the reimbursement changes and of course that's at the top of every MD's mind, so I don't see much excitement about this at all here. I know have friends that won't be excited with the news who are patients. Back in March of this year they closed a big office in Orange County and you can read more about how that went down, employees bused to a hotel and given their papers after an instant message.
UnitedHealthcare Lays Off 180 Employees In Orange County-Initial Notification Sent By Instant Message to Those Affected
With 2300 doctors in the HMO, with recent mergers and acquisitions is this a basket full of doctors to sell an EHR too as they do sell and have sold a medical records system for years under the former name of Ingenix, now known as Optum. Sometimes you run into situations like this to where one division of a big conglomerate cuts rates with one subsidiary and then the other rushes in to sell software.
Subsidiary Watch-Corporate Conglomerate Insurers Reduce Compensation Contracts Using One Subsidiary Then Market Same MDs With Another Subsidiary in Health IT
Also the company recently bought another huge HMO group in Long Beach and I would say the two are perhaps close in size but bottom line is both are huge
OptumHealth (Subsidiary of United Healthcare) Takes Over Memorial IPA in California-Subsidiary Watch
We never did get our government REC center started in the OC either and I just kind of wonder where the money went on that too, and again with the post above with selling medical records, does this give anyone an unfair advantage for sales? It does make you wonder and again why the REC center never got off the ground and I'm just speaking out loud here but there's no REC center to offer any help to the doctors in the OC.
Orange County California REC Center For Doctor Assistance with Medical Records Appears to be a Bust So Far…
I have heard from a few doctors on how the deductions of claims that get rescinded after payment have been a hassle with United as they just take a deduction out of a check and the claim that is not being paid does not even include the patient who is being denied, a nightmare for doctors and a recent study said it costs a doctor about $83k a year to keep up with the likes of all of this. We have one first class hospital that kicked United out the door when it came to employer provided insurance and companies all over the OC were looking for another carrier when the United/Pacificare contracts were re-negotiated.
Employers in Orange County Looking for New HMO Contracts as St. Josephs and Some Others Begin Cancelling Agreements with Pacificare (UnitedHeatlhCare) – Employer Capitation Contracts
I guess Hoag Hospital though is happy to have the affluent residents to help make up for the other side of things as who knows how new contracts will end up shaking out when they come up for renewal. When it comes to patents too with Health IT, United is right up there too so things don't come cheap in that department or some subsidiaries either.
QualityMetric/Ingenix (United HealthCare) Receives Patent for Patient Health Survey Algorithms-Subsidiary Watch
And here's a few more back posts on their subsidiaries…think they are only insurance, well they are very heavily invested in Health IT these days as well and the acquisitions have been steady for them over the last 3 years or so.
UnitedHealth Group Owns a Bank With Deposits Surpassing a Billion – OptumHealth Bank FDIC Insured
"OptumHealth offers three types of HSAs, as well as tax-advantaged health care savings and spending accounts, debit-card services, benefits administration services, and payment products. About three-quarters of the bank's 1.6 million accounts are employer-generated, while the other quarter are individual accounts."
There's also the Chinese investment the company bought early in 2010.
UnitedHealth subsidiary (Ingenix Subsidiary I3) Acquires ChinaGate – Working to Sell Chinese Products Globally
These are just a few examples of some of the subsidiaries of the company and why even sometimes judges find themselves in some potential conflict areas as the daisy chains of subsidiaries grow, they don't even keep track or are cognizant that the company they have owned stock in for many years, due to quickly adapting business algorithms used today, is not the same. The former Ingenix division (now Optum) makes money with pretty much just selling data and creating software algorithms.
Back a year or so ago the AMA fought and won a lawsuit against the Ingenix division for short paying doctors and patients for almost 15 years and it was Andrew Cuomo of New York who got the ball rolling there. In some parts of the country through wellness subsidiaries pharmacists even get to earn pay for performance money from signing people up in wellness programs, and what that amount is we don't know but the retail drug chain, Walgreens says their data selling business is worth just under $800 Million.
UnitedHealth, YMCA Expand Diabetes Prevention Program with P4P for Walgreens
Last but not least, let's not forget the CEO is the highest paid in the US for public companies, and they are still making record profits. I just try to break down the business areas for awareness so consumers and others understand a bit more about the big corporate world of subsidiaries today that normally may not be thought about, seen or recognized. BD
UnitedHealth Group Inc. will acquire the operations of a major southern California physician group, in the latest example of how lines are blurring between insurance companies and health-care providers.
The purchase of the management arm of Monarch HealthCare, an Irvine, Calif., association that includes approximately 2,300 physicians in a range of specialties, establishes United's Optum health-services unit as a formidable presence in the region. Optum had previously taken over the management arms of two smaller southern California groups, AppleCare Medical Group and Memorial HealthCare Independent Practice Association.
Monarch said in a statement that it "has agreed to enter a strategic relationship with Optum to support our physicians in providing high-quality, cost-effective patient care in Orange County, California."
United has said in the past that providers acquired by Optum will not work exclusively with United's health plan, and will continue to contract with an array of insurers. But in one sign of the potential complications that might ensue, Monarch is currently in an arrangement with United competitor WellPoint Inc. to create a cooperative "accountable-care organization" aimed at bringing down health-care costs and improving quality.
Technorati Tags: Monarch Healthcare,HMOs,UnitedHealthcare,revenue,profits,layoffs,Orange County,Medicare,health insurance
This is in my back yard in the OC and for a few doctors I know this just might be the big push to start a Concierge Medical Office. Newport...
When Will MDs Prescribe Life Extending Drugs Such as Provenge–Reimbursement And Delivery Matters
Fierce Pharma in conjunction with Sermo, the doctor's social network have compiled a survey of interest with regards to prescribing life extending drugs, Provenge is the big example that stands out. It is not cheap. You can view the full results of the survey from the link below and can download the full survey report. Over 68% voiced a concern with either reimbursement or drug delivery.
Sermo-medical-ethics-life-extending-drugs Survey Results
Back in July Fierce Pharma and Sermo announced they would be working together to bring some of the information from Sermo, the private doctors' social network in order to bring forward what the doctor's opinions are, rather than just seeing an investor's take as we do on the web.
Sermo and FiercePharma Partner to Allow Readers to Have Access to Sermo's Online Information
With other types of oncology drugs, some of which are now in short supply, the oncologists changed their treatment from out of the office to having patients visit hospitals as sometimes the reimbursement efforts left them out of pocket to cover the cost of the drugs up front and then fighting a claim later to get paid. In the survey,some doctors also mentioned that the cost for such drugs should not go over $60,000 while others said that $10,000 should be the cap.
One oncologist is quoted below in the report/survey:
"I have not used the agent and have no plans yet. FYI the majority of eligible patients are in their 80s, so placing dialysis catheter in their neck and hooking them up to pheresis machine is not a little fit." - Oncologist on Sermo
Just last week, yet another expensive drug was approved by the FDA at $13,500 a dose with several doses being the norm and I had a reader asking me about Zytiga on where he could get help as he said he had insurance but still needed to pay $25,000 out of pocket.
Seattle Genetics Receives FDA Approval for Lymphoma Drug Adcetris Set to Cost $13,500 a Dose–A Dendreon Rerun?
It's good to get the doctor's input for a change as they are the ones with the doctor-patient relationship and prescribe treatment. Hopefully there will be additional surveys to follow but the question of reimbursement is big and rightly so, how can we afford the drugs as even with insurance there's still some big potential cost involved here. One more tidbit here relative to Provenge which was in the news of late as the FDA just approved another facility, however it looks like they will be laying people off. If you have followed the development of the drug over the last 3 years with all the news, it has been a rocky, bumpy and political ride. BD
Dendreon CEO Dumped $1M Stock Before Admitting They Will Not Meet Their Projections for the Year–Layoffs?
A new, free Sermo survey of experts on the front lines in cancer care may help address the crucial ethical question of how to measure life-extending medical treatments' cost versus benefits. Feedback from approximately 100 oncologists and urologists in the United States shows that financial and treatment administration issues facing Dendreon's Provenge for prostate cancer could signal a trend for other life-extending medicines and provide valuable insight to the biopharmaceutical industry overall. According to Sermo, these results provide a clearer, more relevant, real-world picture of doctors' views on the specific dollar value of a clinically-proven survival benefit.
Among the key findings:
A large majority (68%) of the physicians believes that in order to prescribe Provenge or a similar life-extending treatment, the survival benefit must be seven months or more.
More than 30 percent say a medicine needs to add at least one year of life.
The overwhelming majority (86%) of the respondents believes that such medicines should cost no more than $60,000.
More than half of the doctors (57%) believe the price should be less than $30,000.
Nearly one-fifth (19%) of those surveyed think the cost needs to be under $10,000.
In addition, most of the specialists participating in the survey also say they have major financial concerns for themselves and their patients when prescribing life-extending treatments.
More than two-thirds (68%) do not believe they will be reimbursed if they have to purchase the drug out of their own pocket in advance, as is needed for Provenge.
The same 68% indicate the co-pay is a major concern for their patients.
About SERMO
Sermo is the largest online physician network in the United States, with more than 120,000 doctors, spanning 68 specialties. Sermo surveys leverage a level of candor and openness that many doctors maintain on social media, resulting in a more accurate measurement of true prescribing behavior inside the clinic. According to the Manhattan Research study called, "Taking the Pulse® v11.0," information physicians receive from colleague consults has the greatest influence on their clinical decisions, and healthcare provider portal sites, such as as Sermo, have the best reach amongst online physicians. The report also shows that of the nearly one-fourth of physicians already using online communities or social networks, 84% have visited Sermo in the last three months, more than three times the next largest competitor.
Technorati Tags: FierceMarkets,Sermo,partnership,doctors,regulatory information,patients,cancer,surveys,healthcare,social networks,reimbursement
Fierce Pharma in conjunction with Sermo, the doctor's social network have compiled a survey of interest with regards to prescribing life ext...
Prognosis Health EHR System Buys Creative Healthcare Patient Accounting Company
Software companies continue to merge and acquire one another, the merging of the software algorithms. In this case the EHR system will be adding more financial accounting modules, and this seems to be pretty common place today to add the financial and/or billing capabilities to medical record systems. BD
Houston-based Prognosis Health Information Systems Inc. is acquiring Creative Healthcare Systems Inc., based in Springfield, Mo.
Creative Healthcare Systems developed MedGenix, a financial management and patient accounting system. Prognosis developed ChartAccess Comprehensive EHR, an electronic medical-records system. The acquisition will allow Prognosis to add 18 new modules to its health-record system.
"Hospitals today — both big and small — are seeking to implement comprehensive, enterprise-wide solutions that can help them optimize both their clinical and financial operations," Jay Colfer, executive vice president of client solutions for Prognosis, said in a statement. "With this acquisition, Prognosis will be able to do just that."
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/08/30/prognosis-health-acquiring-medical.html
Technorati Tags: Prognosis,Creative Healthcare,EHR,medical records,Health IT,patient accounting,medical billing
Software companies continue to merge and acquire one another, the merging of the software algorithms. In this case the EHR system will be a...
Medically Related , Technology
Illinois Doctors and Hospitals Refusing to Participate in Pilot Medicaid Managed Care Program Run by Commercial Insurers
The program is being run by two insurance companies, Aetna and Centene-IlliniCare and I am guessing the reimbursement rates are at the heart of the issue, what else today? Many patients will need to change doctors and care facilities.
As what happens today with changes with doctors and care facilities, everybody has to get their data together and it becomes a big mess for the patients and the doctors. BD
CHICAGO — Many doctors and hospitals are refusing to participate in Illinois' pilot Medicaid managed care program, forcing some patients to find new health care providers, according to a published report.
Leading medical centers have refused to join the cost-saving program starting in six northern Illinois counties.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and the University of Chicago Medical Center are among hospitals that so far have chosen not to take part.
In contrast, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center has joined the program.
Loyola University Health System said in a statement that it wasn't participating for now because "our expenses for Medicaid exceed our reimbursement."
Brent Estes, a vice president at Rush Medical Center, said managed care plans can force oppressive administrative requirements and hunt for ways to restrict payments to hospitals.
Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said she found it "disappointing" that health care providers were resisting the change.
http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/7295665-418/area-doctors-and-hospitals-snub-medicaid-managed-care-program.html
Technorati Tags: Medicaid,Chicago,Illinois,hospitals,doctors,health insurance,HMO,patients
The program is being run by two insurance companies, Aetna and Centene-IlliniCare and I am guessing the reimbursement rates are at the heart...
Pruning Shears in a Freak Accident End Up Inside Man's Head-Full Recovery Expected
This is a strange picture as he accidentally lost his balance and pretty much fell on the clippers.
Half the the pruning shears were in his head! Luckily he didn't lose either of his eyes, but the x-ray is just dumb founding. BD
Leroy Luetscher dropped a pair of pruning shears while working in his yard in Green Valley, south of Tucson, on July 30, the University Medical Center in Tucson said in a news release.
The shears landed in the ground point downward. When Luetscher bent down to pick them up, he overbalanced and fell face-down on the handle, which punched through his eye socket and went down into his neck.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/30/us-arizona-shears-idUSTRE77T4Y020110830
Technorati Tags: Accident,x-ray,accidents,pruning shears,hospital,Tucson,Arizona
This is a strange picture as he accidentally lost his balance and pretty much fell on the clippers. Half the the pruning shears were in h...
Medically Related , Other Items of Interest
Windows Phone + Windows7 + Kinect + Surface + Speech Recognition – Wicked Technology and Integration
Wicked is about the best word I could come up with here. When you watch the demonstration of all of these technologies together this is amazing. I have used all of them separately but have never seen anything like this. So far I'm a happy camper too with my Windows Phone and recently read where it's the most secure device out there and that's what I wanted. If you have never seen any of Dr. Neil Roodyn's material, he's always coming up with a surprise and has been a very long time tablet developer.
Cellphone Died This Week–My New Phone is Windows Mobile 7 - I Wanted Security, Privacy and Applications - In That Order
As mentioned below this is "in the wild" and done in Australia and not here in the US but they are a Microsoft partner by all means. BD
NSquared
What could this do in healthcare? Any ideas? I tried and put my thinking cap on and for some reason it was not working too well as I tried to come up with an idea that could use all of the technologies at once, and I'm sure there's ideas out there but my tired brain couldn't think today. BD
Another post, another video featuring Microsoft Surface. This time, it's nsquared, a Microsoft Partner from Australia who showed off this impressive demo during the TechEd Australia 2011 developer keynote this week.
I thought the integration of Surface and Windows Phone was particularly impressive and seeing a developer using the voice capability of Kinect was also cool.
As Long Zheng notes, you sometimes see this kind of integrated demo in our vision videos (or sometimes in Craig Mundie demos) but to see it in the wild is testament to what's possible and to the capability of nsquared. Kudos to them!
http://blogs.technet.com/b/next/archive/2011/08/30/windows-phone-windows-7-kinect-surface-coolness.aspx
Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Kinect,Windows 7,Surface,technology,HealthIT,Integration,software,hardware
Wicked is about the best word I could come up with here. When you watch the demonstration of all of these technologies together this is ama...
Microsoft/Windows News , Other Items of Interest , Technology
Senator Grassley Holds a Town Hall Meeting–States He Knows Only Knows of One Member of Congress Who Really Wants to Privatize Social Security-But He's Not Telling (Video)
Well, well we could go all kinds of places with this and based on what has been all over the news of late, does he have his facts right? I wonder. You can listen to the town hall meeting. I have to say one thing though is that he does at least have a town hall meeting as in my area in the OC which is a GOP rep we get robocalls…"hi..I'm….and so you glad you could be on the line to talk with me tonight"…disgusting and pretty useless and they talk more about the tomato plants on the office patio than anything else.
Corporate Taxes and Lack of Legal Digital Literacy Allow Big US Corporations To Stash Billions Overseas, Pharma, Tech, All Well Represented (60 Minutes) (Video)
Just one more digitally illiterate member of Congress without an Algo man and no clue on how technology and algorithms have shifted the money in the US over the last few years, they are killing us. We have them in both parties and mixed in with executive positions too with HHS playing around with a Facebook app so more of our data can be mined and give even more profits to big business while selling our confiscated data off the web, they don't get it. BD
IBM Watson Did Get a Chance to Go To Congress-Should be a Permanent Home For Greater Intelligence for Creating Laws
I wonder if Grassley anytime in the future will let us know who that "one" is? BD
Grassley Social Security Town Hall Meeting
During a town hall in Carroll, Iowa last night, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) fielded question after question from constituents who were furious at Republican efforts to weaken Social Security. Midway through the event, one Iowan stood and told Grassley his personal story about retiring in 2008 just as the stock market cratered, decimating his IRA and 401k retirement plans.
He implored Grassley not to privatize Social Security, asking if he should expect "to live on whatever the stock market leaves me?" After the crowd gave the constituent loud applause, Grassley responded that he only knows of "one member out of 535 who wants to privatize Social Security."
GRASSLEY: First of all, I've already answered the first question. Everything's on the table. Secondly, I only know of one member of Congress out of 535, and I won't name him, but I only know of one member out of 535 who wants to privatize Social Security.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/30/308015/chuck-grassley-privatize-social-security/
Technorati Tags: Grassley,social security,town halls,economy,Wall Street,401k,finances,Congress,digital illiteracy
Well, well we could go all kinds of places with this and based on what has been all over the news of late, does he have his facts right? I ...
Medically Related , My Commentaries , Personal Health Records
The process uses UnitedHealth claims data and other demographic information to flag people at risk of developing diabetes and invite them to a free, 16-session exercise and nutrition class at a local YMCA. Those who already have diabetes receive a 45 minute assessment unless anything has changed. This goes back to the original announcement of the program. As it was originally quoted, the YMCA would get around $300 for someone who completed the YMCA program and the Walgreens pharmacists get some form of pay for performance.
UnitedHealthCare To Use Data Mining Algorithms On Claim Data To Look For Those At "Risk" of Developing Diabetes – Walgreens and the YMCA Benefit With Pay for Performance Dollars to Promote and Supply The Tools
In March of this year the program was expanded to Atlanta.
United Healthcare Expanding Diabetes Prevention & Predictive Algorithm Program With Walgreens And Pay for Performance Incentives In Atlanta
Again the use of analytics comes into play here as well and Walgreens not too long ago said their data selling business was worth just under $800 million. People may get healthier with participation and data will more than likely be sold to make money off of selling the patient data at the same time. It all seems to work hand in hand anymore. BD
DALLAS – UnitedHealthcare, area YMCAs and local pharmacies have announced they will partner to launch the "NOT ME" diabetes prevention program of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (DPCA), an employer- and community-based initiative aimed at diabetes prevention.
Part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program is a 16-session lifestyle intervention conducted in a group setting through local YMCAs intended to help people with prediabetes and others at risk, prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes through healthier eating, increased physical activity and other lifestyle changes.
According to UnitedHealth, the NOT ME program it is helping to sponsor marks the first time a health plan is paying for evidence-based diabetes prevention and working actively with pharmacists to help people with their diabetes management programs. The DPCA, which runs the program, was founded in 2010 by UnitedHealth Group, the YMCA and Walgreens.
The NOT ME program uses the findings of a clinical trial of the Diabetes Prevention Program the was led by the NIH with support from the CDC. The trial showed that lifestyle changes for people with prediabetes, which include modest weight reduction, can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by 58 percent.
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/unitedhealth-ymca-local-pharmacies-team-diabetes-prevention?topic=05,19
Technorati Tags: UnitedHealthare,algorithms,doctor,primary care,pay for performance,YMCA,Walgreens,transactions,analysis,wellness,pharmacists,Texas
The process uses UnitedHealth claims data and other demographic information to flag people at risk of developing diabetes and invite them to...
Insurance , Medically Related , Pharma/FDA News
Don't Get Stuck in the IT Past–Locked in an 8 Track World–VM Limited (Video-Humor)
This is funny and we may guess who VM Limited might be and there's a company having their big meeting this week with a similar name. Now I do have to say, "locked in an 8 track world also very well applies to many of our members of Congress too, doesn't this guy look like some of them <grin>. I love the van and portable office here too, good work on some funny humor here on selling virtual and cloud services. BD
More Congressional Testimonies About Health IT–Members of Congress Could Entertain Getting an "Algo Man" on Staff As Wall Street and Health Insurers Have Them–Don't Leave Home Without One
Some IT providers claim they have a cloud solution but they really offer something less. They don't offer common management tools that allow you to easily manage and migrate across your private and public clouds. They don't allow you to manage deep within your applications. And they require licensing that charges more, the more you use.
If you're ready to move to a cloud, try a private cloud solution from Microsoft. It's built for the future and ready now. Find out more at http://aka.ms/VMltd.
http://vmlimited.ctp.trafficmgr.com/
Technorati Tags: VMLimited,Microsoft,technology,70s,software,virtualization,cloud computing,Health IT,Humor
This is funny and we may guess who VM Limited might be and there's a company having their big meeting this week with a similar name. Now I ...
Microsoft/Windows News , Need a Laugh , Technology
AMA Issues Response to CMS Bundled Payment Initiative–Short and Sweet-Be Prepared to Provide Technical Assistance And Data To the Doctors Beyond a Website
I like this answer as the AMA is of course stating they are pleased with the options and opportunities, but they are also real in this statement. It's confusing, tough and a lot of information to read through and practices will have a lot of questions and will need "Health IT" support (let's not forget this involves billing) to get set up on the initiatives and it could even go beyond this level I would guess with maybe even getting to the point of helping the doctors with their discussions with the hospitals.
CMS Created Four Bundled Plans for Payment and Is Looking for Hospitals and Physicians to Participate
In case you missed it a couple weeks ago a report is out that states it costs doctors a ton of money already annually to keep up with the insurer red tap so add this to till? By the time all the bills are paid, here in southern California, I have a few former MD clients that don't even clear 100k a month for themselves! When I spoke at the e-MDs annual meeting I spoke with a clinic that had each doctor working from 8 am to 8 pm and seeing over 100 patients a day! They weren't complaining but trying to figure out how to further automate and gee that is getting harder to do! Remember these practices still need to see patients as it is still the people business and the small practices are not just small data silos that see patients on the side.
Health Insurance Paper Work Costs Doctors an Average of $83k a Year
Now if that isn't enough, listen up and read here on the CIO side of things and how the ICD-10 is the straw that is ready to break the camel's back.
Dr. Halamka Speaks About Health IT–"CIOs are on Overload" and It Would be A Blessing to Stall Off ICD-10 to 2016 - The Straw Breaking the Camel's Back
This is a good statement as we have so many in positions that are making these timeline and data decisions, who don't do any of this themselves!! Get a clue soon, please! Non participant executives who don't understand Health IT and data flows are killing us as they don't get it and have absolutely "no hands on" experience to help them in this area.
They can't debug themselves!!
Meaningful Use-Money And Data Being Thrown Every Which Way To See What Sticks With Limited Expertise And Not Enough Time at the Top to Lead a Full Debugging Process
Shoot CMS this is still the people business and look at how you want everyone to find the time do all of this. Consumers have just pretty much shunned it as they want to spend all the time to learn and only get involved in tracking down information when a claim is denied. We don't even have an active REC center in Orange County, California either, and I guess they got the money but zero has been done and their information page is still part of the over all Cal-Optima Medicaid insurance site as that's who received the contract.
Does our Surgeon General get involved here as she would be a good one having her great background with doctors and patients before her appointment, as she battled this stuff but I'm guessing she's on overload right now too. How about this from a year ago with improving Health literacy? I hear nothing from anyone being a role model and working with all of this data and billing themselves, so how in the world do they know what the real work load is, they don't. I have blogged about our lack of role models for over 2 years now and we still get these timelines and additional red tape sent the way of both doctors and patients from the "non participants" that have no clue.
HHS National Plan to Improve Health Literacy – Not Going To Happen Until We Focus on Using Technology (The Tool for Literacy) Which Includes Role Models at HHS And Other Places in Government
Again, nice statement from the AMA with being realistic here and putting the cards on the table right up front, help the practices and do more than just put out information on websites, as that's about all we see right now with some pretty unattainable standards. due dates, and wishes being put forth. BD
Immediate Past-President, American Medical Association
"The American Medical Association (AMA) appreciates CMS' responsiveness to our interest in bundled payments. We are pleased the initiative provides flexibility and a range of models. This may be an important opportunity to learn how to organize these approaches to improve patient care, quality, cost of care, and practice economics.
"We look forward to reviewing the details of the application criteria, and we urge CMS to encourage applications for physician-led bundling initiatives. We urge CMS to be prepared to provide technical assistance and data to interested physicians who may not have experience with bundled payment models."
Technorati Tags: CMS,bundled payments,healthcare,Health IT,Medicare,surgery,programs,applications,AMA
I like this answer as the AMA is of course stating they are pleased with the options and opportunities, but they are also real in this state...
NHS Doctors to Use "Redneck Telehealth" Also Known as "Skype"–A Good Thing
A while back I wrote about this topic with a friend who was out of town and needed to talk with his doctor long distance and the doctor wanted to know about his toe, so I said "Get on Skype put your toe up there". You can read more at the link below, but gee, why not? Both the doctor and friend were happy with the suggestion and Skype is so widely known already too. They had a great foot conference out of this:)
And Now A Word About "Redneck Telehealth" Brought to You by Skype and Microsoft
I had a ton of comments on this as well as pretty much everyone agreed and the reason for the "redneck" name is due to the fact that this is off the cuff as far as having a software system that does this automatically to document everything so in the meantime it's Redneck healthcare, but it works! Back when I wrote this a few months ago, Microsoft here in the US said they were also looking at incorporating Skype where they could but it may be a while before we hear anything but in the meantime, the NHS is hot after the trail of using Skype. This is a big deal as you don't have to sell the consumers and doctors on "value" either, it's automatically recognized, unlike so much other software and programs that float around out there today too. We are so over done with technologies that offer mobile apps that only do "one thing", a huge glut and the stuff keeps coming. I rant about it all the time and most of the developers that create consumer software don't even think about using themselves to make matters worse. We have ton of innovation in the US, but a big lack of collaboration.
I read today where some VCs left their start ups high and dry so maybe a bit more of that type of action and collaboration might start getting some real attention soon, I hope! If the VCs just only started funding software that does more than "one thing" we would be miles ahead. BD
Patients will be able to hold online consultations with doctors as part of plans to technologically revolutionize the NHS, according to its medical director.
Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said that IT will ''completely change the way we deliver medicine'' making access to GPs at any time a reality and giving patients the ability to talk to specialists anywhere in the country.
The health expert told The Times newspaper he was looking at using online services such as Skype to make the NHS more convenient for users.
''I am looking at how we can put levers into the system to encourage doctors to do online consultations,'' he said.
''Once you have online consultations, it breaks down geographical boundaries. It opens up the specter of 24/7 access.''
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8729069/NHS-doctors-to-examine-sick-patients-over-Skype.html
Technorati Tags: Skype,Microsoft,Redneck,telehealth,humor,dictation,video conferencing,healthcare,Health IT,HIPAA,MD,patients,Gout,Toe,HealthVault NHS
A while back I wrote about this topic with a friend who was out of town and needed to talk with his doctor long distance and the doctor want...


text:
Q: Async load image on swift / ios? here is my situation, ( please be aware i'm starting on iOS dev :) ).
I have a list of feed where the data are beign fetch from firebase, each feed get an image and title in a table view.
I'm looking for a way, that if the user come back to the app without any internet connection, to still display those data, whic have been display before that.
Currently, I'm using this to display the data:
import UIKit
import FirebaseAuth
import FirebaseDatabase
import FirebaseStorage
import SwiftKeychainWrapper
import SwiftyJSON

var posts = [Post]()
var selectedIndexPath: Int = 10

class FeedVC: UIViewController, UITableViewDataSource, UIImagePickerControllerDelegate, UINavigationControllerDelegate, UITableViewDelegate {

@IBOutlet weak var feedTableView: UITableView!

private var readPosts: ObserveTask?

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()

    feedTableView.dataSource = self
    feedTableView.delegate = self

    readPosts = Post.observeList(from: Post.parentReference.queryOrdered(byChild: "privacy").queryEqual(toValue: false))

    {
        observedPosts in

        posts = observedPosts.reversed()
        self.feedTableView.reloadData()
    }
}

override var prefersStatusBarHidden: Bool {
    return true
}

func numberOfSections(in tableView: UITableView) -> Int {
    return 1
}

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
    return posts.count
}

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, heightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
    return UITableViewAutomaticDimension
}

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, estimatedHeightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
    return UITableViewAutomaticDimension
}

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell  {
    let cell = self.feedTableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "MessageCell")! as UITableViewCell

 let imageView = cell.viewWithTag(1) as! UIImageView

    let titleLabel = cell.viewWithTag(2) as! UILabel
    let linkLabel = cell.viewWithTag(3) as! UILabel

    titleLabel.text = posts[indexPath.row].title
    titleLabel.numberOfLines = 0

    linkLabel.text = posts[indexPath.row].link
    linkLabel.numberOfLines = 0

    Storage.getImage(with: posts[indexPath.row].imageUrl){
        postPic in
        imageView.image = postPic
    }

    return cell

}

func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
    guard posts[indexPath.row].title != "COMING SOON" else {
        return
    }
           selectedIndexPath = indexPath.row
          self.performSegue(withIdentifier: "push", sender: self)
            self.feedTableView.reloadData()    }

}

How is this possible to do ? I've been looking from NSUR function, is this a good start ?
Thanks a lot for your time !

A: Use core data to store images or
If You probably don't want to store these images in Core Data, since that can impact performance if the data set grows too large. Better to write the images to files.
NSData *pngData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);

This pulls out PNG data of the image you've captured. From here, you can write it to a file:
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsPath = [paths objectAtIndex:0]; //Get the docs directory
NSString *filePath = [documentsPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"image.png"]; //Add the file name
[pngData writeToFile:filePath atomically:YES]; //Write the file

Reading it later works the same way. Build the path like we just did above, then:
NSData *pngData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
UIImage *image = [UIImage imageWithData:pngData];

What you'll probably want to do is make a method that creates path strings for you, since you don't want that code littered everywhere. It might look like this:
- (NSString *)documentsPathForFileName:(NSString *)name
{
    NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory,NSUserDomainMask, YES);
    NSString *documentsPath = [paths objectAtIndex:0];

    return [documentsPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:name];
}

Hope that's helpful.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Lalit Parimoo is an Indian actor who has appeared in numerous dramas, TV soaps and Bollywood films. His latest bollywood appearances include those in Agent Vinod and Haider.
Lalit Parimoo is an Indian actor who has appeared in numerous dramas, TV soaps and Bollywood films. His latest bollywood appearances include those in Agent Vinod and Haider. Lalit Parimoo was born in the year 1964. He graduated with Political Science from Delhi University in the year 1985, and since then has been active as an actor. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has appeared in numerous dramas, TV soaps and Bollywood films. His well-known performances include those in popular TV shows like 'Shaktimaan', 'Kora Kagaz', 'Shakalaka Boom Boom' and 'Remix' among others. After making small appearances in films like Sanshodhan (1996) and Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa (1998), he bagged a notable role in the Govinda starrer, Hum Tumpe Marte Hain (1999).His latest bollywood appearances include those in Agent Vinod (2012) and Haider (2014).


As I wrote last month, I am now in New York working on Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, in a large-scale production at the Juilliard School, with Stephen Wadsworth stage directing and Zack Winokur creating the choreography, and for the first time ever, bringing the Vocal Arts department, the Dance department and the Historical Performance department (providing the period orchestra) of Juilliard together in a full-fledged collaboration. Now that I am in the middle of that work, I can attest to the extremely high caliber of the singers and the players – and I have even discovered several orchestral players who are originally from the Northwest, and encouraged them to come back after their training. The Juilliard Historical Performance program has become the most important supplier of new and qualified baroque instrumentalists to baroque orchestras all over the country and the rest of the world. If talented musicians from the Northwest can come back and contribute to our talent pool sooner than I did (it took me 30 years to get back!) we will all feel the benefits to our cultural life.
On my day off last Sunday I was able to take in a very special concert performance of Handel's Rinaldo at Carnegie Hall with The English Concert and a bevy of vocal stars. My young countertenor friend, Jakub Orlinski (who sang with us last season as the Spirit in our concert of Dido and Aeneas) virtually stole the show, in one of the smaller roles, with his exquisite singing and inventive ornamentation. Jakub, originally from Poland, was the Endimione two years ago in the production of La Calisto that I led with Zack Winokur at Juilliard. Now his career has taken off so fast that he is under exclusive contract with the Warner company, and booked up with productions all over the world. We are still determined to bring him back to Seattle in the coming seasons, and we are also working on bringing French superstar countertenor Philippe Jarousski to Seattle soon. Stay tuned on that front!
Agrippina condotta a morire, is the last scene in the life of the Roman Empress condemned to death by her notorious son, Nero. Armida abbandonata is the emotionally fraught scene from Tasso's epic Gerusalemme liberata where the sorceress Armida has just been abandoned by her lover Rinaldo (the same as the subject of Handel's opera!) – at first she calls on the monsters of the deep to overturn his fleeing ship and for the waves to engulf him, but then calls a halt as she is forced to admit that she still loves him and cannot condemn him to death.
Please note that we have changed the locations of these concerts.
May 12th at 7:30pm will be at St Stephens Episcopal Church in Laurelhurst, and May 13th at 2pm will be at Trinity Parish Church.
On May 13 please bring your mother (or your favorite mother of someone else) to celebrate Mother's Day with us.


text:
Home » Products » Roden Aircraft 1/72 Gotha G V German Strategic BiPlane Bomber Kit
Roden Aircraft 1/72 Gotha G V German Strategic BiPlane Bomber Kit
Estimated Processing Time: 2-3 Business Days
SKU: ROD-16
The World's first strategic bomber, the Gotha G.IV, was adopted for military service in late 1916. It was one of the most modern and innovative planes of its time, but after acquiring combat experience, the necessity for improvements had become obvious, first for better flight performance as well as crew member conditions.
One of the major problems for the previously built Gotha bombers was the fuel tank installation, both tanks being arranged too close to the engines. In case of an emergency landing the probability of a fire was very likely. Of all the bombers lost in action, 75% were lost during unsuccessful landings; this problem demanded immediate attention.
During October of 1916 German Air Command (the Idflieg) ordered 100 aircraft from the Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG. A new modification yielded the Gotha G.V. The first planes reached Bogohl 3 in August of the next year. The main difference between the G.V and its predecessor was the engine installation in the small streamlined nacelles between the wings, fuel tanks were moved into the fuselage. But performance had not increased; to the contrary, maximum speed and climb were slightly reduced and take-off weight increased. In any case, all these problems had been compensated for by an increase safety during landing.
After the first successful raid over Folkestone on May 25, 1917, Bogohl 3 bombed the British Isles seven times, the last daylight raid took place on August 12th 1917. But the newly created British "Home Defense Network" proved to be very effective, and losses of the strategic bombers increased from raid to raid. Since September of 1917, German bombers would take-off for their important missions only at night. The hazards of night flying added additional dangers, but most problems centered around landing, the crew being exhausted after flying the the long raids couldn't control the heavy aircraft, and the center gravity change after dropping the bombs caused the plane to be unstable.
To reduce the danger of flipping over during landing, Gothaer Waggonfabrik designed a special auxiliary landing gear, named Stossfahràstell. Two of these devices were mounted in front of each main landing gear. This improvement was very effective, and soon all previously built Gotha G.V's delivered to the Bogohl 3 without the Stossfahrastell were retrofitted with it.
The Gothaer Waggonfabrik built 100 aircraft with the G.V modifications, all of these aircraft served with Bogohl 3; the total quantity of Gotha G.V's on the front during April of 1918 was 36 aircraft, not including the G.IV, G.V, G.Vb.
Soon after the Armistice, all "Night Bombers", including the Gotha G.V, were destroyed in accordance with the terms of the Versailles Treaty.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Facing difficulties in learning Chinese?
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text:
import React from "react";
import { connect } from "react-redux";
// import { populateAcceptedCommentsStore, changeCommentStatusToRejected } from '../../actions';
import Radium from "radium";
import _ from "lodash";
import {VictoryChart} from "victory-chart";
import {VictoryLine} from "victory-line";
import {VictoryBar} from "victory-bar";
import {VictoryAxis} from "victory-axis";

// @connect(state => state.stats)
@Radium
class CommentersVoters extends React.Component {
  static propTypes = {
    dispatch: React.PropTypes.func,
    params: React.PropTypes.object,
    data: React.PropTypes.object,
    chartWidth: React.PropTypes.number,
    chartHeight: React.PropTypes.number
  }
  render() {
    return (
      <VictoryChart
        width={this.props.chartWidth}
        height={this.props.chartHeight}
        scale={{
          x: d3.time.scale(this.props.data.firstVoteTimes),
          y: d3.scale.linear()
          }}>
        <VictoryLine
          style={{
            data: {
              strokeWidth: 2,
              stroke: "tomato"
            }
          }}
          data={this.props.data.firstCommentTimes.map((timestamp, i) => {
            return {x: timestamp, y: i};
          })}/>
        <VictoryLine
          style={{
            data: {
              strokeWidth: 2,
              stroke: "gold"
            }
          }}
          data={this.props.data.firstVoteTimes.map((timestamp, i) => {
            return {x: timestamp, y: i}
          })}/>
        <VictoryAxis
          orientation="bottom"/>
        <VictoryAxis
          dependentAxis
          label={"Participants"}
          style={{
            label: {
              fontSize: "8px"
            }
          }}
          orientation={"left"}/>
      </VictoryChart>
    )
  }
}

export default CommentersVoters;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
H&Co
Civic Identity
Civilising the Workplace
All Featured Projects
Boxes List
Helin & Co Designs Metsä Pavilion for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo
Helin & Co Architects is designing a wooden Metsä pavilion to be used during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The pavilion will rise to the site of the Finnish Embassy in Japan, which is centrally located in Tokyo near the Roppongi district.
Primary-Stingy Block of Flats Awarded in World Architecture News Awards
The "Primary-Stingy Block of Flats" designed by Helin & Co Architects has received Highly Commended award in the Affordable Housing category in WAN-Awards 2018, one of the largest international architecture awards. The awards aim to promote and celebrate the latest in architectural schemes. The award ceremony was held in London last November.
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre Received ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture – Winner Award
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre has been awarded again, this time in Winner category of the ICONIC AWARDS 2018: Innovative Architecture. Originally established on the initiative of the German Bundestag, the German Design Council is tasked with honouring good design and thus enhancing the quality of life in our society.
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre by Helin & Co Architects Shortlisted for World Architecture Festival Award
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre has yet again gained international recognition, having been shortlisted for an award in 2018 World Architecture Festival in the category Health - Completed Buildings. Kalasatama Health and Well-being centre recently received the European Healthcare Design 2018 Highly Commended Award in London.
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre Received European Healthcare Design – Highly Commended Award
Kalasatama Health and well-being centre received European Healthcare Design – Highly Commended Award. The awards aim to make a significant contribution towards the development of knowledge and standards in the design of healthcare environments around the world. The European Healthcare Design Congress is organised yearly by Architects for Health and SALUS Global Knowledge Exchange.
Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre Shortlisted for European Healthcare Design Award
The awards are organised by Architects for Health and SALUS Global Knowledge Exchange, and will be presented at an illustrious ceremony during the final session of the European Healthcare Design 2018 Congress & Exhibition on 12 June. The awards make a significant contribution towards the development of knowledge and standards in the design of healthcare environments around the world.
Helin & Co Designs a City of over Half a Million Inhabitants in Nepal
Helin & Co Architects will design an urban area of about 50 square kilometres for 500 000–700 000 inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The area lies on the northern side of Bhaktapur, the old capital of the country and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Working Ways Have Been Revamped in the New Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre
Warm atmosphere, clarity, lots of daylight, novel functionality and, above all, user perspective instead of institutional look and exhausting corridors. These are themes that the designers of the Kalasatama Health and Well-being Centre mulled over when they started work on the new building at Helin & Co Architects, commissioned by the City of Helsinki.


text:
Listen to podcast with Rupa Ranganathan about Marketing to U.S. Hispanics & Latin America conference in Miami
Posted by Elena del Valle on January 22, 2007
Click here to sponsor a HispanicMPR.com podcast
Rupa Ranganathan, ethnic strategist and senior vice president, Strategic Research Institute
Photo: Rupa Ranganathan
A podcast interview with Rupa Ranganathan, ethnic strategist and senior vice president, Strategic Research Institute, is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, Rupa discusses the 13th Annual Blockbuster Marketing to U.S. Hispanics & Latin America conference with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
Rupa is responsible for a portfolio of 65 conferences in the multicultural marketing, market development in healthcare, branding, e-marketing, relationship marketing, healthcare and disease management areas. Prior to joining the Strategic Research Institute, Rupa was a conference producer for Global Business Research in New York City. Before that she was general manager of marketing and public relations for the Apollo Hospitals Group in Chennai, India.
Rupa received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Madras University. She has been a multicultural columnist for Retailwire since 2004 and was a judge of the Asian American Advertising Creative Awards for 2005.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see "Podcast" on the right hand side, then select "HMPR Rupa Ranganathan," click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the January 2007 section of the podcast archive.
"A Snapshot of the U.S. Hispanic Market" audio recording
Presenter Michele Valdovinos, vice president, Phoenix Cultural Access Group
Click here to purchase a downloadable or CD recording of "A Snapshot of the U.S. Hispanic Market" by Michele Valdovinos
Click the button to hear the podcast:
https://www.hispanicmpr.com/mp3s/hmprruparanganathanjan2007podcast.mp3


In the light of the information mentioned above, it can almost be taken for granted that there is a huge list of online dating sites available on the internet. Each of such websites have their own pros as well as cons to offer.  Performing a thorough analysis of your requirements and taking them into consideration will enable you to choose the website that is going to be most suitable for you. Take a look at the above mentioned website and you'd be able to find the one that is up to your specifications.
Spanish singles have found that when it comes to online dating, they are much more likely to find a compatible partner through the science and experience of eHarmony's international online dating service. More that 3 million singles in Spain have already found their ideal partner online, and the number is climbing. Whether you live in Madrid, Valencia or Granada - we can help you find that Spanish single you're looking for.


text:
Oakland Unified lacks agreements with teachers and other staff as Aug. 10 school start looms
Posted by jE9T39BeAbBtqga7 on July 31, 2020.
Theresa Harrington / EdSourceOakland Education Association teachers' union president Keith Brown discusses stalled negotiations in a Facebook Live statement on July 30, 2020,Theresa Harrington / EdSourceOakland Education Association teachers' union president Keith Brown discusses stalled negotiations in a Facebook Live statement on July 30, 2020,This story was updated at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday to include the union's latest statements.With just over one week before school starts Aug. 10 in Oakland Unified, the district is still in negotiations with its labor unions on how it will deliver distance learning and how it will determine when it is safe to bring students and staff back to campuses.
Although the district announced tentative plans on July 10 for distance learning and a phased approach to returning to classroom instruction, it alerted parents on Wednesday that it could not release "clear detailed plans to reopen schools" until it establishes agreements with each of its unions, including the Oakland Education Association, which represents teachers.
Keith Brown, teachers' union president, said late Friday that Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell had joined the negotiations. He had criticized her for being absent from the three weeks of bargaining that began July 6.
"The lack of leadership in OUSD administration on this issue is leaving our students, families and all OUSD staff with too many uncertainties," he said in a Facebook live statement Thursday. "Our students deserve the superintendent's full attention on this matter."
We need leadership from @SupKylaOUSD. Show up to the table. pic.twitter.com/Fxjm97Yf3L
— Oakland Education Association (@OaklandEA) July 31, 2020
District spokesman John Sasaki said Johnson-Trammell "will get involved when she can. She's obviously very busy planning out the beginning of school."
Sasaki said the district didn't have a hard deadline for reaching an agreement but wanted to finalize it before school starts Aug. 10.
RelatedSpike in coronavirus cases means some schools won't open at all this fallThe state requires districts to provide 180 days of instruction, establish a minimum number of minutes each day for various grade levels, and require "daily live interaction" between teachers and students. But the state has not specified how much of the instruction must be live — known as "synchronous," versus pre-recorded or delivered through online platforms or paper packets, known as "asynchronous."
Courtesy of Oakland UnifiedOUSD chart showing state distance learning requirements, OUSD proposal and in-person requirements.SB 98, a state education budget trailer bill, requires districts to provide 180 minutes of daily instruction to students in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten through distance learning, 230 minutes to students in grades 1-3 and 240 minutes to students in grades 4-12. The district is proposing to exceed the minimum number of minutes the state requires for distance learning.
Courtesy of Oakland UnifiedOakland Unified chart shows union proposal for synchronous and asynchronous distance learning instructional minutes compared to the district's proposal.The district is also proposing more time than the union for live (synchronous) instruction, as well as recorded lessons or other assignments (asynchronous) at all grade levels. The district said it wants to especially increase time for its "most vulnerable youth who need additional time with teachers and educational supports, while also providing a high-quality rigorous distance learning program for all students." The union is seeking more flexibility, time for planning and "wellness time," which is described as opportunities for teachers to engage in physical and other stress relief. The union also says it is trying to minimize screen time for students.
RelatedSchool district leaders from around the U.S. rethink education, emphasize online learningBoth sides agree that teachers should provide more live instruction than they did in the spring semester.
"But we don't believe you can just jump into that on the first day without providing time for teachers to plan and time for students to adjust," said Chaz Garcia, a peer coach and union 2nd vice president in a statement on Thursday. The union contends that teachers should have paid time before school begins and additional time during the school year to prepare for live instruction. The union late Friday warned the district that it would implement its plans if there is no agreement by Monday. The union wants to be able to have teachers spend the first two weeks of school connecting with parents and students. It also wants the district to provide training for students and families in distance learning. All of those activities would count as live instruction. They called their strategy a "collective work action."
A side-by-side comparison of the district and union proposals created by the union shows that besides disagreeing on the way instruction is delivered, the two sides also disagree on how to determine when it is safe to return to campuses, how soon learning can begin if all students do not have access to technology and the internet, and how school schedules will be created and approved.
RelatedCalifornia school districts brace for an online back-to-school seasonThe union released a video on Monday highlighting its concerns about the high number of Covid-19 cases in Oakland, which it says should be taken into consideration when deciding when it is safe to reopen campuses, instead of relying on average data that spans all of Alameda County. Alameda County is currently on the state's "monitoring list" for Covid-19 cases.
The state has released guidance that says schools cannot open for in-person instruction until the counties in which they are located have been removed from that list for 14 consecutive days. But the union argues that even if the county is removed from the list, the number of cases in Oakland may still be too high to reopen campuses. County data shows that as of Wednesday, 4,458 or 40% of the total 11,131 Covid-19 cases in Alameda County were in Oakland — a much higher number and percentage than in any other city in the county.
Editor's Note: As a special project, EdSource is tracking developments in the Oakland Unified and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts as a way to illustrate some of the challenges facing other urban districts in California. West Contra Costa Unified includes Richmond, El Cerrito and several other East Bay communities.
When California schools reopen, Gov. Newsom envisages major changes in how they are run
Quick Guide: California colleges and universities respond to the coronavirus
Virus outbreaks unavoidable as school campuses reopen, experts warn
California parents weigh risks, benefits of sending kids back to school
Virtual learning hub led by Oakland parent group aims to continue in fall
Power outages hit California as school resumes virtually across the state
Yearning for my pre-pandemic classroom with all its challenges
California's homeless students at risk of falling through the cracks during pandemic
California school unions, district leaders pledge to cooperate on coronavirus challenges
LA Unified plans expanded summer school as 'just about every' student is now connected online
Map: In-Person Instruction and Distance Learning in California as of Oct. 30, 2020
Oakland Unified reaches compromise with teacher's union in distance learning deal
California voters, including parents, have deep concerns about distance learning
Pace of California schools planning to open with distance learning accelerates
Nursing students are eager to answer California's call to help stop coronavirus spread
First few weeks of remote teaching is learning experience for teachers and students
Back to school during a pandemic: Answering your questions
Thousands of Los Angeles high school students are not accessing online learning during school closures
California school districts forced to move to virtual recruiting — and it's working
California's coronavirus crisis, updates from the early days of the lockdown
Previous Post Intergenerational programs can help out-of-school kids
Next PostTo overcome the stress of this pandemic, educators must lead with relationships, routines and resilience


text:
Q: Make png Image cast Shadow i am trying to let my clouds cast a Shadow on a Sphere with an Earth texture.
The clouds are a png texture on a sphere with a bigger radius than the earth Sphere.
The goal ist to achieve a more or less realistic shadow casting.
I am using receiveShadow: true on my earth material and castShadow: true on the clouds Material.

But i am not sure if a png image can cast a shadow like i want it to.
Also the renderer does have:
renderer.shadowMapEnabled = true
renderer.shadowMapType = THREE.PCFSoftShadowMap

Right now it looks like this:

This is my code right now:
// Objects
const earthGeometry = new THREE.SphereGeometry(1, 32, 32);
const cloudGeometry = new THREE.SphereGeometry(1.03, 32, 32);

// Materials
const earthMaterial = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({
    opacity: .8,
    depthWrite: false,
    map: earthTexture,
    bumpMap: bumpMap,
    bumpScale: .05,
    specMap: specMap,
    specular: new THREE.Color("grey"),
    receiveShadow: true
})

const cloudMaterial = new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({
    map: cloudTexture,
    transparent: true,
    castShadow: true
})

// Mesh
const earth = new THREE.Mesh(earthGeometry, earthMaterial)
const clouds = new THREE.Mesh(cloudGeometry, cloudMaterial)

scene.add(earth, clouds)

// Lights
const directionalLight = new THREE.DirectionalLight("#ffffff", 1)
directionalLight.position.set(3, 0, 0)
directionalLight.castShadow = true;
directionalLight.shadowDarkness = .3;

scene.add(directionalLight)

const ambientLight = new THREE.AmbientLight("#ffffff", .20)
scene.add(ambientLight)

/**
 * Renderer
 */
const renderer = new THREE.WebGLRenderer({
    canvas: canvas,
    alpha: true
})
renderer.setSize(sizes.width, sizes.height)
renderer.setPixelRatio(Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2))
renderer.shadowMapEnabled = true
renderer.shadowMapType = THREE.PCFSoftShadowMap

/**
 * Animate
 */

const clock = new THREE.Clock()

const tick = () => {
    const elapsedTime = clock.getElapsedTime()

    // Update objects
    earth.rotation.y = elapsedTime * 0.02
    clouds.rotation.y = elapsedTime * 0.03

    // Update Orbital Controls
    controls.update()

    // Render
    renderer.render(scene, camera)

    // Call tick again on the next frame
    window.requestAnimationFrame(tick)
}

tick()


· Make things happen – or explain why they can't!
To find out more about School Councils, click HERE.
This is an international agreement that 192 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, have signed up to. The Convention gives all children and young people under the age of 18 years old their own set of rights or "articles".


With a red rose in his hand.
I'll shape a gown for thee.
And the primrose in your breast.
That taste both sweet and fine.
That grows among white land.
And broad, broad at the brawn.
And a wind gale at your breast.
And cold, sharp showers of hail.
I'll wish you were away.


The Pizza Calls To Me!
Season 5 of Gotham Comedy Live is well underway! We've had many comedians come and talk about being fat or losing weight. We've compiled our favorite bits so far concerning the 21st Century first-world problem!


I have attached a picture of a vase recently donated to a museum. It is 7 1/4" tall and 4" wide. The left handle has been repaired. If anyone knows how to identify the mark on the bottom of the vase or has any information on the origin of the vase that would be great!


text:
Charles-Philippe Place, francoski rimskokatoliški duhovnik, škof in kardinal, * 14. februar 1814, Pariz, † 5. marec 1893, Rennes.

Življenjepis
30. marca 1850 je prejel duhovniško posvečenje.

6. januarja 1866 je bil imenovan za škofa Marseilla, 22. junija je bil potrjen in 26. avgusta istega leta je prejel škofovsko posvečenje.

13. junija 1878 je bil imenovan za nadškofa Rennesa; potrjen je bil 15. julija istega leta.

7. junija 1886 je bil povzdignjen v kardinala in imenovan za kardinal-duhovnika S. Maria Nuova.

Glej tudi
 seznam francoskih rimskokatoliških škofov
 seznam francoskih rimskokatoliških nadškofov
 seznam francoskih kardinalov

Rojeni leta 1814
Umrli leta 1893
Francoski rimskokatoliški duhovniki
Francoski rimskokatoliški škofje
Francoski rimskokatoliški nadškofje
Francoski kardinali
Rimskokatoliški škofje Marseilla
Rimskokatoliški nadškofje Rennesa
Kardinali, ki jih je imenoval papež Leon XIII.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Biz out of Chicago, Illinois is not very well known to many. However, people may soon begin to catch on to him. I first heard of him from a buddy of mine at the University of Arizona who is great friends with him back home. What I was really impressed with was Biz' flow. His instrumentals could be improved but he could definitely spit some rhymes. Look out for more from Biz in the near future, in the mean time, check out a couple of tracks by him "The Game Needs Me" and "You Are Not Me" which I like a lot. Enjoy!


Consider the following: in 2018, there were over 139 billion emails sent and received every single day. That's billion with a "b". If reading that statistic made your blood pressure rise and wonder how many emails have piled up in your inbox in the last few minutes, you're not alone. For most of us who rely on email as their primary mode of communication, the thought of checking email at 8am on Monday is a task guaranteed to induce stress.
While an incredibly useful tool, Inbox Zero might not be right for everyone. For many, the concept of Inbox Zero might make sense on paper, but difficult to enact on a daily basis. If you're someone for whom the adage of "out of sight, out of mind" applies, Inbox Zero might not be a great fit.
Don't fall into Zero obsession. Keep in mind, the purpose of Inbox Zero is to reduce your email-related anxiety so you can focus on other things. If you're only able to get to it once a week, it's ok!
Once an email is opened, process it. (Remember, delete, delegate, respond, defer, or do).
Interested in learning more about how to apply Inbox Zero? Attend our upcoming Productivity Series event!
Are the tools you use to boost productivity having the opposite effect?


text:
Mark Rose
Daytrotter Session - Mar 22, 2013
Enter Sandman
Decade of a Girl
She Doesn't
How Can You Believe In Me
The way that Mark Rose sees life is as one long road that, before you know it, has curved itself into a horseshoe, or if you're luckier, one long oval. You follow the ruts in that road and then you get old enough to know that there's no one telling you that you must stay in the lines any longer, that it's okay to veer instead of converging on those well-worn tracks. You start to listen to the voices in your head and you start to do what's felt in the guts and in the heart. You're not willing to put much stock in their expertise, but you're going to see where they take you for a while and maybe it will all work out. It's not easy, but it feels it's all you can do to become yourself - to feel like you're living your life the right way. There's no strategy, just trying - just failing and discovering.
The people that Rose sings about never encounter the extraordinary. They stumble themselves right on into the mundane and there's nothing that they find wrong with that. They're the kind of people who - with a good, loving person by their side, a roof over top of their heads and a fair bill of health - would be fine with anything else that's thrown their way. They deal with the loneliness by staring at it. They deal with the presence of imperfect love, with their dreams of something different. They are cautiously optimistic. They are certainly dreamers - gentle, gentle dreamers. They have soft underbellies and they are wounded easily, but they regain full strength and confidence quickly as well, even if they seem to be walking more gingerly than before.
Rose sings here, "If this is how it feels to love, I don't wanna love no more/If this is love to you," and it's a valid concern, this unfamiliarity with the ways of these emotions, just how they're supposed to be applied, how they're supposed to go. There are no cue cards. It's not a problem. It just makes everything trickier. There are here for the long haul though, slugging it out. It's a situation that Rose appreciates.