text:
Children's Families Fined $500 For 'Illegal' Lemonade Stand
Do you remember your first lemonade stand? If you do, it most likely didn't involve a $500 fine. For two Maryland families, their children's lemonade stand led to a $500 fine issued by the county for "operating a lemonade stand without a permit," according to the county's local news. The stand was positioned nearby the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland where the US Open golf tournament was bringing in fans from across the globe.
The two families, the Marriotts and Augustines, found the fine to be both outlandish and unfair. "The message to kids is: there's no American dream," said Carrie Marriott, mother to some of the children. When asked to justify the fine, a county official stated: "Kids selling lemonade making five, ten dollars is a little different than making hundreds," he said.
Support natural health: checkout the new Natural Society Natural Health Clothing Line today and fund the message of organic living through our exclusive new designs!
Google Plus Profile Anthony is the Founding Director of NaturalSociety, whose writings on the subject of health and wellness have reached tens of millions of readers worldwide. A proponent of an organic lifestyle, the growth of alternative news, and a dedication to aiding various non-profit organizations, NaturalSociety was Anthony's next step in what he calls "highlighting what you won't be hearing about on the major news networks." Anthony has appeared on both grassroots and established platforms alike, including routine appearances on Drudge Report, Daily Mail, RT, The Blaze, Infowars, Michael Savage's Savage Nation, Coast to Coast AM, and many others. Follow Anthony on Twitter Follow Anthony on Facebook


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Osprey Xena 70
Where to Buy
Retailers' Descriptions
Here's what other sites are saying:
The Osprey Women's Xena 70 Backpack handles large loads on extended trips and makes load-carrying comfort its top priority. A beefed-up version of the LightWire peripheral frame suspension creates the structure, while the women-specific BioForm CM hipbelt and harness provide a supportive and highly customizable fit during your week-long treks into America's scenic national parks.
- Backcountry.com
The women's Osprey Xena 70 pack offers deluxe comfort for carrying large loads on multiday trips. Its beefed up frame and deluxe suspension provide a supportive and highly customizable fit.
Osprey knows that you need the best load carrying ability and comfort when carrying large loads on extended trips, which is why they designed the Xena 70 pack. An innovative suspension system provides excellent support, while the pack itself gives you more than enough room to pack for an epic trip.
The womens specific Xena 70 provides deluxe features optimal organization and gear access for weekend to weeklong backpacking trips lasting 37 days while providing comfort and superb carrying ability Size cu in liter lbsoz kg S 4028 66 51 231 M 4272 70 55 242 Xena 70 FeaturesDual Compartment Top PocketDual Ice Axe LoopsHarness AdjustmentHydrationRed Compression StrapSide Compression StrapsSide Zip AccessSleeping Bag CompartmentSleeping Pad StrapsStowontheGoStretch Mesh Front PocketStretch Mesh Side PocketsVertical Zippered PocketsZippered Hipbelt PocketDual Compartment Top PocketThe removable dual compartment top lid converts to a quality lumbar pack for side trips The builtin belt stores behind the padded ventilated lumbar pad when not in use
- Bentgate.com
Free Shipping. Osprey Women's Xena 70 Pack FEATURES of the Osprey Women's Xena 70 Pack Dual compartment top pocket converts to lumbar pack with built-in belt Curved side zips on each side of pack provide wide, easy access to main compartment Dual access stretch mesh side pockets Dual side compression straps Zippered hipbelt pockets provide secure storage Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment External hydration sleeve in backpanel simplifies refilling and protects pack contents from spills Two roomy front pockets with coated zippers help keep often needed items handy Stretch mesh front pocket for quickly stashing extra gear Two ice axe loops and handle wraps Wide-mouth access sleeping bag compartment with divider Removable sleeping pad straps Women's Bioform4 CM hipbelt and harness Suspension 3.5mm (4mm on 105L) LightWireHD peripheral frame effectively transfers load to hipbelt BioForm4 harness with NeoSpacer fabric provides a comfortable fit Reversed spacer mesh backpanel offers smooth, breathable contact surface Single 6061-T6 center stay maintains backpanel shape BioForm4 CM hipbelt balances firmness and cushioning for optimal carry SPECIFICATIONS of the Osprey Women's Xena 70 Pack 210D high-tenacity nylon pack cloth 420D nylon oxford 840D nylon power mesh 500D plain weave nylon oxford Dimension: (H x W x D): 35 x 15 x 14in. / 88 x 38 x 35 cm SPECIFICATIONS for Extra Small Volume: 3783 cubic inches / 62 liter Weight: 4 lbs 14 oz / 2.20 kg SPECIFICATIONS for Small Volume: 4028 cubic inches / 66 liter Weight: 5 lbs 1 oz / 2.31 kg SPECIFICATIONS for Medium Volume: 4272 cubic inches / 70 liter Weight: 5 lbs 5 oz / 2.42 kg This product can only be shipped within the United States. Please don't hate us.
- Moosejaw
Osprey Xena 70
currently retails for:
$247.46 - $329.95
$247.46 - $329.95

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome To Spirit HalloweenX
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Condoms are commonly used by police officers to asses potential prostitution arrests, a fact that's forcing serious policy review in New York as, if passed, New York State Bill S1379/A2736 would ban the practice. New York would become the first state to pass such a law.
As the law stands, possession of a condom or multiple condoms can be used to justify police questioning and is admissible in prosecution. Although this is currently the case in every major U.S. city, prosecutors in San Francisco and New York City, along with nearby Brooklyn and Nassau County, announced last year they would cease using condoms as evidence.
Support for the legislation comes from immigrant, human rights and public health groups that say the practice is discriminatory and undermines efforts to enable safe sex. A 2010 study revealed that roughly half of New York City's sex workers chose not to carry condoms to minimize evidence of their activities.
The bill is being reviewed by the state Senate, with supporters aiming to have it passed before May.


text:
Saudi Arabia
Meet the Kurds, a Historically Oppressed People Who Will Get Their Own State
While Hamas fires rockets, and ISIS beheads unbelievers, the Kurds build the second non-Arab state in the Middle East
Israel Spent $1,250 To Lobby America in 2013
New study shows other countries spend much more on influencing America
In Saudi Arabia, a Muslim Call to Prayer Inspires Jewish Prayer—in Private
I had to lie about my religion to enter the kingdom on business, but I would continue to daven every morning in secret
Robert Malley To Join National Security Council
Worked on the Arab-Israeli peace process under President Clinton
With Natural Gas Fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, Israel Now Has a New Front: the Sea
As new fields come online, Israel is beefing up its naval assets to fend off threats from Turkey, Lebanon, and Russia
Iran Nuclear Deal Is Still Not in Effect
The groups have resumed talking in Geneva though
Report: Israel and Saudi Arabia Co-Planning Iran Attack
You might call this the ultimate brushback pitch
The Arab-Israeli Peace Process Is Over. Enter the Era of Chaos.
The theater of the peace process was key to U.S. hegemony in the Middle East—and without the process, there will be no peace
Report: Iran Weeks Away from Nuclear Weapon
Another trying week on Iran and its nuclear program draws to a close
Saudi Arabia Blasts American Policy on Iran, Syria
Saudi officials declaring 'major' shift away from the United States


text:
Proposal: Pay to refine
View Single Post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 387
# 30
Originally Posted by
Thanks to relentless grinding, fantastic luck getting contraband-drops and other factors I now have 45,000 dilth backed up ready to refine. I could unleash several projects at once if I had access to this, instead I have to drip-feed them 8K at a time.
8K isn't enough to triggers some rep projects... So I have to wait days to run projects that complete in 120 seconds.
My proposal is this: A microtransaction-based one-shot "refine everything deal." For $5 worth of Zen get instant access to all your dilth. To prevent abuse, run it on a 7-day cooldown and limit ONE transaction token per account during that 7-day cooldown.
This is a situation where I am asking Cryptic to LET ME GIVE YOU REAL CASH MONEY in trade for an in-game service.
Can we get a dev to weigh in on this idea?
if you spend $5 worth of zen to refine dilithium say 45000 current prices 87 dilithium to 1 zen you'd get 43500...why not just uh i donno buy it? then keep refining what you got? next few days...i'd say you'd need at least 200k unrefined for this to be of any real use....just thought i'd add this... if you have characters with extra refined dilithium use dilithium exchange put up for 25 dilithium 1 zen then cancel switch characters take dilithium out of mini dilithium exchange bank type thing other character now has dilithium that other one wasnt using


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(Updates with more forecasts in second paragraph and today's currency performance in fifth.)
Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Kenya and Uganda may boost borrowing costs by as much as 2 percentage points each tomorrow to bolster their currencies and curb soaring inflation, economists said.
Njuguna Ndung'u, governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, will raise the central bank rate to a record 12.5 percent, according to the median estimate of five economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The forecasts ranged between 50 basis points and 200 basis points. Uganda's Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile will probably increase the key lending rate by 2 percentage points to 22 percent, according to Standard Chartered Plc.
Kenya's shilling has slumped 19 percent against the dollar this year, the biggest decline of more than 170 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, as the worst drought in six decades boosted inflation and the central bank was slow to tighten monetary policy. The central bank of Uganda and Kenya pushed up their lending rates by 4 percentage points each last month.
"A bias toward further tightening is likely to tame inflationary pressure which is being driven by earlier easy access to credit," Aly Khan Satchu, head of Rich Management, an investment adviser for wealthy individuals, said in a phone interview from Nairobi. "The recent rains will ease food availability with the possibility of inflation plateauing."
Uganda's currency rose as much as 1 percent to 2,584 per dollar today and was trading at 2,588 as of 12:11 p.m. in Kampala, paring its decline to 11 percent this year. Kenya's shilling was trading 0.1 percent lower at 99.85 per dollar.
Tanzania, Rwanda
Kenya's Monetary Policy Committee will publish its decision in an e-mailed statement tomorrow, while Uganda's central bank will hold a press conference at 10:15 a.m. in Kampala.
Central bank governors from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, which makes up the East African Community, agreed on Oct. 12 to coordinate their actions to tighten monetary policy and limit volatility in their currencies. Kenyan inflation reached 18.9 percent in October, while consumer prices surged 28.3 percent in Uganda in September.
"The worsening inflation profile calls for more decisive action from the Central Bank of Kenya," Razia Khan, head of Africa economic research at Standard Chartered Plc, said in a note to clients.
Rate Cuts
Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, which raised its key lending rate by 2.75 percentage points to 12 percent on Oct. 10, have bucked a global trend by boosting borrowing costs to protect their currencies. Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, Israel and Indonesia have cut borrowing costs since August to support their economies as a debt crisis in Europe threatens the global recovery.
Kenya's economy contracted in the second quarter by a seasonally adjusted 4.6 percent as dry weather crimped agricultural production, which makes up a quarter of output in the world's largest grower of black tea. Uganda's central bank has lowered its economic growth projection for the year through June 2012 to 5 percent from 6 percent.
"The upward trend in inflation is expected to continue until the first quarter of next year due to a weaker shilling and food-supply constraints, hence a rate hike will be appropriate" in Kenya, Peter Wachira, senior investment manager at PineBridge Investments LLC's East Africa unit, said in a phone interview from Nairobi.
--With assistance from Simbarashe Gumbo in Johannesburg and Fred Ojambo in Kampala. Editors: Nasreen Seria, Paul Richardson
To contact the reporter on this story: Johnstone Ole Turana in Nairobi at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The Soulja Boy/Ice-T [click to read] situation has not died yet. What this so-called "beef" has become is a huge talking point in the industry where everyone has said their piece regarding the situation [click to read]. The latest to weigh in is none other than Method Man. Method Man appeared on Phoenix radio station Power 98.3
Method Man Weighs In On Soulja Boy/Ice-T Controversy
Method Man give his two cents on the Soulja Boy/Ice-T situation. You may be surprised at what he says.


text:
These Muppet Christmas Movie Bloopers Will Warm Your Day
Miss Piggy jumping Kermit's lines: classic.
1. The following "gag reel" is from It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, which was a 2002 TV special. Check out Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and Joan Cusack mess stuff up. It's adorable!
Preview Your Response


text:
James Conlon Conducts Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring
* Additional fees apply. No coupon or promo codes necessary to enjoy the displayed discount price.
The last date listed for Albert Herring was Saturday March 17, 2012 / 2:00pm.
Currently at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
St. Petersburg's Eifman Ballet Performs Rodin
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Boris Eifman, known as the bad boy of Russian ballet, brings his St. Petersburg-based contemporary… More
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Featured review from Mark FarberRed Velvet
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great production, Conlon's conducting was spot-on.
star this review starred report as inappropriate
Worst opera I have seen in my life
I think that it is time to change the opera director.
We need some new blood and programs
star this review starred report as inappropriate
Total torture. Very minor work that is way too long as well.
star this review starred report as inappropriate
I slept thru most of it so can't actually say "I hated it!"
Quotes & Highlights
Learn more about _Albert Herring _through articles and multimedia from LA Opera.
* This opera is performed in English with projected English supertitles.
This is a coming-of-age comedy that contains mild alcohol use and sexual innuendo; parental discretion is advised.


text:
This item is temporarily out of stock. However, we can notify you as soon as this product becomes available.
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We have received your request and you will be notified as soon as this product becomes available.
Description: Me & My Big Ideas Scrapbook Kits are the perfect mini collection all wrapped up in one package! The coordinated contents take away all the hard work and leave you with time to fill your scrapbooks with love and memories! Explorer Scrapbook Kit contains 2 sheets each of 5 printed paper designs and a die cut sheet, 71 stickers-upper and lower case letters, 9 soft spoken dimensional stickers, 42 chipboard pieces, and 24 rhinestones with mixed sizes in 3 colors. Colors include shades of Rust, Gold, Yellow, Lime, Light Blue, Navy, Black and White. 12 x 12 inch.
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Reading Rockets: National Poetry Month features video interviews with children's poets, a list of resources for learning through poetry, and suggested activities for celebrating National Poetry Month.
Tag Archives: language arts
Reading Rockets: National Poetry Month
ReadingRockets.org provides teaching strategies, parent tip sheets (11 languages), articles on literacy, interviews with authors and experts, daily reading headlines, a library of web widgets, and other resources to help parents, teachers, librarians, and other professionals help young children become stronger readers.
International Children's Digital Library
International Children's Digital Library aims to make the best in children's literature from around the world available free on the web. It includes nearly 5,000 books in over 50 languages in a child-friendly format for reading online. Search books by language, award winning titles, and more.
Read.gov features classic books online for children and teens. Find the text and illustrations of "Humpty Dumpty," "Mother Goose," "The Three Bears," "Our Flag," "The Arabian Nights," "The Secret Garden," "A Christmas Carol," "The Raven," and other classics. The site also provides webcasts of authors, writing contests, and teaching resources.
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices provides five recommendations to improve literacy among adolescents in the upper elementary, middle, and high school grades. The guide is designed for teachers and personnel who work directly with students. It presents strategies that have the strongest research support and are appropriate for use with adolescents.
Educational Resources
Educational Resources features lesson plans that invite students to examine George Washington's annotated copy of an early draft of the Constitution, compare Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence to the final document, determine which of 12 amendments they would ratify to produce a Bill of Rights, identify techniques Jefferson used in a […]
National Postal Museum
National Postal Museum has developed curriculum guides that explore stamps and postal history, and encourage students to write letters. Topics include historic letters and stamps from American wars; stamps and other countries, history, and art; the place of letter writing in American history; letter writing for advanced English learners; and letter writing between students and […]
Children's Literature: Digitized Print Materials
Children's Literature: Digitized Print Materials provides 50 digitized texts of rare books: The Arabian Nights, A Child's Garden of Verses, Ballad of the Lost Hare, A Christmas Carol, Humpty Dumpty, The Grasshopper Stories, Mother Goose Finger Plays, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Rocket Book, The Secret Garden, Stories from Hans Andersen, The Three Bears, […]
The Big Read
The Big Read encourages communities to read and discuss novels. Teacher guides, discussion questions, and other information are provided for Fahrenheit 451, My


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Use this coarsely ground black pepper to season any savory dish. Its robust flavor and coarse texture makes it perfect for rubbing on meat before grilling or roasting.
Black Pepper
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon per 4 servings of meat, fish, pasta or green salads.
Serves: 8Prep time: 20 mins
This product has no significant nutritional value.
This is the best pepper I have ever used! It is so aromatic and it brings out the flavor of food so well that I bought an extra bottle to carry around in my purse. Whenever my husband and I go out to eat I use this pepper instead of the pepper on the table or if they offer "cracked pepper."
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A system and related techniques enhance the generation and delivery of dialed number identification service (DNIS) data to automatic call distributors and other destinations. Unlike conventional DNIS-based (800) or other call centers or other resources whose available DNIS-based identifications can become overtaxed during comparatively high call volumes, according to embodiments of the invention DNIS numbers are dynamically generated from an available pool on a per-call basis under call router supervision. According to embodiments of the invention in one regard, the dynamic DNIS may be associated with that call to the call's particular destination, such as an automatic call distributor, interactive voice response unit or other resource, during the duration of the call for the operative destination, with other calls being locked out from using that DNIS assignment while the call is in progress. The DNIS digits along with other tag or label information may likewise be used as a temporary key to access associated call data, such as dialed number, caller entered or other data or information, which may be stored in a data store for access by customer service representatives (CSRs) or others. After the call is completed, the temporarily assigned DNIS number may be released back to the pool for use by other calls to that destination.
1. A system for generating a dialed number identifier, comprising:
an interface to receive an incoming call to an originally dialed number via a network;
a call data store for receiving captured call data related to the incoming call;
a pool of available non-assigned dialed number identification service (DNIS) numbers;
a routing engine to temporarily assign an available non-assigned DNIS number to the incoming call and direct the incoming call to its destination according to the captured call data, and to lock the temporarily assigned DNIS number;
wherein the pool of available non-assigned DNIS numbers is updated when the temporarily assigned DNIS number is released at termination of the incoming call and the released temporarily assigned DNIS number is made available to another incoming call from the pool of available non-assigned DNIS numbers.
2. A system according to
3. A system according to
4. A system according to
5. A system according to
6. A system according to
7. A system according to
8. A system according to
9. A system according to
10. A method of generating a dialed number identifier, comprising:
receiving a call to an originally dialed number via a network;
generating temporary dynamic dialed number identification information based on the originally dialed number and a call state of a connecting call to a destination via a routing engine, wherein the call state comprises pendency of the connecting call to the destination;
assigning temporary dynamic dialed number identification information to the originally dialed number;
locking the temporary dynamic dialed number identification information assigned to the call during the pendency of the call to the destination;
releasing the locked temporary dynamic dialed number identification information assigned to the call; and
updating a pool of available unassigned dialed number identification information with the released dynamic dialed number identification information at termination of the call.
11. A method according to
12. A method according to
13. A method according to
14. A method according to
15. A method according to
16. A method according to
17. A method according to
18. A method according to
19. A method of dynamically reallocating dialed number identification service (DNIS) numbers, the method comprising:
receiving an incoming call to an originally dialed number via a network:
capturing call data related to the incoming call and storing in a data store;
communicating the call data and a routing request to a routing engine based on the originally dialed number and a call state of a connecting call to a destination, wherein the call state comprises pendency of the connecting call to the destination;
assigning a dynamic DNIS number from a pool of available unassigned dynamic DNIS numbers to the incoming call via the routing engine;
locking the assigned dynamic DNIS number during the pendency of the call to the destination;
releasing the locked dynamic DNIS number from its assigned state via the routing engine upon termination of the incoming call;
updating the pool of available unassigned dynamic DNIS numbers with the released dynamic DNIS number; and
reassigning the released dynamic DNIS number to another incoming call.
20. The method according to
21. The method according to
22. The method according to
23. The method according to
24. The method according to
25. The method according to
26. The method according to
27. The method according to
28. A method of generating temporary dialed number identification service (DNIS) numbers, the method comprising:
receiving a call to an originally dialed number via a network;
dynamically extracting a temporary unassigned DNIS number from a pool of available unassigned DNIS numbers;
assigning the extracted temporary DNIS number to the call based on the originally dialed number and a call state of connecting call to a destination, wherein the call state comprises pendency of the connecting call to the destination;
locking the assigned temporary DNIS number during the pendency of the call to the destination;
removing the assigned temporary DNIS number from the pool of available unassigned DNIS numbers during the pendency of the call to the destination, thereby preventing a conflict of the call to its destination;
releasing the assigned temporary DNIS number upon termination of the call from its assigned state; and
adding the released unassigned temporary DNIS number to the pool of available unassigned DNIS numbers.
29. The method according to
30. The method according to
31. The method according to
32. The method according to
33. The method according to
34. The method according to
35. The method according to
36. The method according to
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The invention relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to an environment for delivering (800) number and other calls to automatic call distributors or other destinations, using a dynamic assignment of called number identification services and other call-tagging information.
Call center and other computerized telephony operations in the past have sometimes economized on network infrastructure by sharing physical communications connections. In these arrangements, a company or group of separate companies may for example publicize multiple (800) or other numbers for various types of customer support or other operations. For instance, a large financial institution may offer one (800) for retail banking accounts, another (800) number for mutual fund clients and another (800) for brokerage trading. While those numbers may be separate, each number may be channeled over long distance or other networks to one physical trunk or connection, to economize of network costs and maintenance.
When multiple (800) or other numbers are logically shared over common network resources, it has been known in the past to identify calls coming in over one number or another using the dialed number identification service (DNIS). For instance as illustrated in
That destination may be or include, for example, an automatic call distributor (ACD), an interactive voice response (IVR) unit, or other destination or resource. That ACD or other hardware or software may be correspondingly programmed or equipped with tools or applications to service specific types of calls, such as account inquiries, transactions, subscription or other inquiries or support. The call may be delivered to that ACD or other destination over common telephone, data or other links, along with other calls, for instance over T-1 or other lines.
To ensure that the call which is being sent over the common lines or connections is properly identified and delivered to the most appropriate ACD, the SCP or other controller may employ the known DNIS system to identify the dialed number from which the call originated. According to that system, the SCP or other controller may transmit call-identifying tag or other information based on or related to the originally dialed number to the destination ACD. That DNIS tag, label or other identifying information may be or include, for instance, a 3 or 4-digit code appended to or associated with the destination number. The DNIS information may also be encoded in other formats.
The DNIS information may be transmitted to the ACD or other destination through in-band signaling in the voice channel. Typically that information is transmitted using dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) or other tones or signals through the voice channel. Once the ACD or other destination has decoded the DNIS digits, that resource can distribute or process the call according to the dialed (800) or other numbers, for instance to invoke a voice menu, distribute the call to a customer support representative (CSR), or perform other processing.
While the conventional DNIS system functions adequately for the delivery of identified calls in environments including comparatively low-volume environments, there are still difficulties in ensuring DNIS-based call distribution in other contexts. One challenge is the delivery of DNIS-labeled calls in a high-volume environment. This problem arises in one regard because the number and capacity of communications links through which the call may be connected to the ACD or other destination may be limited. For instance, the network operator may lease T-1 or other lines and not be able to readily add capacity to those lines, when a comparatively greater call volume occurs.
Further, the SCP or other controller which associates a DNIS number or tag with a call to transmit in-band with the call is conventionally configured with a fixed translation table, so that given (800) numbers are always transmitted to given ACD or other resources using given DNIS numbers or tags. The total number of those assignments may therefore be fixed, and even when there may be on the order of hundreds of available DNIS numbers or associated labels or tags, call centers which experience hundreds or thousands of calls per minute may exceed the available set of DNIS/destination assignments, communications links or both. In those cases calls must remain in the default queue until DNIS and other resources free up, causing delays in response time and other customer metrics, or causing a call drop if the default queue is not suitably configured. Other problems in dialed number-based call distribution schemes exist.
The invention overcoming these and other problems in the art relates in one regard to a system and method for dynamic assignment of dialed number identification information, in which inbound (800) or other calls may be associated with DNIS numbers or other tags or identifiers which are not fixed or permanently assigned, but assigned on a dynamic basis based on available DNIS numbers and other varying conditions. In embodiments, the (800) or other call or transaction may be controlled by a service control point which in turn communicates with a routing engine. Unlike conventional architectures in which the service control point may generate DNIS assignments for given destinations based on a provisioned or hard-wired basis, according to embodiments of the invention the DNIS number and other accompanying labels or other information may be dynamically extracted from a lookup table or other source in the routing engine. The lookup table may contain a frequently updated pool of DNIS numbers which are locked for a given call to a given destination. This locking action may take the DNIS digits or code out of the available lookup pool during the duration of the call delivery, thereby preventing a conflict or mis-delivery of the call or call data to the destination. DNIS numbers may also similarly be used for other destinations simultaneously with other calls to other destinations. Because DNIS number assignments and other accompanying information may be accessed and generated by reference to a lookup table or other dynamic source, the total capacity of the system to deliver calls to ACDs and other destinations may be increased compared to systems which permanently assign DNIS numbers to destinations or other resources.
Once the call is initiated, according to embodiments of the invention in one regard the incoming call may be communicated to a service control point 106, which may for example be or include a server or other hardware along with a database engine or other resources. The service control point 106 may in turn communicate with a routing engine 108, which may likewise for instance be or include a server or other resource. The service control point 106, the routing engine 108 and other resources may for instance be incorporated in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) configuration or network, a Signaling System 7 (SS7) network or other communications network or fabric, and may in embodiments include or interface to intelligent call management (ICM) hardware, software, Genesys™ Network Routing solutions or other call routing solutions.
According to embodiments of the invention, the routing engine 108 may host rules-based logic and other programmed or hardwired control to be applied to the incoming call, to analyze, route and manage the routing of the call to its destination. That destination as illustrated may be or include a number of local or remote physical or logical destinations including a local central office 112, an automatic call distributor 116, an interactive voice response farm 126 or other destination or site. The routing engine 108 in cooperation with the service control point 106 and other resources may analyze the call to generate an appropriate destination for the type and purpose of the call.
Towards those purposes, the routing engine 108 may capture, access or receive both call data and caller data as well as other information for routing and other purposes. Call data may therefore be or include data such as the dialed number identified via dialed number identification service (DNIS), calling number data such as a ten-digit or other telephone number generated via automatic number identification (ANI) or other services, time of day or date of call origination, the carrier over which the call arrives or which bills or services the call, or other call parameters related to or identifying the originating call.
Caller data may contain, for instance, caller entered data such as touch-tone, keypad, voice response or other inputs, for instance in response to a voice prompt, telephone typewriter (TTY) data or other menu or interface, such as for example account, subscriber, user name, social security or other identifiers or data. Caller data may likewise in embodiments include data retrieved from past transactions or exchanges, for instance automatically retrieved or identified via the caller's calling number, whether identified automatically or entered by the caller. Other types, categories and formats of data are possible. According to embodiments of the invention in one regard, the call data captured for a particular call may be temporarily or permanently stored to a call data store 124, or other local or remote storage or other facility.
According to embodiments of the invention in one regard, the routing engine 108 may typically receive the dialed number (DN), for instance an (800), (900) or other number, as part of the collection of call data on which to base the forward routing of the call. The call may require routing to a corresponding destination such as an ACD, IVR or other resource based on the call data and intended service. For example, in a financial services application a large organization which runs a mutual fund division may provide one (800) number such as "(800) 123-1111" for mutual fund customers wishing to call to access their accounts, while also providing an (800) number such as "(800) 123-2222" for a brokerage services division. Calls dialed to the first of those numbers may need to be routed to an interactive voice response farm 126, whose voice response units may for instance be programmed with menus configured to present common mutual fund options or other information.
Conversely, calls dialed to the second of those numbers may require routing to a resource such as ACD 116, which may distribute the call to a set of CSR workstations 118 staffed by customer service representative or other personnel knowledgeable or qualified to provide brokerage trades or advice. Other numbers, combinations of numbers and intended destinations are possible for various industries, applications and implementing architectures. In embodiments (800) number or other calls for different companies or other entities may be serviced by common communications links, routing engines and/or destination resources.
According to known implementations of routing architectures, the dialed (800) or other number might be used to identify which ACD, IVR or other resource which may be appropriate destination for the incoming call, for instance based on database checks in a service control point. That call delivery might be programmed using a dialed number identification service (DNIS) label, tag, number or other code, such as a 4-digit or other tag to be attached to an ACD or other destination number, and informing the destination which (800) or other number the caller 102 originally dialed in to. However, in call center or other environments which experience a comparatively high rate of incoming calls, for instance on the order of hundreds or thousands of calls per minute, or more or less, tying dialed numbers to destinations based on hardwired DNIS tags may tax or exceed the number of available connection ports, DNIS assignments or other resources required to support that volume of calls.
According to embodiments of the invention as illustrated in
In embodiments, the routing engine 108 may host or store a lookup table 110 storing the momentary assignments of one or more dynamic DNIS 114, in dynamic or pooled fashion. Because DNIS tags or other identifying data are not permanently assigned to dialed numbers and associated destinations, those tags or other codes or data may be used and re-used on the fly based on current usage at a given destination. This dynamic reallocation may expand the effective number of unique identifiers available to, and therefore the realized capacity of, the system at a given time.
In an illustrative call flow more particularly illustrated in
Select code 122, which may similarly include or be based on other information, may in turn act as a key or pointer into entries stored in lookup table 110. Lookup table 110 may store a dynamically assigned 4-digit or other DNIS code, tag or other data for that select code 122. According to embodiments of the invention in one regard, upon assignment of the dynamic DNIS 114 to the call for the given ACD 116 or other destination based on select code 122, routing engine 108 may lock that 4-digit or other DNIS code in lookup table 110 or otherwise. Placing a lock on that DNIS identifier during the duration of that call may serve to prevent data overwrites, misconnections or other corruption of the call by accidentally assigning the same DNIS code to another call to the same destination, at the same time.
The routing engine 108 may also return the destination number 120 for the ACD 116 to the long distance network 104, along with the dynamic DNIS 114 to permit the call to be connected to its intended destination. The call may thereafter be connected from long distance network 114 to the ACD 116, based on the destination number 120 and delivering dynamic DNIS 114 to the ACD 116 or other premises routing logic. When the call is successfully connected from long distance network 104 to ACD 116, the ACD 116 or other destination may transmit a message to routing engine 108 that the DNIS call number has arrived, after which the routing engine may release the temporary or dynamic DNIS 114 back to the available pool of DNIS assignments, reflected in lookup table 110 or otherwise. Because assignment of dynamic DNIS 114 to a call to a given destination is temporary and only locked during the duration of the call, other calls being delivered to the same ACD 116 or other destination may receive that DNIS assignment upon completion of the call.
Overall DNIS call assignment and distribution processing is illustrated in
In step 508, the call data including components such as dialed number, ANI and other data or fields may be communicated to routing engine 108 along with a routing request or instruction to direct the call to an appropriate destination having a destination number 120. In step 510, a lookup of an assigned dynamic DNIS 114 may be executed against lookup table 110 or other resource using select code 122 or other keys. In step 512, a label consisting of destination number 120, dynamic DNIS 114 or other information may be generated in routing engine 108 or otherwise.
In step 514, the call label may be communicated to a site routing engine or other premises routing logic. In step 516, the dynamic DNIS 114 for the subject destination number 120 may be locked to prevent other calls from receiving an assignment of that DNIS or other identifier. In step 518, the call may be transferred to the destination represented in destination number 120, such as an ACD 116, interactive voice response farm 126 or other destination or resource.
In step 520, the call data captured in call data store 124 or other resource may be accessed using the dynamic DNIS 114, destination number 120 or other label components by the destination logic to assist in processing or further routing the call, for example to distribute the call to an appropriate CSR, to invoke an appropriate voice menu, access a corresponding database or take other action. In step 522, the dynamic DNIS 114 may be released upon termination of the call for use by other calls, for instance by update to lookup table 110 or otherwise. In step 524, processing may repeat, return to a prior processing point, jump to a further processing point or end.
The foregoing description of the invention is illustrative, and modifications in configuration and implementation will occur to persons skilled in the art. For instance, while the invention has generally been described in terms of an environment in which a routing engine hosts and delivers a dynamic DNIS assignment from a pool in a lookup table 110, in embodiments the dynamic or varying DNIS numbers or associated codes or tags may be stored in or accessed from difference resources, such as a dedicated database engine, remote server or other resource.
Similarly, while the invention has in embodiments been described as involving the delivery of calls based on their associated DNIS numbers, in embodiments calls may be identified, routed or otherwise processed based on identifiers other than DNIS numbers, depending on implementing protocol. Further, while the invention has generally been described as operating under control of one routing engine 108, in embodiments those control functions may be distributed amongst multiple controllers, processors or logic. Other hardware, software or other resources described as singular may in embodiments be distributed, and similarly in embodiments resources described as distributed may be combined. The scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims.
Patent Citations
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HRC28: Statement by Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur, on Copyright policy and the right to science and culture
On Wednesday, 11 March 2015, Farida Shaheed, the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights presented her seminal report on Copyright policy and the right to science and culture (A/HRC/28/57) at the 28th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Highlights from the report's recommendations include the following:
WTO at 20: Symposium on the TRIPS Agreement for TRIPS Council Members and Observers (26 February 2015)
As part of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) technical assistance and capacity building program, on Thursday, 26 February 2015, the WTO Secretariat convened Symposium on the TRIPS Agreement for TRIPS Council Members and Observers which brought together negotiators from the 1986–94 Uruguay Round to discuss how the Round introduced intellectual property norms into the architecture of the multilateral trading system. In addition, other experts were brought in to discuss what has happened since the introduction of the TRIPS Agreement, and what augurs for the future.
The Uruguay Round- The Glory Years, Source: World Trade Organization
St Jude's influenza patents, with US government rights
St Jude holds 24 patents with influenza in the specification, that also disclose US government rights. Some of these were discussed here: http://keionline.org/node/2188
PAT. NO. Title
1 8,574,592 Modified influenza virus for monitoring and improving vaccine efficiency
2 8,551,481 Anti-cancer vaccine composition comprising an anti-CD223 antibody and kit comprising an anti-cancer vaccine and an anti-CD223 antibody
3 8,309,099 DNA transfection system for the generation of negative strand RNA virus
CDC FOIA regarding intellectual property on avian flu intellectual property rights
Our 2009 FOIA request, and 42 pages of CDC emails debating what to give us.
The February 17, 2015 cover letter from CDC.
The 184 page CDC foia response, which we received in February 2015. Note that we were particularly interested in the patent issues related to reverse genetics.
KEI Special 301 supplemental comments: Compulsory Licensing not restricted to "Emergencies" or "Measure of Last Resort"
At the February 24, 2015 USTR hearing on Special 301, KEI asked to provide supplemental comments on R&D for the record, and KEI was separately asked by USTR to provide comments on online pharmacies, and by DHHS to comment on the relationship between emergencies and compulsory licensing. (The KEI page on Special 301 is here: http://keionline.org/ustr/special301).
KEI's supplemental comments in USTR 301: Online pharmacies, parallel trade and counterfeit drugs
At the February 24, 2015 USTR hearing on Special 301, KEI asked to provide supplemental comments on R&D for the record, and KEI was separately asked by USTR to provide comments on online pharmacies, and by DHHS to comment on the relationship between emergencies and compulsory licensing. (The KEI page on Special 301 is here: http://keionline.org/ustr/special301).
KEI's Feb 27, 2015 Supplemental Comments to USTR Regarding Research and Development
At the February 24, 2015 USTR hearing on Special 301, KEI asked to provide supplemental comments on R&D for the record, and KEI was separately asked by USTR to provide comments on online pharmacies, and by DHHS to comment on the relationship between emergencies and compulsory licensing. (The KEI page on Special 301 is here: http://keionline.org/ustr/special301).
WTO TRIPS Council (February 2015): EU mounts defense of tobacco plain packing measures in the Republic of Ireland and the UK
The following statement was delivered by the European Union on Tuesday, 24 February 2015 at the WTO TRIPS Council during discussions on "Concerns with respect to proposals for plain packaging of tobacco products in the United Kingdom and Ireland".
A few reactions to the USTR Special 301 Hearing
On Wednesday February 24, 2015, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Special 301 Committee held its annual public meeting following written comments sent earlier by trade associations, corporations and a few public interest groups that follow trade and intellectual property.
KEI comments at February 24, 2015 USTR Special 301 Hearing
On February 24, 2015, the USTR convened the Special 301 Review, taking testimony almost exclusively from witnesses representing large corporate rights holders. Over the course of the three-and-a-half hour hearing, groups such as Phrma, NAM, IPO, and the misleadingly-named Alliance for Fair Trade with India (an alliance comprised of groups such as Phrma, NAM, MPAA and many other similar groups) as well as foreign-owned multinational Bridgestone, pushed for the watch-listing of countries that fail to implement TRIPS+ measures.
WTO TRIPS Council (February 2015): Bangladesh statement (on behalf of LDC Group)- Extension of the 2016 transitional period
On Tuesday, 24 February 2015, Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group, presented the submission of the LDC Group on an Extension of the Transitional Period Under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement for LDC Members for Certain Obligations with Respect to Pharmaceutical Products in the following impassioned statement.ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Chair
WTO TRIPS Council (February 2015): LDC Group statement on Non-Violation and Situation Complaints
On Tuesday, 24 February 2015, Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group delivered the following statement on non-violation and situation complaints.AGENDA 6: NON-VIOLATION AND SITUATION COMPLAINTS
Mr. Chairman,
I am taking floor on behalf of the LDC group.
LDCs are concerned that non-violation and situation complaints may pose unnecessary problems to LDCs which can be otherwise avoidable if we do not implement this provision under TRIPS.
Guessing for medicine patents, TTIP and ISDS in action
Big pharmaceutical companies sometimes try to flout evidence-based innovation when they attempt to claim patents for wildly different illnesses with the same medicine and then sue the state with TTIP-like "investor protection" mechanisms if their patent applications are denied.
Pharma giant Eli Lilly has sued the the Canadian Government for 500 million dollars in compensation for the invalidation of patents that Canadian Courts had found had failed to comply with patentability requirements while Canadian authorities have accused Eli Lilly of "guessing for patents" and "not adequately disclosing innovation to the public".
Believe it or not, for the anti-psychotic drug Olanzapine, the Canadian Government listed 16 patent applications for many different disorders: for excessive aggression, fungal dermatitis, bipolar disorder, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, nicotine withdrawal, tic disorder, anorexia, autism, mental handicaps, pain, substance abuse and Alzheimer's disease.
For the attention-deficit drug Atomoxetine, Eli Lilly had filed for 12 separate patents between 1992 and 2004 claiming it could treat psoriasis, stuttering, incontinence, hot flashes, anxiety, learning disabilities, tic disorders and, finally, Attention-deficit disorder.
It all sounds like a farfetched joke but it is sadly true. If "investor protection" mechanisms like ISDS are not removed from TTIP, all of the EU could soon be turned into the wild west of "scattershooting" for medicine patents under the threat of being sued by big pharma. What would be badly damaged is not only evidence-based innovation that benefits the common good but, as well, the democratic sovereignty of national courts and legislatures.
See <http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/02/11/canadian-reply-to-500-million-us-pharma-suit-guesses-dont-make-valid-patents.html>
WTO TRIPS Council (February 2015): LDC request for extension of the transitional period for pharmaceutical products
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is convening the TRIPS Council from Tuesday, 24 February 2015 to Wednesday, 25 February 2015. As mentioned in a previous piece, Norway and the United States "have submitted a written request for the inclusion of the topic, "Intellectual Property and Innovation: Women And Innovation" (Source: WTO TRIPS Council-February 2015- Norway and the United States bring gender mainstreaming to the fore-Women and Innovation, http://keionline.org/node/2167).
WTO Trade Policy Review of the United States: USTR deflects questions from India on compulsory licensing (December 2014)
On 16 December 2014 and 18 December 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) undertook a trade policy review of the United States of America. All members of the WTO are subject to review under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM).
Human Rights Council Social Forum 2015: Intervention of Knowledge Ecology International
20 February 2015
In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/26/28, the Human Rights Council convened the 2015 Social Forum at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva from 18-20, February 2015 with a focus on "access to medicines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including best practices in this regard."
Is it really worth pushing for EU medicine joint procurement?
Is it really worth pushing for? Access to medicines in Europe today & the Joint Procurement Agreement proposed by the European Commission.
Policy recommendations & summary of views on the Joint Procurement Agreement (henceforth JPA) following talks with European Commission officials from multiple DGs and numerous health attaches of member states.
by Yannis Natsis (19/02/2015)
In April 2014, the European Commission approved a joint procurement agreement to be used against serious cross-border health threats by taking advantage of "any counter-measures". It built on the difficulties that EU member states encountered in purchasing vaccines for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The goal of the Commission was to design a very flexible tool that can be employed against all communicable diseases. To this end, the EC's legal services reiterate that the list of 40+ communicable diseases under surveillance by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) in Stockholm is not restrictive. This list includes all of the usual kids' diseases along with HIV, Hep C and TB among others. Cancer is excluded as it is not a communicable disease. In other words, the scope of application has been expanded well beyond the pandemic vaccines to include all counter-measures.
The first real use of the JPA is underway and it is about the purchasing of protective equipment for people taking care of Ebola and other diseases. The process has already been launched as 4 member states –which is the minimum number of states required to activate the procedure- have already expressed interest.
Participation in any JPA is voluntary. The Commission anticipates that most member states will be on board the JPA within the next semester. Nevertheless, even if all member states sign on to the JPA, this does not mean that they will ever use it. The Commission notes that Belgium is the driving force while France, Spain and Italy have always been supportive of such initiatives. Germany was cautious at first because of the Lander system but now is on board too. The UK does not want to use the JPA for pandemic vaccines; however it acknowledges its potential on the rest of the counter-measures. The case of Poland is quite interesting. They do not want to be part of the JPA at all as back in 2009; they never bought the vaccine against H1N1 and in retrospect and taking into account that in the end there was no real pandemic, that decision was a political victory for them. That is why, now no Polish politician wants to be seen favorable to an initiative that was not beneficial. Nevertheless, Commission officials emphasize the fact that Poland back in 2009 was simply lucky as had there been a real public health crisis, the country would have been left without vaccines. They comment that the JPA can be instrumental in guaranteeing the supply, the access as well as the best price especially for smaller member states.
As for the French initiative on Sovaldi, they comment that at the very beginning, it was not even clear whether Hepatitis C fell within the scope of a possible JPA but now the legal services have spoken and it does. In the opinion of people from DG SANTE that we have spoken to, Sovaldi was not the ideal example to use the JPA to start with as a) there are several national sensitivities and differences, b) countries had already started sharing information on a bilateral basis using managed entry contracts and c) there will be alternative treatments on the market shortly and hence competition will play its game. This is probably one of the reasons why none of the eight member states that have originally stated they would be interested in using the JPA on Sovaldi ever submitted a formal request to the EC.
The Commission strongly defends (or at least DG SANTE does) the JPA and notes that the Council has nothing to do with it; it is only between the Commission and the member states. It is keen to keep the Council out of it all together by saying that member states' health attaches "bring politics where there is no politics at all". They remind that the JPA is considered by the Commission and most member states (with the exception of Spain, France and Italy; they view it as an international treaty requiring parliamentary ratification) as a mere budgetary implementing measure of Decision 1082/2013 on serious cross border threats to health i.e. a simple agreement.
A JPA works in the following manner: the Commission is in the driving seat of the process. It is mandated by the member states involved with a clear set of terms of reference. A steering committee composed of Commission and member states representatives heads each JPA. Member states instruct the Commission, set the red lines and define the specifications as to how the tenders will be assessed. Specifications are public, but offers are not. Tenders are evaluated by the Commission with the help of "independent evaluators nominated by participating member states". Evaluation reports can be requested by those who participated but they are not public as such. The award decision is public and contract can be made public at a later stage. A market is awarded on the basis of predefined award criteria; the weighing of technical and financial characteristics of the tender is one of them and "best value for money" will be awarded more points than the others. Needless to mention, that a JPA means that all member states involved get the same price, the same product and the same contract.
Most EU member states robustly oppose the JPA –along with some DGs in the Commission itself- as designed by the Commission for the following reasons: 1) the Commission has no competence over these issues, 2) this is a Trojan horse for the Commission to gain access to the area of medicines and to expand its mandate on the area of health in general, 3) they have serious reservations over the leading role of the Commission; to put it bluntly they do not trust it at all in conducting negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, 4) they support the view that there are no sufficient safeguards in place for the transparency and accountability, 5) they do not appreciate the fact that the Council is completely sidelined, 6) they believe that the Commission will act in obscurity and will be easily guided and manipulated by the pharmaceutical companies and 7) through JPAs pharma companies will enjoy a guaranteed volume and income. The fact that in the December 2014 Council Conclusions on Health, the original references to the JPA were removed from the final text is indicative of the mood in the Council against the JPA.
The Commission on the other hand is optimistic and committed to advocating for the JPA. It believes that it can be applied to medicines, for which several products exist on the market and have a marketing authorization. In their opinion, the high cost of new life-saving treatments and their impact on health systems' sustainability will be a strong driver for the proliferation of future JPAs too.
Next steps
On the whole, the status quo is not conducive to promote the JPA as a main policy option to respond to the access to medicines problems in Europe today. Even so, several member states seem to encourage the option of pooled procurement through bilateral agreements. They view the centralized Commission-headed procedure with suspicion and caution but would be willing to examine the prospect of countries joining forces on an ad hoc basis. In principle, they agree that more countries united will lead to money-saving deals with pharmaceutical companies. The Commission replies that bilateral agreements are of course possible but comments that it will be difficult for the countries to define the terms of reference of such collaboration, whereas the JPA has all of the answers ready.
On our side, we can push for pooled procurement preferably through bilateral agreements as a way to achieve lower prices and weaken companies' bargaining position. In all cases, our calls for joint purchases go hand in hand with a maximum degree of transparency and public scrutiny along with the need to buy medicines that have a proven added therapeutic value otherwise joint procurement can easily serve the pharmaceutical sector's interests.
European Commission and Council´s new "Pharmish" terms on access to medicines
When "access" is not accessible, "transparency" is not transparent and "affordability" is not affordable
Last Wednesday evening at the Strasbourg plenary session many Members of the European Parliament voiced their demands for an effective European strategy for access to affordable life-saving medicines.
The debate was sparked by the outrageously abusive prices for treatments for Hepatitis C that affects 9 million Europeans. Some of the concrete proposals from liberal, green, socialist and leftist MEPs included initiatives on intellectual property rights, price capping, price transparency, new innovation models that de-link R and D costs from prices, joint procurement and competition policy.
But what was most surprising was the reaction of the European Commission and the Council represented by the Latvian Presidency of the EU. Their autistic reaction totally ignored the main objective of the debate: affordability. To understand how the European Commission and the Council of Ministers use a new language called "pharmish" I have started the following glossary. (for more technical references on please see: http://tacd-ip.org/archives/1303):
Glossary of European Commission and Council new "pharmish" terms
"Access to medicines": Access to the market. "Timely access to market of innovative medicines". This means shortening and simplifying the "regulatory barriers" (authorization, safety and efficacy testing, clinical trial requirements) and allowing some new very expensive medicines to be commercialized before finishing their normal regulatory evaluation afterwards through "adaptive pathways". Here access means market access for "new" medicines not patient access for the majority of Europeans and their public health systems that cannot afford them.
"Availability": Not available for most people. Make "available" new medicines. Give pharma EU public funds to research and develop "new, innovative medicines" (usually very expensive) with no strings attached with regards to affordability and the control over intellectual property rights. The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is one example of joint EU-Pharma initiatives (1.5 billion EU funds matched by Pharma´s opaque "in kind" contribution) that is often criticized for its lack of transparency and accountability. EU medical research funding does not set any social conditions.
"Pricing Transparency": Only transparent for industry. No public transparency of medicine prices paid by Governments but increasing the hoops Governments must jump through to justify not buying high priced medicines or buying similar generic products instead. Tie the hands of EU member states trying to negotiate lower prices for medicines by legally mandating short deadlines for deciding prices paid to reimburse medicines. Prohibit re-assessment of efficacy and safety of medicines by EU member states.
"Differentiated prices": Same prices but not any lower. Keeping prices from going down, less price transparency and restricting EU internal market to prevent "parallel trade". Based on GDP to let the wealthier countries pay more for expensive medicines than poorer ones but Pharma freely establishes the first prices on the market. This is what already exists "de facto" in the EU. A strategy by the European Commission to prevent EU member states from negotiating prices that are "too low" for Pharma.
"Innovation": Innovation is any new medicine on the market regardless of its therapeutic added value compared to existing medicines (to which they are rarely compared in clinical trials) and regardless of price. The more restrictions and delays for the entry of generic products onto the market, the more innovation. Whatever is protected by intellectual property rights, the more patents filed, the more innovation, The more market access of new products, more innovation. The longer the monopoly periods of "data exclusivity" and "supplementary patent certificates", the more positive "innovation environment". The lower the threshold is to qualify as "an innovative step" to justify granting a new patent monopoly, the more innovation. The less stringent regulation and authorization procedures ("barriers") are on safety, efficacy and transparency, more innovation.
"Setting prices by health outcome": This means justifying very high prices for new medicines on the basis of the theoretical "preventive savings" over time to a public health authorities in comparison with non-use of the medicine. This reasoning applied to other products would mean that street traffic light technology prices should take into account the cost of all the accidents if traffic lights were not installed at street corners.
"Health Technology Assessment" HTA: The evaluation of the cost-benefit analysis of new medicines before they are purchased by EU member state public health authorities. Something to be avoided, weakened and obstructed as they tend to be bad for industry growth (specially if it is independent and rigorous) . The European Commission discourages re-assessment of the therapeutic value of new medicines and is considering cutting funding for EU wide cooperation of HTAs.
"Joint Procurement": A procedure established to centralize with the European Commission the pooling of procurement of medicines for a number of EU member states that has never been used to purchase medicines due to the lack of confidence of most EU member states in the independence from the pharmaceutical industry of the European Commission.
Save the Date- 19 February 2015- Fire in the Blood- Screening co-sponsored by KEI/MSF-Access Campaign
The Human Rights Council's 2015 Social Forum will take place from 18 February 2015 to 20 February 2015 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
As requested by the Council in the above-mentioned resolution, the 2015 Social Forum will focus on "access to medicines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including best practices in this regard ". (Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/SForum/Pages/SForum2015.aspx).
EU & new medicines: added therapeutic value VS early access
Something (almost) revolutionary happened recently at the EU Council of Ministers but it remains to be seen how courageous the European Commission will be.
By Yannis Natsis
The European Commission is currently considering how to follow-up on the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer affairs Council (EPSCO) Conclusions on "innovation for the benefit of patients" unanimously adopted in December 2014 under the Italian Presidency. Council conclusions reflect the positions of the governments of the 28 EU member states; are not legally binding but carry significant political weight. This 5-page document outlines the guidelines for the future priorities of the Council and the Commission and it includes several proposals that could be favorable to the positions of the civil society access to medicines movement. Of course, there are many that have seemingly been dictated by the industry for example clauses 35 a (active role in the decision-making process), and 32 (early access). Some of the most promising clauses are points 18 and 25 which highlight the high cost of medicines, clauses 29 & 40 which raise the issue of information exchange on prices and expenditure and the repeated references to the importance of Health Technology Assessment (henceforth HTA) mechanisms to evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-benefit of a drug.
The most important and innovation-related clause by far is 35 (b) which reads "use existing relevant fora to reflect on whether criteria are needed to take account of added therapeutic value of new medicinal products in comparison with the existing ones for placing them on the market". Indeed, this is a very welcome development as it has the potential to prevent products that have little or no added therapeutic value from coming onto the market. If elaborated further, it could signal an additional requirement upon pharmaceutical companies as they will have to prove not only the safety and efficacy but also the therapeutic advance in comparison to existing choices as opposed to present system that tends to only compare new products to placebo. In other words, they will need to demonstrate that the new medicine serves a purpose better than the existing alternatives on the market. Hence, it could prevent the proliferation of "me-too" products i.e. the majority of commercial-driven newly marketed so-called innovative medicines. This was defended by several member states who wish to protect their health budgets from the immoral prices demanded by the industry for some not so innovative new medicines. Based on the Conclusions, it is clear that the role of HTA bodies is growing and evolving in terms of pricing, reimbursement and assessment procedures and criteria. They play a key role in guaranteeing that the new drugs will perform better than the existing ones. This probably explains why HTA bodies are among the primary targets of the pharmaceutical industry and that the EC might be cutting financing for European coordination of HTAs.
The appropriate department of the European Commission, namely Directorate-General SANTE now has to examine how it will go about implementing these Conclusions in terms of presenting new pieces of legislation. The current Latvian Presidency of the Council has already made clear that it will leave the issue of medical innovation to the upcoming Luxembourgish and Dutch Presidencies, second half of 2015 and first half of 2016 respectively. However, already on February 17 2015, the senior level working group on public health of the Council will take place to discuss next steps. It is anticipated that Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will lead the process from now onwards.
On the other hand, the European Commission is keen on pushing for "the safe and timely access to medicines" as indicated by the name of the sub-group recently set up by its Human Pharmaceutical Committee. There is a similar trend at the Council which is reviewing the criteria for the authorization of medicines particularly with regard to pricing and reimbursement as well as the "early access tools" specifically conditional marketing authorization, accelerated assessment and market authorization under exceptional circumstances (also mentioned in point 6 of the Conclusions). At the same time, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has been eagerly advocating the early approval of medicines as a way to ensure patients' access to medicines through means such as the March 2014 "adaptive pathways" (formerly known as adaptive licensing) pilot project. This is an initiative hailed by the industry as it aims to improve and reduce the time for marketing and reimbursement decisions. It thus signals a bigger role for industry in the pre-licensing procedure and this puts the HTA bodies' independence and right to assess the therapeutic added value at risk. There are also fears that speedier market authorization achieved through this process will have serious implications for patients' health because they will rely on fewer clinical trial data.
All of the above; serve the diachronic pursuits of the industry which strives a) to place its products on the market as fast as possible at very high prices and b) have a place reserved around the negotiating table in relation to evaluation, pricing and reimbursement decisions.
2015 will not be a heavy year in terms of new EU legislation on health. The Commission and the Council will build on existing tools in sensitive areas such as HTA and market authorization. In this context, it is imperative that the debate on access to medicines is once again put on its true basis i.e. accessibility along with affordability, transparency and public scrutiny on all levels, public return for publicly-funded research, real innovation based on public health needs and proven therapeutic advance in comparison to existing medicines. In light of these troublesome developments, parts of the Council conclusions like the one on "the added therapeutic value of new medicinal products" become even more pertinent and should be underlined, defended and further strengthened. The new EU Health Commissioner should not miss the opportunity.


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What song do you like better?
The Night or Deceiver
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What song do you like better?
The Night or Deceiver
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What song do you like better?
The Night or Deceiver
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"Sweet shadow taking hold of the light
Another day has been devoured
Calling me away, begging the question
The Night
"Sweet shadow taking hold of the light
Another day has been devoured
Calling me away, begging the question
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The Night is hella better.
Idk...just one of the first Disturbed songs I heard. So Im used to it. It's like one of The songs, you know?
Both GREAT Songs, but I like The Night, one of the first Disturbed songs I heard
He extends his condolences to the families and condemns these attacks on consular and iwc watch diplomatic iwc watch personnel serving at our foreign missions. In concert with Mexican authorities, we will iwc watches work tirelessly iwc watches to bring their killers to justice. Clinton said the safety and security of our personnel iwc and their iwc families in Mexico and at posts around the world is always our highest priority. I have spoken gucci watch with our gucci watch ambassador in Mexico, and we are working with the government of Mexico to gucci watches do everything gucci watches necessary to protect our people and to ensure.
I love both songs, but if I had to pick, I would say The Night
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i really like the night better. frikin' badass song
The Night it's better!!
The Night ! /../
Brazilian Here !
The night is better. I love to sing to it.
The night is better
Both song are good but 'The Night' is better.
Come to Australai I want to see you's live for the first time and I want you to be my first live show.
I have also asked many of friends about their vote in this battle....
Well here's the result:
6 The Night
2 The deceiver.
The deceiver is out!!
I'll have to go with The Night, but all of Disturbed's songs are awesome, both are absolutely great songs and making decisions like this make me think a lot.
I love all of Disturbed's songs and they are my favorite band EVERRR!!!
but now that I got the indestructible cd, I listened to all the songs all the time and Deceiver has gotten more stuck in my head. But I love both songs and sll of the, (:!!!
Lauren was here (:
Come on people it's Disturbed! What's not to like about either song?
I vote for The Night because it has better drums and guitar then Deceiver! I hate making these decisions though. Just about every Disturbed song rocks!!! I feel guilty choosing one over the other!
*thinks* ......I'd have to say The Night wins this one. (Think you're a little bit closer. To changing me. You're never winning me over. You're wasting time. Leave me be....)
It's really close, I like deceiver alot but I'm going to have to go with the night.
disturbed is awesome
I would have to say The Night, it speaks to me in a way that Deceiver comes close to but still can't match.


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Ian Sample
Where humans are set to trigger dramatic declines in animal populations Where humans are set to trigger dramatic declines in animal populations over the coming decades
London: Conservationists have created a map of potential extinction hotspots, highlighting where humans are set to trigger dramatic declines in animal populations.
The map pinpoints 20 areas, ranging from the Siberian tundra to the Patagonian coast, where mammals are particularly at risk from human activity, such as deforestation and hunting. The survey was designed to reveal areas where land mammals are thriving but are expected to suffer disproportionately from increases in the local human population and changes in habitat. The arc of fertile islands that runs from Indonesia to the South Pacific, the Bahamas, and the vast expanses of Greenland were among the most fragile regions marked, with the musk ox, Seychelles flying fox, brown lemur and North American reindeer topping the list of species.
By constructing the map, the scientists hope to help conservation organisations identify regions where they can prevent declines before it is too late. "There are still large areas of the world that are reasonably intact, where species are doing well, but where human impact is increasing," said Marcell Cardillo, a biologist at Imperial College London. "We wanted to determine which areas are going to be the most sensitive to human impact so we can prioritise conservation projects. Conservation is a crisis discipline. Because there are so many species on the verge of extinction, that's where the effort goes."
The map, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was created by assessing the risk of species and how resilient they are to human activity. Researchers studied 4,000 mammals and compared the list with data on human activity in regions where they are found. They identified regions that may become conservation battlegrounds.
Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004


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'Honor Diaries' confronts the awkward anti-multicultural fact that some cultures treat women better than others
The Quebec government is dreaming in technicolour if it believes that the forced removal of a hijab will mitigate against centuries of a cultural tradition.
Noor Basra and Noor Sheza were killed when five masked men barged into their house and opened fire last Sunday. Their mother was also killed
Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose says the project will educate boys and men about the issues behind gender violence in ethnic communities
Weeks before she was found dead in India, the victim of what Indian authorities say was an honour killing ordered by her family in British Columbia, a coworker noticed bruises on Jassi Sidhu's shoulder.
Too often, these crimes are lumped in with ordinary domestic violence. But it's a very different — and more culturally-specific — form of cruelty.
We tend to use the term "honour killing" generically. But a new study shows that honour killings actually fall into several distinct and identifiable types. An understanding of the typology is crucial for preventing them from becoming common in Western immigrant communities
In the following book excerpt, Indian-Canadian author Aruna Papp describes the deadly code of honour and misogyny that pervades her society: It was 1964, and I was 14. A horrifying scream made me leap from my charpoy, my cot, and lunge to the low boundary wall of the rooftop where our family slept in summer. […]
Let us now dance on the head of a pin Use of the term "honour killing" "makes it seem as if femicide is a highly unusual event" and "confined to specific populations within Canadaand specific national cultures or religions in the world at large," Concordia professors Yasmin Jiwani and Homa Hoodfar argue in the Montreal […]
Guilty as charged "Virtually every time [Mohammed] Shafia and [Tooba] Yahya encountered Canadian authorities, they bamboozled them," Christie Blatchford observes in the National Post, in an excellent and incredibly sad roundup of the Shafia murder trial in Kingston, Ont. Immigration officials, school officials, child protection officials — all failed to make a dent in their […]


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Recipe by MICHELLE0011
"Delicious and romantic dinner for 2."
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1 (14 ounce)
t-bone steak
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon
olive oil
1/4 cup
red wine
2 teaspoons
all-purpose flour
3/4 cup
reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon
chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon
coarse-grained Dijon mustard
I made this for my husbands birthday and may I say, we both fell in love with it! I added just a little extra wine but it was so yummy. I had extra sauce and have put it over chicken and potatoes. Thank you for posting this and I am going to make it tonight for dinner. We are excirted to eat tonight.
My fiance and I received two steaks from his brothe-in-law and decided tonight that we wanted to make them. So I looked up recipes and this one came up. It sounded good to both of us, so we decided to give it a try. My fiance was adament that he be allowed to make the steaks so I let him.
Neither of us really cared for the sauce. He didn't like the rosemary and I thought there was too much mustard. So I did some revising to better suit our tastes. After that I thought it was just fine. But all he tasted was the rosemary. So if we make this again we just won't put the rosemary in at all.
After fixing the sauce, I believe I really would've enjoyed eating this. Except my fiance over-salted the steaks so I couldn't even eat it without the sauce.
Overall, I didn't find it that great. But if we decided to make this again, I'll definitely be the one cooking it.
11 Ratings
Amazing, we added mushrooms to the sauce but that was it!
I used NY strip steaks instead. It was good, will make it again.
This was delicious! Rave reviews from my family! I made a few changes to suit my tastes.
First, I made it into a marinade in order to grill my steaks. I know T-bones are tender already, but this made them even better!
For 4 steaks, I added 3/4 cup red wine, 1/4 pomegranate balsamic vinegar. This added a slight fruitiness that was yummy! I'm sure any fruit vinegar would work. I reduced the broth to 2 cups total. In addition to the other ingredients I added a heaping spoonful of garlic. Marinated the steaks for 6 hours or so then grilled. I also boiled the remaining marinade and added a cornstarch-flour mixture to thicken.
I had some left over t-bone meat, and used this recipe for the sauce. When I tasted the sauce in the pan, it was a little strong for my taste, but drizzled over the meat, it added some really nice flavor. Would use again.
This was a very good recipe and very easy to make! My t-bone may have been a little thicker but it took longer than the time on the recipe to get to medium-rare. I will definitely make again.
AMAZING dish. It poured on my anniversary and I'd planned to cook my hubby some steaks outdoors, so last mI inute a friend suggested pan-searing it indoors. I've always used a grill for steaks. She pulled up this recipe for me and I twirked it with what I had on hand. Delicious. I altered the recipe to feed SIX, but didn't have the amount of broth needed. I had maybe 1/2 cup of ham juice (frozen) on hand, so that's what I used. I was really unsure of how this would turn out because ham and steak just doesn't sound like it would mix, but I'm glad I tried it. It's a new family favorite and was SO easy to cook. My t-bones were big and it took them about 10-15 minutes per side to get them medium-well. The 3-4 minutes suggested would have left them rare.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Pan-Seared T-Bone for Two with Rosemary Mustard Sauce
Serving Size: 1/2 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 516
Calories from Fat: 237
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Freshened-up fairy tales
Riverwalk Theatre puts 'Surprising' twists on classics
The Three Little Pigs, Three Billy Goats Gruff and Goldilocks and the Three Bears: We know the stories so well we can recite them by heart. But what if these beloved fairy tales took a different turn? That s a question Riverwalk Theatre explores in its holiday children s show, The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs.Read more Read it in print


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May 23, 2015
Friday, January 17, 2013
SYLVANIA, Ga. (AP) -- A federal judge has signed an order approving a settlement between the Ogeechee Riverkeeper and a company linked to a massive fish kill.
The Savannah Morning News reports the judge's order requires King America to pay the Ogeechee Riverkeeper $2.5 million within 15 days to fund river protection efforts.
The Environmental Protection Division found that the company was discharging wastewater into the river from a fire retardant processing line without a permit in May of 2011. An estimated 39,000 fish died.
King America produces flame resistant fabrics used in clothing to protect workers in the electric utility, petrochemical, and steel mill industries.
In a statement, company officials say they're pleased the court has finalized its agreement with the Riverkeeper and the company looks forward to working with the organization.
(Copyright 2014, The Associated Press)
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this DIM version is broken.
support will dance around this reality in the forums, but somebody in back knows.
test the next one better guys/gals. it's a good tool when it works.
Broken how? Generic complaints with no supporting information cannot be fixed - and as a former sysadmin/software support type, this kind of statement gets dumped into the trash without a bit of remorse.
Operating system? What is failing - download? Install? Path Setup? Any information in the log? (Click on the gear icon, top right, and then 'view log', bottom left - scroll to the bottom for the most recent information).
The only problems I've had so far have all turned out to be self-inflicted - and fixable, once I figured out what I'd done wrong.
Give us something to work with, and we may be able to help.
Sure - I'm glad you fixed your self-inflicted problem.
To wit - while less-than-useful, my in-transit post was written to save others some needless hair-pulling.
Technically, this has all of the symptoms of a permissions problem that isn't seen with simple content installs, but cripples folks with plugins and other default base-directory install packages, as this version of the DIM will happily install content in a non-system area (like a 'D:\' drive), but it will not install anything in either of my 32/64 'program files' directories, which is pretty basic to making a complete installation from scratch - given plugins, etc.
From a cold-boot start-up and DIM open, any attempt to install anything that goes under the default 'program files' space, is met with the new-to-me-with-DIM, but-not-uncommon Windows7 "must be done by admin, continue?" dialog (I say "OK"), then DIM fails with no message, and the 'install failed' label on the button. The generic logs indicate a process dying.
After numerous experiments, every-so-often, a rational pop-up log is presented indicating a failed attempt to install things in what are auditably rational and existing (but protected) 'program files' sub-directories. But that dialog appears inconsistently at best, and its messages aren't obviously available for post-mortem analysis, and aren't in the default DIM log that I can find.
Again, this is as COTS an install as is possible, other than the content being set to a D:\ drive location, where it happily resides and is maintained.
Given this apparent permissions constraint, DIM will also fail to install Bryce, Carrara, Photoshop, and Vue content/plugins under their respective default base installation directories as well.
Info for the 'folks in back', this is a completely fresh COTS Win-7 x64 patched install, w/ Daz products being the *first/only* products installed up to the point of the error. The download directory (zips and dsx files) is on a network mounted drive (mapped as a lettered drive). My previous (pre-disk-crash) installs (from the first DIM version released, and all follow-on versions) had no problems with this install model - just this newest version.
Final hint (where I'd start to look) - once the DIM process requests and becomes privileged, I believe it can no longer read the network source drive (theory). This would account for much of the DIM confusion and mixed messages. Given the history of it working in the past, I'll let Daz try to fix it first, before I muck-up my in-house permission schema.
Perhaps related to a recent windows security patch, or a code problem in the DIM. Don't know, don't really care, so long as mere-mortals don't get all bent fixing a problem that likely isn't theirs to fix.
A simple test would be to remove and re-add a system plugin (mimic-live, etc.) and see if it re-installs OK.
Lastly, you may notice that I'm generally pretty 'short' with Daz. They went from a great small company to a POS corporation, and are slowly pulling it back together. If I'm bothering to write something in these forums, it's likely I'm pissed. I don't have time or inclination to pussy-foot around BS anymore, and this place was thick with it not-so-long-ago. Walk a mile in a man's shoes before responding to this point.
And for god's sake, don't even think of preaching at me to open up a ticket. This is as much of my life as they get. They know what to do from here.
DIM has a problem. I expect Daz folks will fix it soon. I wait with optimism, but little patience for BS. And my Daz products are functionally 'Down' until they fix this. But it's all good, my fresh Poser and Vue installs are working fine… Plenty to do.