United Healthcare Buys Catamaran Pharmacy Benefit Manager Just As the PBM Gets Hit With A Class Action Lawsuit For Low Balling Pharmacy Reimbursements..And More Patient Data to Sell and Analyze For Profit

<p>As if there’s not enough pharmacy benefit management taking place at United, the company owns Optum, RX which was formerly known as prescriptive solutions and in some areas that PBM has put some smaller pharmacy benefit managers out of business.  </p> <p>Here’s from the website, same old pharmacy benefit management marketing if you ask me…not <img align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TXCfvYCDCBI/AAAAAAAAsv0/8biVjC7dBI0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" />much new here, just stats, stats and more stats..</p> <p><em>“Catamaran offers a true alternative to the status quo in pharmacy benefit management. You don’t have to choose between the scale and purchasing power of the largest providers and the flexibility and agility of smaller ones. We offer the best of both. At Catamaran we put your individual needs — and those of your members — at the center of our services. We connect pharmacists, doctors and caregivers with prescription data to improve health outcomes, offering the clinical intelligence, technology and scale to lower payer costs while improving member health. Only Catamaran brings together the industry’s best technology with the industry’s most renowned client service model to offer true innovation, real flexibility and powerful results. Stay well ahead of costs. Stay well ahead of health issues. Stay well ahead with Catamaran.”</em></p> <p>About the Catamaran lawsuit, you can <a href="http://pennrecord.com/news/15756-class-action-accuses-catamaran-corp-of-low-balling-pharmacy-reimbursements">read more here</a> on how that goes.  The matter of low balling somehow reminds me of the AMA lawsuit where Ingenix, the former subsidiary of United Healthcare had to settle their class action suit of lowballing doctor payments for 15 years.  That occurred just a few years ago.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/08/ingenix-optum-united-healthcare.html">Ingenix (Optum-United Healthcare) Lawsuits Still Bouncing Around Out There–One Recently Settled in New Jersey With Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield That Was Still Using the Flawed and Corrupt Data Base for Out of Network Payment Calculations</a></h5> <p><em>“In court documents, the pharmacies claim Catamaran inflates the patient’s cost for prescription drugs through overcharging insurance plans while underpaying the pharmacies that dispense the drugs.  Catamaran’s practice of not disclosing new pricing until a claim adjudicates constitutes bad faith and unfair dealing, the claim says, because it denies pharmacies the opportunity to plan for changes in reimbursement and will inevitably cause financial harm to those pharmacies.”</em></p> <p>Of late the company has been putting out press releases about giving away Easter baskets and having an all day city baby shower?  I think that’s all distraction from the business of healthcare that Untied runs.  They make more money selling data than most out there.  Here’s something of contrast worth a look at Johns Hopkins “wants” to be in their network for folks why buy insurance from the exchanges and United fired them.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/11/johns-hopkins-states-insurance-plans.html">Johns Hopkins -Insurance Plans From United Healthcare Bought Via Exchanges Will Not Be Able to Use Johns Hopkins Physicians or Medical System–Filed Lawsuit To Sue United, Stating Violation of 1997 Contract</a></h5> <p>Also worth noting is this huge big conglomerate also tries it’s best to “dupe” young developers into writing code for them for free too, they always have a way to get something for almost nothing over there and sell the heck out of your data to make billions in profits.  When you read this “write for the Longevity network pimp article, you know exactly they want apps to mine more data to sell.  That’s 1/3 of the United<img align="right" alt="problemwithmodels2" border="0" height="146" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PEtbqDYN9PI/VRlyyhd1ekI/AAAAAAABMLQ/fh7lFi5FE8g/problemwithmodels2%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="problemwithmodels2" width="258" /> business today and 2/3rd of what they do is insurance.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/10/aarp-and-united-healthcare-form.html">AARP and United HealthCare Form “Longevity Network”–Time To Find Some More “Cheap Code” Looking For Millennials Still Living At Home Who Can Afford The Time To Write…Cash For Code Again</a></h5> <p>Every time you fill a prescription, the amount of “data for sale” that comes out from that transaction is amazing and mounts up to a ton of profits, meanwhile you and I aren’t getting any healthier overall and sure there’s some basic analytics that offer insights which is good, but Untied is way beyond that.  I was told for years that Medicare/CMS depended on they heavily to help them create their business models by some former employees.  It makes sense to me a they have truckloads of subsidiary companies that operate where you don’t even see it.  About a year ago I had a hospital CEO fall off his chair when he realized how many Untied subsidiaries they were writing check to.  Anyway, see the link below as here’s how this “buy and conquer” data selling thing works…and people lose jobs too.  Heck who knows maybe they’ll be buying this outfit next:) <img align="right" height="93" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6HDDm04lOwA/Ts0zq-EuFHI/AAAAAAAA4d8/nMT-KL0JEDY/image_thumb%25255B12%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" width="199" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/05/express-scripts-to-lay-off-400-people.html">Express Scripts To Lay Off 400 People Tampa As United Healthcare Moves Patients To Their Own pharmacy benefit Management Company-Subsidiary Watch</a></h5> <p>Keep in mind that insurers have hired armies of quants now that design policies as this way they get both the long and the short projections too, the long from the actuaries and the short value from the quants so they can correlate those numbers with stock prices.  That can really be of value right now with the record numbers of stock buy backs taking place.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/10/data-scientistsquants-in-health.html">Data Scientists/Quants in the Health Insurance Business–Modeling Beyond the Speed and Capabilities of Humans To Keep Up With The Affordable Care Act–Turning Into A World of Killer Algorithms That We All Hate..</a></h5> <p>So all in in, you’re just another script in the wall…and of course the pharmacy benefit mangers run a lot of United/Optum software to score you for medication adherence and other items about you they can sell for profit.  Optum and Milleman have had software doing analytics hooked up to pharmacy benefit management companies for years selling all kinds of prescription data that is not protected by HIPAA as this is not a protected entity in case you thought it was with privacy.  See look at this, even if they don’t own the pharmacy benefit manager, they sell them software so United wins and gets money everyway around the hook anymore.  By the way, the company mentioned in the link below, Ingenix is now called Optum and their former<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="261" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NS4TxOPAFpA/VRlyzvs5nDI/AAAAAAABMLY/L2VQxO7WnS4/image%25255B6%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="251" /> CEO is now running Medicare, Andy Slavitt.  </p> <p>If you go back in time there were tons of Ingenix lawsuits against Ingenix and their false positives on fraud that put a lot of doctors out of business and then too we had the AMA settlement.  The AMA class action settlement was for short paying doctors for 15 years on out of network payments, and again that was all during the time when current Medicare Chief Andy Slavitt was CEO of Ingenix.  HHS blessed him every which way but loose when they hired him as they had to stop the conflict of interests as he would not be able to do his job with everyone after his former efforts at his prior employer, United.  By the way, Mr. Slavitt started his career as a Goldman Sachs banker.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/express-scripts-new-program-to-contact.html">Express Scripts- New Program to Contact and Predict Patients Who May Not Be Taking Their Medicine Based On Ingenix Algorithms–We Want the Revenue Please Don’t Stop</a></h5> <p>Last but not least, don’t forget that Pharmacy Benefit Managers are in the business to sell drugs so again United has more money coming in from that direction and there’s hungry IMS who wants to buy up and sell all kinds of prescription data out there as well.  So there’s more money that goes into the United profit pot, and oh by the way, IMS had an IPO last year, that $180 billion dollar a year data selling business hurting consumers is growing like a weed.  Look at the image at the left, just a bunch of software acquisitions and merging of such…same old same old in that respect.  BD </p> <hr />The largest US health insurer is to spend almost $13bn to buy a company that manages prescription medicines for 35m patients, the biggest in a series of healthcare deals announced on Monday as consolidation in the industry continues at a blistering pace.<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="135" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CxLNHsbutBE/VRly0KU6GmI/AAAAAAABMLg/-BwY3sCLIWk/image%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="187" /> <p><a href="http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/performance.asp?s=us:UNH">UnitedHealth</a> said it would acquire Catamaran Rx, the fourth-biggest US pharmacy-benefits manager, for $61.50 per share in cash and combine it with OptumRx, its own pharmacy business. The $12.8bn offer represents a 27 per cent premium to Catamaran’s closing price on Friday.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0baf5494-d6e0-11e4-a99f-00144feab7de.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/home_us/feed//product#axzz3Vsjhugwp">http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0baf5494-d6e0-11e4-a99f-00144feab7de.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/home_us/feed//product#axzz3Vsjhugwp</a></p>

United Healthcare Buys Catamaran Pharmacy Benefit Manager Just As the PBM Gets Hit With A Class Action Lawsuit For Low Balling Pharmacy Reimbursements..And More Patient Data to Sell and Analyze For Profit

As if there’s not enough pharmacy benefit management taking place at United, the company owns Optum, RX which was formerly known as prescriptive solutions and in some areas that PBM has put some smaller pharmacy benefit managers out of business.  Here’s from the website, same old pharmacy benefit …

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Amazing Breakthrough With Brain Cancer, Using the Body’s Immune System and the Polio Virus to Shrink and Even Dissolve the Tumors-Game Changing Clinical Trial That Is Working…

<p>This is a phenomenal story and 60 Minutes designated two of their normal 3 spot to cover.  Who would have ever thought that the Polio virus would play an important role in curing cancer, but it is.  The research behind the trial has been relentless for years and <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="147" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-phjOSoM9MOU/VRjexuDAz9I/AAAAAAABMK8/Gf9Jno8utO8/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="227">now it’s working.  Sure there’s some trial and error but who would have ever thought the disease we worked to eradicate would play a role in curing cancer.  </p> <p>One dose that takes hours to administrate to the brain is the treatment.  Initially the doctors said the tumor looked inflamed and could have been mistaken for growth but in reality it’s inflamed as it’s the body’s immune system attacking the tumor.  </p> <p>What do patients have to lose when diagnosed with a few months live?  The doctor had those who didn’t think it would work and thought he was nuts.  Polio seeks out and attaches to a receptor that attaches to the tumor.  The virus has been modified and it can’t reproduce in normal cells but it does in cancer cells.  </p> <p>The FDA was afraid the doctor could create a monster.  Seven years of safety studies were done before the approval in 2011.  The one 20 year old student had a tumor the size of a tennis ball in her head.  In 2012 her cancer came back after surgery and she was out of options.  Again, she had nothing to lose.  </p> <p><embed src="http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf" scale="noscale" salign="lt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#000000" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="pType=embed&si=254&pid=CuVjyUR0zUhF&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/killing-cancer-part-one" /></embed></p> <p>It was very important to make sure the Polio virus goes to the right place.  In the second video 60 Minutes continues on to talk about the dosing and some disappointments that occurred.  They young 21 year old was basically cured, or as the story states, it’s in remission.  The second patient treated was a doctor.  </p> <p>Who would have ever thought Polio would end up being the cure with cancer.  The crew has also done clinical tests with other types of cancer and it’s working the same way, great news with melting away tumors.  </p> <p><embed src="http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf" scale="noscale" salign="lt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#000000" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="pType=embed&si=254&pid=6_jloCm_wQfx&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/killing-cancer-part-one" /></embed></p> <p>This stand to be the biggest news on the war on cancer in years.  Duke University provides a check up for the patients every 4 months and so far they have 14 patients in the trial.  Avastin was also used to help reduce the swelling so that drug also looks as if it will be a part of the entire treatment program.  The Polio virus works from the inside out and 60 Minutes does a good job documenting most of this.  Even those who didn’t survive, did have an increase of more than 6 months.  Again the dosage was the big key in not giving too much.</p> <p>What a story and hope for cancer victims!  In the lab all types of other cancers are being attacked with the Polio virus.  BD  <hr> </p> <p>For more information on the Duke University polio trial or other brain cancer trials, <a href="http://www.cancer.duke.edu/btc/">click here </a>or call <a href="tel:919-684-5301">919-684-5301</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/polio-cancer-treatment-duke-university-60-minutes-scott-pelley/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/polio-cancer-treatment-duke-university-60-minutes-scott-pelley/</a></p>

Amazing Breakthrough With Brain Cancer, Using the Body’s Immune System and the Polio Virus to Shrink and Even Dissolve the Tumors-Game Changing Clinical Trial That Is Working…

This is a phenomenal story and 60 Minutes designated two of their normal 3 spot to cover.  Who would have ever thought that the Polio virus would play an important role in curing cancer, but it is.  The research behind the trial has been relentless for years and now it’s working.  Sure there’s some …

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“Cybertopia-Dreams of Silicon Valley”-Documentary About Politics, Economics and Debate on Where is the “Real” World Today? The Producers the Takers and the Dupers…

<p>This starts back to Kevin O’Connor talking about his views.  We do  have to remember there was a huge strike of luck that helped him get his start as what occurred with many early Venture Capitalists.  Sure there’s a ton of knowledge but I think the smart <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="191" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QqCa8jBtIHk/VRg7J_7JQQI/AAAAAAABMJ0/dW59LhZMzd0/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="248" />ones still realize that a little bit of luck was on their side too and that occurs in all walks of life.   The basics of people working together has not changed.  It is interesting to hear what they have to say.  We can all agree on Capitalism not working but what some of the VCs interviewed here forgot to mention is the cooperation of Wall Street and the financial markets they have.  They wouldn’t have their money without it:)  </p> <p>We do have two very different societies out there today and this documentary I think exposes that very nicely without an all out attack on how technology companies and their executives “think”.  On the extreme other side we have the political dupers and we all get tired of them, the government who’s way behind both technology and Wall Street.  One thing I think that deserves a bit more focus is that “people have to be responsible for their algorithms and code” and perhaps we’ll hear more about that this year.  I’ve been focusing on it for a number of years here but now when the divide becomes so large with the gap of income and money, it’s not going away.  It’s also getting harder to be the overnight success with technology today as it’s a changed world from where we started years ago.  Tim Draper, offers some interesting opinions and I do have to say he’s out there a bit.  What I found disturbing about some of his comments though is he wants the divide and somewhat encourages a split world.  For those who do not have the code, we kind of live under the Attack of the Killer Algorithms as we don’t have the code writing connections to battle back and are offered a reality of what technologists see and there’s not one with a different view.</p> <p>It’s also interesting to hear another point of view on how technologists can see things ahead of other, well yeah they can, they write the code.  You see Mr. Draper dancing his fanny off on “how happy” he is.  Well he’s wealthy and who wouldn’t be happy if you had the same amount of money.  We need a balance with how technologies work with the “real world”.  What I found interesting is what some of the folks interviewed called “the real world”.  Context comes into play here by all means. <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="145" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YFn_KNx5glU/VRg7KyHnHAI/AAAAAAABMJ8/ZxN-zYH6EFk/image%25255B12%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="230" /> I have an entire different view of “the real world” and kind of align myself with <a href="http://www.ducknet.net/attack-of-the-killer-algorithms/">people like Emanuel Derman, a Quant</a> who teaches a Columbia and was one of the first Quants who worked at Goldman Sachs years ago.</p> <h5><a href="http://www.ducknet.net/attack-of-the-killer-algorithms/">The Attack of the Killer Algorithms- Some Technologies Help and Some Don't</a></h5> <p>Perception is key in a lot of this and what really does have value.  As a developer there’s nothing like that big thrill of seeing what you wrote “actually work” and 99.99 percent of those who develop experience that, but of that crowd, that get the hype and feeling of accomplishment, 99.99 of that group do not become millionaires and don’t have the code written that creates value for the average consumer.  It’s a hard nut to crack and again focus on how people work.  The video moves on to speak to a young Google executive too.  What is interesting is that as of a year or so ago, Google themselves found they needed to do a study as they don’t understand how their own people work…so we do get a ton of crap software to where the imagination of the developer is not really how people work and nor can you change a lot of behaviors with software either.  There are some you can if a consumer feels they are getting some value, but look at mHealth apps, tons and very few use them as they don’t feel there’s any value and they are foreign to how we work as humans.  Then the marketing and guilt marketing kicks in to push it to make money and that’s when things really get skewed.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/05/people-dont-work-that-way-world-of.html">“People Don’t Work That Way” A World of Broken Software Models That Don’t Align To the Human Side,Too Much Push At Times With Only A Proof of Concept That Fails in the Real World..</a></h5> <p>So in other words you have a lot to cook up in the kitchen with the odds really not being in your favor.  Some succeed and we do all benefit but what about the rest who’s dreams don’t make it?  Are they happy dressing up in costumes as we see here (grin).  I think that’s a good question to ponder over and over and over as now we are getting in touch with the “real” real world.   I could understand the enthusiasm of the young Google executive and sure we need some of that for sure but what happens when he’s done with is Legos?  It’s code Legos and one thing he mentions that does happen is the interruption of a phone call to dump all your Legos on the floor.  That is true as the focus here is very intense today.  </p> <p>People don’t come to the Silicon Valley to make money, well I can debate that one with all the banks and financial firms who have labs in the Valley, writing code to make money.  There’s a partnership with Wall Street and Silicon Valley and Computer Scientist Jaron Lanier hit the nail on the head in stating such recently.  It didn’t start out that way, but that’s how it is today.  </p> <p>One thing for sure, and this is my own observation and you can give it some thought, is that we watch Wall Street toss money at the most “Digital Illiterate” politicians out there today, just read the news.  Why?  The dumber they are the easier they can be manipulated.  Then we have to be entertained to the extremes with how “digital illiterate” they are and get to hear them talk about abortions, they can model laws <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="263" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W_ZS5jeXuZI/VRg7MPlSwpI/AAAAAAABMKE/5xGvTyRHPD4/image%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="339" />and bills and the folks on the technology side completely get this.  Look at how Google has successfully figured out how to work both sides and they do it well and toss enough money out there to get some open ears.  There’s no such thing as “sharing for the good” any more as it’s all shifted to “sharing for the good money”, not ours, their money:)  Further more read this link below and see how news manipulation is the next ‘big rig”.  It’s all about using technology to coerce and give the impression that you are “doing it for the good”.  Not every company though is like this and there are some outstanding companies that really are doing things for the good.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/major-us-newspapers-sign-up-and-invest.html">Major US Newspapers Sign Up and Invest With New Start Up That Will Charge You To Read The News–20 Cents Per Article, Probably Written by a Bot and Goes On You Credit Card–And Bolsters the $180 Million Dollar Year Personal Data Selling Business</a></h5> <p>Take Theranos as an example.  There’s just no comparison here with the value they are creating in making labs affordable and doable for the average consumer.  They are a company that combines the old school of what Silicon Valley set out to do, create value.  We need more companies like Theranos for sure and I don’t have an issue with companies like them making money as consumers do get a return and their low cost labs do help us and it’s not just some wild flinging perceptual algorithms that “say” it’s here to help you.  What Theranos is doing is real value and is not just a bunch of bots out there to gobble up other data and present you a perceptual madness of value.  In other words, they offer more than just a bunch of bots and algorithms running on server farms somewhere.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/11/its-basic-human-right-for-individuals.html">“It’s A Basic Human Right for Individuals to Have Access-One Drop of Blood”Theranos CEO & Founder, Elizabeth Holmes TED Video</a></h5> <p>So how do both worlds come together with “real world” solutions and not Tim Draper with a tie showing how to split up California so they can “leave the real world” behind?  I’m not attacking him but rather looking at a big picture here overall.  They want to escape and certainly I share the frustrations of the politicians we elect is just not being there and creating more problems than solutions these days as they still seem to think their legal verbiage can control those who code and the perceptions that are sold and marketed.  Burning Man is discussed here and did you read the news where when the tickets went on sale a few weeks ago about how 200 technologists “hacked” the system to take opportunities away from others who want to enroll and attend?  </p> <p><strong>Kevin Slavin hit the nail on the head with the hacking of the Burning Man tickets and said “that looks just like front running that takes place with High Frequency Traders on the Stock Market”,</strong> in other words folks that know how to code and hack right front showed you their talent (if you call it that in this instance) and how they can jump right out and smash and hopes of the average consumer wanting to learn.  I did have to laugh when I saw Slavin’s tweet, he was right on target when 200 Silicon Valley Techs hacked the site to get their tickets, no regard for anyone else on the site wanting tickets who had put in their requests, but they did get caught.    By the way watch video #4 in the footer here from Kevin Slavin and he’ll explain a lot more to you on how this works.  As a matter of fact, all the videos in the footer are good to watch as all of the “smart” folks there are taking time to help educate the average consumer on “what’s really going on” out there.  People use code to manipulate and make money and like it or not some of it cheats and fiddles with risk formulas and that’s all hidden in proprietary code so you never get to see it and most of the writing you see on the web is from people who analyze “what code does” and the sometimes un-intentional consequences it creates.  </p> <p>Politicians are heavily manipulated and they can’t even see a lot of it for the most part as again they forget that there’s more to laws today than just flat out verbiage to regulate how code works, and this is not just in the stock market, those models are all over the place.  <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="185" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CjDhENrV1pU/VRg7NRrvsDI/AAAAAAABMKM/a20MnsdbWMI/image%25255B39%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="253" />I said three years ago that Congress needed to restore the Office of Technology Assessment and get up to speed here and stop distracting consumers with their political garbage.  I agree with the Silicon Valley on that end of it as I grow very tired of the nonsense and what we see in the news.  One example here is the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act.  I thought most news accountings of this were like morons discussing it.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/why-do-we-discuss-supreme-court-ruling.html">Why Do We Discuss Supreme Court Ruling On Affordable Care Act Like a Bunch of Morons? Want to Make Changes and Review Legal Interpretation? Bring Code Please</a></h5> <p>Hey folks did we forget about Healthcare. Gov and all the code?  Yes indeed it appears that way as most articles focused on the the politics and not the cold hard fact that if you change provisions of the law, line up some coders to change the IT infrastructures that run it.  I didn’t see anyone else relate to that fact and I guess everything that was learned with complexities of IT systems today with the roll out of the website as soon forgotten and we reverted back to the old school again, which does not work.  Sure get rid of subsidies, well guess what, you might be creating “algorithm hell” for consumers as insurers, government, etc. all have to change IT system..duh?  Again, this should be brought to the attention of consumers as that’s the real world and laws depend on complex IT infrastructures to run it.  </p> <p>Instead we get stupid news with Cruz, Feinstein, McCain, and the list goes on with their opinions and not one could talk the real world with their opinions.  I started calling this the Sebelius Syndrome and others are afflicted.  She got the name as nobody else was so digital illiterate in the public eye over and over and over and she couldn’t’ stop herself with the whacked out perceptions she kept putting in the news, over and over and over.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/04/markets-are-not-rigged-spoken-like-true.html">“Markets Are Not Rigged” Spoken Like A True Data Mechanics Novice, It’s Like Sebelius at HHS All Over Again, Looking For Algo Fairies at The SEC, One More Government Agency Wrapped Up in “The Grays”…</a></h5> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/09/senator-john-mccain-another.html">Senator John McCain: Another Demonstration of Why Congress Should Reinstitute the Office of Technology Assessment, When Education Takes Place, Less Distractions With Boredom And More Respect for Consumers…</a></h5> <p>There’s some good coverage here with how Wired Magazine functions and how they report technology news.  They are trying, like I do here to show how much power there is with computer code and what disruption does, the good and the bad and be an advocate where it works.  </p> <p><iframe style="height: 297px; width: 484px" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YQy0ZCx3UCY" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Here’s another reason that all this is growing and the fact that we have two different societies out there..people just hate<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="76" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gY3xu1GgQBQ/VRg-ToZjZPI/AAAAAAABMKg/xbiao2hSN20/image%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="187" /> math and code and run for the hills.  This is not saying everyone needs to be a coder or mathematician but understand the concept and how it works.  Sniff some data and choose the news you read carefully and stay away from the distractions that do nothing, i.e. Hilary email dumps for one:)  What impact does that have on you?  Absolutely nothing, but it capture way too much of your time and keep you distracted from what’s really taking place today.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/10/algo-duping-plos-one-journal.html">“Algo Duping” – Plos One Journal Publication Explains Why The Fear of Math Plays a Big Role As One Underlying Reason We All Get Duped And Those Who Don’t Fear Math Take All the Money, Gradually, Using “Mathematical Formulas & Algorithms”</a></h5> <p>Artificial Intelligence is also worth a mention and be aware of what can happen and how you get fooled.  I go back to a great lecture<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="66" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uLam_tfIbrs/VRg-Uc0qE9I/AAAAAAABMKo/sfvCpbu1tkM/image%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="193" /> given by Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle and he was first out there with his warning “be careful with artificial intelligence that’s smarter than you”, and after all it was his daughter who made the move “HER” to bring this to the forefront.  What kind of a “natural” world do we want?  Good points made at the end, could someone like Mark Zuckerberg embrace the real natural world lying in the grass picking flowers?  They don’t think so according to this video. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/02/larry-ellison-ceo-oracle-hcm.html">Larry Ellison, CEO Oracle, HCM Conference Keynote–”Be Careful About Virtual Relationships With Artificially Intelligent Pieces of Software That’s Smarter Than You“, It’s Really All About People”–Algo Duping and the Killer Algorithms Living Amongst Us…(Update) Video</a></h5> <p>So the question is, how do we unite both societies?  We need to do that and get real numbers, real world values to all come together<a href="http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-preserve-our-privacy-/258776"><img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WjSMddBKiho/VAJ2n8h7WcI/AAAAAAABLOU/rTfddMqQxlU/GoFundMe%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" /></a> soon, as we’re not looking so good to separate but rather need to united, some levels need to come up and some levels need to go down to understand the big picture and start looking at real world values and not just the virtual worlds.  <strong>Virtual world values do impact the “real world” and consumers need to be educated on both and not just duped into “virtual values” as sold and marketed today for money and power, and to me that’s a lot of what’s wrong out there today.  </strong></p> <p><strong>Now that you have watched the documentary, here’s Jaron Lanier, a computer scientist, well known through out the tech society and he does a good job explaining the consumer impact of a lot of this with “behavior restriction”.  Who are the people restricting our behavior?  We don’t know and need to <a href="http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-preserve-our-privacy-/258776"><em>index and at least license them</em></a> so we know who they are.  BD</strong></p> <p><iframe style="height: 281px; width: 491px" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7rpQKalPqcc" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><strong></strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQy0ZCx3UCY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQy0ZCx3UCY</a></p>

“Cybertopia-Dreams of Silicon Valley”-Documentary About Politics, Economics and Debate on Where is the “Real” World Today? The Producers the Takers and the Dupers…

This starts back to Kevin O’Connor talking about his views.  We do  have to remember there was a huge strike of luck that helped him get his start as what occurred with many early Venture Capitalists.  Sure there’s a ton of knowledge but I think the smart ones still realize that a little bit of luck…

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“Stop the 1000 Deaths a Day Pass Policy Specifically Defining and Mandating EHR Interoperability”-Change.Org

<p>As you can read 25,000 signatures are needed to move to the White House to be addressed.  Read through the campaign from Dr. Volz.   We do need something out there to improve perception of not only the public but also folks in healthcare and to keep clinical data clear and valuable, and not have more data fall into the ugly world of data sellers for profit along the way.  BD  </p> <p> <hr />Dear Friend,</p> <p>I am contacting you today to gauge your support for a new initiative. I have placed a petition on <a href="http://chn.ge/1GYqx7N">Change.org</a> to launch a national grass roots campaign today to reduce the medical miscommunications in healthcare systems. This is an issue that affects every American who has<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="183" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CvEYv1FQahQ/VRLSBWOnBlI/AAAAAAABMJY/bhpgGjGfTYI/image%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="187" /> ever needed to go to the doctor or hospital. Every American needs to be aware of this issue to speak up to protect themselves and their families from this almost entirely avoidable situation. </p> <p>By signing the petition, we demand that the government and medical industry solve what is a very easy problem to fix. Once signed by 25,000 U.S. residents age 18 and older, the petition will be sent to the White House for review and a specific, timely action plan. </p> <p>At a recent <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/deaths-by-medical-mistakes-hit-records">senate subcommittee hearing</a>, it was revealed that more than 1,000 people are killed and 10,000 injured every day due to medical errors largely caused by technology mistakes.  Approximately 40% of these errors are directly related to information omissions and miscommunications. This campaign seeks to forge a government and industry solution in solving this lapse in electronic healthcare communications, a cornerstone of Obamacare.</p> <p>Why do we need government intervention?</p> <p>· There has been no improvement in patients’ health information flow in medical communications systems and no support for sharing this crucial data flow among care providers since the transition from paper to electronic medical records. The result is the high number of medical errors leading to death will remain unchanged without government intervention.</p> <p><b></b></p> <p>· Hospital boards have no incentive to adopt technology to solve the problem because inaction costs less money than fixing it. The result? Hospitals are not actively looking for a solution, unless it is mandated as part of a government intervention, similar to the same intervention to transition from paper to electronic medical records. </p> <p>· Most of healthcare vendors, notably electronic health record (EHR) vendors, have no incentive to address these issues in order to push for their own product solutions. This leaves the lack of EHR interoperability, the most critical area to reduce medical errors leading to death, with no near term improvement. </p> <p>· Existing government bodies are in place, but the focus and timetable are not aligned with the urgency for improving patient outcomes, which claim US lives on a daily basis.</p> <p><b>Sixth in the U.S. for Deaths</b></p> <p>If the Center for Disease Control reported a category for erroneous medical deaths, it would rank 6th in the U.S.  And the cost?  A cool trillion dollars a year. Sadly, this figure is not too far from similar statistics found 15 years ago.  </p> <p>By implementing an EHR connectivity solution, hospitals and medical professionals would save billions in lower insurance premiums as there will be fewer medical death and error lawsuits. These actions will lower medical costs and will benefit everyone.</p> <p>Healthcare should not be replaced by no one cares. The life you might be saving could be your own.</p> <p>Thank you!</p>

“Stop the 1000 Deaths a Day Pass Policy Specifically Defining and Mandating EHR Interoperability”-Change.Org

As you can read 25,000 signatures are needed to move to the White House to be addressed.  Read through the campaign from Dr. Volz.   We do need something out there to improve perception of not only the public but also folks in healthcare and to keep clinical data clear and valuable, and not have mor…

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Radio Shack in Their Bankruptcy Case Says “Screw Your Privacy Consumers” We Need the Money to Pay Debtors, We’re Putting All Your Customer Data We Have On File Up For Bid..

<p>We all know how bankruptcy goes and how the courts over look and distribute money to pay off the debtors and look here, data selling takes on yet one more face,  so all the loyal customers are about to get screwed in the end so they can pay their debtors.  You can’t <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="164" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TUBulg40vxQ/VRI0NJfe83I/AAAAAAABMJE/PerguqKT8as/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="image" width="264" />make this stuff up.  Oh but there’s good news, the debtors swear up and down they won’t repackage and sell you again..right!  I have a couple bridges I could sell on that one.  Repackaging data is a big deal and you can end up with counterfeit data, just like counterfeit drugs float around in the system.  This is especially the case with the Anthem breach as hackers are getting smarter and know they can use some minor SQL skills and repackage all the data and sell it, with no mention that it came from Anthem and make a lot of money.  You can read more at the link below and so far the only ones who have a real interest seem to be the security folks while the general public continues to sleep on their laurels.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-data-exchange-buy-and-sell-data-on.html">“The Data Exchange” Buy and Sell Data on Self Service Website, One More Reason to Index and License Data Sellers-This Appears to be Open Game for Selling Repackaged Personal Data-No Privacy At All</a></h5> <p>Now even AT&T is hacked off over this as they say all the data Radio Shack intends to sell is not even theirs…oh boy.  A couple of years ago I called this syndrome a Data Selling Epidemic and still few listen but wise up as it’s out there and the personal data selling business is worth about $180 billion a year so everyone who had one stick of data about you is trying figure out how to make money selling it, or scoring you to even make more money with the data.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/11/online-data-brokers-persist-listing.html">Online Data Brokers Persist, Listing Consumers on Chronic Disease Mailing Lists And More–Need To License and Index All Data Sellers, Brokers, Banks, Companies, Otherwise You Don’t Have a Complete Listing of Who They Are…</a></h5> <p>See this little campaign on the right hand side of this site?  Read and go there and if you can donate to the cause as privacy will efforts will fail if we don’t have an index on who all the the data sellers are, as how do you go fix the flawed data reported about you when you have been repackat3e and resold?  You can’t and I’m stuck on a list of people who use blood thinners and it’s totally erroneous as I have never been prescribed any, nor taken any in my life.  It’s the result of sloppy data work and they don’t care as bad data gets the same price as good data.  </p> <p><strong><em>Ok so when does the next hospital that goes bankrupt say “screw you patients and HIPAA, we need the money to pay our debtors (grin).</em></strong>  </p> <p>With Radio Shack, the greedy debtors also want all your personal identifying information (PII) data too and there’s been a few challenges there, but if it’s only lawyers and not any tech folks involved, they’ll lose as they still think legal verbiage is enough to fight cheating code and boy are they wrong on that one.  You see it everywhere, even at the White House as they all live too virtual today and confuse virtual world values with the real world.  In this case we have virtual values being sold that are indeed coming out to attack the real world and we have way too many people that think God or legal verbiage will protect us, but look around, neither one are beating any algorithms out there and the rate of inequality due to such keeps growing.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/03/virtual-worlds-real-world-we-have.html">Virtual Worlds, Real World We Have A Problem And It’s A Big One With A Lot of Gray Areas Finding Where The Defining Lines Exist, Confusing Many With A Lot of Weird Values And Strange Perceptions…</a></h5> <p>Ok so enough with interrupting the news hour today and now you can safely go back and read about Hillary’s virtual email issues, a bunch of which was probably written by a bots.  More on how that works at the link below.  BD</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/major-us-newspapers-sign-up-and-invest.html">Major US Newspapers Sign Up and Invest With New Start Up That Will Charge You To Read The News–20 Cents Per Article, Probably Written by a Bot and Goes On You Credit Card–And Bolsters the $180 Million Dollar Year Personal Data Selling Business</a></h5> <hr /> <p>The data in question, according to a <a href="http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/1393.pdf">legal challenge</a> (PDF) launched by Texas regulators on Friday and joined by the state of Tennessee on Monday, includes "consumer names, phone numbers, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and, where allowed, activity data."</p> <p>The states say the sale breaches the 94-year-old chain's promises to its in-store and online customers that it would not sell their personal identifying information (PII) data.</p> <p>"The Debtors have affirmatively stated in multiple privacy policies currently in effect that consumer PII will never be sold. Yet the Debtors come before this Court with a Motion which seeks to do precisely that," according to the challenge.</p> <p><a href="http://www.reddit.com/tb/307mwk">http://www.reddit.com/tb/307mwk</a></p>

Radio Shack in Their Bankruptcy Case Says “Screw Your Privacy Consumers” We Need the Money to Pay Debtors, We’re Putting All Your Customer Data We Have On File Up For Bid..

We all know how bankruptcy goes and how the courts over look and distribute money to pay off the debtors and look here, data selling takes on yet one more face,  so all the loyal customers are about to get screwed in the end so they can pay their debtors.  You can’t make this stuff up.  Oh but there…

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Just Approved by FDA, The Watchman Implanted In Two Patients in Southern California, Will Make Life Normal For Many…

<p>I think I have been writing here and there about the Watchman progress since I started 8 years ago and last week it was finally approved.  This device can help with less need for blood thinners with patients who are at risk with their use.  Here’s one from the archives below.<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="251" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MfIi3DlsBh4/VRD1Hb42KhI/AAAAAAABMIw/C0Mk5K69KUI/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="290" /></p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/arterial-fibrillation-what-will-be.html">Atrial Fibrillation – What will be the future standard of care, Warfarin or the Watchman Device?</a></h5> <p>The one surgeon had already implanted several Watchman devices during the clinical trials so it was a natural for him to do the next surgical procedure.  BD  </p> <p> <hr /></p> <p>Surgeons at two Southern California hospitals on Monday implanted a controversial heart device that struggled for years to gain the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.</p> <p>The Watchman device, made by Boston Scientific Corp. and designed to reduce the risk of stroke for people with irregular heartbeats, was approved March 13 by the FDA after years of trials, rejections and debate. An FDA advisory panel in October voted 6 to 5 that the device's benefits outweighed its risks.</p> <p>For decades, most people with atrial fibrillation — an abnormal heartbeat — have been treated with blood thinners, which decrease clots in the heart.</p> <p>But blood thinners can create complications, such as internal bleeding. Cardiologists have said ideal candidates for the Watchman would be people for whom blood-thinning drugs were considered risky or not effective.</p> <p>Mary Thomsen, a 77-year-old resident of Westwood, has waited months for the Watchman after blood-thinning medicine caused internal bleeding.</p> <p>"I'm happy to do it," Thomsen said shortly before the surgery at St. John's. "It's a very important procedure. It's going to make life normal for a lot of people."</p> <p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-new-heart-device-20150324-story.html?track=rss&cid=dlvr.it&dlvrit=52116">http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-new-heart-device-20150324-story.html?track=rss&cid=dlvr.it&dlvrit=52116</a></p>

Just Approved by FDA, The Watchman Implanted In Two Patients in Southern California, Will Make Life Normal For Many…

I think I have been writing here and there about the Watchman progress since I started 8 years ago and last week it was finally approved.  This device can help with less need for blood thinners with patients who are at risk with their use.  Here’s one from the archives below. Atrial Fibrillation – …

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Blue Shield of California Plans to Contest Losing It’s Tax Exempt Status–But Still Need to Begin Filing Tax Returns From 2013 Forward

<p>This is not the first time something like this has happened.  UPMC had the city of Pittsburgh file a lawsuit against them for the same reasons.  I think that ended up being squashed but the mayor was the one who filed as the city could use the money. <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="75" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z9oAAjL8Ac4/VQruCOFE05I/AAAAAAABMIc/zt6X441UfU8/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="253" /> The public and government entities are certainly looking like they are keeping a much closer eye on “excess revenues” which is what you call profits for the non profits.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/09/legal-battle-with-city-of-pittsburgh.html">Legal Battle With City of Pittsburgh and UPMC Medical Center Heating Up Again–Non Profit Hospital Pays No Property Taxes & Gets $200 Million Dollar Tax Break With $1 Billion in Excess Profits</a></h5> <p>I wonder if the state will go after Kaiser Permanente next as they did have 4 times the reserves that Blue Shield has?  Kaiser has built some new hospitals and facilities in the last couple of years and that could have eaten some of the reserves but still I think it was around $21 billion they had in reserves.  </p> <p>Officials are arguing that the company is no longer serving the public good and should move forward to be a private company.  Blue Cross years ago used to be a non profit and made the change but it was their option and I don’t think that’s on the agenda now at least for Blue Shield.  Back when Blue Cross made the change it was less complicated to do so than it is now.  One thing you don’t have to be concerned about with Blue Shield though is stock buy backs, and read the link below if you want to see how that impacts what you pay for policies and what kind of policies we get today.  BD</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/12/insurance-carrier-stock-buy-backs.html">Insurance Carrier stock Buy Backs Continue to Rise While Consumers Are Finding It Harder to Afford Some Policies and Care With Dealing With High Deductibles And Narrow Networks…</a></h5> <p> <hr />SACRAMENTO — Blue Shield of California is protesting a state decision to strip the nonprofit health insurer of its tax-exempt status, which the company has held since its founding in 1939.</p> <p>The California Franchise Tax Board quietly revoked the tax break last August, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.</p> <p>The decision could put San Francisco-based Blue Shield on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in state taxes each year. The insurer has paid federal taxes for years.</p> <p>A spokeswoman for the tax agency declined to comment on why the insurer lost its status. The highly unusual action came after a lengthy state audit reviewed the justification for Blue Shield’s taxpayer subsidy, according to the newspaper.</p> <p>Blue Shield said Tuesday that it’s protesting the decision, but state officials have ordered it to file tax returns back to 2013 in the meantime.</p> <p><a href="http://www.dailyrepublic.com/usworld/blue-shield-fighting-the-removal-of-tax-exempt-status-by-ftb/">http://www.dailyrepublic.com/usworld/blue-shield-fighting-the-removal-of-tax-exempt-status-by-ftb/</a></p>

Blue Shield of California Plans to Contest Losing It’s Tax Exempt Status–But Still Need to Begin Filing Tax Returns From 2013 Forward

This is not the first time something like this has happened.  UPMC had the city of Pittsburgh file a lawsuit against them for the same reasons.  I think that ended up being squashed but the mayor was the one who filed as the city could use the money. The public and government entities are certainly…

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Not To Be Left Out of the $180 Billion Dollar A Year Personal Data Selling Business, Twitter Jumps In to Sell More Tweets

<p>I don’t worry about Twitter as much as I do the other social networks as you have to say it in 140 characters and include a link if you want and it’s more my news feed than a social network, but it does do both.  I have made some great connections on Twitter as well, as most of the time, if they haven’t been replaced by a bot, there’s a human on the other side and you should be darn sure you have something of interest to share.  Anyway that’s my take on Twitter as it’s the only social network that gives me time, while the rest of them “take” my time.</p> <p>Now back on target here the folks mostly afflicted with “Stat Rat Fever” think there’s some huge virtual value in some of the chatter that goes on with Twitter and I guess the fools are going to pay money to have new stats and analytics that may or may not have value in the real world.  We all know everyone thinks every stick of data in the virtual worlds has value so we have a lot of dupers mixed in.  Sure I can see how academia and police departments can come up with some simple analytics with hints as to where to put more police as one example and what’s trending to see what people are talking about and what they care about as we have that now, just not in extreme “Stat Rat Fever” formats.  <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="210" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8oiHk-qkmOo/VQpOz9NzRQI/AAAAAAABMII/kB2_8jvaaqE/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="295" /></p> <p>You do have to watch health insurers and the context they use with data that they sell and collect at they are notorious for putting the wrong spin on some of it if those “risk fiddling” algo influencers make money.  It’s the same old thing, toss numbers at consumers and you’ll get a sale, especially today as people are so confused on what’s a virtual world value and what’s a real world value.  Both have their place but too many forger that the “real world” should rise about any virtual values you read about.  I can’t fry a Facebook “like” in a skillet and eat it for breakfast to be totally blunt on that topic”, but look at all the nonsense we read about such.  </p> <p>Remember the Tweet that killed a stock…well more of that on the way perhaps too as bots only add the focus and impact as programmed by humans when you look at Twitter data.  In the meantime, I think Twitter really wants to figure out how to make some money off their data, just like everyone else is doing and the credit card companies are the king of it.  Don’t think so?  Read the link below and see how you will be “had” one more way for the credit cards to collect and sell more data about you.  Sad thing is that this hurt journalism and the quality we get reported as they move over to that awful bot run Facebook type of a model. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/major-us-newspapers-sign-up-and-invest.html">Major US Newspapers Sign Up and Invest With New Start Up That Will Charge You To Read The News–20 Cents Per Article, Probably Written by a Bot and Goes On You Credit Card–And Bolsters the $180 Million Dollar Year Personal Data Selling Business</a></h5> <p>As was mentioned, data selling is not a huge part of how Twitter makes money so are they trying to increase that?  We need to license and index all data sellers as this leads to more breaches, repackaging and selling your data and no way for consumers to go fix the flawed stuff that gets out there about us.  Help out with the campaign if you would.  I started it 3 years ago and a lot of deaf Congressional ears, however the FTC is listening, while the White House is still living too virtual and giving us more “selfies” to view.  Again some of what Twitter data miners uncover could be interesting but darn it’s not a Fort Knox of data, so don’t be a duper.    </p> <h5><strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/ftc-says-white-house-privacy-bill-of.html">FTC Says the White House Privacy Bill of Rights Pretty Much Sucks-White House Can’t Model For One, And Leaves Data Selling Companies In Complete Control-Time to Index and License…</a></strong></h5> <p>Above all with all the personal data selling I do keep one thought up front with the value of this data “People just still like to lie their ass off”…so there:)  BD</p> <p> <hr />In Twitter data strategy chief Chris Moody’s vision of the future, companies surprising their customers like this could become an everyday occurrence – made possible because <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/twitter">Twitter</a> is listening.</p> <p>Computer systems are already aggregating trillions of tweets from the microblogging site, sorting and sifting through countless conversations, following the banter and blustering, ideas and opinions of its 288 million users in search of commercial opportunities.</p> <p>It is not only commercial interests that are mining the data. Academics are using it to gauge the mood in a football crowd, and trying to shed light on whether Premier League players such as Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao are overpaid – with a team of researchers from Reading, Dundee and Cambridge universities testing whether top-flight footballers’ salaries are related purely to performance on the pitch or can be boosted by popularity on social media.</p> <p>Selling data is as yet a small part of Twitter’s overall income – $70m out of a total of $1.3bn last year, with the lion’s share of cash coming from advertising, but the social network has big plans to increase that. Its acquisition of Chris Moody’s analytics company Gnip for $130m last April is a sign of that intent.</p> <p>Google and Facebook have built their businesses around sharing data, but their control of our private and public information has become a source of huge controversy.</p> <p>An insurance company that knows your home cover is about to expire might then use Twitter to send a direct advertisement, for example. It also resells data for other social networks, including photo-sharing site Tumblr and local directory Foursquare.</p> <p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/18/twitter-puts-trillions-tweets-for-sale-data-miners">http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/18/twitter-puts-trillions-tweets-for-sale-data-miners</a></p>

Not To Be Left Out of the $180 Billion Dollar A Year Personal Data Selling Business, Twitter Jumps In to Sell More Tweets

I don’t worry about Twitter as much as I do the other social networks as you have to say it in 140 characters and include a link if you want and it’s more my news feed than a social network, but it does do both.  I have made some great connections on Twitter as well, as most of the time, if they hav…

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Premera Blue Cross Hacked (Not Related to Anthem Hack) 11 Million Affected Along With Marketing Affiliations And Private Insurance Exchange…

<p>This breach/attack affects Premera Blue Cross, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Vivacity and Connexion Insurance Solutions.  Connexion is interesting as it’s also a private insurance exchange that sells health insurance. <strong> Connexion wants<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="100" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pN2HhZ7xR4A/VQkZZne3COI/AAAAAAABMHw/6xMmPLMfFWk/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="256" /> developers to write apps for them too and even has tabs on the site where you can “upload apps” and I would say for now they might have those shut down</strong>.  Connexion also has a referral fee to pay out to businesses for referrals to them.  So hey just the kind of companies you want to spend your time writing apps for right?  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/11/insurance-carriers-and-brokers-are-big.html">Insurance Carriers and Brokers Are Big Data Players With Data Mining, Selling and Analytics–Need to License All Data Sellers So We Know Who The Big Profiteers Are..</a></h5> <p>As I mentioned before we don’t know exactly what these hackers have in mind but there’s been a bit of ruckus with the Dark Web sites that sell stolen data and I keep telling folks that eventually their data will be repackaged and sold as legit.  It’s not very hard for hackers with some basic SQL skills to do that and with a few queries there would be no need to mention anything about Blue Cross as the data can be sold to many other entities.  Keep an eye open on sites like this as this is where repackaged data will show up (link below) at sites that do data exchanges for money.  Everyone seems to be ignoring this fact and it’s one to not be passed over as it’s not that hard for the crooks to go this route.  It’s just like counterfeit drugs that get into the system, except data is easier to disguise as legit, again with some skilled hackers out there.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-data-exchange-buy-and-sell-data-on.html">“The Data Exchange” Buy and Sell Data on Self Service Website, One More Reason to Index and License Data Sellers-This Appears to be Open Game for Selling Repackaged Personal Data-No Privacy At All</a></h5> <p>It sounds like this time they got into claims and there’s a wealth of information contained there for sure.  Again we don’t know what the hackers have in mind to monetize the the stolen data but that’s what they are in it for.  You know it’s just too darn bad that insurers spend millions on collecting data for sale that has nothing to do with giving medical care and who knows if any of that, like credit card transaction data, consumer scoring numbers, etc. was taken.  If insurers would just spend a bit more on security and cut back on the data selling, maybe things could improve.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/09/health-insurance-business-is-driving.html">Health Insurance Business Is Driving Itself Off a Cliff & Doesn’t Know When to Stop With Collecting, Analyzing and Processing Non Relevant Data With Little Or No Impact On Giving Good Care..</a></h5> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/health-insurance-companies-providing.html">Health Insurance Companies Providing Charge Cards And/Or Coupons For Healthy Foods–More Data To Collect About You And Potentially Repackage and Sell For A Profit…</a></h5> <p>I’ll repeat this again and ask for some contributions as we need to index and license All data sellers..who are they?  Will your data show up for sale on legit data exchange selling sites?  It certainly could.  Again the hackers could lie low and wait a few months before their reformatted and repackaged data shows up.  It’s already being done and we can’t identify much of it as we don’t license any of these people who strip consumer dignity and sell our personal data.  </p> <p>Here’s the campaign and there’s a couple interesting updates too on credit cards and how you might have to pay for some news one day too.  BD</p> <h5><a href="http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-preserve-our-privacy-/258776">Campaign to Create Transparency with Consumer Data Selling-Index and License all Data Sellers</a></h5> <p> <hr />BOSTON — Health insurer Premera Blue Cross said on Tuesday it was a victim of a cyberattack that may have exposed medical data and financial information of 11 million customers in the latest serious breach disclosed by a health-care company.</p> <p>It said the attackers may have gained access to claims data, including clinical information, along with banking account numbers, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/social_security_us/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Social Security</a>numbers, birth dates and other data in an attack that began in May 2014.</p> <p>It is the largest breach reported to date involving patient medical information, according to Dave Kennedy, an expert in health care security who is chief executive of TrustedSEC.</p> <p>The breach was uncovered on Jan. 29, the day that insurer Anthem disclosed a cyberattack involving records of some 79 million members in Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across the country.</p> <p>A Premera spokesman, Eric Earling, said the two attacks were unrelated and that his company independently identified its breach.</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/business/premera-blue-cross-says-data-breach-exposed-medical-data.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto&_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/business/premera-blue-cross-says-data-breach-exposed-medical-data.html?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto&_r=0</a></p>

Premera Blue Cross Hacked (Not Related to Anthem Hack) 11 Million Affected Along With Marketing Affiliations And Private Insurance Exchange…

This breach/attack affects Premera Blue Cross, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Vivacity and Connexion Insurance Solutions.  Connexion is interesting as it’s also a private insurance exchange that sells health insurance. Connexion wants developers to write apps for them too and even has ta…

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FDA Warns “Don’t Get Your Dog Stoned” With the Uptick of Pet Hemp Products and Clean Up Your Advertising Warning To Two Companies Selling the Products…

<p>This is not unexpected and there are two companies now that seem to be jumping the gun a little bit on what cannabis can do for your dog.  Of course, always check with the Vet and see what they say on this topic.  From reading this article, the claims do seem to be a little<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="162" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eEvPfiMmqvw/VQezokscN6I/AAAAAAABMHc/f1uNBv6Zmms/image%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="187" /> exaggerated and I’m sure somewhere along the line under the supervision of a Vet that Cannabis will have some merit but things are very new right now and let’s wait and see how the clinical and medical data shuffles in before you get Fido stones.  Actually I think the part of cannabis that gives the high has been removed from the product from what the video says but you never know about what you read and see anymore either.  </p> <p>Is this beagle in the video stoned?  Ok a little satire here with this story but you know how pictures can lead to some strange perceptions out there today.  </p> <p>Don’t rely on marketing is the real message here from the FDA and wait until we get more information.  We’ll maybe see more use in the future.  FDA said the two companies have to change their marketing.  </p> <p><iframe height="285" src="http://www.kvi.com/home/featured/296218731.html?embed" frameborder="0" width="460" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" seamless="seamless"></iframe></p> <hr />SULTAN, Wash. -- Hemp products for pets are starting to hit the market for the first time since Washington voters legalized marijuana for recreational use. <p>Two Puget Sound area companies are being warned by the federal government to back off their medical claims.</p> <p>More and more companies are using marijuana or hemp and claim the resulting products for pets can give extraordinary medical and health benefits.</p> <p>According to the Food and Drug Administration, Canna-Pet, LLC, uses words like anti-cancer, anti-tumor, and much more. Canna Companion out of Snohomish County claims its products inhibit cancer cell growth and reduce inflammation, according to the FDA.</p> <p><a href="http://www.kvi.com/home/featured/296218731.html?tab=video&c=y">http://www.kvi.com/home/featured/296218731.html?tab=video&c=y</a></p>

FDA Warns “Don’t Get Your Dog Stoned” With the Uptick of Pet Hemp Products and Clean Up Your Advertising Warning To Two Companies Selling the Products…

This is not unexpected and there are two companies now that seem to be jumping the gun a little bit on what cannabis can do for your dog.  Of course, always check with the Vet and see what they say on this topic.  From reading this article, the claims do seem to be a little exaggerated and I’m sure …

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How Claim Settlements Are So Difficult At Optum-Are Billing Codes are Locked In Fort Knox…

<p>This is an article from the New York Times and frankly after reading this I don’t think the folks trying assist the patient knew what to do.  This also goes to show you how very complex medical billing is.  The person at Optum would not give out the code? <img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ACKXu66dgyk/VCrebdIALxI/AAAAAAABLb8/i1RbPT4Ld2g/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" /> See what a difference 10 extra minutes of time makes and the code that goes with it to get a claim paid!  Interesting too with all the technology Optum boasts about all the time in the fact that the patient received a snail mail letter as well.  On the other side of the coin if you are the wife of a banker and the doctor files a $75,000.00 claim for a hammertoe procedure that normally runs between 10-15k, no problem check was sent right out.  It was an out of network visit too.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/03/17509880-to-fix-hammer-toe-billed-by.html">$175,098.80 To Fix A Hammer Toe Billed by New York Podiatrist And the Insurer Paid It, Well Sort Of As They Sent the Check to the Patient By Accident, A New Investigation For “Out of Network” Charges Has Resulted</a></h5> <p>United Healthcare/Optum has so many subsidiaries anymore and they keep growing that their lawyers in this case didn’t even know the company sells anti fraud billing software, so they work it both ways.  The lap band case was somewhat entertaining as the United lawyer said they “have “ to depend on accurate billings from the doctors, again not even aware that United/Optum Insights has sold software that looks for fraud and errors in medical billing.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/09/lap-band-surgeries-go-full-circle-with.html">Lap band Surgeries Go Full Circle With Lawsuits–Now United Who’s Being Sued, Files Case Against Company Who Provided the Advertising and Services</a></h5> <p>So in this case the therapist couldn’t even get the correct code so you’re on your own if you run into complexities like this.  By the way here’s an archived post that might be worth a read to see all the types of businesses United is involved with today with the huge army of subsidiary companies they own.  That’s where all the action takes place today, in the subs.  BD  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/07/health-insurance-business-under-radar.html">Health Insurance Business Under the radar With Tiered Subsidiaries–Where All the Action Takes Place With Mergers, Acquisitions and Profit Centers-Subsidiary Watch</a></h5> <p> <hr />I have spent months trying to get reimbursed by <a href="https://www.optum.com/">Optum</a>, a health services company that is part of UnitedHealth Group, for $2,500 worth of psychotherapy. I mailed claim forms twice last year, and both times the company said it didn’t receive them. I faxed the form, after an assurance from a representative that she would call as soon as it arrived. I’m not sure it did; I received no call. I tried submitting the form online. I kept landing on an “Error Occurred” window.</p> <p>I filed a claim via email, but that produced only a snail mail letter from Optum denying the claim. Why? My therapist had used the wrong “code” on the form. Apparently, he used the code for 60 minutes of therapy. Optum will accept only the code for 45 or 50 minutes of therapy.</p> <p>When I explained this to my therapist, he said he had no idea how to find the correct code. And here is the punch line: When I called Optum, a rep said he would not divulge the correct code. My therapist ought to know it already, he said. When my therapist called Optum, the company refused to share the code with him too.</p> <p>This manager went on to say that in 2013, the American Psychological Association changed a number of Current Procedural Terminology codes, the numbers used as shorthand for treatment designations on claims forms. Mr. Request’s therapist was using the old code for 45 minutes of therapy instead of the new one.</p> <p>So that explains why the claim was rejected. It doesn’t explain why a rep at Optum would not share the new code, or the company’s Fort Knox-like imperviousness to letters, emails and a fax.</p> <p>If the system at Optum is as broken as this one patient suggests, you would expect an outpouring of animus toward the company on the Internet. And by gum, there is. At a site called Consumer Affairs, for instance, there are <a href="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/rx/prescription_solutions.html">more than 500 reviews of Optum</a>, most of them scathing. The words “horrible” and “horribly” get used a lot.</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/your-money/coaxing-a-tight-lipped-insurer-to-speak-up.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/your-money/coaxing-a-tight-lipped-insurer-to-speak-up.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0</a></p>

How Claim Settlements Are So Difficult At Optum-Are Billing Codes are Locked In Fort Knox…

This is an article from the New York Times and frankly after reading this I don’t think the folks trying assist the patient knew what to do.  This also goes to show you how very complex medical billing is.  The person at Optum would not give out the code? See what a difference 10 extra minutes of t…

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First World Penis Transplant Accomplished in South Africa–Recipient of an Organ Donor Program…

<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="151" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6U0vgz5HMac/VQZ0SxgJgoI/AAAAAAABMHI/zzCjCif5syM/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="128"> <p>Wake Forest in the US has grown and transplanted penises for rabbits for a few years now and they work and it appears that technology has moved on to the human side now with this announcement.  The surgery took a long time and it was done for a patient in need who didn’t have one anymore due to a botched circumcision so here it is.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/regenerative-medicine-news-fully.html">Regenerative Medicine News – Fully Functional rabbit Penis Created That Works</a></h5> <p>One of these days on your driver’s license I guess men will have to make the decision on whether or not they want to be an organ donor, a penis organ donor as this one was transplanted from a man who died.  BD  </p> <p><iframe id="molvideoplayer" title="MailOnline Embed Player" height="303" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1167066.html" frameborder="0" width="498" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <p> <hr> A 21-year-old man has undergone the world's first successful penis transplant. <p>The 'ground-breaking' operation took South African surgeons nine hours to perform, and allowed the patient to urinate normally and become sexually active again.</p> <p>Three years ago the man, who remains unidentified, was forced to have his penis amputated after a botched circumcision.</p> <p>Each year thousands of young men, mainly from the Xhosa tribe in South Africa, have their foreskins removed in traditional rituals, with experts estimating around 250 losing their penises each year to medical complications. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2993555/World-s-PENIS-transplant-Man-21-organ-restored-amputated-botched-circumcision.html#ixzz3UNeQCnVb">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2993555/World-s-PENIS-transplant-Man-21-organ-restored-amputated-botched-circumcision.html#ixzz3UNeQCnVb</a></p>

First World Penis Transplant Accomplished in South Africa–Recipient of an Organ Donor Program…

Wake Forest in the US has grown and transplanted penises for rabbits for a few years now and they work and it appears that technology has moved on to the human side now with this announcement.  The surgery took a long time and it was done for a patient in need who didn’t have one anymore due to a b…

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The Social Security Death Index-More Flawed Data–Information Gets Sold To Credit Agencies, Banks and More…

<p>Here’s yet another side on the data selling epidemic in the US but this is a little different.  Sure we all know how mistakes are made but as consumers we should also have the right to have those items fixed in a timely manner.  Listen to the video and this is not uncommon.<img align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TdalmYP75PI/AAAAAAAAxmg/DG4Qtifj89U/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" />  It’s a known fact that businesses, banks, insurers and more are out to make buck any way they can selling your data and they don’t care if the data is correct or flawed.  A few years ago I wrote about the Social Security Death Index and at that time it was estimated there were more than 30,000 people listed as dead who were still alive.  This story also looks at the other side with people who should be dead, and are dead, that still existing as living at the Social Security Administration.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/09/audit-finds-dead-consumers-still.html">Audit Finds Dead Consumers Still Getting Social Security Checks</a></h5> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/10/social-security-master-death-index-data.html">Social Security Master Death Index Data Flawed–Over 31,000 Living Found in the Index</a></h5> <p>So there you have both sides of the story with flawed data.  Listen to the one woman who was arrested and even worse had to live in her car as she was wiped of the map completely, could not get a bank account or anything.  I keep warning<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="150" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xZwp7JZiRO8/VQZq3lrcv9I/AAAAAAABMG4/fpFDev5IqQA/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="222" /> all about the “repackaging” of our personal data and this video tells that story pretty well.  Read the link below and be especially cognizant of this if you were in the Anthem data breach.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-data-exchange-buy-and-sell-data-on.html">“The Data Exchange” Buy and Sell Data on Self Service Website, One More Reason to Index and License Data Sellers-This Appears to be Open Game for Selling Repackaged Personal Data-No Privacy At All</a></h5> <p>Social Security said they had no death data for over 6 million people who were over 112 years of age and those folks were opening up bank accounts and more, so there’s the fraud side of it.  </p> <p>The one woman has to carry a letter from Social Security with her for the rest of her month.  It is updated every month for her to show.  It would certainly help people to know who all Social Security sells their data to.  This way it could be much easier for those to repair the flawed data.  The problem of flawed data is not limited to just Social Security as people not not sniffing and checking the integrity of the data, look what the city of Buffalo did.  A lot of dead people were given health insurance benefits and did even the insurers question any of it, nope as it was premiums coming in and they knew there would be no claims, all profit.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/city-of-buffalo-has-paid-over-2-million.html">City of Buffalo Has Paid Over $2 Million to Provide Health Insurance for Hundreds of Dead People-Some as Many as 4 Years</a></h5> <p> </p> <p><embed src="http://www.cbsnews.com/common/video/cbsnews_video.swf" scale="noscale" salign="lt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#000000" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="pType=embed&si=254&pid=HQumjRwGy6Gx&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/dead-or-alive" /></embed></p> <p>We need to license and index ALL the data sellers in the US so consumers have a chance to be able to fix the flawed data that’s floating around out there as this is growing by the day.  I’m on it all the time and have been for 3 years with writing to the FTC, and select members of Congress to create this law so we know who they are!  Would you like to see what data your health insurer buys and sells about you?  I think you would be floored to see it all as again it’s all about making money.  </p> <p><a href="http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-preserve-our-privacy-/258776"><em>Here’s my campaign and please help me out if you could</em></a>…it’s well appreciated no matter what the size donated.  Thanks so much!</p> <p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-identity-fraud-scott-pelley-60-minutes/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-identity-fraud-scott-pelley-60-minutes/</a></p>

The Social Security Death Index-More Flawed Data–Information Gets Sold To Credit Agencies, Banks and More…

Here’s yet another side on the data selling epidemic in the US but this is a little different.  Sure we all know how mistakes are made but as consumers we should also have the right to have those items fixed in a timely manner.  Listen to the video and this is not uncommon.  It’s a known fact that b…

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Major US Newspapers Sign Up and Invest With New Start Up That Will Charge You To Read The News–20 Cents Per Article, Probably Written by a Bot and Goes On You Credit Card–And Bolsters the $180 Million Dollar Year Personal Data Selling Business

<p>This is the way the crappy algorithms crumble.  What was once a great way of communicating what’s going on in the world is in algorithmic and monetary shambles.  <strong>First I like to point fingers at the greedy corporations out there who won’t spend a few more bucks advertising with the media papers.  I guess too you can shift some of that blame over to Google if you like as the long time co-existence is not what it used to be.</strong>  Maybe the impact of the <a href="http://www.ducknet.net/attack-of-the-killer-algorithms/">Killer Algorithms</a> is a little clearer to see here.  They are out there and this is how it works as software and algorithms<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="142" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Jg6XA2kqJWk/VQMNw30YtrI/AAAAAAABMGc/0UXKdqvupr0/image%25255B6%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="187" /> keep building on themselves so this start up is the perfect example of a new built based on activities of past algorithmic activity.  </p> <p>That being said the absolute root of the entire change of the media business is the fact that companies don’t advertise with them like they used to.  We have all seen that impact as the newspapers and media look for revenue streams.  Some of the resultant impact <strong>there includes a ton of what we call “click bait”</strong> which is an article with a headline designed to get your interest and read the article.  Along with reading the article, of course there’s the hope that you will also maybe click on one of the many ads and they make a bit of money just for exposing you to the ads.  It was worked this way for a long time.  As a small blogger though the money made I can tell you with Google is also not what it used to be either.  I have more traffic now than ever and less AdSense Google revenue and of course they change their formulas so the bigger guys make money and the small folks are squeezed as far as any decent ad revenue.  You can read that on almost any small blogger page that expresses and opinion.</p> <p>We also know that the news goes to the Wall Street stock market feeds so now we have another arena to think about and this has been discussed already with certain investors getting access to the news ahead of when the public feeds are released.  <strong>Nanex tracks this quite a bit with his charts on the trading markets and when you see huge activity ahead of news releases, it’s not hard to figure out that the bots who feed on news got a hold of something ahead of time.</strong>  Of course we have the doubting Thomas’s out there who don’t even have a clue on how this works or the huge money it can provide investors when “cheating” on the arrival of news occurs.  When the stock exchanges are running, please do keep in mind that the bots are the number one priority to read the news and change their investments, not us, we come second all the time.  It’s a bot-bot world is is not.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/why-do-we-discuss-supreme-court-ruling.html">Why Do We Discuss Supreme Court Ruling On Affordable Care Act Like a Bunch of Morons? Want to Make Changes and Review Legal Interpretation? Bring Code Please</a></h5> <p><strong>If you think the news articles start looking the same for content, you are correct as the journobots can take an article written by a journalist and re write it with a human programmed algorithm to look like a brand new story from another human writing their view…wrong…it’s a programmed algorithm doing the work and it does it so well that it can determine how to avoid plagiarism so nobody gets in trouble that way</strong>.  Gee just think, they need one “real” journalist to write the initial article and then the “knock off jounobots” can go to work and create dozens if not hundreds of articles re-arranged to legally be correct and make you think that due to the number of articles you are reading, “that’s a areal hot topic”..wrong..you got duped again and you will follow the consensus of what you see out there.  Think news is not being rigged to a degree?  You better think again and choose what you read wisely as there’s still a lot of good stuff reported by all means but eh sharks to expand upon it and do “knock off news” with bots is very much alive and well.  There are limitations to what the bots can do with reporting news and they will and do miss the “human insight” a lot as they are not programmed to go there, they can’t do it.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/04/limitations-and-risks-of-machine-ethics.html">Limitations And Risks Of Machine Ethics (That Really Don’t Exist) - Abstract Basically Substantiating the Existence of What I Coined As “The Attacks of the Killer Algorithms”</a></h5> <p>Recently when it came to “knock off news” written by bots, the topic of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare had to have tons of bots rewriting it as I had a realistic answer there with the technology side and everything else you read n the news was just a re-written repeat, ignoring the fact that the machines run the Affordable Car Act and I went so far (and not intending to hurt anyone but rather just talk facts) the the news articles looked like a bunch of morons discussing a topic where they forgot the technology side of the ACA and all had the same wrong perceptions all over the place, one article after another.   They got a little too virtual with their journo bots for a few days.  I made a couple of comments on them but then stopped as what the heck am I doing writing a comment on an article written by a bot that’s only there for click bait, so see I get caught up at times too until I realize the article was written as “knock off news” by a bot.  This really became noticeable and woke me up a bit as they all said the same thing:)  Keep your eyes open for “knock off bot news’ when you read.  After that experience, I sure do.  </p> <p>In addition, more and more of the news is being written by bots today.  One company who markets and sells the “journo bot” software said that over a billion articles were written last year by their bots.  Ok, so when you dole out your 20 cents, do you get a human produced article or one by a bot.  It used to be the bots wrote very boring analytical stories, and they still do but now they are becoming more talented to add some human type elements to the writing style.  This gets even more interesting as the software comes with full on customization and some new rigging is made easier here too as the parameters can be set to to look for certain patterns with the exchange bots, the high frequency trading bots maybe in particular and set an execute to release the news from there.  Anytime code can be used to rig a market and make money and dupe the government with another perception of the process,<img align="right" height="123" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BjX_vsYCQmM/VPlWO5RmzHI/AAAAAAABMEk/u4zAu7a3aZ0/image%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" width="184" /> they’ll do it.  We have enough history for sure on the <strong><u>code hosers</u></strong> but the public doesn’t seem ready to believe the folks that tell them the truth when it comes to code and math sadly.</p> <p><strong>So, are you going to fork out 20 cents to read an article?  Me, probably not as that goes against what the news was set out to be.  You could buy the entire print version of some papers for that and maybe that’s not a bad idea at times.  There are certain times that I do like to read books and the paper without being online, so I do both.</strong>  Here’s what you get sometimes too with all of the bot produced content..any more it’s like quantitated madness with some of the news being so bad and spuriously correlated. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/12/quantitated-justification-for-believing.html">Quantitated Justification For Believing Things That Are Not True And Using Mathematical Processes To Fool Ourselves-The Journalistic Bot Functionality Debuts As Media Can’t Resist the Formulas…</a></h5> <p><strong>Now to here’s the big winners here, the credit card folks who sell your transaction and behavior patterns to those folks who want to analyze and score you and make money.</strong>  This is so bad and rotten to the core that I truly think the public doesn’t believe this is happening and shines it on.  I can understand that as it does run behind the scenes and you don’t see it.  That’s how they plan it and get dupe the public right and left to get your personal data to sell.  This all moves along fine and dandy until some flawed and maybe not flawed data that you didn’t intend to get out there denies you access to something and boy does that happen right and left.  Again tune in to the honest quants and mathematicians at the Killer Algorithms page and listen up as that’s the truth of what’s going on, or again you can choose to be bliss and wait your turn until one of the Killer Algorithms gives you a good bite and creates tons of havoc and stress for you. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-time-to-look-at-some-of-proprietary.html">It’s Time To Look At Some of the Proprietary Code Running in the US–Too Many Companies and Banks Are Playing “Techno-God” Saying “Trust Me” With the Numbers and Stats…</a></h5> <p>It’s so frustrating to those who know how to code and do math to see this horrific marketing dog and pony show out there deceiving the pubic over and over and over but again watch what those bots are putting out there to manipulate and you may have to pay 20 cents per article to be manipulated now.  I can certainly understand the frustrations of journalists in all of this as that’s not what news is all about, but in order to keep jobs, they have to play part of the game too.  </p> <p><strong>It’s interesting as when you see some of them leave the “game” they end up with true confessions of some type as to what occurred at their prior job.  I could almost go so far as to say the President’s PR campaign too is starting to look like a lot of “knock off” media too, same thing all the time but new humor gets added so we watch it, again it’s same stuff over and over</strong>.  I do worry about the White House too as they have some folks there that are into confusing the virtual world values with the real world, and their bot puts it out in news letters.  Now this is really scary to<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="158" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hGCA5Ul7FZg/VQMNxz9ClnI/AAAAAAABMGk/32od1YZvVtQ/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="223" /> me as the dupers at those high levels have not a clue on how the smart people perceive the nonsense of publishing stats and numbers that nobody can predict.  Come clean and do it right and don’t shoot yourself in the foot.</p> <p><strong>Last but not least, well if you are dumb enough to use a charge card to pay 20 cents to read articles, well there’s more data to collect and sell about you.</strong>  You have to remember this business model is alive and well and runs everywhere as the public is so easy to dupe and runs away from math and code, so what does Wall Street and the tech companies do?  They use code and math to dupe the heck out of you with a marketed perception with plenty of stats that you suck up and feel really good that the perception you created in your mind was substantiated by something you read.  Sorry folks you missed the whole double edge of how the marketing, coding and journo bots work and God help you, really God help all of us that fall into the Duper Pits and suck in all of this.  It’s time to be a skeptic as there’s still a lot of good material out there, just separating it from “knock off news” and some useless “Journo bot” produced material is the problem.  You can read the link below and see how our Congress just flat out can’t model either as they refuse to use modern technologies that will help them and let themselves be duped into thinking things can still work the old way without enough information.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/senators-create-bill-to-go-after-data.html">Senators Create a Bill to Go After the Data Brokers Selling Our Personal Data But It Doesn’t Go Far Enough-Tons of Companies And Banks Are Also Selling Our Data and Repackaging Information About Us…</a></h5> <p><a href="http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-preserve-our-privacy-/258776">We really do need an index and the ability to license data sellers as</a> the data is so flawed and the sellers just don’t care anymore and don’t look at the data at all.  I think is this a good point to put a recent video from <a href="http://edge.org/node/25972">Computer Scientist Jaron Lanier in here and listen to him and</a> he makes sense and is telling the truth as he’s like me except a lot smarter but the same effort here to wake folks up to the fact that the algorithms and corporations are about the same anymore, ready to dupe and take your money as there’s no real communication going on here.  Below is another interview and Jaron explains there’s really no difference in what’s going on with Wall Street and Silicon Valley, it’s all code and he discusses a bit of privacy.   BD</p> <p><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="294" id="flashObj" width="460"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=2360419624001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.time.com%2Ftime%2Fvideo%2Fplayer%2F0%2C32068%2C2360419624001_2142776%2C00.html&playerID=1917933886001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAABGEUMg~,hNlIXLTZFZn-NQOazMchMDWH0SI1hX7f&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=2360419624001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.time.com%2Ftime%2Fvideo%2Fplayer%2F0%2C32068%2C2360419624001_2142776%2C00.html&playerID=1917933886001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAABGEUMg~,hNlIXLTZFZn-NQOazMchMDWH0SI1hX7f&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="460" height="294" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></p> <hr />Blendle, an exciting Dutch startup that has attracted 200,000 users in the region to a platform that lets readers make micropayments for individual newspaper and magazine articles rather than having to sign up to monthly digital subscriptions, has just got even more exciting. <p>The New York Times (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-times-and-axel-springer-invest-in-dutch-startup-blendle-2014-10">which is also an investor in Blendle</a>), The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have signed up to the platform.</p> <p>Here's how Blendle works: Users register for Blendle and put in their credit-card details just once at the beginning of the process in which they create a newsfeed of stories about the topics in which they are interested. When they click on a headline, the app/website takes a small payment. And — perhaps the most intriguing part of the whole offer — if readers don't like an article, they can get an instant refund if they provide feedback.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-times-wall-street-journal-the-washington-post-sign-up-to-blendle-2015-3#ixzz3UHHNYZRa">http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-times-wall-street-journal-the-washington-post-sign-up-to-blendle-2015-3#ixzz3UHHNYZRa</a></p>

Major US Newspapers Sign Up and Invest With New Start Up That Will Charge You To Read The News–20 Cents Per Article, Probably Written by a Bot and Goes On You Credit Card–And Bolsters the $180 Million Dollar Year Personal Data Selling Business

This is the way the crappy algorithms crumble.  What was once a great way of communicating what’s going on in the world is in algorithmic and monetary shambles.  First I like to point fingers at the greedy corporations out there who won’t spend a few more bucks advertising with the media papers.  I …

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Ebola Comes Back to US-American Healthcare Worker Tested Positive and Will Be Flown To the NIH For Treatment

<p>This is the same hospital that treated the nurse from Texas who came down with Ebola and it’s probably the best place for the<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="124" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pjpm_ISfyro/VQJx9MNZ0hI/AAAAAAABMGI/4q3UxoEfgx8/image%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="244" /> patient to go.  The NIH Clinical Center's Special Clinical Studies Unit in Bethesda, Maryland is where the patient will be treated as they are fully set up for isolation.  BD </p> <p> <hr />An American healthcare worker has tested positive for the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/ebola/">Ebola virus</a> in Sierra Leone and is being flown back to the United States for treatment, the National Institutes of Health said Thursday.</p> <p>The worker, who was not identified, had been volunteering at an Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone, one of the West African nations hardest hit by the epidemic.</p> <p>The NIH said the patient will be transported in isolation on a chartered jet, and is expected to arrive Friday.</p> <p>Word of the latest U.S. Ebola patient came as the World Health Organization marked a grim milestone in the epidemic. It announced Thursday that the virus has now killed more than 10,000 people since the outbreak began last year. Almost all of the victims have been in the three West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone</p> <p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-healthcare-worker-with-ebola-heads-to-maryland-hospital/">http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-healthcare-worker-with-ebola-heads-to-maryland-hospital/</a></p>

Ebola Comes Back to US-American Healthcare Worker Tested Positive and Will Be Flown To the NIH For Treatment

This is the same hospital that treated the nurse from Texas who came down with Ebola and it’s probably the best place for the patient to go.  The NIH Clinical Center's Special Clinical Studies Unit in Bethesda, Maryland is where the patient will be treated as they are fully set up for isolation.  BD…

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FTC Says the White House Privacy Bill of Rights Pretty Much Sucks-White House Can’t Model For One, And Leaves Data Selling Companies In Complete Control-Time to Index and License…

<p>Well this is not something new as last year, the White House was also living way too virtual and their policies last year sucked even more.  For one, they can’t even include the words “data seller” in anything they put forward and it’s a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo and<img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ljV2UEat9qI/VOkMeroWg2I/AAAAAAABL9M/YEJM2Ndokzw/image10.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" /> it’s largely because they are out of touch.  The current administration seems to be captivated with “selfies” as we see one after another and then yesterday we had the head of Health and Human Services and the Surgeon General just so proud of themselves for posting a selfie:)  You can’t make this stuff up, just watch the news every day.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/05/white-house-privacy-report-privacy-bill.html">White House Privacy Report , “Privacy Bill of Rights”Vague & Complex Verbiage, No Mention of Creating An Index to Identify All Data Sellers Or The Fact That It’s an Epidemic Leading To Privacy Violations & Flawed Data, Hurting Many Consumers As It Actively Contributes to Inequality</a></h5> <p>Efforts in the Senate, not much better and again another group that confuses virtual with real world values over there too.  We’re not even going to discuss the House at this point as I think they are worse than the Senate and White House together with being stuck in virtual values.</p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/03/senators-create-bill-to-go-after-data.html">Senators Create a Bill to Go After the Data Brokers Selling Our Personal Data But It Doesn’t Go Far Enough-Tons of Companies And Banks Are Also Selling Our Data and Repackaging Information About Us…</a></h5> <p>You do have to give the FTC credit for speaking up a bit and they need laws so then can enforce and act as well.  It’s hard when the digital illits can’t put it all together and “model” a law that’s useful.  The Senate Bill above only addresses data brokers and shoot there’s tons more out there and the data selling business which strips our dignity and is becoming highly flawed is worth around $180 billion a year.  Look at CVS and Walgreens each making 1 to 2 billion a year selling our data.  The big danger is repackaging and I have said this over and over since the Anthem breach and every one is just bliss but these hackers can make a lot of money with some very basic SQL skills and repost the stolen data to look legit on<img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-n42x8-ryF7s/VPx5zhsBRII/AAAAAAABMFo/OMI7oItOHXo/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="float: right; display: inline" /> websites where data is for sale.  They would need to make no mention of Anthem either as there’s tons of other queries to be written to sell of some data. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-data-exchange-buy-and-sell-data-on.html">“The Data Exchange” Buy and Sell Data on Self Service Website, One More Reason to Index and License Data Sellers-This Appears to be Open Game for Selling Repackaged Personal Data-No Privacy At All</a></h5> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/anthem-data-breachcrooks-want-to-sell.html">Anthem Data Breach–Crooks Want to Sell Data Too–The Impact of the “Data Selling For Profit Epidemic” That Exists in the US With Scoring Consumers Removing Access and Human Dignity</a></h5> <p>The World Privacy Forum and myself seem to be the only ones talking about the secret scoring and repackaging of our data.  If you listen only to major news, well you miss it all too as they don’t touch on it too often and with bots writing 1/3 of the news today, well who knows what the bot might say instead as well.  It’s time to index and license all data sellers, and I have said that for 3 years now.  When it sink in?  Help the campaign if you will…I’m working it.  </p> <p>Again it’s very scary when neither Congress nor the White House knows what’s really going on and how to craft and model a bill that pertains to modern technologies like data selling that keep inequality in the US rolling at epic speeds.  The data is flawed.  BD  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/06/data-selling-and-direct-correlation-to.html">Data Selling and the Direct Correlation To Accelerated Inequality - Epidemic Spreading Like A Virus Moving Money Keeping Corporations Cash Rich and Consumers Cash Poor</a></h5> <p> <hr />As the Federal Trade Commission looks to work with the White House to <a href="http://www.pymnts.com/news/2015/ftc-aims-to-tighten-data-security-laws/#.VP3OLYF4rwZ">tighten data security laws</a>, consumer protection officials have been both proponents and critics of the Consumer Privacy Bill that was released last month from the White House.</p> <p>While Jessica Rich, the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau Director, has been an advocate of the bill’s purpose, she, along with Edith Ramirez — another FTC official— have been sharp to criticize the bill recently, particularly because of the vagueness of the language the officials believe will leave too many loopholes against actually protecting consumers.</p> <p>“We have concerns that many of the provisions in the draft legislation won’t provide consumers with the strong and enforceable protections needed to protect their privacy in this day and age,” <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/03/09/federal-consumer-protection-official-blasts-white-house-privacy-proposal/?mod=ST1">Rich</a> said in an interview Friday, March 6, with <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>. “There’s a lot of procedures and provisions that just create an enormous number of loopholes.”</p> <p>Rich claimed that the legislation, as currently written, still gives companies the power to withhold data from a consumer, and provides them to power to maintain the control of the data without factoring in what’s best for the consumer. </p> <p><a href="http://www.pymnts.com/news/2015/ftc-criticizes-vagueness-of-consumer-privacy-bill/#.VP_MvVNtfEQ">http://www.pymnts.com/news/2015/ftc-criticizes-vagueness-of-consumer-privacy-bill/#.VP_MvVNtfEQ</a></p>

FTC Says the White House Privacy Bill of Rights Pretty Much Sucks-White House Can’t Model For One, And Leaves Data Selling Companies In Complete Control-Time to Index and License…

Well this is not something new as last year, the White House was also living way too virtual and their policies last year sucked even more.  For one, they can’t even include the words “data seller” in anything they put forward and it’s a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo and it’s largely because they are o…

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