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1Unit of Physical Therapy, Department of Medicina i Cirurgia and Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, University Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
2Unit of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Reus, Spain
3Ciberobn Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Received Date: January 09, 2017; Accepted Date: February 01, 2016; Published Date: February 06, 2017
Citation: Salvat I, Monterde S, Miralles I, Montull S, Fernandez-Ballart J (2017) Does a Three Weeks' Treatment with Microcurrents Improve the Functional Level of People with Fibromyalgia Syndrome?. Fibrom Open Access 2:113.
Copyright: © 2017 Salvat I, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Visit for more related articles at Fibromyalgia: Open Access
Objective: Microcurrent treatment is proposed to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms and improve the functional ability of those affected. The aim of this study was to evaluate how microcurrent therapy affects functional manifestations and pain in subjects with fibromyalgia after three weeks of treatment and one month after the end of treatment.
Methods: This study was a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind study. We recruited forty-three volunteers diagnosed with fibromyalgia (100% females), and thirty-four completed the follow-up analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to a microcurrent intervention group (18 patients, 100 microamperes, 30 to 40 Hz) or to a placebo group (18 patients, sham microcurrent). All subjects received two 30-minute sessions a week for three weeks.
The Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, (Cuestionario de Impacto de la Fibromialgia CIF), was used for assessment: at the baseline (CIF0), at the end of treatment (CIF1) and after one month (CIF2).
Results: Treatment group patients showed greater improvement than patients in the placebo group at the end of treatment and one month after the end of treatment, but there were no statistically significant differences between the microcurrent group and the placebo group. At the end of treatment, the average CIF0 - CIF1 values of the microcurrent group were 9.48 (13.99), and those of the placebo group were 4.18 (16.64) (p=0.31). One month after the end of treatment, the average CIF0 - CIF2 value of the microcurrent group was 9.92 (17.19), and that of the placebo group was 6.73 (15.34) (p=0.57).
Conclusion: This study has found no improvement in the functional level of fibromyalgia patients either following three weeks of microcurrent application or at one-month later.
Fibromyalgia; Electric stimulation therapy; Physical therapy; Chronic pain; Adult; Middle age; Physical fitness; Female
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common medical condition characterised by chronic widespread pain and allodynia. Existing data suggest that disturbed central pain processing plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this syndrome [1,2].
Multimodal therapy, including exercise and pharmacological and behavioural treatments, has proven useful in treating patients with FM [3] and is consequently recommended [4]. Research into multidisciplinary programs has brought attention to treatments shown to be beneficial in treating the symptoms of FM [5]. One of these is microcurrent therapy, which is characterised by microamperage current that provides electrons at physiologic amperage in millions of an ampere 10-2–10-6 amperes [6]. It is applied in different ways: cranial electrotherapy stimulation [7-12], hand held probes [10,11], selfadhesive electrodes [11], and graphite conducting gloves [6,13].
Despite the difference in name, cranial electrotherapy stimulation, originally called electrosleep, is a type of microcurrent therapy that is administered across the head using ear clip electrodes. Some authors attribute to this technique a direct action on the brain although this theory is speculative yet [12]. Usually, treatments that are administered through hand held probes or self-adhesive electrodes are called microcurrent electrical therapy, microcurrent stimulation, or microcurrent electrical stimulation.
Frequency specific microcurrent treatment uses graphite conducting gloves or self-adhesive electrodes and frequencies specific to each tissue and pathology. McMakin et al. [13] found that the specific frequency for treating FM associated with cervical trauma pain ranged from 40 to 10 Hz.
According to our hypothesis, microcurrent treatment reduces FM symptoms and thus improves the functional ability of those affected. The aim of this study was to evaluate how microcurrent therapy affects functional manifestations and pain in subjects with FM after three weeks of treatment and one month after the end of treatment.
Research design
This study was a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind study. The Clinical Research Ethical Committee of the Hospital Sant Joan Reus approved the study protocol. Clinical trial number: ISRCTN04459421.
Forty-four subjects from the Catalan Association for People Affected by Fibromyalgia were recruited. This sample size was chosen based on a priori sample size calculations given that the results can be expected to reveal a 12.5 (8) reduction in the CIF values of the treated group [6] and an estimated 5 (8) reduction in the CIF values of the control group. To increase sample power and to lessen the effects of possible drop-outs, we increased the sample size from 24 to 44 subjects (power of 92%). To be included in the study, all subjects had to have been diagnosed with FM in accordance with the American College of Rheumatology's criteria [14]. Patients were excluded from the study if they suffered from a multiple organ disease, were pregnant, or had demand-type cardiac pacemakers. Patients who were receiving physiotherapy treatment or had finished such treatment during the previous month were also excluded. These criteria led to one subject being excluded from the study (Figure 1).
All remaining subjects were interviewed individually to provide them with details about the nature of the study and to ask for their informed consent. All of them signed voluntary consent forms to participate in the study.
Intervention description
The study was carried out during the period from April 2006 to September 2006. The subjects were randomized into a microcurrent group and a placebo group. They all received two 30-minute sessions a week for three weeks. They were asked to attend all sessions but were able to leave the study at any time. Seven subjects left the study for various reasons: hospitalization, pregnancy, family, etc. (Figure 1).
Treatment involved applying self-adhesive electrodes to the two areas that the subject found most painful at that moment. The researcher chose the electrode position on the basis of these indicators and using the research team's predefined protocol, which had standardized the electrode positions (Table 1). The subject was then placed in a prone, lateral, or supine position and made as comfortable as possible with supporting cushions.
|Location of pain
|Location of positive electrode
|Location of negative electrode
|Cervical spine
|Bilateral application on paraspinal muscles at the level of C6-C7.
|Dorsal spine
|Bilateral application on paraspinal muscles at the level of T4-T5.
|Lumbar spine
|Bilateral application on paraspinal muscles at the level of L4-L5.
|Bilateral application on the suboccipital muscles.
|Unilateral application on the suboccipital muscles.
|Ipsilateral application on the infraspinatus muscular belly.
|Unilateral application on the paraspinal muscles at the level of L4-L5.
|Ipsilateral application on the muscular belly of the gluteus medius, under iliac crest and immediately outside the gluteus maximus.
Table 1: Standardised positioning of the electrodes according to the location of the pain in the patient.
The microcurrents were applied at an intensity of 100 microamperes and at a frequency ranging between 30 and 40 Hz. The equipment used was an Endomed 482u Enraf-Nonius, which allowed the current to be applied through two channels. The placebo group was led to believe that the equipment was being switched on and off so that they would think they were receiving the same treatment. However, the equipment remained off at all times, and the current was not applied. This simulation was possible because microcurrents are not sufficiently intense to stimulate the sensitive nerve fibres and thus are not perceived by patients [15].
Although infrequent, secondary effects have been described in the 24 h following the application of microcurrents. These include nausea, headache, fatigue, and increased pain. In the cases published, these effects decrease from the third or fourth session onwards. To prevent the potential side effects from occurring, patients should be given water to drink at the end of the session and during the three hours thereafter [16]. For these reasons, all the subjects were given a glass of water when the session finished and were told to drink another glass when they returned home.
When the last of the six sessions was over, the patients were reassessed, their daily drug diaries were recorded and they were told the dates of their third evaluations which were carried out individually a month later.
Main outcomes
Subjects were initially assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire; (Cuestionario de Impacto de la Fibromialgia, CIF) [17], and a record was made of the medications habitually taken by each subject. In addition, each subject was given a diary to record any changes in their medication regimens. The CIF and the visual analog scale (VAS) were analysed to see if the treatment improved the symptoms. The CIF is a multidimensional questionnaire designed specifically to assess the functional capacity of FM patients [17]. It is designed so that it can be self-administered by the patient. The values of the CIF are between 0 and 100, 0 being the best state of health and 100 the worst. It takes five minutes to complete the CIF.
This questionnaire is a version of the different Spanish translations and validations, and it includes the modifications made to an up-todate version of the original FIQ [18]. The CIF, the primary outcome, and the VAS, the secondary outcome, were used for assessment at the start of treatment (CIF0, VAS0), at end of the treatment (CIF1, VAS1), and at one month after treatment (CIF2, VAS2).
Data analysis
The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 15.0 (SPSS). The homogeneity of the groups was assessed by means of a CIF0 t-test. The variables were compared at the beginning of treatment, at the end of treatment, and one month after the end of treatment. The averages were compared using a Student's t-test. Before these tests were applied, the homogeneity of the variances was verified using Levene's test. If there was no homogeneity, the Kruskal Wallis test was used. Proportions were analysed by chi square. A 5% type I error was accepted for the unilateral contrast of the hypothesis. We rejected the one-tailed null hypotheses when the p value was lower than 0.05.
Sample characteristics
A total of 43 patients, 21 in the microcurrent group and 22 in the placebo group participated in the study. The subjects were all Caucasian females, with an average age of 57.07 (8.34). Almost half of them (44.3%) had only received the minimum compulsory education, and 7.2% had been to University. Half the population was currently working and 23.11% were on sick leave. The CIF0 of the placebo and treatment groups were similar because the lower and upper limits of the 95% confidence interval of their difference were -10.6 and 4.9, respectively. The characteristics of both groups can be seen in Table 2.
|Intervention Group
|Placebo Group
|Ages (years)
|Mean (SD)
|57.07 (8.34)
|55.25 (8.88)
|58.20 (7.66)
|Mean (SD)
|66.66 (12.52)
|65.19 (11.23)
|68.07 (13.75)
|Mean (SD)
|7.44 (2.02)
|7.24 (2.04)
|7.64 (2.03)
SD:Standard Deviation; CIF: Cuestionario de Impacto de la Fibromialgia (Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire); VAS:Visual Analog Scale
Table 2: Description of the sample and basic data of both groups.
Effect of microcurrents
Thirty-four individuals-seventeen from each group-completed the analysis one month after treatment. While comparing CIF and VAS scores, no significant differences were observed. However, the baseline values were higher than the subsequent values, which indicated an improvement.
The initial mean (standard deviation) CIF values were better after treatment, from 65.19 (11.23) to 55.84 (18.34) for the Intervention group and 68.07 (13.75) to 65.65 (14.55) for the Placebo group. Those values were maintained at one month, 56.65 (24.76) and 63.40 (12.53) respectively (Figure 2).
There were similar VAS values at the Intervention group, 7.24 (2.04), and the Placebo group, 7.64 (2.03). After treatment, values were lower for both groups, 6.0 (2.47) and 7.33 (2.06), respectively, and increased again for both groups, 6.12 (2.47) and 6.76 (2.31) respectively, at one month (Figure 3).
Although none of the results was statistically significant, the differences between the baseline values and the subsequent values were positive, as stated above, this was indicative of improvement (Table 3). The overall proportion of patients who reported dizziness after one of the sessions was 21.1%. Of these, 62.5% belonged to the treatment group and 37.5% to the placebo group, but this difference was not statistically significant (chi square, p=0.44).
|Intervention Mean (SD)
|Placebo Mean (SD)
|9.48 (13.99)
|4.18 (16.64)
|15.71 to-5.12
|9.92 (17.19)
|6.73 (15.34)
|14.57to -8.19
|1.00 (2.38)
|0.39 (2.22)
|2.17 to -0.95
|1.18 (2.24)
|0.82 (2.24)
|1.92 to -1.25
SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval; CIF, Cuestionario de Impacto de la Fibromialgia (Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire); VAS, visual analog scale.
Table 3: Differences between baseline and final values in the two groups at the end of treatment and one-month later.
Medication changes
During the treatment, most of the patients maintained their doses of analgesics (84.2%) and anti-inflammatories (73.7%). The small remaining number of patients decreased their medications, although this did not lead to any differences being observed between the treatment group and the placebo group.
Our randomised placebo-controlled single-blind study of the efficacy of three weeks micro current therapy gave no effect on FM patients at the end of the treatment and one month later. These modest results contrast with those obtained in other similar studies [5-13]. These other studies reported that microcurrents had a very positive effect on the symptoms of FM patients, although, in contrast with the present study, none of them analysed whether these effects were maintained on time.
Of all these studies, only Lichtbroun et al. [7], Cork et al. [9] and Taylor et al. [12] compared the effects of microcurrent therapy with the effects of a sham microcurrent. Moreover, Taylor et al. [12] point out methodological errors on those previous studies: study design, nonobjective measures, statistical analysis and short period of data analysis. According to Taylor's study we did an accurate design and analysis, except our assessment: despite FIQ is a subjective measure, it is a FM validated measure. Because Taylor assumed that 3 weeks treatment is a too short period for improvements to show up, he applied an 8 week treatment but without follow-up. In our opinion, the clue is not how long the treatment period is but how long the positive effects are maintained in time. Lichtbroun et al. [7] and Cork et al. [9] demonstrated positive effects after 3 weeks treatment. Like them, in the present study microcurrents were applied for 3 weeks and we reassess at month in order to demonstrate effects through time.
Besides of Taylor's methodology observations, we will add one more, the use of the tender point score as one of their variables in Lichtbroun et al. [7] and Cork et al. [9] studies. They tested all patients on nine bilateral tender point and three bilateral control tender points (at the midpoint of the biceps brachii muscle, abdomen 5 cm to left/ right of umbilicus and gastrocnemius) and they subtracted any scores obtained at these points from the total tender point score. In Lichtbroun et al. study, the treated group had significant mean gains in the tender point score, whereas the placebo group experienced a slight improvement and the control group worsened. Cork et al. reported lower tender point score in the CES group than in the placebo group (p <0.01). The use of this measurement went against the current notion of control points. In fact, some investigators state that positive control points are a common feature in FM [19] and the consistently lower severity of tenderness at these points closely correlates with the severity and tenderness at the tender points [20].
In addition, other studies using microcurrents for different clinic circumstances agreed in describing this technique as effective. This was the case in chronic pain associated with spinal cord injury [21], cutaneous injuries [22], acute pain associated with post total knee arthroplasty [23], in treatment to increase the range of movement in a spastic ankle caused by cerebral palsy [24] and in acute myofascial pain syndrome [6].
Of all studies we looked at, only Tan et al. [25] reported poor results after using microcurrents when treating patients with chronic pain, as our study. They had a very high drop-out rate, 15 out of the original 28 patients. In our case, the drop-out rate was also high (9 out of 43 patients). In addition to this, a placebo group improvement had been registered in both studies. We want to reinforce that high drop-out rate and placebo group improvement are common research results in FM condition. So, we can doubt about research methodology studies that didn't obtained them.
Besides these methodological concerns, to not achieve statistical differences between groups it could be explained by the low application time. Microcurrents were applied for 30 minutes in the present study, whereas most of the studies applied the microcurrents for less than 40 minutes. However, in most cases, these studies used portable equipment which does not require the patient to be stationary, as was the case with our study. When designing the study, we decided an application time of 30 minutes following the McMakin [6] protocol of microcurrent therapy. Since we have found better results in the group treated with microcurrents, it would be interesting to study whether a longer application improve these results. Another limitations of the present study is the small sample size. Besides of that, if our microcurrent treatment had the same effect that others studies [6,7,9,12] this sample should be enough to show group differences.
This is the first study analysing microcurrent applied to FM using self-adhesive electrodes. The portable equipment could be a very interesting option for treating this type of patients, because patients can worn them underneath the clothing, thus preventing the discomfort caused by ear clip electrodes. Other studies have all dealt with the application of CES, probes, or gloves. In Smith's study [11], the patient was able to choose how the microcurrents were applied, adhesive electrodes being one of the options; however, the patients' choices are not analysed by the author.
Although microcurrents have been used since the beginning of the 1900s, their application in the treatment of illnesses has been growing in recent years. This growth has been accompanied by research into their strengths and limits. For this growth in research to continue, first of all the nomenclature must be standardised. Therapists are confused by the number of keywords used by different authors to refer to microcurrent therapy. These include electrosleep [10], microcurrent therapy [6], microcurrent electrical therapy [10,8,16], ultra-low microcurrent therapy [22], micro-current skin patch [23], microcurrent stimulation [10,24,25], muscular electrical nerve stimulation [26], microcurrent electrical stimulation [27], or microcurrent electrical tissue stimulation [28]. These different terms make it difficult to compare studies and thus to conclude which parameters are the best. Although this study has not been able to demonstrate a functional improvement in FM patients after three weeks of microcurrent treatment and one month after it, this study can contribute to this growing body of research.
In conclusion, this study has found no improvement in the functional level of FM patients either following three weeks of microcurrent application or at one month later.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Catalan Association of People Affected by Fibromyalgia. We would also like to thank Enraf- Nonius for loaning the treatment devices used in the study and Angela Torres for her collaboration in collecting the data.


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subset: commoncrawl


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The windy weather continues almost unabated but with SSE winds assisting bird movement expectations for incoming species remains high however as expectations grow for migrant arrivals some wintering species such as the Hypocolius are just as likely to get up and move on.
Socotra Cormorant juvenile - so tame it allowed the close approach by one enthusiastic admirer who shared with it a packet of crisps -
when the young lady left so did the bird - the whole thing was a remarkable episode to witness - such trust - the picture was taken with the kind permission of the young ladies parents who were watching close by.
Northern Cormorant in complete contrast to local resident Socotra - the scourge of fish ponds and traps a Northern Cormorant (sinensis)
having a bad hair day
Curlew this time some from the shore
Greater Sand Plover these all showing a lot of colour so early in the breeding cycle - Climate Change??
Gull-billed Terns - one of my favourite species
Record shots of one of two Kingfishers seen at Tubli outfall
Bartailed Godwit
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Chiffchaff an Asian race which one hard to tell with certainty
Black Redstart (rufiventris)
Cattle Egret
Today felt cold, was hazy and dank yet temperature were still over 18c. However there was not that much around either and that which was played hard to get. It was just as well I had taken some pics in the week otherwise might not had enough pics to make the entry worthwhile. Having spent Christmas and New year in the UK tied to house and home, the urge to get out was well - some might say obsessive.
Coot a winter visitor that can be hard to find
Curlew these look so different to those found on the shore and are some of the 14 now on the fields at Hamalah
Desert Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Egrets at the mangrove Cattle and Little Egret share a roost with...
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Grebe
Grey Heron
Namaqua Dove
Isabelline Shrike
Crested Lark
Siberian Stonechat
Females Stonechat are always difficult to separate into species
Tawny Pipit
Water Pipit
White Wagtail
Spanish Sparrow
Lesser Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover
December is always a busy month at work so any birding opportunities are few however I did manage a few trips out. Gratefully now back in the UK for Christmas with time to spare to put up the few pics I took. PICS in no particular order but to start what I think is my best photo of the month
Kestrel two seen one quite tame
Desert Wheatear
Pallid Harrier
Really was too late for these chaps as a Marsh with the Pallid Harrier depart
Paired Hoopoe - breeding season can't be far away
Black-headed Gull
Just them Northern/Siberian Gulls again so many any gull freaks heaven
Curlew - eight now at Hamalah
The two Barred Warblers making use of my garden to forage in the mornings, are still present
Song Thrush
Stonechat all getting easier to photograph
Skylark a plenty - about 1 in 20 are likely to be Oriental problem is getting one in the open to be certain
Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Wheatear
Since I had some business to attend to, down south on Thursday I was able to bird my journey back into town. This proved to be a more civilized way to beat the late afternoon traffic jams particularly those caused by the huge road improvements current along a large section of the eastern arterial route south, my way home. It was a good way to start the weekend.
Huge numbers of Gulls of all species can currently be found along the entire eastern shore from Jaw to Askar along with the usual cast of waders. There were no surprises here - being just offshore from our dump this is standard fare for this time of the year. Was surprised however to find a few Great Black-headed gulls mixed in but they were too distant to even point the camera at, an opportunity will present itself another day for those birds I am sure. The man-made marsh in front of the desalination plant at Ras Abu Jarjur is a great space for many water dependent species and so it proved for me on that visit. Not so much for species seen but for the photographic opportunities it offered but only if one is prepared to sit and wait. I had seen a couple of Kingfishers flitting around on arrival so I decided to just wait adjacent to a perch they left. 47 mins later one, a female returned to pose for me. After a short while however a Clamorous Reed Warbler decided he wanted the same space. The interaction between the two species was interesting neither would give way until in frustration the Kingfisher gave up and flew to a less productive fishing perch around the corner.
Kingfisher interacts with a Clamorous Reed Warbler
Kingfisher gives up and moves on
Clamorous Reed Warbler the victor
Black-headed Gulls by the beach full south of Askar
Eastern European - Siberian Gulls filled any vacant spaces not filled by the Black-headed gulls
Glossy Ibis
Great White Egret
one of our wintering Marsh Harriers spent a unfruitful half hour or so hunting the marsh
Moorhen always around always watching
Pair of Palm or more properly Laughing Doves
Grey Heron so many they are hard to ignore
always around any brackish margins Temmincks Stint
Caspian Tern currently breeding but get to close to a nest they can be rather aggressive otherwise will fly above to check you out
Which bring me onto Friday - Had intended an early start but got way-layed after finding two young local photographers at Adhari. I spent far too long chatting to get the early birds and ended up only with another stone chat, no regrets however loved their enthusiasm will take them out next weekend with me. I decided to pop in to the outfall at Ras Tubli and that proved so much better than anticipated even though the tide was out. It is one of those sites that a 3/4 tide is best.
At Tubli several Garganey were easily found but surprisingly that day no Teal with them or Mallard for that matter
One of many Shoveller they will venture way out into the open bay
Squacco Heron foun d along the back ditch, a fresh water drain outfall is always an interesting to look
Was watching this Western Reef Herons heron when he disturbed the bird of the weekend
The over zealous charging about antics of the Western Reef thankfully were too much for the tiny in comparison Striated Heron to bare
I hadn't noticed the Striated Heron crouched very low and hardly moving in its favoured fishing mode - this is probably only the 6th record for Bahrain. Although now having watched one for several hours, I know only too well now how easy it is to overlook or miss the species entirely.
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Vaccines For Maxine – National Infant Immunization Week
Maxine. (illustrated / April 20, 2013)
Gerry Rodda, Pumpkin Hill ProductionsStatewide7:10 p.m. EDT, April 20, 2013
Pumpkin Hill Productions in conjunction with The New Milford VNA is proud to present "Vaccines for Maxine," an illustrated children's book written by New Milford nurse, Geri Rodda. This book is the third in a series of children's books relating to health matters. Funding for the production of "Vaccines for Maxine" was provided via a grant from the Sanofi Pasteur corporation to the VNA.
"Vaccines for Maxine" tackles the topic of immunizations in an entertaining and reader friendly style, suitable for children and adults alike. In it, the heroine, Maxine, stages a play in her dreams. She travels through the pages protected by her armor and comes to understand the role of vaccines in disease prevention. Like her other books, it is written in rythmic format and colorfully illustrated.
Mrs. Rodda has been a nurse for over 40 years and is currently the Community Health Coordinator for the town of New Milford Ct. A few years ago, she recognized a need for educational material for the younger set concerning Lyme Disease. Finding none available, Mrs. Rodda decided to remedy that by writing her own. Hence, "Lyme in Rhyme" was born. Getting it published was another problem. After many rejections by "big house" publishers, Geri proceeded to form her own publishing company, Pumpkin Hill Productions. "Lyme in Rhyme" was reviewed and approved by Dr. Ben Beard of the CDC and well received by the Lyme disease community and many health departments across the country.
A few years later, during a particularly nasty Flu Season, Mrs. Rodda again noticed a need for an easy way for young people to learn more about this serious disease. Working with her son, Jim, she came up with a wonderfully illustrated illustrated 32 page book that actually makes learning about an unpleasant condition almost fun. Production costs were defrayed by a grant from the Medimmune corporation awarded to the VNA. "The Flu and You" received excellent reviews and is widely used by many state health departments.
"Vaccines for Maxine" will be presented to the public for the beginning of National Immunization Week at The Caring for Our Community breakfast at 79 Danbury Rd., New Milford on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 7:30 a.m. Additional information is available at pumpkinhillproductions.com or 860-354-5858.


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How the golf world looked when England last won a MajorJune 17, 2013 Golf News
Things were a little different in the world of golf when Nick Faldo last slipped on the green jacket 17 years ago...
John Major was Prime Minister, football was yet to come home for the European Championships and another 'Tiger' was about to begin a decade of disappointment on the lawns of Wimbledon. Here's how things stood in the world of golf when England last had a Major champion:
The world's top 10 back in April 1996:
1. Greg Norman
2. Tom Lehman
3. Colin Montgomerie
4. Ernie Els
5. Fred Couples
6. Nick Faldo
7. Phil Mickelson
8. Masashi Ozaki
9. Davis Love III
10. Mark O'Meara
A notable absence from the above list is a 20-year-old Tiger Woods, who would turn pro later on in the year after securing a third consecutive US Amateur Championship. He would end 1996 ranked at number 33 in the world.
As a result, the first Tiger Woods video game was another six years away. Youngsters hoping to emulate Faldo's Masters triumph would have to do so on the St Andrews Old Course Golf game on their original PlayStations.
One such youngster might well have been Rory McIlroy, who had just become the youngest member at local club Holywood at the tender age of seven.
Ryder Cup team mate Lee Westwood, having turned professional in 1993, was just about to claim his first professional title at the Scandinavian Masters.
Europe were reigning Ryder Cup champions, having won from behind at Oak Hill Country Club in America in 1995. Irish rookie Philip Walton sunk the winning putt.
There were also hopes of a new English star, as Warren Bladon won the 1996 Amateur Championship at Turnberry. He now works as a plumber and picture-framer.
John Major was Prime Minister, England were dreaming of victory at the upcoming European Championships and another 'Tiger' was wowing the British public.
Golf equipment in 1996
The advancements seen in golf club design year-on-year are astonishing.
The differences between clubs 17 years apart, then, are understandably gigantic.
If you were to delve inside the satchel of a 1996 golfer, you would most likely find some of the following:
Lots of steel shafts
Although first released in the 1970s, graphite shafts still weren't properly trusted by the masses. A lot of Tour professionals, including Tiger Woods, insisted on using steel in all their clubs.
Loads of long irons
The majority of modern beginner iron sets start from a 5-iron. Seventeen years ago, most package sets came with 2-irons as standard, and some even contained 1-irons. For example, Callaway's 1996 Big Bertha set had 1, 2 and 3-irons and was aimed at beginners.
Proper lofts
In the modern quest for distance, manufacturers have reduced loft on clubs to make customers think they are gaining distance. Indeed, if you compare Callaway's 1996 Big Bertha with their modern equivalent – the X Hot – there's a big difference. The Big Berthas had a wedge of 46.5Ëš and a 6-iron of 29Ëš. The Callaway X Hot, which came out this year, has 44Ëš on its wedge and 26Ëš on its 6-iron.
Shorter shafts
While iron loft has decreased, shaft length has increased. This is again part of the quest for distance. A look back at the Callaway irons from 1996 and 2013 shows that, on average, today's irons are 0.75″ longer.
Not much titanium
Look at any decent driver currently on the market and you'll find a titanium head. It wasn't the same back in 1996. In fact, titanium was only found on the most expensive drivers.
No hybrids
TaylorMade launched the innovative Rescue Mid – the club that inspired today's hybrids – in 2003. So, Faldo's 1996 Masters win came a full seven years before these long-iron replacements that have revolutionised the game.
No Nike Golf
When Nike signed Tiger Woods to a five-year deal in 1996, their golf department didn't exist. It wasn't until 2000 that they expanded into balls and began growing from there.


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TTIP: More than 130,000 people urge Barack Obama to kill controversial trade deal during UK visit
Thousands of people have signed a petition to stop president Barack Obama from agreeing on a controversial trade deal between the US and the European Union which protesters say gives more power to corporations.
The Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free-trade agreement which members of campaign group 38 Degrees say threatens the NHS, food standards, animal welfare and "democracy", might be signed before Mr Obama leaves the White House next January.
More than 130,000 people have demanded that Mr Obama stop negotiating the deal with prime minister David Cameron during his visit to the UK this week.
TTIP was supposed to be concluded at the end of 2014 but now economists forecast it could still take several years to negotiate. It focuses around boosting profit, reducing regulation and liberalizing market access.
38 Degrees wants to publish an open letter to Mr Obama in UK newspapers, pleading for him not to sign the deal, and is asking supporters to donate money to place the adverts.
Read more
TTIP: Big business and US to have major say in EU trade deals, leak reveals
Exclude NHS from TTIP appeal signed by Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness, Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett
"The deal reads like a wish list for big corporations," they said in an email.
"If we can stop Obama signing the deal before he leaves office later this year, it could mean the end of this dodgy deal for good," they added.
The group's previous petition to scrap the deal reached over 3 million signatures.
Negotiations, mostly carried out in secret, are happening as the UK prepares for its referendum on 23 June as to whether it will leave the EU.
The US has warned the UK it will face trade barriers if it decides to leave.
Samuel Lowe, a Trade Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, recently wrote in The Independent that the UK "loves TTIP" and would replicate it even if the UK left the Union.
Read more
What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
Beef industry will suffer significantly if TTIP deal between EU and US goes ahead: Michelle O'Neill
"The biggest clue is that our Prime Minister David Cameron claims that TTIP was his idea in the first place, and promised to give it a "rocket boost" after the G20 summit," he wrote.
After a leaked version of TTIP was read by the public, many voiced their opposition to very restrictive clauses about the government's ability to intervene on corporate practices.
"When the European Commission, swayed by public criticism, started to waver on one of the most controversial aspects of TTIP – the bit that allows a multinational company to sue a government for millions if it dares undermine said company's ability to profit – the UK got a load of other member states together to tell the Commission they wanted it kept in," said Mr Lowe.
Independent News Service
Related Content
- TTIP: Big business and US to have major say in EU trade deals, leak reveals
- Beef industry will suffer significantly if TTIP deal between EU and US goes ahead: Michelle O'Neill
- TTIP could block governments from cracking down on tax avoidance, study warns
- Exclude NHS from TTIP appeal signed by Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness, Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett
- Cut NHS from TTIP trade deal say doctors
- What is TTIP? And six reasons why the answer should scare you
- TTIP is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the EU's suspect relationships with corporations
- TTIP controversy: European Commission and Big Tobacco accused of cover-up after heavily redacted documents released
- TTIP deal: Business lobbyists dominate talks at expense of trade unions and NGOs
- TTIP: Some important controls could be taken away from you if new EU and US partnership is agreed
- TTIP: Corporate secrets and influence
- TTIP: EU drops pesticide laws because US says it should
- TTIP vote in European Parliament descends into chaos after Ukip MEPs spark protest


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Subscribers to log-in to comment
Hi I have a client who wishes to set up part of the website so that subscribers can log-in and make comments on posts but these comments and posts are available only to those who have log-in details. Is this possible?
Is there any documentation to point me in the right direction?
- The topic 'Subscribers to log-in to comment' is closed to new replies.


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The monument in front of the college building
This was my first day at Faridpur town. I have decided to visit the town using a auto, and take the snap of all the well known edifices from the town. This time my camera caught over the Rajendra Government University College.
Old academic building
This is not far away from the main town. This college was established at 1918. Initially it was listed by the government. But later on 1968 it was listed by government. This is the oldest college from the town.
Main academic building
Our famous poet "Jasim uddin" was a student from here, also he was working with the university of Kolkata from here for research purpose.
College field for playing
When I have entered inside the college premise, I have found an abandoned building. I think at the initial days of the college, it was an academic building. But accruing with the time, now some new buildings are raised up, and we don't need the old one.
The corridor of the college
Inside the college building, the pillars from the corridor are really eye catching. The round pillars are ornate at the top, and it seems the mixture some British and Muslim culture.


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I Fired Hospice
Personal Stories, Advice, and Support 9 People
New Day, New Life...I seemed to be getting sicker and sicker, I couldn't hold down food, I couldn't stay awake. I was missing out on these "last days", in a semi-coma state. THAT IS NOT ME! was what I was screaming inside. LET ME...
Debijean 56-60, F 12 Responses 2 Jun 11, 2009


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UNHCR is not responsible for the content and availability of non-UNHCR websites. Content displays in a new window.
Eritrea: 'You have no right to ask' - Government resists scrutiny on human rights
19 May 2004 | Publisher: Amnesty International | Document type: Country Reports
Constitution of Malta
21 September 1964 | Publisher: National Legislative Bodies / National Authorities | Document type: National Legislation


text: Edeva skills give the Alterra and the Ori some impressive abilities. The term used by the Alterra to catagorize their energy-based skills. see Edeva Skills for a listing of abilities Retrieved from "http://sgrota.wikia.com/wiki/Edeva?oldid=4426" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Alterran Physiology Add category Cancel Save


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Posted 08 Mar 2016
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HI all, i was wondering if it is possible to get beta or preview versions of KendoUI for Angular2 before planned release dates.
I am thinking of using it on one of projects so in way we are interested to be beta testers.
Thank you.
Posted 08 Mar 2016
in reply to
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Posted 17 May 2016
in reply to
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Hi Sebastian,
We are also very interested in the upcoming KendoUI support for angular2.
We are currently evaluating the unofficial approach for wrapping the existing components, but it is very important for us to follow the guidelines that KendoUI will take, so it will be easier to convert our temporary solution.
When (and where) do you expect some pre-preview bits may be available for review?
Posted 19 May 2016
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Posted 27 May 2016
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I was wondering if you could give us any details about the development of Kendo UI for Angular 2. (Is there a better way to describe it?)
As part of this re-implementation effort are you guys doing anything like using typescript for development (that seems to be trendy these days). I know it's kind of a broad question, I was just trying to get some additional insight.
Thanks for your time a always.
Posted 31 May 2016
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Posted 07 Jun 2016
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We need to have detailed road map for these controls that we need to be used with Angular 2 this autumn/By end of year:
(Bar, Pie)
Drag &
We need to make decision what to use in development this week, so I also contacted by email.
Posted 09 Jun 2016
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Hey there busy Public Relations people!
I know your job is tough, and you don't have time to dink around, so I want to help.
The essence of me in one sentence:
I use humor and eye-blinding enthusiasm to connect, teach and guide others.
What this blog is about:
I believe most people want to cook at home, but may have convinced themselves (or been convinced by others) it's too hard. I'm here to help, to encourage, educate and even make them smile. Home cooking is easier than they think, and can be done with good food and a little know-how. And yes, it can be FUN.
Things I LOVE:
High quality kitchen tools and appliances (electric or not), delicious food with recognizable ingredients, ethnic foods appropriate to the home kitchen, farmer or local markets, artisan products, coffee, tea, chocolate, whole food ingredients, and travel.
Stuff I'd rather live without:
Highly processed foods, whether it's cooking in my kitchen, or eating out.
I'm open.
I am open to working with brands, corporations, and companies, and my readers love to hear opinions and positive experiences. I'm very selective, so the product or service should be relevant to this audience, and something I would use personally. If your product isn't related to food or kitchen goings on, I wish you all the best, but baby clothes and fast food chains aren't appropriate here, K?
My experience:
I'm currently a Brand Ambassador for Evernote and California Giant Berry. I've also worked with companies like Toshiba in the past.
I regularly appear on a local television morning show segment, produced my own podcasts, spoken at live national conferences, appear regularly on a really fun local food-based radio show (Simple Kitchen with Missy Maki), and had the pleasure of appearing on Martha Stewart Radio. {I LOVE radio and podcasts!}
Check out my shows on YouTube:
Spoon And Saucer
Conversations & Situations
If you have a minute more…
If you have a minute or two, you can read about why I started this blog in the first place right here.
Want to chat?
I'd love to hear about your product if you think it's a good fit. Let's talk! Here's where you can find me:
Brandie Kajino
Ph: 360-907-6485
Or use my Contact Page here


text:
Jewish center receives second bomb threat in less than a weekMore than a dozen Jewish community centers have received similar threats across the USA recently. Last week's threat involved an email message, and that incident is still under investigation.
Unconscious Criss Angel Rushed To ER After Straitjacket Escape Goes Horribly WrongHope he is ok! There is no word from Angel's reps at this time. "Didn't appreciated peoples comments as they were leaving". RyanPerez tweeted: 'At the Criss Angel Show. - will iv of ap (@WillIVMusic)At the Criss Angel Show.
Donald Trump's travel ban could wreck USA bid for 48-team tournamentTrump issued a revised order this week that bans non-visa holders from six of those countries from traveling to the U.S. Bids have to be submitted by December 2018, with the host to be decided in May 2020.
Switch back into the gameIt's so easy to bring with you to play on the road, you can take it anywhere, on planes, trains and automobiles. The hacker claims they only had to tweak their existing iOS exploit to get it running on the Switch.
After a good moment, Trump returns to formAnd thanks to Kellyanne Conway , Trump's presidential counselor and former campaign manager, this week will be no different. Trump's wiretap claim, as congressional Democrats have demanded.
Trump to Palestinian leader: It's time for peaceThe Palestinian leader called for a "Palestine and Israel, living side by side on the pre-1967 borders in peace and security". Mahmoud Abbas has been invited to visit the White House by Donald Trump to discuss resuming peace talks.
Intel Acquiring Mobileye For Autonomous Driving TechnologyLast summer, BMW announced it would work with Intel and Mobileye to bring self-driving cars to mass production by 2021. The move comes as Intel ramps up investment in the automotive industry to become a leader in self-driving technology.
"I'm officially coming out of retirement" - again calls out Conor McGregorYou're the B-Side, I'm the A-side. "You're blowing smoke up everyone's [butt], if you want to fight, sign the paperwork". A huge boxing superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor is sure to make a lot of dollars if not much sense.
The First Trailer for Edgar Wright's BABY DRIVER Looks AmazingHere's an worldwide version of the trailer which has some even better scenes and a less serious tone. Baby Driver opens on August 11 .
Iraqi forces retake third of west Mosul from 'weakened' ISILThe forces reportedly killed a prominent IS leader called Ali Salem al-Jabouri in Badush, other media said . But the process of advancing in Mosul is laborious, Saadi said.
ACC to dominate NCAA Selection SundayThe college basketball season has reached the pointy end, and that means it's time for the big dance - the NCAA Tournament. Hicks was expected to have a breakout season like Brice Johnson did previous year , however that never came to fruition.
Fukushima 'falls under siege' of wild boarsThe meltdown of the nuclear plant forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes and leave their pets and livestock behind. Before the 2011 disaster, boar meat was actually a delicacy in northern Japan, before they became too toxic to eat.


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So, supposedly the horoscope signs all changed yesterday. They say astrologists have known this for over 2000 years, so I'm confused as to why it just came out yesterday. Well here it is. INTRODUCING the new sign; 'Ophiuchus'. So, if your birthday falls between November 30th - December 17th, you are now a Ophiuchus. This is where you should go if your interested to see what your 'new' characteristics are.
Now, I'm upset. My birthday does not fall between those days, but it still messes up my sign. Everything about me says Aquarius!!! So, naturally you would understand my disappointment when I read yesterday I am now a Capricorn. UGH! I guess I'll have to get use to it. But I just wanted to say thanks to whoever decided to come forward with this new 'sign' just yesterday, when for 22 years I thought I was an aquarius.
I decided...I'm still an Aquarius at heart! :)


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*2 Game Modes
-CLASSIC (consist of only old bricks)
-TETROBITS (added the a lot of new bricks that surprisingly fit for the game)
-*FULL SCREEN (the buttons are transparent but are easily memorize on first try, trust me (^_^) )
-*RETINA DISPLAY (specially on phones)
-*ALMOST ZERO LAG (Lag mostly are on game over state cause of destroying all bricks when you lose)
-*FEEL THE FRENZY as you destroy the bricks, by seeing bricks breaking apart in succession, with stunning light effects and handheld vibration when completing 3 or more layers.
*Mechanic Buttons
-arrow directions (to move the falling bricks left, right or down)
-rotate directions (to rotate falling brick either clockwise or counter clockwise)
-hold brick (hold the next brick to give way to other next brick)
-*DESTROY button (destroys the current falling brick, has 45 secs. cool down)
*Added MULTIPLE BRICKS on Tetrobits Game Mode
-(Tank, Flower, Heart, Boat, Knife, Sacred Sword, Fragile Box)
-We Fit it by Tons of Tweaks in game, You'll Gonna Love it! :)
-Surprisingly Enjoyable as its not hard to use the new bricks at all
-OUTSTANDING and VERY CATCHY Background music thanks to "Kevin McLeod" of www.incompetech.com
-Personally picked sound effects suite for giving hype on gameplay
-Only get Interstitial Ads after game over or exiting or pausing (game over is quite long before happens (^_^) )
-for any concerns, criticisms, suggestions or just saying "Hi!". Feel free to contact me at [email protected], I will response ASAP if needed :) Thank you...
Amazing and Clean work keep it up Addictive interface and great Idea. Nice work I really appreciate it Thanks
Amazing and Clean work keep it up Addictive interface and great Idea. Nice work I really appreciate it Thanks
Tetrobits Is good application. Rally nice appp
Tetrobits ...awesome.... loved it... great work done by developers....
Tetrobits ...awesome.... loved it... great work done by developers....
Simple but verry nice game i like it
An old idea has been manipulated greatly by the developers, making it exciting by using catchy graphics... Loved it..
I really like this app, I will introduce my friends must try this awesome and fantastic great work done by developers....
Great game very well designed and easy to use.. a great time pass and enjoyable... my 6 year old son spend too much on this game and love it. great work guys...
its very nice app really Awesome to game ..............
Ohh my childhood memories~~ >.
Really engaging game i must say. Am huge fan of such games in which i have to apply my brain and this game provides fun in that. Also runs smooth on my device
Awesome app it really reminds me of my childhood great work guys
Tetrobits Very nice Game by the Developer, it is really very nice Game i like this app
Tetrobits Nice app i use this app this very good app great!!
Tetrobits is a wonderful game i like it
Tetrobits.....this is a nice app beautiful graphics i like it
cool game, vibrant graphics
Awesome game. I really like it. Recommend for everyone.
Tetrobits this is nice i lik it
Tetrobits is a awesome app, great work .
Good app with very scintillating concept. Would use it again and again.
this is really an amazing tetrobits game. i love to play this game
Tetrobits is awesome
Tetrobits is really awesome app to use i love it
Great what a cool game. It is one of my favorite puzzle games.
Tetrobits is amazing game, there a lots of challegenes
Simply amazing game to play...
Superb game very addictive
Very nice features. Perfect for kids and adults
The graphics are really nice
Very good game with puzzle ..love it
Very addictive game


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Skip To Content
Weekly course content includes recorded, professional lectures from our expert professors—the same ones who teach on campus here in Steubenville—as well as guest speakers. Also, live webinars, wikis, podcasts and vodcasts, video/audio emails, blogs, and other tools facilitate one-on-one interaction with professors and fellow students on the material being discussed.
And, of course, dedicated technical and academic support is always a phone call away to answer any questions not covered in the comprehensive Online Orientation Course designed to prepare students for this online educational experience.
North Central Higher Learning Commission and Ohio Board of Regents accreditations mean that Franciscan online courses adhere to the same rigorous academic standards as all of Franciscan University's programs.


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|Full Color UV Print (300DPI) inclusive
|Standard finishing
|Epoxy Coating
|Standard: 5 – 10 working days
Express: Unavailable due to workmanship required.
|Standard Packaging
|Eco-friendly boxes with reusable plastic pouches for water proofing.
|Individual Packaging
|Available at rate from S$0.15/pc (Highly discouraged due to environmental reasons.)
|Delivery options
|Local Delivery: S$10.00 (Within Singapore only.)
FREE Local Delivery: For all orders S$80.00 and above.
Multiple locations: S$10.00/local address
Local Pickup: Free.
International Deliver: Quoted at Checkout.


text:
Minster FM News
North Yorkshire Police Hold Open Day for Gun Owners
3:58pm 13th November 2013
North Yorkshire Police's Firearms and Explosive Licensing Department will be holding an open day at police headquarters on Monday 9 December 2013.
The day will allow residents of North Yorkshire and the City of York the opportunity to apply for the grant and renewal of firearms, shotgun and explosive certificates and the variation of firearms certificates. Staff will also be able to deal with general enquiries about licensing.
Dave Coutts who heads the department said: "This is an innovative way for members of the public to apply for a firearms licence and follows on from similar, successful open days and road-shows we have held in the past.
"Previous events have been very well received by gun owners and we value the opportunity to engage with our customers at events like this.
"Face-to-face contact helps to improve customer relationships, ensuring we deliver the best possible service we can."
The open day will run from 9.30am until 4pm at Newby Wiske Hall, Northallerton. DL7 9HA
For further details you can contact us on 01609 789021 or by email at email@example.com
You can also follow the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Department on Twitter @NYPFirearmsLic or Facebook NYPFirearmsLicensing


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Welcome to the Spicy Skincare giveaway!
Sponsored by: Organic India
Hosted by: Savory Savings
Taking care of your skin starts from the inside! Organic India offers organic products that are good for your health and your beauty routine. Krista over at Savory Savings recently had the chance to try the Organic India Tumeric Formula supplement and the organic Tulsi tea. Both of these products helped improve her skin, as well as energy level!
How would you like to a win a bottle of Tu ...
Read the full post here: Did you see this #giveaway? Enter to #win a Spicy Skincare prize package from Organic India! (Jul 28 to Aug 11/ US)


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Invoice management and chasing down late payers is a time-consuming and frustrating aspect of running a small or medium-size business. For these business owners or their office managers, the effort and expense associated with convincing delinquent accounts to settle past-due invoices can outweigh the returns. Experts know that the longer an account stays past due, the less likely it will be paid, but many businesses do not have the tools and staff to effectively manage ongoing late payment problems and debt collection.
A team of collection agency professionals has designed a new billing and debt collection software application called Bill Collector in a Box. The program aims to solve this headache for businesses and accounts receivable departments. Bill Collector in a Box centralizes the management of past-due accounts from initial contact to resolution of the outstanding invoice. The program runs on Windows PCs and complements popular accounting and personal finance software such as Quicken®, QuickBooks®, Microsoft® Money and Microsoft® Accounting Professional.
Bill Collector in a Box, which runs at about $99 and is available at office supply stores, enables business owners to easily perform and manage all of these typical phases of debt collection:
- Automatic printing of professional, legal debt-collection letters that comply with state and federal laws. The software automatically schedules follow-up letters and provides reminders of the next steps to be taken with each debtor.
- Credit bureau reporting. Reporting a bad debt to a credit bureau is an effective way to convince debtors that they need to quickly settle their invoices. With one click, Bill Collector in a Box reports a bad debt to the major credit bureaus.
- Skip Tracing. If a debtor has left town with no forwarding address, Bill Collector in a Box lets a business owner engage a professional investigator who will track down the debtor. Twenty-five basic skip traces and one advanced skip trace are included with the software.
- Processing of credit card and ACH transactions to enable fast settlement of invoices.
- Comprehensive report generation as well as importing and exporting of .CSV files to/from popular accounting software programs.
- Technical support, including an initial, personal familiarization walk-through of the software with a support technician, is included.
Related Articles...
- Small Business Tax Deduction Strategies No matches


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Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a longtime lawmaker on Capitol Hill, beat tea-party-supported Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin in a secret ballot today to become vice chairman of the Republican Conference, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The fifth-ranking spot in the Republican caucus became available when Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that he would give up his third-ranking position as chairman of the Republican Conference at the end of the year to focus on lawmaking.
More from GlobalPost: Lamar Alexander quits GOP leadership
In uncontested races, GOP senators elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota to replace Alexander as chairman of the Republican Conference and made Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-most senior post, Politico reported. Since both Thune and Barrasso moved up in the ranks, the No. 5 spot opened up.
While the voting was by secret ballot, two Senate sources told Politico that Blunt won 25-22.
According to The Associated Press:
The Blunt-Johnson race was considered symbolically important, a test of tea party clout a year after the libertarian-leaning movement helped drive Republicans into the House majority. Blunt is one of the most established Washington Republicans and controls what is widely considered the best GOP fundraising network of anyone in the party not running for president.
Blunt spent 14 years in the House, including in GOP leadership posts, before joining the Senate in January, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In contrast, Johnson is a plastics manufacturer who only recently entered politics, Politico reported; he also joined the Senate this January.


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Has anyone else had problems with Morrison's petrol stations? Me and my other half both use 2 different Morrison's our local is fine no problems at all but the one in Bodmin is a different matter. Everytime we go there they refuse any fuel unless you put the bike on the stand and fill up next to the bike. Now filling up the tank is impossible, you cannot see where the level is and where the nozzle is (especially being a short arse like me!!). My hubby has had numerous arguments with the staff and they put it down to health and safety issues apparently we can set ourselves alight and burn down the petrol station and produce a slip from their head office to say so, but I think we all know that its because they feel that we are petrol theives. Bit of a coincidence after there were tv news reports of petrol companies taking measures to stop fuel theft. Why are we the ones who have to take the brunt of there actions. I now avoid Morrisons in Bodmin as I was made to look a complete twat infront of van/lorry drivers first thing in the morning. Car drivers do not have this problem, they don't get the hassle!!!! They obviously don't need our money!!! Thanks for listening I needed to get that off my chest
Posts 29 | Views 818
Filling up.
There's a couple of petrol stations (not Morrison's) round my way which make you get off the bike to fill up. It can be awkward, I find, so I avoid them now. Apparently a while back a bloke had dropped his bike whilst filling up in the normal manner (astride it), hence this policy. The only way I can see that happening is if his foot slipped, and looking at the amount of sand on the forecourt last time I was there I can believe it!
lets be logical folks.car drivers don't wear helmets and they get out of their vehicles to fill up.Best way is just do it before they ask,then it's not a problem....
Kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish.
It seems at trivial thing to get worked up about.
Having said that, I am no fan of stupid rules. I think I would get quietly miffed and then inform them that I wont be back with car or bike.
Its their petrol, their staff and their forecourt and its their prerogative to make rules, and ours to shop elsewhere.
It is cheap petrol mind!
I'm a cheapskate tho' cheeky, shop where petrols cheapest...I'll go 100's of miles out of my way to get a penny a litre off....I had a nasty shock on Saturday, filled up at the 'last filling station before the Scottish Border'.never noticed the price before I filled up, 1.06 a litre... I'd have been better pushing the bike 20 miles up the road it was only .98 in Jedbergh
Kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish.
I generally
get my batman to fill up for me while I have a cup of posh coffee in the shop.
what's up don't you trust your batman to make you a nice cup of cappuccino ?....frightened it might taste a bit 'muddy'....
Kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish.
I avoid all supermarket petrol whenever posible,
It's cheap for a reason!!!!
96p a litre is not cheap....please don't tell me I've fupped my bike up by not putting 'Jet' in every time.." />
Kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish.
Do you only shop in fortnum & Masons then?
My vehicles run fine on it have done for years.
Costs me less so I'm happy.
Filling up
" Now filling up the tank is impossible, you cannot see where the level is and where the nozzle is (especially being a short arse like me!!)"
How bloody short are you if you can't see into the tank whilst standing next to your bike??? You must be 2' tall.
I assume you sit on your bike while filling up?? What happens when you spill some fuel?? Goes straight into your crotch, that's where.
Put the bike on the stand and GET OVER IT.
Well thats the problem see..
he IS over it its when he gets off it he cant see into the tank cos its too high! Hahahahahahahaha!
Horror stories
abound about Morrisons. Some twat of a tanker driver filled petrol tanks with diesel at Morrisons. I buy only Shell, they do all the research for Formula 1 and other racing, and their petrol is optimised for performance and economy. Supermarket stuff is rubbish, and that has been proved by car and bike dyno tests. I fill up off the bike because the filler is angled for filling when on the sidestand. Sometimes I take me 'at off, but I have never been challenged.
filling up at petrol stations
I shouldn't take offence at this practice because it's common down 'ere in darkest Devon as well.After a while I don't even bother looking for the annoying signs and take my helmet off anyway.Sign of the times I'm afraid!,it's just the majority law abiding folk that get penalised for the actions of the stupid arses!.
they must like me sit on bike,when go to pay dont even take helmet off you must be the unlucky ones.
My bike
has a strangle, old-fashioned gizmo called a centrestand. I couldn't be without it. Stand next to the bike and fill up with your helmet and gloves on the seat. This is all possible because the bike is level.
I also have a sidestand which I only rarely use. If it fell off I wouldn't miss it.
I wont fill up in Texaco just in case of the swine flu......
Or is that Mexico ?
Is Texaco
next to Mexaco??
Never had a problem filling up
with my lid on or sat on the bike, I sit on it cos the big ol handlebars are in the way if I stand next to it. Never been asked to do otherwise. The only time I've had a comment about leaving my lid on was in a shell station on the M5, guy said "we're supposed to ask you to remove your helmet" I asked why ? he said "in case your going to tyr riding off ortry robbing us" I said --------- I'm stood in front of you with my money in my hand" --------------- blank stare
Have card only petrol pumps, no need to take off the helmet or get off the bike, nice and easy. Just a thought.


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The Top 10 Employers for Work-From-Home Jobs
Last year was a big year for would-be telecommuters, according to job search site FlexJobs: from 2014 to 2015, the site found a 36 percent increase in job listings that offered some telecommuting option, either part- or full-time. If you're hoping to make the transition to working from home this year, the company's latest list will be of great interest: 100 Top Companies With Remote Jobs in 2016 ranks the employers that offered the most work-from-home jobs in 2015.
(Photo Credit: Pexels.com)
Job listings ranged from entry-level to executive, and popped up at every size of company. The top seven industries for remote jobs were IT, healthcare, sales, administrative, customer service, education and training, and marketing, FlexJobs said in a press release. Common job titles with remote working options include sales representative, writer, IT analyst, and interpreter/translator, among others.
"Remote working is on the rise, and this acceleration is great news for anyone wishing to trade the office for a telecommuting job," said Sara Sutton Fell, founder and CEO of FlexJobs.
These are the top 10 employers on the list, together with some of the job titles recently advertised on the site:
1. LiveOps
Industry: Customer Service
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Call Center Agent, Program Manager
2. TeleTech
Industry: Business Process Outsourcing
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Cisco Contact Center Enterprise Sales Engineer, Technical Support Representative
3. Amazon
Industry: E-Commerce
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Systems Engineer, Customer Service Associate
Industry: Business Process Outsourcing
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Technical Support, Customer Service Agent
Industry: Healthcare
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Senior Provider Data Analyst, RN Case Manager
6. Dell
Industry: Computer Technology
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Systems Consultant, Business Development Manager
Industry: Computer Technology and Consulting
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Service Client Representative, Server Support
8. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Industry: Government
Work-From-Home Job Titles: IT Project Specialist, Botanist
9. Working Solutions
Industry: Customer Service
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Analytics Manager, Sales and Retention Agent
10. Humana
Industry: Healthcare
Work-From-Home Job Titles: Clinical Pharmacist, RN Case Manager
Note: job titles are samples from FlexJobs' database listings for each employer. To see the full list of employers, go to FlexJobs.
Tell Us What You Think
Are you hoping to switch to a work-from-home job? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
Leave a Reply
12 Comments on "The Top 10 Employers for Work-From-Home Jobs"
I'm interested in working from home. Please send me more information.
I love to work at home and be my own boss.
I wn t job
I am amazed at these "please contact me" comments. Like you can just sit at home and someone will find you. And the one asking what qualifications are needed. Sorry folks, you have to get off your butt, do your research, make contacts, prove you are worth something. It's part of earning a job. No one owes you anything, no one is coming to find you.
Yes I would definitely like to be part of work-at-home job title:call center agent etc please contact me through email thank you.
I'm prowl man
Hi I'm IT guy I need the job i have A+ComPTia, N+ComPTia, MCP,MCSA, and MCSE that's my qualifications
I live outside the USA
Does this stop me from being considered
If that is not issue where to start from to apply
no comment
Yes I want to work from home .but want to know that what are the qualification are required specially for joining
Yes, my goal is to be self employed and working from home.
Fairly good with computers and have years of experience in the construction business(Retrofit and renovation)
Please contact me


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Speaking and Praying in tongues.
Question from on 05-02-2007:
Sir, Iwant to know whether Catholics believe in speaking and praying in tongues?
Why is it not thought in Catholic churches, since it is a from the Holy Spirit?
Answer by Fr. John Echert on 05-13-2007:
As recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and referred to in some Epistles, manifestations of the Holy Spirit abounded in the early Church, to include tongues and prophecies. Early writings reveal, however, that the vast number of miracles and charismatic gifts from the Holy Spirit substantially subsided, following the Apostolic period of the Church. Such miracles and signs served a purpose in that first generation, to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth against all opposition. But they also presented a danger, as revealed by Pauline writings (see 1 Corinthians especially), in that the faithful often attached too much significance to these, and lost sight of their purpose. There are elements within the Catholic Church are regard themselves as charismatic, though so far as I know, there is no official approbation of any particular group or movement.
Thanks, Anthony
Father Echert


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Saints secure double deal
Northampton have secured the signings of half-backs Ryan Lamb and Martin Roberts ahead of the 2011/12 season.
Last Updated: 18/03/11 5:52pm
Northampton have secured the signings of half-backs Ryan Lamb and Martin Roberts ahead of the 2011/12 season.
Fly-half Lamb will make the move from London Irish, where he has recently lost his place in the side to Chris Malone.
The deal would appear to throw into doubt the future of Northampton's Shane Geraghty, who also moved to the Saints from the Exiles two years ago but has fallen out of favour in recent times.
"I've really enjoyed my time at London Irish and am thankful to the coaches at the club, particularly Mike Catt," Lamb said.
"It has been an important part of my career, but I'm really looking forward to teaming up with the Saints from next season."
Roberts makes the switch from Magners League outfit the Scarlets, where the 24-year-old has made 88 appearances for the region since joining in 2008.
He said: "The prospect of playing Aviva Premiership Rugby is exciting. Northampton is one of the top clubs in England and in Europe at the moment with some top players."


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|Recovery Overview - Resources - 9/11-Unmet Needs Roundtables - 9/11-Impacted Persons - Resource Library
World Trade Center Health Program
The National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) and the Inner City Fund (ICF International) have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) to provide outreach and education to those in the 9-11 community who may be eligible for free World Trade Center Health Program benefits. This includes those of you who came from all over the country and were in the designated disaster areas working to support the local responders and participate in the extraordinary effort to provide rescue, recovery and clean up at each of the sites of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Did You Know?
There are over 65,000 people enrolled in the Program. Over 6,000 are nationwide members outside of the NYC area.


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Day 87, 15th June 2011
Today I went to my nana's, so got my photo from there. This is a drawing my nana did. (: She loves drawing and painting, so.. Enjoy.
Dormy Saz
Taking up the 365 Challenge was a great way to learn more about photography, and I am now continuing this site to share my photo's. (:


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At the very end of the evidence given by myself
and Michael Nicholson, we were asked about the National Land and
Property Gazetteer (NLPG). This is a subject on which we hold
very different views. This is understandable as Michael heads
the company, Intelligent Addressing that has taken on the task
of creating the NLPG, whereas I have believed and argued for three
years that the concept was fatally flawed.
The idea for an NLPG goes back at least to the
1980s, when Ordnance Survey was a long way from completing its
digital large-scale map of the United Kingdom, when HM Land Registry
(HMLR) was just thinking about a digital registry and when few
local authorities had substantial holdings of digital mapping.
At about the same time, Royal Mail was successfully promoting
the Postcode Address File (another gazetteer) as a useful set
of geographical identifiers.
The first big idea was to establish a standard
(BS7666) that would allow all these bodies to hold and exchange
spatial information in the same way. Since Local Authorities are
charged with naming streets, allocating numbers and passing new
address information to the Post Office, it seemed logical that
they should also produce local gazetteers that could be aggregated
into a national gazetteer.
The production of the standard was driven by
local government interest. Tony Black who had been seconded to
the Local Government Management Board from Ordnance Survey, was
a major influence in shepherding the BS7666 through many layers
of consultation, to adoption. The standard came in four parts.
We are interested here only in the first three.
So much work and energy, by so many different bodies, went into
agreeing the Standard that problems of actually implementing it
were left to one side. Indeed, this is a problem with any standard
that seeks to meet a number of potentially conflicting needs.
It is either based towards the need of one set of potential users,
or is so loose as to preclude consistent implementation across
the country.
The work of assembling a National Street Gazetteer
(NSG) that conformed to the standard did not begin until 1997
and no independent expert believes it is complete, accurate or
robust. The NSG is no better than the data that was supplied by
individual authorities. Worse still, legal tangles over intellectual
property and the powers of local authorities to publish such information
means that access to the NSG, which is held by Ordnance Survey
on behalf of the Local Government Information House (a limited
company controlled by the Improvement and Development Agency for
local government), is tightly restricted and it is therefore of
limited use to the community at large. It is also impossible to
apply any independent check on its quality.
Although data sets have been created that claim
BS7666 compliance, this merely refers to the format of file and
field structures. The standard refers to structure and not to
content; so it doesn't say anything about the quality of data
they contain, completeness, accuracy or consistency. >From
around the country, practitioners are experiencing serious difficulties
in producing Land and Property Gazetteers that both conform to
the standard and are fit for purpose.
Nevertheless, the concept of the BS7666-compliant
NLPG is absolutely central to the concept of the National Land
Information Service (NLIS), which was the subject of a competitive
tender in 1999 to supply "an integrated search system to
support the conveyancing process". The invitation to tender
said that "The NLPG, developed by the Improvement and Development
Agency (IDeA) will be made available as the means of access to
local and central government spatially related information".
According to a notice in the Official Journal of the European
Communities in September 1999, "The cornerstone of (NLIS)
will be a NLPG containing a unique identifier, for each property
or land parcel in the country." More than a year after the
launch of the NLIS service (February 2001), the NLPG is still
not being used for the purpose for which it was designed.
Until Dr Geoffrey Robinson arrived as Director
General of Ordnance Survey in October 1998, it had been assumed
that Ordnance Survey would produce the first cut NLPG on a similar
basis to the exercise that had produced the NSG, through a contract
between Ordnance Survey and LGIH. Indeed, Tony Black, a senior
director of Ordnance Survey, had committed the Agency to producing
the NLPG and was absolutely furious when Geoff Robinson questioned
both the specification and Ordnance Survey's ability to deliver
Instead, he distanced Ordnance Survey from this
process, and left the NLIS implementation team with a serious
problem. This was a serious embarrassment for government as a
bid for Invest to Save funds had already been approved for creating
the National Land Information Service, and of the £3 million
involved, OS had been allocated £500,000 to undertake the
work on the NLPG. Ordnance Survey never published its reasons
for withdrawing from the process, but early in 1999, it became
clear that the NLIS conveyancing support project would be taken
forward by a partnership between IDeA and HMLR, without OS.
The joint venture between LGIH and Property
Intelligence plc to produce the NLPG was announced on 16 July.
Intelligent Addressing is simply a subsidiary of Property Intelligence
set up for this specific project. There was no public procurement
process and the details of the agreement remain obscure, though
both parties insist that they are acting together for the public
good. First details of what this partnership would deliver were
contained in a set of Briefing Notes sent to Local Authorities
in the Autumn of 1999. At that time, we were promised a complete
NLPG within three years.
The first steps of the process outlined in the
Briefing Notes is to assist Local Authorities in sorting out their
address-based data into BS7666-compliant form, attaching a Unique
Property Reference Number to each record. This work will be undertaken
by Intelligent Addressing, "a team of experts gathered from
(Property Intelligence) and elsewhere specifically to co-ordinate
work on address management and property gazetteers and help to
create and maintain the NLPG."
Reading the Briefing Notes it is extremely hard
to understand what all the fuss is about. It all seems extremely
sensible and workable, though the promised output seems to be
more like a National Address Gazetteer than the NLPG. However,
there are two central questions, to which it is currently difficult
to get clear answers: Why did its creation create such serious
difficulties between Ordnance Survey and IDeA that they led Dr
Robinson to resign in October 1999; and (directly or indirectly)
to the dismissal of a senior director of Ordnance Survey, Tony
It is also worth noting that Ordnance Survey
was engaged in its own process of indexation. In the NLPG Briefing
document, this is described as OS embarking "on a process
which will result in the creation of a set of closed polygons
for each geographical object on it Land-Line series maps. It is
intended that these polygons will be cross-referenced to the NLPG.
As the NLPG is created, OS will take a feed of change intelligence
to assist in the process of keeping the map base up to date and
accurate". This was written prior to the launch of OS Mastermap.
Is this simply a battle to see who assigns Unique
Reference Numbers (URN) to addressable objects on the ground or
on the map? There could be important issues of control, intellectual
property rights and work flow wrapped up in the assignment of
URN. I have a rather simple view expressed in the following pair
of alternatives.
Either: OS assigns a URN to features (spatial
objects) that appear on the OS map, and the Local Authority links
its gazetteer of named and addressable objects to these URNs;
Or: The Local Authority assigns a URN to each
of the named and addressable objects appearing in its gazetteer
and (through some as yet unexplained process) tells the world
where they are on the OS map (point or polygon co-ordinates).
Neither system is perfect, and both would require
close co-operation between the parties, but it seems to us that
this is not a technical issue, but a commonsense issue. The problem
with leaving the task to local authorities, each with its own
ideas about how to go about the task, what resources to apply
and what priority to assign it, is that we are most unlikely to
end up with a fit-for-purpose national gazetteer that is consistent,
current or complete.
If we want a single geo-referencing system,
but recognise that there will be many gazetteers, held by different
authorities for different purposes, then we want it tied to what
is probably the best large scale digital map base in the world,
Ordnance Survey's Master Map.
This implies that there should be one set of
URNs assigned, initially, by Ordnance Survey. As new buildings
appear or buildings are demolished or re-structured, Local Authorities
can collaborate with OS to flag URNs as changed or obsolete and
to allocate new URNs.
Despite frequent, optimistic assertions to contrary,
most informed outsiders believe the effort launched by Local Government
Information House (LGIH) and Intelligent Addressing (IA) almost
three years ago (July 1999) has not yielded a reliable or consistent
National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG).
To understand why I believe it cannot succeed,
one needs to understand the process that was going to be used
to build it. The NLPG depended on aggregating Local Land and Property
Gazetteers (LLPG) that were to be constructed and maintained by
those local authorities (District Councils and Unitary Authorities)
that have the responsibility for naming streets, allocating house
numbers and registering house names.
Each property was to be assigned a Unique Property
Reference Number (UPRN). The UPRN would be the key to maintaining
consistent records across government and to supporting the National
Land Information Service (NLIS).
So why hasn't it worked? The first reason is
that most local authorities have still not signed up to deliver
and maintain an LLPG to those charged with compiling the NLPG.
In the absence of local co-operation, the compilers have used
already available data from Ordnance Survey (Addresspoint), the
Valuation Office Agency and Consignia (the Postcode Address File).
However, since none of these is complete, there is no way of identifying
errors and omissions.
However, even if every local authority had agreed
to compile an LLPG, the resulting NLPG would have failed to meet
the requirements of its compilers. This is because, we are never
going to have a consistent address gazetteer unless we first have
a consistently maintained National Street Gazetteer. At present,
although Local Authorities are empowered to name streets, you
find inconsistent spellings in different parts of each council,
on different map bases maintained by Ordnance Survey and even
on the street name plates themselves.
Over the past two decades, some evangelists
have claimed that the problem of consistency in these matters
could be achieved through the application of a standard (BS7666).
All kinds of data (including the NLPG) claim BS7666 compliance,
but it is gradually dawning that this standard can be applied
in a variety of different ways, and says nothing about the consistency,
currency or completeness of the dataset. All it guarantees is
the structure of each record.
So what is to be done? For over a year now,
Ordnance Survey has been working with HM Land Registry, the compilers
of the NLPG (IA & LGIH) and Consignia, to rescue and deliver
a fit-for-purpose NLPG. They were effectively ordered to do so
by ministers. Their deliberations have been shielded from public
view, but we are constantly told to expect an announcement shortly.
For a variety of reasons, although all the participants
were committed to find a way forward, their deliberations have
failed to produce a positive outcome. The NLPG compilers are loath
to admit failure. They want the solution to build on their efforts.
Equally firmly, Consignia and Ordnance Survey are unwilling to
surrender control over the specification and maintenance of their
There is, however, a commonsense solution that
has been urged by outsiders ever since the NLPG project was first
mooted. This does involve throwing away the NLPG as it stands.
The only dataset that could be verifiably complete,
current and consistent is Ordnance Survey large-scale mapping.
This can be compared against what is on the ground at any point
in time. It never will be 100 per cent complete or current, and
it certainly isn't at present, but it is the definitive record
of the built environment. It is used by HM Land Registry to record
property boundaries and titles. The word definitive is essential
to what follows.
In other words, in the absence of an accepted
correction from the appropriate naming authority, the Ordnance
Survey map should be regarded as the primary source of street
names. As it happens, Ordnance Survey hasn't taken this role particularly
seriously and streets may be spelled in one way in one OS data
base and in another way in another OS data base. Nevertheless,
OS remains the only logical repository at present for a definitive
National Street Gazetteer.
Once we have an agreed National Street Gazetteer
(NSG), then it is a comparatively easy task to link each and every
building in the country to a named (or numbered) segment of street
or road. Once again, Ordnance Survey is the only logical repository
of the definitive National Buildings Data Set (NBDS). Whether
Ordnance Survey continues as a Trading Fund, becomes a Government
Owned PLC, or is fully privatised, the national interest demands
that these two definitive datasets are created and maintained.
Furthermore, it is essential that no private
or public entity is allowed to extract a monopoly rent from this
data. The data needs effectively to be in the public domain, with
feedback mechanisms in place to maintain its currency, completeness
and correctness. Once this is done, many of the disputes and technical
arguments that have paralysed the production of an NLPG for almost
a decade will disappear.
Local Authorities will feed corrections into
the definitive data sets (NSG & NBDS); everyone else will
regard these data sets as definitive, and proceed accordingly.
Local Authorities can build LLPGs or not, BS7666 compliant or
not, as the elected representatives see fit; Consignia can continue
to use Postal Towns as a defining element of the postal address;
Ordnance Survey will stop trying to fit Addresspoint to the Postcode
Address File.
Any address, held by local or central government,
by the private sector (eg utilities), or by Consignia, can be
matched to a unique building listed in the definitive data sets.
This will, over time, lead to a more consistent management of
address-based data across the public and the private sectors.
It provides a structure that can be implemented immediately (delivered
within 12 months) and steadily improved over time.
What are the obstacles to this happening?
The purpose of the national definitive data
sets is to provide an atomic set of entities that will allow the
unambiguous cross referencing of data across both the public and
the private sector. This is an urgent task that is now recognised
in government and in the industry. It is a source of deep frustration
that those most centrally concerned are marching down a road that
leads nowhere, and that their discussions are shrouded in secrecy.
It is a national scandal.
The Second Phase of the Ordnance Survey's Quinquennial
Review has been asked to consider if Ordnance Survey should remain
a Trading Fund or become a Government Owned PLC. It is impossible
for anyone to answer this question until we establish exactly
what we (Parliament, Ministers and Taxpayers) expect from Ordnance
The recent enquiry into Ordnance Survey, by
the Urban Affairs Sub-committee of the House of Commons Select
Committee on Transport, Local Government and the Regions, highlighted
a number of concerns: an appropriate form of regulation for Ordnance
Survey; its role as an effective monopoly in some segments of
the market; and the prices it charged for its products.
My own belief, based on many years of working
with Ordnance Survey, is that there is little or no reason for
it to continue as a single organisation. Ordnance Survey currently
does a number of different things, some of which could be done
equally well by the private sector, some of which need to be done
in the national interest free from commercial pressures. These
different functions were not examined by the Quinquennial Review.
Ordnance Survey:
A. Collects of authoritative survey data
covering the whole country;
This really does need to be done once and once
only. It could be done by private sector contractors, but there
is an absolute need for a body that guarantees the quality of
that data in the national interest. It may not be sensible to
have the same body both collecting the data and assuring its quality.
Despite Ordnance Survey's reputation for quality, not all of its
output has been fit for purpose in recent years.
B. Provides large-scale digital map data;
Large-scale mapping, until recently Land-line
and in future Mastermap, has provided OS with its principal source
of revenue. It is widely used by engineers, architects and surveyors,
but the national institutions that absolutely require it are HM
Land Registry (HMLR) and Registers of Scotland (RoS). A good case
could be made for handing over the maintenance of this data to
these institutions and then providing the data at marginal cost
to all other users.
C. Publishes small/medium scale maps;
There is no good reason, other than custom and
practice, why this is done by the public sector. Certainly the
production of the maps could and should be contracted out to private
printers. The Director General argues that keeping an available
stock of all sheets for the emergency services is a reason for
OS continuing to produce these maps which are of high quality
and popular with consumers, but there are a wide variety of ways
in which supply could be guaranteed. The real point is that there
is no real connection with the production of these maps, a cartographic
and printing task, and the maintenance of the large-scale data.
D. Provides the government with advice on
mapping; and
There is a real need for this, but pressure
on Ordnance Survey to maximise profits from its captive customers
in the public sector has meant that its advice has not always
been objective. The suspicion that it was self-serving led directly
to the resignation of the last Director General. It seems extraordinary
that the Quinquennial Review didn't enquire into the circumstances
that led to Dr Geoffrey Robinson's abrupt resignation after just
one year in the job. Witness after witness at the Parliamentary
enquiry argued for a Geographical Commission.
E. Acts as Custodian of Definitive National
Spatial Datasets
Ordnance Survey's role in this area should be
central to its mission, but it has never been clear. However,
Ordnance Survey is the natural custodian of a definitive National
Street Gazetteer; a National Buildings Dataset; and a set of administrative
boundaries. These are all vitally needed for the purposes of joined-up
government and would not cost vast amounts of money to maintain.
Their maintenance could be funded by the Office of National Statistics.
It would be quite possible to conceive of a
National Mapping Agency, with fewer than 100 employees, that performed
functions D & E above and provided quality assurance for function
A. It should be completely free of any commercial role and be
funded centrally. There is no good reason, except for sentiment
and tradition for keeping the publication of small scale maps
(function C) in the public sector. This should be open to competition
as it is in France where small scale maps published by the Institute
Geographique National compete with maps from Michelin and other
specialised publishers. It is important to maintain a central
archive or large-scale digital mapping (function B), but it would
make much more sense to shift control of this process into HMLR
and RoS, institutions that, unlike Ordnance Survey, actually use
the data as a central part of their work. This database maintenance
could be funded from the cash flow of property registration and
Everything else that Ordnance Survey currently
does could be privatised and open to competitive market forces.
There is a clear contradiction between Ordnance
Survey's role as a dominant commercial producer of geographical
information and its other roles as advisor to government and guarantor
of the quality and fitness for purpose of its information. If
the government wants to push the organisation to be more commercial,
it becomes doubly important to safeguard the national interest.
Some of the issues are quite arcane and technical, which probably
explains the failure of the Quinquennial Review (Phase 1) to probe
Ordnance Survey's role in any depth. The separation of roles described
above would achieve this.
Ordnance Survey's reason for being has been
dominated in recent years but its internal drive to survive as
a single institution: preserving a bloated headcount, resisting
customer demands for change; and focused on a historical mission
that was becoming irrelevant to the needs of government and society
in the late twentieth and early twenty first centuries. Simply
opening the door to market forces, without considering the needs
of government or society, is not helpful. Ordnance Survey, left
to its own devices, will not take these needs into account if
they conflict with what it identifies (rightly or wrongly) as
commercial imperatives.
Identifying Ordnance Survey's core mission in
terms of the public interest, instead of equating it with the
production of particular products, would produce a slimmed down
institution, better qualified technically to assure quality and
act as the custodian of definitive national spatial datasets.
Ordnance Survey is the 800-pound gorilla in
the Geographical Information marketplace. This market has been
historically stunted by Ordnance Survey's desire to control access
to data in order to preserve its dominant role in its core markets.
If specialised information service providers are to flourish in
this arena, Ordnance Survey needs to be broken up. There is little
doubt that the use of large-scale digital mapping across government
and across the private sector at present is sub-optimal thanks
to constraints imposed by Ordnance Survey as it seeks to meet
Treasury-imposed revenue targets.
At the very least, the arguments for breaking
up Ordnance Survey, should be examined.