What is the difference between a first party and third party claim?
A first party claim is made against your own insurance company for benefits provided by your policy. A third party claim is made against someone else. For example, if someone causes damage to your property and you make a claim against that individual, that is a third party claim.
The distinction between a first party and third party claim is significant. In a first party claim your rights are determined by the contract. In a third party claim your rights are determined by the laws of the state in which you live.
What are the most important things to remember when purchasing any type of insurance?
P – Preparation. Write down exactly what you expect will be protected by the insurance you are buying. Carefully calculate the dollar amounts of insurance necessary to accomplish your objectives. Discuss your expectations and objectives in detail with the agent.
I – Insist on two things: (1) to be able to read the application questions yourself and to answer them with literal accuracy, and (2) to be shown a copy of the proposed policy before you buy it.
N – Notes. Always take careful notes about what you are told by the agent. Save these notes in your insurance file. They can make a big difference as to whether (or not) a large claim will be honored. If you feel you do not understand something in the policy, request an explanation. Ask for it in writing and add it to your insurance folder or notebook.
If a policy I am considering contains an arbitration or appraisal provision, what are the most important issues ?
How is the arbitrator or appraiser to be selected? Is the selection procedure fair?
Is the ruling of the appraiser or arbitrator final and binding, or can either side "appeal"?
What issues or questions are subject to arbitration?
Is arbitration limited to determining the amount to be paid for a claim, or can any dispute with the insurance company, including allegations of insurer bad faith or fraud, be subject to arbitration?
Are there any "legal" restrictions on the arbitration or appraisal? For example, are formal rules of evidence to be used? What documents or files can be obtained prior to the hearing? Is either side permitted to have an attorney? When can arbitration or appraisal be demanded? Can the insurer wait for years and then suddenly demand a time-consuming arbitration proceeding?
Who pays? Is the cost paid by either side, or is it divided between the claimant and the insurer?
What is the significance of the difference between an insurance agent and an insurance broker?
Generally, because an agent is a representative of the company, the insurance company is responsible for whatever the agent says or does.
A broker – if paid by you – may be considered your representative, not the company's. In such a situation, what the broker says or does may not be the responsibility of the company.
If the broker is paid by the insurance company, he or she may be considered its representative. In such a case, the carrier may be liable for statements by the broker.
Can an insurance company cancel or refuse to renew a policy?
In most states, insurance companies cannot cancel a policy in mid-term except under circumstances such as non-payment of the premium or fraud by the policyholder. Some states may also permit the insurance company to cancel the policy for other reasons.
Even in states that permit mid term cancellations, most of them require the insurance company to give you 30 (thirty) to 90 (ninety) days WRITTEN notice. This is intended to give you an opportunity to obtain substitute insurance.
In most situations, insurance companies can refuse to renew a policy at the end of the current term as long as the refusal does not violate the existing contract. For example, some policies are guaranteed renewable or are written for a multi-year term. These types of policies must be renewed. Most others do not have to be renewed.
In most states, insurance companies can refuse to renew your coverage for any reason. An insurance company may decide to stop selling a particular line of insurance or policy, or it may change its underwriting criteria, or it may decide that the policyholder's risk has changed. Regardless, it may decide not to renew your policy as long as you are provided adequate notice.
ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERISA is a federal law that was enacted for the purpose of protecting employee benefits.
What does an insured have to do to keep coverage limits current?
Some policies have provisions which do this automatically. These are called COLAs (Cost Of Living Adjustments). However, with most policies you are required to keep track of your own coverage needs. Due to inflation the value of the dollar can be reduced by as much as 50% or more every five to ten years. In addition, your financial circumstances may change. Therefore, you should monitor your insurance amounts annually.
If an insurance policy contains provisions that are difficult to understand, how does one go about interpreting such provisions?
Review the policy carefully and read the definitions section contained within the policy. If the language remains vague and confusing to you, contact your agent with questions. Document his or her explanations in writing, and save your notes from the conversation in your permanent insurance file or notebook.
In most states a disagreement or dispute as to the meaning of ambiguous policy language must be resolved in the policyholder's favor.
What do you do if an insurance company offers to settle your claim for less than its value?
Calculate your loss carefully and negotiate with the company fairly. Do not exaggerate your claim or understate it. If you do the latter you may be giving up future rights to obtain additional damages.
There are limitations on the period of time in which you can file a claim or contest the actions of an insurance company. Once these time periods expire you risk losing your ability to recover for your losses.
Sometimes limitations periods are established by law. They can also be established by the terms of your insurance contract. Never risk allowing a limitations period to expire. Be aware of any limitations periods that may apply to your claim.
Who regulates the insurance industry?
handling consumer complaints about alleged unfair sales or claims tactics.
How do I get in touch with my state Department of Insurance (DOI)?
How does one choose between insurance companies?
The insurance company's financial rating. Insurance rating services assist you in evaluating an insurance company's financial condition (whether the insurance company is able to pay claims now or in the future). Rating services do not evaluate other important issues, such as the clarity of a company's policy, the scope of coverage in a policy, or a company's claims handling track record.
The insurance company's claims handling track record: Some state Departments of Insurance (DOI) keep records of consumer complaints against an insurance company. To determine whether the DOI in your state does so, contact them directly.
Scrutinize the actual policy being offered to you.
What is the difference between a "captive" insurance agent and an "independent" insurance agent?
Captive agents work for one insurance company.
Independent agents work for many insurance companies.
All agents are representatives of the insurance company, not you.
How should you prepare before meeting with an insurance agent?
Thoughtfully. It is of great importance to prepare carefully before meeting with any insurance representative.
Who are the individuals you are seeking to insure?
What, precisely, are you attempting to protect?
For what types of occurrences or events are you trying to obtain this protection?
What are the dollar policy limits that are necessary to get the protection you are seeking?
What are your expectations with regard to what is included and what is excluded in your coverage?
Are you willing to pay higher deductibles on a particular portion of your coverage in order to reduce the cost of your insurance?
What kind of information should you obtain on the companies you are considering?
How can you go about gathering this information?
There are many questions you will think of if you simply think through the process before walking into a meeting with an insurance company representative. If you want your insurance to provide real security, it is very important that you prepare a list of goals and questions. Review the Insurance Consumers Types of Insurance relevant to the insurance you are seeking before preparing your lists.
What is the significance of an insurance application?
Insurance applications are very important. You can be held strictly accountable for the information included in the insurance application. You will be asked numerous questions by the company agent. These questions must be answered fully, literally and honestly.
Insurance agents should not change the wording of, or paraphrase, application questions. You are the one who is responsible for what is written on the application. Make sure that your responses are absolutely correct and complete.
What can happen when the application answers are not complete and correct?
After you have completed the application you will be asked to sign it. Usually, right above your signature, there is provision stating that everything you have written on the application is true and correct. Do not sign it unless everything is true and correct.
You cannot afford to be casual about signing the application. If the insurance company learns that your answers are incomplete or inaccurate, the insurance company may have a right to deny payment or rescind (cancel) your coverage.
What is included in a policy?
Application – often incorporated into the policy as part of the contract.
Declaration (dec sheet) – lists the policyholder's limits, deductibles and other important coverage information.
Definitions – provides specific meanings of many terms used in the policy.
Coverage – the body of the policy which usually includes a short paragraph called the "insuring agreement" and sets forth what the policy covers.
Exclusions- the ifs, ands or buts of the policy.
Limits – the maximum amount of money the insurance company must pay on a covered claim.
Deductibles – the amount you must pay on a claim before the policy benefits begin.
Endorsements- modifications to the policy which can limit, expand or alter what is otherwise covered or excluded.
As frustrating as it may be, read the policy carefully BEFORE buying it. You may not understand everything in the policy, but you are required (to try) to read it. If you do not, you may lose important legal rights.
Do you have a duty to read your policy?
Yes! Even though you may not understand everything in your policy, you have the responsibility to read it. If you do not do so, you may lose important legal rights. Use the information provided by Insurance Consumers to decipher the details of your policy, and prepare a list of questions for items that you do not understand. Present these questions to your agent, and document the answers you are given.
If a brochure, pamphlet or ad used to promote a policy suggests that something is covered but I later learn that it is not, do I have a remedy?
Possibly. But there are time and other limitations on your right to raise these issues.
This is one reason you should attempt to identify any inconsistencies between the way a policy is marketed and the policy itself.
This also is why it is important to keep written materials and notes of conversations with agents in your insurance file or notebook. Do not throw policy-related promotional materials away!
In most cases, your insurance coverage begins after the insurance company has approved your application and you have sent in your first premium payment.
When does insurance coverage end?
Your coverage should last until the anniversary date of the policy, which is usually six months or one year from the date your coverage began.
However, YOU may cancel your insurance coverage at any time without penalty. Simply notify the insurance company that you are canceling your insurance. You are entitled to a refund of any unused premium payment.
In addition, the insurance company can usually cancel your policy before the anniversary date if premiums are not paid or if there was a material misrepresentation on the application.
An Incontestability Clause is a clause in the insurance policy which states that the insurance company will not deny a claim on the basis that you misrepresented yourself on the application for insurance. Usually, the policy must be in effect for two years before the Incontestability Clause applies.
If your policy does not have an Incontestability Clause, then the insurance company can ALWAYS deny a claim if it shows that you made misrepresentations on the application, EVEN if you have been paying premiums for years. However, the insurance company must reimburse all of your premium payments.
What is meant by updating coverage?
The limits in your insurance policy may have been fine when you purchased the policy. However, your life circumstances may have changed by the time you file a claim, especially if this occurs years after your initial purchase. Generally speaking, the value of money diminishes by half every seven years to ten years. That means seven to ten years from now your policy limits are only going to be worth half of what they are today.
Some lines of insurance rectify this situation through COLA . Other policies are silent on the matter and it is up to you to update your policy to include sufficient limits.
TIP! In any case, be sure to check your coverages regularly to ensure you are fully protected.
COLAs are cost of living adjustments provided for certain types of insurance. Usually, they track such things as the Consumer Price Index, which provides data on cost of living increases from year to year. To be effective, COLAs must be compounded every year.
Are insurance companies prevented from engaging in unreasonable conduct in claims handling?
Yes. In most states, "bad faith" is defined as unreasonable conduct by an insurance company.
unreasonably attempting to under-settle or lowball the payment of a claim.
If your insurance company commits any of these acts, it may be liable for damages to you.
What is meant by the term "documenting losses"?
A claimant is required to provide certain documentation for losses that are being claimed under an insurance policy. There are different ways to document a loss: photographs, receipts, bids, appraisals, and/or medical or other expert opinions.
An adjuster is usually responsible for making an offer to settle a claim. The adjuster does this based on his or her own settlement authority or after receiving the necessary authority from a supervisor or manager on the offer that is being made.
An insurance investigator gathers information, data and records. The investigator can take statements from witnesses and engage in other activities that may be necessary in order to provide insight to the company on the claim. Some insurance companies commonly use investigators to film or video the policyholder as part of the claims investigation.
What does the claims manager do?
The claims manager has more experience and higher settlement authority than the adjuster. The claims manager will often coordinate the information gathering that the company is conducting.
What is an insurance "document request"?
Insurance companies are allowed to request certain documents in connection with their evaluation or investigation of a claim. These documents often include such things as receipts, photos, medical records, wage or income statements, correspondence between the policyholder and third parties, and other similar documents.
Are there any limitations on the kinds of documents that can be requested by an insurance company?
Yes. In general, insurance companies are not permitted to require production of documents which constitute an excessive invasion of the policyholder's rights.
Similarly, they are not permitted to require policyholders to turn over "privileged" documents. Privileged documents include attorney/client privileged letters or memos, privileged husband/wife records and other similar documents.
Always be precise. Never exaggerate anything.
If you communicate something that is in error, immediately notify the insurance company of your mistake in writing.
Avoid the use of harsh, demanding or angry language. No matter how frustrated you may become, do not make threats. This is counter-productive.
It is all right to send copies of thoughtful and articulate correspondence to the claim supervisor or claim manager of the company. However never send cc's to VIPs such as members of congress, the White House, the President of the UN or other luminaries. This does not work.
What is "Alternative Dispute Resolution" (ADR)?
ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) refers to a method of resolving disputes between policyholders and insurance companies without having to go to court. Insurance policies often contain an ADR provision. The ADR provision spells out the details of how ADR will be conducted under the policy in question.
Although many individuals believe ADR is an inexpensive and cost-efficient method for resolving insurance claims, sometimes it doesn't work that way. It depends on whether the type of ADR system called for by the policy provides for the use of formal rules of evidence, opening and closing briefs, the use of expert witnesses and testimony, and so on. Some types of ADR require a long, complicated and expensive process. Others do not.
Mediation is a good method for dispute for denied claims, as well as a tool to help both sides facilitate a prompt, fair resolution early in the claims process.
called for in a particular insurance policy?
Who picks the individual(s) authorized to resolve a claim?
What procedures are used when conducting ADR ( for example, are informal rules used or do formal rules of evidence apply)?
Are opening and closing briefs permitted?
Do the mediators and/or arbitrators have the power to make a final and binding decision (one that cannot be appealed in court)?
Can either party appeal an ADR decision for any reason?
Do you have to waive or give up any legal rights? For example, do you give up the ability to sue even in the case of unreasonable conduct or fraudulent misrepresentation by the insurance company?
Are attorneys permitted to represent the parties?
How much time should be expected between filing of notice to opt for ADR to the completion of the process and payment of the claim?
The statute of limitations is the maximum amount of time that you have to file a formal claim, either with your insurance company or, if the claim has been denied, with the court.
The statute of limitation depends on the theory of your case. For example, you may claim that the insurance company broke the contract (a contract claim) and/or that the insurance company's conduct was unfair or unreasonable (tort claim). Under state law, contract claims and tort claims may have different statute of limitations.
In addition to statute of limitations imposed by state law, many insurance policies may contain contractual limitations provisions, these provisions can impose limitation periods separate and apart from the rights contained under state law.
It is very important for you to find out whether or not there is a contractual limitations period set forth in your given policy.
When does a "statute of limitations" begin to run?
the date the wrongful conduct was discovered.
You should be familiar with any applicable statutes of limitations in your state or jurisdiction and any time limitation set forth in your policy.
What does it mean if the insurance company agrees to defend you under a "reservation of rights"?
If the insurance company agrees to defend you under a reservation of rights, the insurance company is not conceding that your policy covers the claim against you. If it is not covered, you will have to reimburse the insurance company for the legal expenses and any settlement or judgment paid.
Under these circumstances, the attorney appointed to represent you may have a conflict of interest. It is best to ask the insurance company to hire an independent attorney, rather than an in-house attorney, to represent your interests. This way, the attorney will not be tempted to choose between the insurance company (who is saying that the company may not be responsible) and you (who is saying that the insurance company is responsible).
What is a "sworn proof of loss"?
Insurance companies often request policyholders to file a sworn proof of loss. This document advises the company of your loss, the extent of your loss, and the proof you have regarding your loss. It is an important document that you will sign under penalty of perjury.
considerably less than the amount of your loss?
If the insurance company's offer is substantially less than what you think is fair, negotiate.
Review the reasons for the disagreement and understand the insurance company's rationale for its position.
Back up your demands with reliable proof. If the adjuster does not agree to settle the claim for a reasonable amount, speak to the supervisor or manager of the claims department.
If you are unable to come to an agreement with your insurance company, you should consider mediation services. Mediation, unlike arbitration, is not binding. It is an attempt by another party to facilitate resolution of a disagreement.
will not pay your claim?
NO! Threatening letters generally do not help get the claim resolved. A better strategy is to send letters to the head of the claims department with an honest recitation of what has occurred on the claim and why the current offer is too low. These letters should be accompanied with reliable documentation of your loss.
If you simply must write a threatening letter (for therapeutic reasons), write a second later that you will send to the company.
If you file a claim, will your premium increase?
This varies from company to company and also depends on the facts and size of the claim.
What are the most common mistakes made in the purchasing of insurance?
Meeting with an agent before having carefully thought through what you are trying to insure, against what specific occurrences and for how much money.
Buying into the idea that insurance policies are so complicated, that there's no point in trying to read or understand them.
Failure to use due diligence (or even common sense) in choosing an agent or selecting an insurance company.
Believing that all policies, or companies, are about the same or ignoring the differences between them.
Failing to ask key questions before buying a policy.
Failing to take and retain notes of conversations with the agent.
Failing to save all documents related to your policy.
Failing to save all promotional materials provided by the company. Being sloppy or inattentive with answers to application questions to be submitted to the insurer.
Failing to recognize and use your purchasing power as an insurance consumer.
What are the most common mistakes made in making insurance claims?
Going to the least objective source(s) to obtain help or information on a claim.
Believing inaccurate information about whether a particular claim must be paid or to the total amount owed.
Failing to carefully re-read the policy and review your rights and duties before negotiating with the carrier.
Failing to think through a claims situation carefully before talking to an insurance adjuster or investigators.
Failing to document and save records of discussions with claims adjusters or investigators.
Failing to carefully think through and develop an effective negotiation strategy or plan.
Agreeing to a policy surrender/ buy out that pays only a portion of what you are entitled to under the policy benefits.
Signing a "release" or allowing a contractual or statutory time limit to expire before the claim is completely paid, thereby losing all one's rights.
What is meant by the Duty to Defend?
Liability coverage generally requires the insurer to retain and pay fees and costs for a lawyer to defend an insured who has been sued, if the suit could trigger coverage under the policy in question. If this duty is breached, the insurer may be liable for any resulting consequences.
What is the difference between an insurer's Duty to Defend and its Duty to Indemnify?
The Duty to Defend means the insurer has to pay defense costs. The Duty to Indemnify means it also has to pay if a judgment is rendered against the insured. In most states, the insurers Duty to Defend is broader than its Duty to Indemnify. So the insurer may have to pay defense costs even in some cases where it is eventually determined that the policy didn't cover the basis for the liability that was established.
Didn't Find the Answers You Need?


This weekend brings us TUSC and IndyCar racing in Detroit, but not before the Stadium Super Trucks had a go. And the SSTs are the only ones that truly fly. Halston Pitman over at Motorsport Media caught them in all their crazy, silly, amazing glory.


text:
Бельдюги () — род морских лучепёрых рыб семейства бельдюговых. Распространены в северной части Атлантического океана (2 вида) и в северо-западной части Тихого океана (4 вида). Некоторые представители рода являются яйцеживородящими.

В состав рода включают 6 видов:

Примечания

Литература

Бельдюговые
Рыбы Тихого океана
Рыбы Атлантического океана

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
অনলাইনে-টাকা-আয়
HomeTechnologyNEW YOUTUBE NEWS
NEW YOUTUBE NEWS
Writer May 30, 2018
Youtube Music: Google's new music streaming service!Youtube Music:
YoutubeMusic/Tech-Earn-Today
Google is coming with its new music streaming service Youtube music that will compete with services like Spotify, Tidal or Apple Music. Currently Google's Audio Music The streaming service will occupy the position of Google Play Music. Free and premium for customers, the two types of subscription options will keep YouTube Music. Advertisement will be shown in the free option. The premium version will be free of ad, and this will cost a monthly fee of $ 9.99. Customers will get more exclusive video content, including original songs, covers, live performances, which will not be found on any other site.
Youtube New streaming music/Tech-earn-Today
. Similarly, in the audio-music industry, there are exceptionally challenging. Besides, Apple's music service and their ecosystem have also received great appreciation for the customers. But in some developing countries in Asia, only a large part of the subscriber ha Google Play Music Services will also be merged with the video, as well as audio content can be enjoyed. At the same time, people who are receiving Play Music Services will be given a YouTube Music Premium account. Youtube's premium streaming service Youtube Red will be renamed to YouTube premium.
YouTube subscriptions will cost $ 11.99 for new subscribers, and those current subscribers will continue to use $ 9.99 in return for the month.Both types of subscribers will get YouTube music access. Google will use YouTube's music (https://music.youtube.com) to assist music based on their habit and location using their assistants and artificial intelligence. Google is saying this "Deeply Personalized Experience". You can play music or video in the background if you want premium YouTube music for new YouTube music like YouTube Red
. This feature is blocked by the common YouTube app because Google earns money by showing the free YouTube customers. Currently there is no equivalent of YouTube in the video streaming industrys access to free streaming music on YouTube. So it has been introduced to give more personalized experience to capture this big market of music. Initially the YouTube Music will be launched in USA, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea
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Writer June 23, 2019
ফেসবুক থেকে আয় করার সহজ উপায় ফেসবুক মানেই কি চ্যাটিং করা আড্ডা দেওয়া সেলফি দেওয়া…
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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON QUORA
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE full Specification And review by Shopreview.ooo_The ultimate review |
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অনলাইনে-টাকা-আয় 3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bruce Roth
Bruce J. Roth, MD
Urothelial carcinomas
Cancers of the kidney
broth@wustl.edu
1976 BS in Pre-Professional Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
1980 MD, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO
Post-doctoral Training
1980-1981 Internship in Internal Medicine, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1981-1983 Residency in Internal Medicine, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1983-1986 Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1986-1992 Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1992-1997 Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1997-1999 Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
1999-2010 Professor of Medicine and Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN
2010-present Professor of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
1983 American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
1985 American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
1983-1986 American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Fellow
1989 American College of Physicians Fellow
1989-1992 American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Career Development Award
1999 Paul V. Hamilton, MD and Virginia E. Howd Endowed Professor of Urologic Oncology
2007, 2009 5-Star Patient Satisfaction Award, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2010 ASCO Statesman Award
2011, 2012, 2015 Highest Patient Satisfaction Award, Washington University in St. Louis
Alliance for Cancer Clinical Trials
Institutional Service
2011-2019 Medical Director, Oncology Services, Siteman Cancer Center - West
2015-present Medical Director, Oncology Services, Siteman Cancer Center - South
1986-1999 Member, Hoosier Oncology Group
1988-1990 Representative, The American Federation for Clinical Research, Indiana University School of Medicine
1989-1993 Member, Program Committee of the Annual Meetings of the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research/Central Society of Clinical Investigation/Midwest Section of the American Federation for Clinical Research
1989 Co-Chairman, Consensus Group on Stage I Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumors and the Consensus Group on Long-Term Effects of Therapy at the Consensus Development Conference on Testicular Cancer and Prostatic Carcinoma, University of Hull, North Humberside, England
1990 Councilor, Midwest Section of the American Federation for Clinical Research
1990-1993 Member, National Council of the American Federation for Clinical Research
1990-1993 Secretary/Treasurer, Midwest Section of the American Federation for Clinical Research
1992 Member, National Cancer Institute Special Emphasis Panel, New Therapeutic Approaches to The Treatment of Prostate Cancer, Bethesda, Maryland
1995-2004 Chairman, Prostate Cancer Committee, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
1998 Chairman, Educational Session on Bladder Cancer at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
1999 Member, National Cancer Institute Consensus Panel on the Use of PSA as a Therapeutic Endpoint
1999-2003 Member, Genitourinary Concept Evaluation Panel, Chemotherapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute
2000 Chairman, Genitourinary Program Committee, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
2000 Chairman, Educational Session: "Integration of Surgery and Chemotherapy for Invasive Bladder Cancer", Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
2001 Member, Genitourinary Program Committee, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
2001-2002 Member, Clinical Trials Committee, Association of American Cancer Institutes
2008-2010 Member, National Comprehensive Cancer Center Prostate Cancer Guidelines Panel
2011-present Member, American Urological Association Guidelines Panel for Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer
2012 Member, Testicular Cancer Program Committee, Society of Urologic Oncology
2014-2018 Member, Oncology Drug Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration
Chairman, 2016-2018
2014-present Member, Medical Advisory Board, Testicular Cancer Foundation
2020-present Member, Independent Data Monitoring Committee for Seattle Genetics Trial EV-302
American Society of Clinical Oncology Leadership
2003-2004 Chair-Elect, Scientific Programs Committee
2004–2005 Chairman, Scientific Programs Committee
2003–2005 Member, Education Committee
2006–2009 Treasurer
2006-2009 Member, Board of Directors
2006–2009 Member, Executive Committee of Board of Directors
2006–2009 Chairman, Finance Committee
2006–2009 Member, Audit Committee (ex-officio)
2006 Chairman, "Best of ASCO" Program Committee
2006-2007 Chair-Elect, Program Committee, 2007 Prostate Cancer Symposium
2007-2008 Chairman, Program Committee, 2008 Genitourinary Oncology Symposium
2007-2009 Board of Directors Liason to Communications Committee
2010-2013 Member, Planning Committee, Oncology Literature Reviews
2010-2012 Chairman, Expert Panel, "On The Line" Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign, ASCO/ESPN
2010-present Specialty Editor (Testicular Cancer) for CancerProgress.net
2011-2012 Chair-Elect, Cancer Communications Committee
2011-2014 Member, Timely Oncology Perspectives Team
2011-2014 Member, Genitourinary Cancer Symposium News Planning Team
2011-2012 Member, ASCO PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer Screening Expert Panel
2012-2013 Chair, Cancer Communications Committee
2013-2014 Chair-Elect, Bylaws Committee
2014-2015 Chair, Bylaws Committee
2015-2016 Member, Bylaws Committee
Editorial Responsibilities
1992 Guest Editor, Testicular Cancer, Seminars in Oncology
2001 Guest Editor, Chemotherapy in Urologic Malignancies, Seminars in Urologic Oncology
2005 Guest Editor, Annual Meeting Summaries, Journal of Clinical Oncology
2012 Executive Editor, Cancer Clinical Advances
Current Section Editor, Genitourinary Malignancies, CancerProgress.Net (ASCO)


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Bison scholarships awarded to 3 students
Three emerging livestock industry leaders received welcomed financial support as they were named recipients of the 2023 Throlson American Bison Foundation scholarship.
The Throlson Foundation scholarship review committee reviewed numerous applications and narrowed it down to three stand-out students. This year's recipients includes funding from the Rich Zahringer Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports those students who focus on agricultural business and accounting in recognition of the fund's namesake, who was a longtime bison industry accountant and is among the pioneers of the modern bison-business. The scholarship is made possible by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats.
This year's scholarship recipients include:Kaylee Kipp, Texas A&M University, veterinary medicine; Sam Stroup, Texas A&M University, biomedical sciences; Mikayla Lacher, Kansas State University, veterinary medicine.
The primary mission of the foundation is to annually award scholarships in bison related studies. Some previous winning students have pursued degrees in veterinary medicine (production or pathology research), nutrition (livestock or meat), animal science, and behavior science. One common theme they have all possessed is an interest in the advancement of the bison industry.
You can support the Throlson American Bison Scholarship by making a tax-deductible donation to the Throlson American Bison Foundation by contacting the NBA at (303) 292-2833, or by emailing info@bisoncentral.com, or by visiting http://bisoncentral.com/about-nba/throlson-american-bison-foundation. The NBA also has a youth membership for individuals ages 21 and younger that are interested in learning more about the bison business. NBA youth members can access educational resources on the website, receive discounted conference rates, consign animals to the Gold Trophy Show & Sale held in Denver in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show, and receive a e-subscription to Bison World and the NBA newsletter, the Weekly Update, among other benefits. Learn more at http://www.bisoncentral.com.
Kelsey Theis crowned 2022-2023 Miss American Angus
Kelsey Theis of Leavenworth, Kan., recently achieved something many young girls in the Angus breed dream of — she was named Miss American Angus. Theis was crowned at the annual American Angus Association Awards Dinner and Reception and will represent the breed as an advocate and role model in the coming year. With three older siblings involved in the National Junior Angus Association, Theis has been around the breed her entire life.
"My first birthday was actually at nationals [National Junior Angus Show] in Denver," Theis said. "So as long as I can remember, I've always been involved."
Growing up in the industry, many of Theis's inspirations served as Miss American Angus. She said to join the ranks of this group of female leaders she looked up to as a young girl is an honor.
"It's very surreal just watching other girls who have gotten this opportunity," Theis said. "Some of them have been my biggest mentors or role models and it's crazy to consider myself on the same level as them in that position. I'm just very excited and honored to get to do this."
Throughout her time in the red coat, Theis hopes to serve the breed well and inspire young women to believe in themselves. She knows the responsibility that comes with the title and looks forward to taking on the role with enthusiasm.
"I just want to do the best job I can representing the breed, and I want to make sure I have an influence on younger members so they have the same experience with me that I did with past Miss American Angus titleholders," Theis said. "I just hope to inspire them and show them they can do anything they set their mind to."
Theis is the daughter of Jerry and Tonya Theis and attends Northern Oklahoma College. She is obtaining a degree in animal science and is a member of the livestock judging team. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in veterinary medicine or accounting.
Look for Theis in the crown, red coat and sash during her travels this year. For more information about the American Angus Auxiliary-sponsored contest, visit angusauxiliary.com.
Baldridge Performance Angus Bull Sale
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Vin+, Pascal wines, and five amazing chefs… this is a promise of a great night, and indeed, a great night it was. We attended the Tasty Synergy Champagne and Wine Pairing Dinner at Vin+ Seminyak last April, and we were amazed by these chefs created. Here's the story.
"When it comes to pairing, both the food and the wines must compliment each other. Pascal wines are very elegant, not too heavy, and the fruitiness and acidity are balanced. So it suits the dishes created today by the fine chefs. I am very pleased with the whole evening," said Pascal Jolivet, the founder of Pascal Jolivet wines when we met him during the dinner.
He got that right. This dinner is quite the adventure because the five chefs are given a task to create Vibrant Indonesian Flavours for this dinner. The dinner starts with a plate of Blue Swimmer Crab Open Ravioli with Ginger Torch, Base Genep Aioli paired with Pascal Jolivet Rose 2016. Then Chef Deni Sugiarto (Vin+ Kemang) teases us with Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Balinese Spices that are super light and tasty. He paired this with Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Blanc 2016 which uses the grapes that grow in Sancerre, France.
The second course is Sundanese Grilled Seafood by Chef Djoko Sarwono (Vin+ Arcadia) paired with Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume 2016. This dish is everything because the seafood really heightens the white wine and take it to a whole new level. Next, Chef Imam Fayumi (Jumana, Bayan Tree) brings the flavor of Lombok with his interpretation of Spicy Spring Chicken. Pascal warns us that his wine will not go well with spicy food. However, this delicacy that Chef Imam presented goes well with the Pascal Jolivet Indigene 2011.
Then, Chef Arief Wicaksono (Azul Beach Club Bali) brings us Makassar Gule Kambing paired with the red wine, Pascal Jolivet Pinot Noir 2015. Match made in heaven. Last but not least, Chef Daniel Edward (Swissotel Bali) takes us back to Bali as he created the Tabanan Dark Chocolate for dessert that is paired with the dessert wine, Chateau Barreyre Cadillac 2010.
The night was filled with great laughter and cool entertainment, and the food and wines make the night unforgettable. Vin+ had hosted lots of wine pairing dinner, and with this Tasty Synergy they will prove that they are the best place to enjoy exceptional dinner, and great wines.


This prize winner was bred by Minnie Zaccaria, a New Jersey gardener who tirelessly sought the perfect cross-pollination of two heirlooms, finally creating this enormous tomato with fruits that repeatedly tip the scales at an amazing 4 to 6 lbs. We know that you'll love it for its quality and its size. An excellent tomato in every respect - meaty and delicious, very vigorous, and true-growing each time it's planted. Furthermore, it has impeccable ancestors....a beautiful, red heirloom beefsteak-type, and a large, pink open-pollinated beefsteak heirloom.
taste is excellent, size is amazing. Needs disease resistance.
Big Zac couldn't take the Zone 9 desert heat in 2011. It produced only a few (very large!) but heat blemished tomatoes. I would not recommend it for high heat areas like ours.
Very low germination rate. Only 6 seeds sprouted out of the pack. The tomato seed from the rest of the order has been great.


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Thore Schölermann (Iserlohn, 26 september 1984) is een Duitse acteur.

Schölermann werd geboren als de zoon van een apotheker en een lerares. Na het behalen van zijn schooldiploma aan het Märkischen Gymnasium in Iserlohn, volgde hij een acteeropleiding aan de Mallorca Film Academy in Palma de Mallorca. Naast zijn opleiding was hij ook te zien in de films Die Schreibmaschine (2004), Unsrewed 2 (2005) en Schmetterlingskind (2006). Landelijke bekendheid kreeg hij door zijn vaste rol in de dagelijkse soapserie Verbotene Liebe, waarin hij sinds 27 november 2006 te zien is als Christian Mann. Samen met collega-acteur Jo Weil, die de rol van Oliver Sabel speelt, is hij op dit moment te zien als het enige homokoppel in de serie.

Sinds 2012 presenteert hij The Voice of Germany.

In 2015 presenteerde hij samen met Chantal Janzen de Duitse versie van The Voice Kids.

Externe links
 Verbotene Liebe: Thore Schölermann

Duits acteur


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Good Boys Turn Bad in newest BTS MV
February 26, 2014	K-Pop
Who wants see some good boys turn bad? Then here they are! BTS are officially back with their newest music video for their song "Boy in Luv." The much awaited music video can now be…
Ga In takes to dare in front of the camera
"Truth or Dare," Ga In will take either because she knows how it works with the camera. In the music video of her newest track "Truth or Dare," the sexy singer performed a choreographed number…
Yoo Seung Woo's "Hesitating Lips" comes in music video
From being a contestant in "Superstar K4," Yoo Seung Woo has made it to the music industry as he released her new music video of the track "Hesitating Lips" from his second mini album "Already…
Zizo collaborates with Lim Kim and Actress Shin So Yul
Zizo has finally released his feel good music video for "Winter of Haeundae". Rapper Zizo features Lim Kim's distinct and soothing voice. Music lovers will be relaxed as they listen to Zizo and Lim Kom…
Yoon Eun Hye's Ideal Man
February 18, 2014	Stars
SBS's One Night of TV Entertainment was able to get popular female actor Yoon Eun Hye on the show. She was made to play in an 'Ideal Type World Cup' game where she had to…
"Genesis of 2PM" Tops Japanese Oricon Ratings with 63,000 Units Sold – and Counting!
After topping the ring-tone charts, 2PM is really taking their latest album into a higher level. With 63,000 units sold of their latest album "Genesis of 2PM", the group is now the newest superstars in…
Girl's Day's, released 'Something' video with inspiration from 'Invitation from 1998' and 'Adult Ceremony'
January 7, 2014	K-Pop
On Jan 3, Girl's Day uncovered its video for the song titled, Something, that seem to have been inspired from Uhm Jung Hwa's Invitation from 1998 and Park Ji Yoon's Adult Ceremony. The video is…
Kim Dong Wan gone adventurous for New Year 2014
January 7, 2014	Stars
On Jan 1, with short uploaded video titled "2014 Alone," by Kim Dong Wan where he showed that he was snowboarding down in the mighty cold alone to wish happy New Year for his fan…
Teaser video with greetings from 'Real Mate in Saipan'
January 7, 2014	TV/Drama/Movies
Lee Hyun Woo and Park Ji Bin, leads of the QTV's 'Real Mate in Saipan' were seen in the video released by the show. In the video, the two friends are giving introduction about their…
Rain, is 'raining'
After the Rain's video release for '30 Sexy' and 'La Song'; the song is proved to grabbing many viewers attention. This possibly could be his enormous comeback after army service. The Video which is made…


Ted Cruz was one of the latest presidential hopefuls to share how drug addiction has personally affected their lives.
During a campaign stop last weekend in New Hampshire, the Republican candidate shared the tragic story of the drug-related death of his half-sister, Miriam.
Speaking at Emmanuel Baptist Church in the town of Hooksett, Cruz said their parent's divorce left her bitter and angry growing up. She began to steal her half-brother's money to buy drugs and alcohol as a teenager, which eventually progressed into a painkiller addiction as an adult. In his memoir A Time For Truth, Ted admits he "found it hard to reconcile the bright, fun, charismatic sister I adored with the person who would lie to me without hesitation and who stole money from her teenage brother to feed her various addictions."
Miriam's addictions eventually landed her in jail for shoplifting and other minor crimes. Ted even visited her at a local crackhouse in 1996 in a bid to get her into treatment.
But despite his best efforts, Miriam died from her addictions at the age of 49. At the time of her death, she was awaiting trial for several drug-related charges including possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and public drunkenness.
Ted's speech also took on political and religious undertones at times.
In speaking about his father's conversion to Christianity that he believes has led him to be sober for the last 40 years, Ted said he wants the federal government to stay out of addiction treatment. If elected, he would focus on supporting churches and charities who can create "personal transformations" that will lead to recovery.
"Everyone of us who has dealt with these demons—or who has dealt with loved one grappling with these demons—every one of us knows these are personal journeys," he said. "Faith and a relationship with God can be a powerful, powerful element in turning that around."


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Thanks Police Constable Molnar – You Rock!
Constable Rachel Molnar is our AWESOME School Police Resource Officer and she is a wonderful part of our school support team! She visits our school regularly to get to know the students and to speak to them (in March about Online Safety and understanding your personal digital footprint and choices) and to build relationships so as to be a proactive resource if ever needed. She stopped by this week to join our staff in our Staff vs. Gr. 8 Volleyball Game – it was great fun and as always, we were glad to have her on our team!
Congratulations to our Grade 7 students who celebrated their Confirmation this past weekend… the energy, excitement and pride felt by our students, families and church and school communities was AWESOME. Congratulations Gators on this BIG Moment in your faith life and being filled with the HOLY SPIRIT!
Did you know there is a way for you to receive notifications by email when new items are added to your students on School Cash Online?
When you sign in to your School Cash Online Account, click on the "My Account" drop down menu on the blue ribbon line, then choose "Manage Email Notifications". Ensure that the box beside "I want to receive email notifications…" is checked. Now you will start getting notification by email as new items are added to students linked to your account!
Please contact the office should you have any questions or require assistance.
Registration for this great workshop is FREE and OPEN for the Connecting Parents-Shaping Futures event. Motivational speakers include Becky Kellar-Duke (4-time Olympian) and Rick Osborne (who shares his story on youth addiction). Thanks to Ministry funding, this event is FREE and a light dinner and childcare are available. Details for this event are below – Thank you!
Rsvp to diana.bumstead@wcdsb.ca (details attached).
May Pizza Orders – online ordering is now available to place your orders on School Cash Online for May pizza days. Please note any school trips that your child is taking in order to avoid ordering pizza on days when you child will not be at school for lunch. Specifically this month, the grade 7 and 8 classes will be away from the school on 2 pizza days (May 16th and May 23rd) so please avoid ordering pizza for those students on those pizza days.


Create a jewellery box to suit your needs with the amazing Stackers Jewellery Trays. Choose from a selection of different layouts and colours of jewellery trays to build a jewellery box that suits your collection of jewellery. As your jewellery collection grows, simply add another tray to your Stackers Jewellery Box.


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N. Sreedharan (1928–1985) popularly known as NS was one of the chief organisers of Communist Party in Central Travancore and former CPI(M) secretariat member.

Early life
Born to a canoeist in Vallikkavu, Sreedharan was attracted to the national movement at very young stage. Started his life as a beedi worker.

Political work

He became a leader of seamen and a communist organiser. He was one of the pioneers of communist movement in Central Travancore region. He took part in freedom movement and after freedom in the communist movement and had suffered the oppression of authorities many times. Though he didn't hold any posts in the government, he became a widely popular leader. In 1940s, he was the secretary of communist party cell. Then he became one of the four members of first Kayamkulam DC, then its secretary, Karthikappally taluk secretary, district assistant secretary, acting secretary of Alappuzha DC in 1958. After the formation of CPI(M), he had worked as the secretary of Alappuzha, Kollam and as a member of state secretariat. He had worked for popularising Deshabhimani newspaper.

Death
He died in an accident on 17 February 1985 at Kottarakkara. N. S. Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, a co-operative hospital was built later in his memory at Palathara in Kolam.

See also
 N. S. Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Palathara, Kollam

References

 എന് എസ് എന്നും നവസ്മരണ

People from Kollam district
Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Kerala
Malayali politicians
1928 births
1985 deaths


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https://www.wiredsussex.com/
'Game-Changing' Creative Project Given Green Light
A project that will seek to grow an advanced creative economy and bring investment and skilled jobs to the region between Chichester and Brighton has been given funding.
Coast to Capital has approved an application for £97,700 from the Coastal West Sussex Partnership, in collaboration with Adur and Worthing Councils, Wired Sussex and the University of Chichester, for the Coastal Creative Technologies project.
The announcement comes amid a significant shortage of large-scale, high-quality film studio facilities in the UK, with demand far outstripping supply. The project will build the business case for developing a large-scale film studio complex with an integrated Centre for Research, Training and Innovation.
The project will also include a CreaTech (Creative Technologies) Open Innovation Network to support existing businesses, as well as a skills and training programme to ensure local people can take advantage of employment opportunities – ranging from animation to set building.
To meet its aims, the project will require around £100 million in investment. Its initial phase will include a detailed business plan to generate interest from investors.
Caroline Wood, Director of the Coastal West Sussex Partnership said:
This is an ambitious project that will put Coastal West Sussex on the global map for film production and creative technology, growing our creative sector into a strong identity for our region. It's incredibly exciting to have received funding for the first stage.
Professor Dave Cooper, Head of the Business School at the University of Chichester, said:
What we're trying to do is bring together the whole creative technology industry. The pinnacle of the project is virtual production, which is increasingly being used for high end film and TV production but equally it involves e-sports or e-games design, music production, and any form of digital media. We want to raise the aspirations of local people to work in the creative sector and provide opportunities that will really grow our regional economy.
Phil Jones, Managing Director at Wired Sussex, commented:
Wired Sussex is really proud to have helped pull this project together. We have long been a champion for the fusion of the creative industries with new digital technologies, sectors in which this region already punches well above its weight. A world-class virtual production and innovation facility can provide our creative and tech businesses with significant opportunities, and we want to ensure that they are supported to realise them.
The UK's creative industries contribute more than £115.9 billion to the economy annually [1] and employ more than 2.1 million people. [2] Official business register data suggests that in 2020 there were approximately 1,475 creative industry businesses in the Coastal West Sussex region, with an additional 2,985 in Brighton and Hove.[3]
It is estimated that the UK is missing out on nearly a billion pounds' worth of production expenditure each year and that by 2026, 30,000 new high skilled creative/tech jobs will need to be filled.[4]
'Green screen' film studio example
[1] https://www.creativeindustriesfederation.com/statistics
[2] DCMS, 2020b
[3] National Statistics: UK Business Counts – local units by industry. Available at www.nomisweb.co.uk
[4] Work undertaken by PWC in support of a proposal: Shepperton Studios 2018 application for planning permission. Similar figures available from Lambert Smith report in 2021 https://www.lsh.co.uk/explore/research-and-views/research/2021/july/film-studios-research-report-2021


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Home :: Sci-tech
Bigger gorillas attract more mates and better at raising offspring
Washington, Wed, 02 May 2012 ANI
Washington, May 2 (ANI): Larger male gorillas living in the rainforests of Congo seem to be more successful than smaller ones at attracting mates and even raising young, researchers have found.
The study conducted over a 12-year period in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo by conservationists with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology helps to illuminate the selective pressures that influence the evolution of great apes.
To assess the role of size in the reproductive success of "silverback" gorillas, the researchers selected three physical factors for measurement: overall body length; the size of the adult male's head crest (also known as a sagittal crest which is absent in females); and the size of an individual's gluteal muscles on the animal's posterior.
They then compared data on individual size with information on group dynamics to explore possible correlations between physical characteristics of adult males, the number of female gorillas connected to males, and the survival rates of an adult gorilla's offspring.
The results of the study revealed that all three characteristics were positively correlated to an adult male's average number of mates.
In other words, the bigger the adult male, the more mates it had.
An unexpected finding was that only head-crest size and gluteal muscles were strongly related to offspring survival (measured as infants that survived to weaning age) and overall reproductive success, measured as the number of surviving offspring.
"Our findings of correlations between physical traits and male reproductive success could be considered evidence of a selection process in gorillas, but it is not yet proof," said Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and lead author of the study.
"More studies would be necessary to determine the links between morphology and fitness in this and other long-lived species," he added.
The research is the latest of several studies of gorillas made from the ideal research conditions of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park's Mbeli Bai, a large, swampy forest clearing where gorillas (and scientists studying them) gather for long periods.
From 1995 until 2007, the team followed the lives of 19 adult male western lowland gorillas and their family groups from observation platforms with telescopes and cameras. Over that time, the researchers were able to track the number of females each male mated with, and the number and survival rate of offspring produced by each adult male.
The gorilla group data was complemented by physical measurements of adult male gorillas by using a novel, non-invasive method called digital photogrammetry, which produces accurate measurements of individual gorillas and their characteristics from digital images (converting pixel size to actual lengths).
"By using non-invasive methods for measuring the size of individual male gorillas and their features, we are gaining insights about the factors that could be driving mate selection in our closest relatives," added Breuer.
The study appeared in a recent edition of Journal of Human Evolution. (ANI)
Read More: Congo | Ingram Institute Edbo | Agriculture Institute | Daxini Society | Azad Society | Chandkheda Society Area | Ambika Society Kalol | Kalol Society Area | Patel Society Area Tso Nad | Madanapalle Society Colony | Science Institute Lsg So | Karnata Health Institute | Theosophical Society Gdsso | Indian Institute Of Technology | Central Institute Of Technolog | Vellore Institute Of Technolog | Pasteur Institute | Health Institute Po | Kaziranga National Park | Betla National Park


So this afternoon a friend came home and we had a nice long discussion on a lot of things. And then it was time for him to leave. But by then, I was in the frame of mind where I was craving intellectual discussions, but there were no avenues for me to execute!
I remember this time five years or so ago, when each day when I would come back home from work, I would open Google Talk and initiate five or six conversations with friends who were online. Some would be stillborn, as the counterparty wouldn't reply, but my carpet bombing would work and there would be 2-3 conversations that would fructify, and I would have a nice time talking!
Unfortunately, with the decline of Google Talk, there are no avenues for such discussions now. In fact, what killed it was the move to mobile – the original point of Google Talk was that you could signal that you were available by logging on. And so when you signalled thus, someone would ping you, and you would have a conversation.
By moving Google Talk to the mobile phone, where you were online by default, it meant that you were shown online even when you weren't in a mood to chat. People would occasionally ping you, but then give up. It was like the case of the shepherd boy crying "wolf". So a green button next to someone's name on Google Talk means nothing now, in terms of their availability to chat!
Other chatting mechanisms, such as WhatsApp are no better, being "mobile first" and thus "always logged in". You don't know who is available when, and who you can possibly ping to have a good conversation.
And then five years back, I stopped logging on to Google Talk and initiating five different conversations. I started logging on to Twitter, instead, and making conversation with people on my timeline . Unfortunately, twitter has been ruined, too. It is so full of outrage, and some of such outrage conducted by otherwise smart people, that I've radically cut down on the number of people I follow.
As the world solves some problems, it un-solves others, and creates yet others. And there was a time when I would blog, and visit other blogs, to have intellectual discussions. And now people have stopped commenting on blogs, also!
So one of the things I do when I'm bored is to open the "new conversation" (plus sign) thing on my WhatsApp and check which of my contacts are there in my WhatsApp social network. I do this periodically, without any particular reason. On the upside, I see people who I haven't spoken to for a long time, and this results in a conversation. On the downside, this is freaky.
The problem with WhatsApp is that it automatically assumes that everyone in your phone book is someone you want to keep in touch with. And more likely than not, people make their WhatsApp profile pictures visible to all. And sometimes these profile pictures have to do with something personal, rather than a simple mugshot. Some people have pictures of their homes, of their kids, and of better halves. And suddenly, everyone who has their number on their phone book gets a peek into the part of their lives they've chosen to make public by way of their WhatsApp profile pictures!
Some examples of people on my phone book into whose lives I've thus got a peek includes a guy who repairs suitcases, a guy who once repaired my refrigerator, a real estate broker whose services I'd engaged five years back to rent out my house, and so forth. And then there are business clients – purely professional contacts, but who have chosen to expose through their WhatsApp profile pictures aspects of their personal lives! Thus, through the picture function (of course you can choose to not make your picture public), you end up knowing much more about random contacts in your phone book than you need to!
The next level of freakiness comes from people who have moved on from the numbers that they shared with you. So you see in the photo associated with an old friend someone who looks very very different and who is definitely not that friend! And thanks to their having put pictures on WhatsApp, you now get an insight into their personal lives (again I tell you that people put intensely personal pictures as their WhatsApp profile pictures). I haven't tried messaging one of these assuming they are still the person who is my friend and used to once own their number!
Then there are friends who live abroad who gave you the numbers of close relatives when they were in town so that you could get in touch with them. These numbers have now duly passed back on to the said relatives (usually a parent or a sibling) of your overseas friends, and thanks to the pictures that they put on WhatsApp, you now get an insight into their lives! Then you start wondering why you still have these contacts in your phonebook, but then it's so unintuitive to delete contacts that you just let it be.
The thing with Android is that it collects your contacts from all social media and puts them into your phone book – especially Facebook and LinkedIn. On Facebook people are unlikely to give out their phone numbers, and everyone on my facebook friends list is my friend anyway (today I began a purge to weed out unknown people from my friends list) it's not freaky to see them on your whatsapp. But then thanks to the Android integration, you have your LinkedIn contacts popping up in your address books, and consequently whatsapp!
Again, LInkedIn has a lot of people who are known to you, though you have no reason to get to know their personal lives via the photos they put on WhatsApp. But on LinkedIn you also tend to accept connection requests from people you don't really know but think might benefit from associating with them at a later date. And thanks to integration with WhatsApp, and profile pics, you now get an insight into the lives of your headhunters! It's all bizarre.
So yes, you can conclude that I might be jobless enough to go through my full WhatsApp contacts list periodically. Guilty as charged. The problem, though, is that people don't realise that their WhatsApp profile pictures are seen by just about anyone who has their number, irrespective of the kind of relationship. And thus people continue to put deeply personal pictures as their WhatsApp profile pictures, and thus bit by bit give themselves away to the world!
The solution is simple – put a mugshot or a "neutral" photo as your WhatsApp profile picture. You don't know how many people can see that!
So the wife has just moved abroad and I haven't even bothered getting international calling enabled on my mobile phone. It's not that I'm not concerned about keeping in touch with her – it's more to do with the plethora of options to keep in touch with her than a normal phone call.
Firstly there's whatsapp, which I've used for the last two years (the trigger to join whatsapp was the limit in the number of text messages one could send per day which was introduced in 2012 as a "rumour prevention mechanism"). A large number of people on my contacts list use WhatsApp, which means that it is extremely rare that i use normal text messaging to connect to them.
And earlier today, while she was waiting for a connection at Frankfurt airport, the wife asked me to install Viber, saying it allows us to talk without any international dialing cost. I just had a brief conversation with her and the quality was extraordinary (especially given i'm on a weak BSNL broadband here and she was in a car there). Then I looked at my contacts who are on viber, and the number of my contacts who are using Viber is insanely high! Almost makes me seem foolish for not joining in so far.
And then earlier today I spoke to someone in Singapore using Skype. Call quality wasn't that great – we dropped a couple of times – but it was still pretty good. And then there is google hangouts. And then there is apple's facetime (perhaps the main reason the iPad fell my side when we were dividing our assets prior to the wife's move is that I could have an Apple device with me so that we can FaceTime!).
The number of options for messaging is so large that I wonder how long the whole calling and messaging model will continue. I had shown in a recent blog post (on my public policy blog) that the number of SMSs sent per user in India peaked three years ago and has then been on a secular decline. And now there is news that the telecoms regulator in India is thinking of instituting a fee on providers such as WhatsApp and Viber because of the revenue losses they are causing to the mobile phone service providers in India (like Airtel, Vodafone, etc.).
The question therefore is what the future of telecom will look like given the large number of internet based reliable communication providers who are springing up. My prediction is that the phone call is not going to die – what sets apart a phone call from a Voice over IP connection (such as Skype or Viber) is that it is "online" (i forget the technical term for it – ok got it it's "network switching" as opposed to "packet switching" which is how the internet works).
To explain that in English, when I talk to you over the phone (normal phone call) there is a dedicated line that goes out from me to you. Basically your telecom provider and mine and the network interchange come together so that a virtual line is drawn from me to you, and this is exclusive for us as we talk (call dropping on mobile phones happens when we try to move from one "cell" to another and get lost in between).
The internet doesn't work that way. When I send you a "voice message" over the internet, it goes one hop at a time. There is no dedicated line from me to you. The reason we are now able to voice chat online reliably is that the bandwidth available is so much that packets usually get connected quickly enough (think of a bus network so dense that you can change buses instantly to get to your destination – it virtually simulates a "direct bus"). When the network is busy or the bandwidth clogged, however, there might be some delays (while a phone call once connected remains connected).
Given this distinction the phone call offers a level of reliability that packet switching based voice messengers can never reach. And there will always be a market for extremely high reliability. Hence the phone call is not going anywhere.
The SMS, on the other hand, is again packet switched, and a mechanism in which carriers could extract large amounts of money. The SMS will soon die a natural death – kept alive only by means of government mandated services such as two factor authentication of credit card transactions.
While the fees on carriers such as Viber might become a reality in a place like India they are unlikely to sustain as international norms become uniform. What we are likely to see instead is mobile carriers coming to terms with existence of such providers, and some interesting internet pricing plans.
Currently, to use Viber for a fair bit you need a fairly high FUP (fair usage policy) limit on your phone (carrying voice digitally takes a lot of bandwidth). Carriers might introduce some kind of a graded payment structure such that they can partly recover (through higher internet charges) the lost revenues thanks to lost call charges.
If any mobile phone operator is reading this and needs help on devising such pricing mechanisms, feel free to use my consulting services. Among other things in the past I've done revenue management for airline ticketing and cargo (the holy grail of revenue management) while working for Sabre – the pioneer in revenue management.
Notice how the number of SMSs per user which rose sharply till mid 2011 then started suddenly dropping off! There seems to be a minor revival between March and June 2012, but apart from that it seems to be a secular decline. I can't think of any reason apart from the profusion of smartphones and messaging apps on such phones such as WhatsApp, WeChat, etc. for this decline.
The total number of GSM subscribers also shows an interesting pattern, going by the TRAI data. There is massive increase in the number of subscribers till 2012, and then the graph flatlines!
The only reason I can think of for this is that there might have been some sort of a subscriber clean up in 2012. If you remember, when telcos introduced "unlimited subscription" plans for prepaid mobiles back in 2006, these so-called "unlimited plans" expired sometime in 2012. This was on account of re-auction of telecom spectrum that year. It is possible that users who were "active" only because of possession of unlimited plans were weeded out after 2012, and hence the flatline. Otherwise, the above trajectory is hard to believe.
Back in 2009, tariffs were close to a rupee a minute. However, between 2009 and 2010, tariffs dropped sharply, to the range of about 60 paisa per minute, which comes down to a paisa a second! Interestingly, tariffs have remained constant ever since.


In this episode of the ARCHITECHT Show, Packet co-founder and CEO Zachary Smith explains his company's attempt to carve out its own cloud computing niche by offering "unopinionated" access to bare metal resources. Among other things, Smith discusses Packet's audience of tinkerers and DIYers; the unique benefits of custom hardware as a service; the challenge of trying to bootstrap a business in world of cloud giants; Packet's plan to power the advent of edge computing; and Smith's own journey from Juilliard to cloud hosting.
In the news segment, co-hosts Derrick Harris and Barb Darrow (Fortune) discuss Rackspace buying Datapipe, Cloudera buying Fast Forward Labs, and Amazon's search for a new HQ.