text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 31, 2004
|Filing date
|Apr 9, 2002
|Priority date
|Apr 9, 2002
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|William Holden
|Original Assignee
|Holdenart, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (29), Referenced by (14), Classifications (4), Legal Events (8)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention is related in general to systems for addressing, distributing, and tracking items in a delivery system such as the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers. In particular, the present invention is directed to an addressing technique that provides privacy and security for the recipient, and facilitates tracking and delivery of items that have been addressed using the technique.
The U.S. Postal Service, and private delivery systems, as well as foreign postal services have been compelled to deal with overwhelming amounts of material to be delivered. In order to facilitate delivery, the material to be delivered must be properly addressed, and then tracked within the system to the final destination. One key requirement is that each item be properly and accurately addressed for the intended destination, and individual to receive the item. Tracking and delivery within any system require that the address on the item be easily recognizable so that it can be properly routed and tracked to its ultimate destination.
To facilitate this process, it is very common to translate the written or printed address on an item to be delivered into machine-readable form, such as a barcode. A number of systems for doing this are employed by both government and private carriers. Once such system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,747 to Fougere et al., incorporated herein by reference. In this system, an encrypted message based upon postage and mail address information is created. The encrypted message is used in the determination of authenticity. The encrypted message is placed in the address field of the item to be delivered so that authentication by an automatic, high-speed sorter can take place.
The most common system, used by the U.S. Postal Service, includes the use of barcodes so that high-speed sorters can very quickly read the address on a piece of mail. A system for generating a coded address list to facilitate the application of barcodes to pieces of mail is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,990 to Bajorinas et al., incorporated herein by reference. The invention of this patent is directed to a method in apparatus for generating a coded address list. In this method, the address list is used to apply a predetermined address in the form of a barcode to a particular piece of mail based upon the written or printed address on that piece of mail. The system will print a legible alphanumeric address at the same time that it prints a barcode. The Bajorinas et al. system is meant to be integrated into the standard barcode sorting system of the U.S. Postal Service, to address a long-standing problem in this system. In particular, there are substantial problems due to the length and complexity of many addresses that have to be translated into barcode format so that the U.S. Postal Service mail sorting machines can operate properly.
To be acceptable for use, the barcode must meet strict specifications as to size, spacing of parallel bars, and the exact placement upon the envelope or package. Consequently, there is a substantial need for accurate addressing using printing systems that will print the barcode. Because of delivery requirements, and an occasional need for manual checking throughout the system, a legible (human readable) address must also be printed along with the barcode. However, this can lead to compromised security since the recipient's name and address are now available for general observation.
All postal systems throughout the world (as well as private carriers such as Federal Express, UPS, and the like) face the same problems, overwhelming amounts of items that must be delivered in a reasonable time frame, as well as the maintenance of confidentiality and security. To address these problems, more fully automated mail handling systems must be developed. In the past, the United States Postal Service addressed this through the use of the now-standard "Post net" barcode system, using five, nine, or eleven digits in machine-readable form. However, the limitations of this system have become apparent as the volume of mail handled by the U.S. Postal Service increases. There has been constant development to meet the challenges imposed by the ever-increasing volume of mail.
On such, improvement is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,907, entitled A SYSTEM FOR FEEDING ENVELOPES FOR SIMULTANEOUS PRINTING OF ADDRESSES AND BARCODES, and Incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a system for printing envelopes with addresses, zip codes, and corresponding barcodes. This system is controlled by a computer, which includes software for converting zip codes into barcode form for printing on the material to be delivered.
Another system that is used to improve the efficiency of the U.S. Postal System is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,181, entitled ENVELOPE ADDRESSING SYSTEM, ADAPTED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PRINT ADDRESSES AND BARCODES, incorporated herein by reference. This patent teaches a method of addressing substrates with human-readable addresses containing a zip code and a barcode corresponding to the zip code. The method utilizes a computer, which controls a process whereby both a human-readable zip code and a machine-readable barcode are printed on a package to be delivered. A similar system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,120, entitled AN APPARATUS FOR COMMINGLING AND ADDRESSING MAIL PIECES. This patent is also incorporated herein by reference.
The systems and techniques described in the aforementioned patents are limited in that efficiency is hampered when an address list, against which the coding is compared, contains data that cannot be easily converted to a useable barcode. This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,990, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING 100% UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE BARCODE LISTS, incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a method and apparatus for generating a coded address list. The method is initiated by inputting an address list to a data processing device, which then reads each address record on the addressed list. As an address record is read, a set of rules is applied to the record to determine whether or not a corresponding barcode can be assigned. If a barcode can be assigned, then the data processing device writes the address record and its corresponding barcode to a first list. If, a corresponding barcode is not determined for a particular address record, the unmatched address record is posted to a second list. The second list can then be manually corrected by a system operator. By separating the two lists, packages which have addressed data on the first list can be processed far more quickly.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned system does not address privacy (confidentiality) or security considerations. Nor does the system address all the problems inherent to large numbers of improperly addressed or illegibly addressed items for delivery. These are simply segregated from those which are easily integrated into the system. Nor is the privacy (security) of the sender (if a proper return address is being used) a consideration with any existing system.
One reason that there are difficulties in integrating certain pieces of mail into various delivery systems is that addresses are often complex, thereby increasing the chances that a fill address will not be sufficiently legible for a barcode to be assigned to it. Mail that cannot be assigned a barcode due to an incomplete or illegible address still constitutes a major problem.
On the other hand, the presence of fully legible addresses and return addresses tends to negate any privacy (security) that either of the parties may wish to have since individuals outside of the delivery system can often view the address information before entry to the delivery system. Likewise, any individual within the delivery system can also obtain full name and address information on either the sender or the recipient, even if the individual has no clearances to receive sensitive information.
Accordingly, additional modifications to the U.S. Postal System mail encoding and handling operations as well as private delivery systems, are needed. In particular, such systems must be made faster, and able to automatically handle virtually all of the items passing there through so that less time is lost and a greater percentage of articles can be automatically handled. Further, such improvements should enhance the security of both the sender and the recipient while providing all necessary information only to those in the delivery system who are authorized to use it.
Accordingly, it is one goal or object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional art directed to the automated handling of items in a delivery system.
It is an additional goal of the present invention to expand the potential of existing delivery systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system of universal address codes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide address codes that are both machine-readable and human-readable.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a technique by which large amounts of personal information can be accessed based upon relatively short codes that can be used to address items for delivery.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide a delivery system that provides safeguards against unauthorized access to address information for both the sender and the recipient of an item to be delivered.
It is stiff another object of the present invention to provide a delivery system in which a very short configuration of data can be used to address an item for delivery, while still providing access to comprehensive operators regarding address information for both sender and recipient.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a delivery technique in which a universal configuration of data can be used to provide complete address information for all possible senders and recipients interfacing with the delivery system.
It is again a further object of the present invention to provide an improved delivery technique that easily interfaces with existing delivery systems, such as the U.S. Postal System, Federal Express, UPS, and the like.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a technique for addressing items in a delivery system that is far more reliable than existing addressing techniques, resulting in fewer items that cannot be handled automatically.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a technique facilitating easy tracking of any particular, item through a delivery system.
It is again an additional object of the present invention to provide a technique to maximize both privacy and security in a delivery system.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a supplement to existing delivery systems in which additional recipient and sender data can be easily updated at the request of the relevant party.
It is again another object of the present invention to provide a technique for gradually modifying existing delivery systems where by such systems can achieve greater efficiency and user security.
It is yet a further goal to facilitate mail forwarding and address corrections, as well as other changes in address data.
These and other goals and objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of addressing an item for delivery to a destination. The method includes the steps of marking the item with a predesignated set of symbols associated with the destination. Afterwards, the predesignated sets of symbols are used to access a database to select address data associated with the destination.
Another aspect of the present invention includes a security system for routing an item for delivery. The system includes devices for inputting a predesignated set of symbols into the system, where the predesignated set of symbols is associated with the delivery destination of the item. The system also includes a database containing data specifying the destination or the item. This data is accessible by the use of the predetermined set of symbols.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram depicting the sequence of operation carried out in a delivery system employing the present invention.
A key aspect of the present invention is the use of a human-readable (and scannable) alphanumeric code (or code that can be generated from keyboard symbols) that is placed upon the item to be delivered. This code is referred to as a P-mail, and can be considered analagons analytics to an e-mail address. In one aspect of the present invention, an e-mail address can be used as the P-mail, operating as an access code for a database as described infra. The P-mail code is the only sender-provided address information that is needed for an item to be delivered in a system employing the present invention. All other necessary data is provided by a database accessed using the P-mail.
It should be noted that two P-mail numbers can be placed on an item to be delivered; one for the sender in the return address area, and one for the recipient in the destination address area of the item to be delivered. There is no need for the name of either party to be placed on the item. The inventive system operates to avoid a correlation between the name and address of a party on an item to be delivered.
Preferably the P-mail address encompasses only a single line for ease of both machine-scanning or human-reading. Also, a short P-mail address is much easier for the sending party to remember, and clearly place upon the item to be delivered. Besides convenience, another key attribute to the P-mail is that it not identify the true physical address of the recipient, outside of the delivery system. Further, a P-mail address can be configured so that the name of the recipient is not discernable therefrom, even within the system. As a result, an increased level of security is provided for the recipient. The same type of configuration can be applied to the return address of the sender, thereby protecting his or her identity as well as his or her specific address.
A key attribute of the P-mail is that it is highly flexible. For example, its configuration can be limited to an alphanumeric form that is particularly easy for scanners to read. In the alternative, it can be virtually any combination of alphanumeric characters and other keyboard generated symbols that a recipient, system user, or client may choose. As previously indicated, the recipient may choose to use his or her own e-mail address as a P-mail. Preferably, the P-mail system is focused primarily on individuals so that each individual in a particular delivery system will have his or her own P-mail. However, alternative systems, which focus on addresses or physical locations rather than individuals, can also be used. In such a case, a special suffix or prefix can be added to the P-mail configuration to indicate delivery to a specific individual at an address location as designated by the P-mail.
Since there are many types of delivery systems operating throughout the world, there is latitude for more than a single P-mail for a particular individual or location. For example, the U.S. Postal Service may have one P-mail for an individual while UPS or Federal Express may use other designations for the same individual or location. However, this range of flexibility is preferably limited to a single P-mail address for each individual, to be used by each delivery system. In one preferred embodiment, the United States Postal Service would designate a P-mail for each individual listed in the United States. Once the P-mail designations are assigned by the U.S. Postal Service, individuals could then insist that their P-mail designations be used by private carriers such as UPS, Federal Express, and the like. While this operation may somewhat limit the flexibility of the overall system, a universal P-mail system applied to each individual in the country would greatly facilitate all of the benefits of the present invention.
Additional flexibility and security can be achieved from the present invention through the use of special passwords, as either suffixes or prefixes to a standard P-mail configuration. The passwords would be selected by the recipient to be used with his or her P-mail only by certain designated individuals (senders) to whom the recipient would give the password. Deliveries attempted without the use of the password could then be halted before arrival at the address of the recipient. Such unwanted items could then be returned by the carrier, or placed in any number of different categories by the carrier. These categories could be for future pick up by the designated recipient, or additional investigation on behalf of the recipient, or even for intense security scrutiny. While this addition to the system might cause additional work and awkwardness, it could prove to be a very important factor, adding layers of security. Using the password technique, only those items which are expected and approved beforehand could be delivered. Without the designated password, all other items would be diverted for special processing. As previously indicated, such special processing could take the form of inspection, inquiry of the recipient, inquiry of the sender, or simple return to the sender. If the sender were to use only his or her P-mail, the same level of confidentiality would be applied to him or her as well. The sender could also designate a password as part of the normal P-mail configuration of the sender, for purposes of returning the item.
While the exact alphanumeric or symbolic form of the P-mail is not important, it is crucial that the P-mail designation be relatively short (no more than a single line) and easily scanned. Brevity and simplicity of the P-mail address are also very desirable so that a P-mail can easily be remembered by those using it. Standard keyboard symbols are preferred for ease of use.
For purposes of the present invention, the key aspect of the P-mail designation is as an access means to a designated portion of a database. For one preferred embodiment of the present invention, each P-mail will designate a different portion of a database. Each of which contains the physical address (as well as other data) associated with a P-mail designation.
Also included in the designated portion of the database would be the standard barcode associated with the physical address. As is well known, the U.S. Postal Service uses these barcodes for rapid scanning of each piece of mail to make certain that the correct routing is applied. Normally, the barcodes are generated based upon the full written address placed on each piece of mail. Unfortunately, these addresses are often not legible or are incorrect. As a result, a great deal of mail must be diverted for human review, or even returned to the sender. Very often, inadequately addressed mail is simply placed in the "dead letter" department.
This is avoided to a larger extent with the present invention since only a few characters or symbols have to be scanned (or entered into the system by a human operator) in order to access the correct address and a correct barcode designation for that address. A great deal of delay and inaccuracy is avoided using the present invention. The information for each P-mail configuration in the database does not have to be limited to that discussed above. The database can contain routing information, indicating, from point to point throughout the delivery system, where a particular item should be for expeditious delivery to its ultimate destination. Additional data indicators can be placed on the item along with the standard postal system barcode (as described in the previously-cited examples of conventional art), so that a quickly scanned indicator can be applied to each item so confirming that a particular item is in the correct location along the route to the item's final destination. Rather than reading the entire barcode and determining in a routing database if the item is at the correct location along the route, a designation of the correct location (placed on the item at the previous stopping point along the route) could be easily scanned to provide an instantaneous confirmation regarding the correct location along the route.
Such routing information could be transferred temporarily into the designated portion of the database associated with a particular P-mail in order to provide optimum routing data. Such use would provide additional justification for the expanded database of the present invention.
Additional information can also be provided regarding the handling of an item, or additional information regarding locating the final destination, and the placement of the item at that destination. For example, there could be specific instructions that an item is not to be placed in a mailbox but is to be left next to the front door on the front porch. Special instructions for the carrier (such as how to find a particular address, or where to place a particular item at that address) can be accessed for use by the mail carrier or delivery person. This information could be previously printed (at the last routing and handling terminal) and attached to the item, or it could be accessed using a portable computer so that the necessary information is displayed on a screen for the mail carrier, or delivery person.
For the necessary information associated with each P-mail designation to be available at each point of the system where it may be useful (especially for the final delivery operation by a carrier), it is necessary that the information can be accessed over a computer network from a wide variety of locations. The internet is ideal for this purpose. However, since there is secure information involved, and the U.S. Postal Service does not wish to make itself more vulnerable, it is most likely that an intra-net will be used. In such a system, only those individuals with specific access will be able to enter the system, which will be segregated from general public access. Mobile units would use only selected frequencies, constituting secure channels for communication with the computer network. Normally, such systems are "hard wired", with the computers connected to each other over dedicated data lines that are generally inaccessible to anyone outside the system. The drawback of this very secure arrangement is expense, and extended lead times are necessary for expanding the system.
In the alternative, communications for such a delivery system can be handled over the internet, using secure communications techniques and passwords. While this approach carries a higher level of risks, it is also less expensive, and the delivery system can expand as necessary without any hindrance. Further, the flexibility of the internet will allow any delivery system using the present invention to expand as necessary from an initial state that services only small numbers of P-mail clients.
The use of the internet also permits easy modifications to the data associated with each P-mail address. For example, each individual could access the system via the internet to modify his or her address information, or to add special instructions. The previously discussed delivery passwords could be changed as necessary. For situations where higher security would be required, the individual associated with a particular P-mail address would use the internet to place a request for modification to the database. Upon carrying out appropriate security measures, system personnel could then make the changes to the database without jeopardizing the integrity of the system. Easy modification of the database is important to facilitating timely and accurate mail-forwarding, as well as other time-sensitive changes in the delivery system.
The integrity of the present invention and its security features will be very important for the expanded use of the present invention. It should be noted that the e-mail address of the recipient can be contained within the database to be accessed by the P-mail address. In this manner, a recipient can be informed in advance, using the e-mail, that a particular package is about to be delivered to him. This is another advantage of the present system since it indicates when delivery is about to take place (so that the recipient might be ready for it), rather than just indicating when a shipment has been made, as is done with systems such as Amazon.com.
The present invention can be integrated with existing U.S. Postal Service databases and tracking systems. Instead of an entire physical address being properly read and processed, to generate the standard barcode, only the P-mail symbols have to be identified by the postal routing system. The simple P-mail designation can be used to access all other data, including the desired barcode designation, full address information, the presence of password requirements, and/or special handling requirements, as well as the name of the recipient. All of this information can be printed out on the item to be delivered, or (for greater security) placed only on a display screen at any particular time. The use of all of this data will be left to the discretion of the system operators for the purpose of expediting proper routing while maintaining an appropriate level of confidentiality and security. The system operators can also modify the data contained in each portion of the database that is associated with particular P-mail designation. It is expected that this will be done solely for the sake of expediting accurate routing through the delivery system, and maintaining security. In one variation of the present invention, system operators are used for inputting changes requested by clients having P-mail designations.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram depicting a typical operating sequence for the present invention. At step 11, an item to be delivered by either the U.S. Postal Service or a private carrier is marked with the P-mail designation of the recipient. The item would then be delivered to the U.S. Postal Service or private carrier in one of a number of conventional manners. It should be noted that the name of the recipient need not be used, and the physical address of the recipient will certainly not be used. It should further be noted that a P-mail designation can be used as the return address for the sender. Accordingly, neither the names nor the addresses of either the sender or the recipient need be displayed to any but select delivery system operators. As previously discussed, the P-mail designations can be derived from any number of different sources, using any number of different configurations.
It is understood that for step 11 to take place, a previous step 10, of establishing the appropriate database, must have already been carried out. The P-mail database, as previously described, is accessed using the P-mail designation to obtain information on a location or individuals associated with that particular P-mail designation. The database can be established as a universal system by the U.S. Postal Service, or in more limited form by either the Postal Service or private carriers. Either the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers can begin to use the system of the present invention on an extremely limited or experimental basis by selecting a limited number of subscribers for whom the use of the present invention is conducive.
The database established a step 10 is crucial to the operation of the present invention, but need not be established as a new database. Rather, modifications to existing databases, such as the U.S. Postal Service barcode system, are easy ways to facilitate the use of the present invention in a practical manner. Those are skilled in the field of database generation, manipulation and the maintenance will recognize that existing databases such as the Postal Service barcode system can easily be modified to use the P-mail designations of the present invention.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the databases associated with each P-mail designation are expected to be modified in accordance with individual movement, changes in the delivery system, and the addition of new subscribers and clients. Those skilled in database management will recognize that existing databases such as that used by the U.S. Postal Service can easily be expanded within the existing framework to accommodate new users of the present invention.
At step 12, it is assumed that the item to be delivered has already reached a U.S. Postal Service sorting and handling terminal. The P-mail designation is preferably scanned into the computer system, which controls the distribution, sorting and delivery system which is handling the subject item. While scanning of the preferably alphanumeric P-mail designation is preferred because of speed and simplicity, other methods can be used to input this data into the system. For example, if the P-mail address cannot be accurately scanned into the system, a human operator can be used to interpret the written-P-mail indication to manually input the correct P-mail designation into the system. If a human operator is unable to interpret the written P-mail designation at this point, the item can be sent back to the sender, thereby simplifying the entire sorting and handling process.
Once the P-mail designation has been input into the system (at step 12), the computer system controlling the sorting and routing of items carries out a correlation of the P-mail designation to data that is associated with that particular P-mail designation. All of the necessary data is then accessed as indicated in step 13. The data that is necessary for correct routing of that particular item is accessed. However, other types of data can also be accessed. One of the more important aspects of correlating the P-mail designation to data in the database is the confirmation of any pending updates that would change crucial data, such as destination address or routing information, as indicated at step 130. The procedure for checking on updated information would be left to the discretion of the delivery system operator.
At step 14 the correct routing data is determined from the data associated with the P-mail designation, as well as any other necessary data that is derived from the rest of the sorting and routing system. The destination routing data that is compiled for a particular item to be sent to a certain address associated with a particular P-mail designation can be as simple or as complex as desired by the system operators. For example, a series of intermediate points in the routing system may be designated to bring the item to the point of final delivery. In the alternative, a wide variety of different routes and delivery schedules can be offered by the computer controlling this sorting and routing system. Any alternative delivery and handling information can be put in the base.
Once the routing data has been determined at step 14, any necessary routing marks can be made on the item being handled, as indicated at step 15. The most predominant example of such marking is the use of the standard U.S. Postal System barcode printed on letters and other items being sorted. The use of the barcode allows high speed reading of delivery or routing information on the item so that the item can be handled by high speed sorting and handling machinery.
The extent of the marking to be added to the item is a matter of system operator discretion. For example, the system operator need print no more than the standard U.S. Postal System barcode on a particular item. This will normally suffice for any amount of high speed sorting and handling. However, additional markings can be used. For example, the delivery address of the item can be printed on that item. The name of the recipient would not be included so that confidentiality would be maintained. If a check of the routing of a particular item is being conducted by a human operator, the ultimate address need not be printed on the item. Rather, the barcode can be read and the designation address displayed upon a screen in front of the operator. This can be correlated by a second reading of the P-mail address to determine if the two are consistent. This should suffice for any checks of the integrity of the system at any point along the delivery route.
Other kinds of marks can be added to the item at step 15. For example, the subsequent handling points along the route can be identified, and appropriate marks indicative of the sequence of handling points printed on the item. As a result, only a very brief check of the item would be necessary at subsequent handling points to determine that the item was on its proper route. A full reading of the barcode and evaluation as previously described would not be necessary.
At step 16, the item is moved along its designating route from one handling point to another. At each handling point a check is made (as indicated at step 17) that the item is moving along the correct route to its final destination. Normally the barcode would be read to determine if the correct route was being followed. As previously described, the barcode could be checked against the P-mail to determine for proper correlation between the two exists. However, there are alternatives in that some of the marks could be made indicative of the next handling point so that only those marks need be checked at any particular handling point to determine if the item was at the correct location. This would greatly simplify the operation of moving and checking (steps 16 and 17), that are repeated throughout the routing of the item to its final destination.
At step 18 arrangements are made for the final step for the delivery of the item to its ultimate destination. During this step, the item to be delivered is sorted into a sequence of other items to be delivered to approximate locations, such as a mail carrier's route. Each item for delivery is then put into a particular sequence correlated to the delivery sequence of the carrier's route. At this time, the destination address could be printed on the item (based upon the correlation of the barcode data and the P-mail designation).
In an additional alternative of the present invention, greater security for the recipient can be maintained by avoiding the printing of either the name or the address of the recipient on the item to be delivered. Instead, scanning the barcode or the P-mail designation can be used to display the correct address on a portable screen used by the mail carrier or delivery person. Portable scanners for both barcodes or alphanumeric designations are already well known, and so, need no further description for purposes of enabling this aspect of the present invention. At this point, the mail carrier could also use the scanner to determine if multiple P-mail designations were associated with any particular address so that some designation could be added to the item to better identify the recipient of the item. At such a point, the name of the recipient might be made available to the carrier who could mark or otherwise label the item appropriately. Also, the carrier could be made aware of any special handling instructions or other information relevant to the delivery of articles to a particular address or a particular recipient.
While a number of preferred embodiments have been described by way of example, the present invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the present invention should be interpreted as including any and all variations, modifications, adaptations, permutations, and additional embodiments that would occur to one skilled in this technology, once having been taught the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention should be construed to be limited only by the following claims.
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|Pitney Bowes Inc.
|System and method for verifying the delivery of a mailing and the material contained within the mailing
|Nov 29, 1999
|Jan 15, 2002
|Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
|System and method for accessing internet-based information resources by scanning Java-Applet encoded bar code symbols
|May 10, 2000
|Mar 19, 2002
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Automatic location of address information on parcels sent by mass mailers
|Jan 30, 2001
|Jan 28, 2003
|Thomas R. Wells
|In-line verification, reporting and tracking apparatus and method for mail pieces
|May 21, 1999
|Apr 15, 2003
|Pitney Bowes Inc.
|System for delivering mail
|Feb 16, 2001
|Jun 10, 2003
|Sybase, Inc.
|System with improved methodology for providing international address validation
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Mar 13, 2006
|Nov 10, 2009
|Harrison Jr Shelton E
|Postal system, method and device
|Oct 12, 2005
|Mar 8, 2011
|David Mulcahy
|Electronic receipt delivery method
|Feb 28, 2007
|Apr 26, 2011
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Address forwarding for parcels
|Sep 21, 2007
|May 31, 2011
|Mcnairy Charles F H
|Integrated mail, internet, and telephony event tracking system
|Jul 29, 2004
|Apr 24, 2012
|United States Postal Service
|Systems and methods for implementing an address directory link
|Mar 8, 2004
|Nov 4, 2004
|Jurgen Kruger
|Method and device for printing mail
|Jul 29, 2004
|Aug 25, 2005
|Avant Oscar L.
|Systems and methods for implementing an address directory link
|Mar 13, 2006
|Mar 1, 2007
|Harrison Shelton E Jr
|Postal system, method and device
|Oct 12, 2005
|Apr 12, 2007
|David Mulcahy
|Electronic receipt delivery method
|Mar 31, 2006
|Oct 25, 2007
|Currey James C
|Systems and Methods for Generating An Address List
|Sep 6, 2006
|Mar 6, 2008
|Mark Gundersen
|Address database coding
|Sep 21, 2007
|Mar 27, 2008
|Mcnairy Charles F
|Integrated Mail, Internet, and Telephony Event Tracking System
|Feb 28, 2007
|Aug 28, 2008
|Lockheed Martin Corporation
|Address forwarding for parcels
|Feb 1, 2008
|Aug 6, 2009
|Electronic Data Systems Corporation
|Method and system for generating location codes
|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jul 20, 2004
Owner name: HOLDENART, INC., COLORADO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HOLDEN, WILLIAM;REEL/FRAME:014873/0411
Effective date: 20040719
|Feb 15, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Apr 16, 2012
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 22, 2012
|Surcharge for late payment
Year of fee payment: 7
|Aug 22, 2012
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Apr 8, 2016
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 26, 2016
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12
|Aug 26, 2016
|Surcharge for late payment
Year of fee payment: 11


text:
Spain, Province of Lérida, Municipal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
|This article describes a collection of historical records scheduled to become available at FamilySearch.org.
Title in the Language of the Record
Please add the title in Spanish here
Record Description
| This section is incomplete.
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Civil registration records, censuses, military records, and other miscellaneous records microfilmed and digitized at municipal archives in the province of Lérida, Spain. This collection is being published as images become available.
Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.
- Civil Registry Offices in Lérida and Municipal Records. Spain, Province of Lérida, municipal records. Arxiu Comarcal de Val d'Aran, Lérida, Spain.
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Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are:
- Place of registration
- Name of child
- Date of birth
- Time of birth
- Place of birth
- Legitimacy
- Parents' names and place of origin
- Paternal grandparents' names and place of origin
- Maternal grandparents' names and place of origin
- Place, date and parish of baptism
The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:
- Place and date of registration
- Name of groom
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- Groom's parents' names, their place of origin, and occupation of father
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The key genealogical facts found in most death records are:
- Place and date of death
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- Father's occupation
The key genealogical facts found on most municipal census records include:
- Complete name
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- Place and date of birth
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- Sometimes the education level
- Sometimes the names of the spouse and children
The key genealogical facts found on most municipal military draft records include:
- Complete name
- Birth date or age
- Place of origin
- Occupation
- Parents
- Civil status
- Medical and physical condition
- Literacy
- Religion
== How to Use the Record ==
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"Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata > San Ponciano > Matrimonios 1884-1886 > image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
La Santisima Trinidad, Arroyo Seco, New Mexico
Blanketed in the first snow of the season, La Santisima Trinidad radiates hope to the surrounding community of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico. Built in 1834, the historic church stands as a monument to the families who originally settled the area. That the Catholic faith thrived during a period when there were very few priests available to serve the […]... Read More


text:
Ministry hinges on Jesus' commands
"Go into all of the world and preach the good news to all
creation" - Mark 16:15
"Go and make disciples of all nations" - Matthew 28:19
Three Ministry
Primary Purpose
FSCO is committed to bring maturity to the Body of Christ and to train God's
people in becoming effective gospel workers. The ministry of FSCO touches people through :
F.S.C.O. is also very much involved in evangelistic outreaches and
humanitarian projects all over the world.
F.S.C.O.'s Leaders
Rev. Jean-Paul Engler is the founder and President of French Speaking
Countries Outreach. Both Rev. Engler and his wife Josette
Engler, are very involved in helping the Church worldwide. The Engler'shave given themselves to
follow God's command to make diciples in all nations.They travel around the world touching and
blessing people and their work can be found in all of the following nations:
Algeria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African
Republic, China, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire), France, Haiti, Côte
d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Madagascar, Martinique, Mexico, Switzerland, United States of
America (USA)
Reaching the Lost
Equipping the Saints
Feeding the Hungry
Caring for the Sick
Home TRANS FORMATION


text:
FOODS WE LOVE: Eggplant
Eggplant, also known by the French word "aubergine," comes to us in a beautiful dark purple color. It is actually a fruit and belongs to the nightshade family of plants, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and hot peppers. Nightshades are foods that can contain alkaloids, which can impact nerve-muscle function and digestive function in highly sensitive people, however most people can enjoy these foods without any negative reaction.
Early accounts suggests that the cultivation of eggplant began during the fifth century in China, and it made its way to Europe during the eighth century Moorish invasion. During the 13th century, the Italians came into contact with it through trade with Arabs, and after many travels around the world, the eggplant debuted in the United States in the 17th century through European seed imports.
Legend tells of an Imam who married a lady whose dowry included 12 jars of olive oil. For 12 nights, she served him eggplant cooked in olive oil, which Imam loved. But when the wife ran out of olive oil and could not provide the dish any longer, the Imam fainted. This led to a dish now known as Imam Fainted, or "Imam Biyaldi," made of eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes and cooked in olive oil.
Which bring us to this recipe for Imam Biyaldi, courtesy of www.Food.com. Clean up any cooking spills with Seventh Generation All-Purpose Natural Cleaner Made With Organic Sunflower and Coconut.
4 medium eggplants
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic, cloves crushed
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
parsley, good handful chopped
3 large tomatoes, blanched, skinned and coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
black pepper
½ -1 teaspoon sugar
juice of ½ lemon
- Heat oven to 190°C/375°F
- Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the flesh from the eggplants and chop.
- Blanch the eggplant shells in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain upside down.
- Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and saute the onion until soft and golden.
- Add crushed garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add parsley, chopped eggplant, tomatoes, green and red pepper, cinnamon, salt and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and sugar to taste.
- Arrange the eggplant boats in a baking dish and fill each one with the filling.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
Photo: robanhk


text:
Into Guinea-Bissau: drug barons, dogs' heads and difficult decisionsBlog posted by bex on Nov 3rd, 2009
First off, here's a thunderstorm for you, recorded yesterday afternoon in Guinea-Bissau's capital, Bissau:
While you're listening to that, here's a bit about our last week or so on the road:
If the border crossing into Casamance was good, the crossing into Guinea-Bissau was wonderful. The immigration officer smiled at us fondly, shaking her head and repeating: "Williams [Huw's surname], Rebecca – welcome to Guinea-Bissau!" The country – ranked the fifth poorest in the world by the UN – gets less than 5000 foreign visitors a year. Not many of them, we suspect, arrive by land, never mind by bicycle.
Across the road, at customs, a beaming man stood and beamed at us. His beam grew broader when we greeted him in Portuguese (I grew up in Brazil). We chatted. He beamed. We chatted some more. Finally, we gently reminded him he was on duty: did customs need anything from us?
"Oh, just a document," he said. A passport? "No, a document. Like a paper or something." We couldn't think of any papers he might want to see. "Oh. Well, if immigration thinks it's OK, then I suppose that's fine," he beamed, and we cycled into Guinea-Bissau.
There was another customs house in Sao Domingos, the first town we came to. Outside it, another beaming man beckoned to us. Did he need anything from us? "No," he said. "Here in Guinea-Bissau, it's no problem." (He wasn't joking. Here in Guinea-Bissau, an estimated one tonne of pure Colombian cocaine leaves the country every day; this little nation has been called "the world's first narco-state".)
He just wanted to know whether we needed anything in town – a restaurant, maybe? A restaurant sounded great, so he walked us to a place where "two steaks please" meant two steaks, two plates of chips, two fried eggs, two salads, two bowls of rice and a big basket of bread. We decided we loved Guinea-Bissau.
We wobbled off into suffocating humidity, and sheltered pointlessly under a tree when it finally broke into a rainstorm. Two peanut farmers joined us. They were cycling the 50-odd kilometres from their village to Ziguinchor in Senegal to sell their produce.
"Guinea-Bissau is good," they said. "There is freedom here. But the government doesn't have any money to buy our groundnuts." So, having bicycles, they took the peanuts to Senegal. "The problem is that, when we get to Senegal, the soldiers often take all our groundnuts for themselves." They just take them? No payment? "Yep." They smiled wryly.Once we couldn't get any wetter, we set off and cycled through the rain – soon to be joined by Mario, a man in his early twenties cycling back to his village. Did we want to stay at the mission in his village? We did, so the three of us pedalled off to meet Beryl, a softly spoken American librarian-turned-farmer-turned-missionary with sparkling blue eyes.
Beryl, who had been in the village for four years and in West Africa for ten, invited us to make ourselves at home in his church – a room half filled with sacks of cashew nuts and decorated with a candle, a few wooden pews and some scribbled-on whiteboards. He offered us a tour of his project, taking us first to the cashew fields, where we met teenagers who were packing up for the day to have their shelled nuts weighed by Beryl. He showed us the cashew shelling shed, and the land that they were reforesting. He told us about his plans for slowly expanding cashew production over the next few years, and hopefully getting the villagers access to the fair trade market, making the project self-funding and giving villagers without land the possibility of a long-term income.
"People are waiting for me to build a hospital and a school – that's what white men do. But that model really, really doesn't work." We silently cheered. So many of the aid projects in Africa are capital projects – new schools, new hospitals, new roads. New roads are built but not maintained, meaning yet more new roads have to be built a few years down the line. New hospitals are built, but the ongoing costs of medical supplies aren't funded. New schools are built, but teachers aren't paid. In this village's school, there's no money to pay two of the three teachers, so now one teacher takes every subject at every level.
Several of the teenagers we met were working the fields to pay for their own schooling; an improved income for villagers through agriculture means they can pay the teachers the government can't or won't pay and children can keep getting an education – whether it's delivered in a building or under a tree.
An agnostic with secular instincts, the work of missionaries sparks mixed feelings in me – in theory. In practice, missionaries and religious organisations seem to be more-than-usually successful at improving the quality of life of the people they work with in Africa. Whether it's because they live almost as frugally as those around them, or because they – like most rural Africans – live a life centred around spiritual belief, missionaries seem to be able to succeed where many organisations fail.
That evening, Mario came around to take us to his friends' house (rural families in Guinea-Bissau tend to live under one large roof instead of in individual huts within a family compound as in Senegal). Mario's friends, Julio and Quinta, lived with Julio's brother and Quinta's sister in a clean, spacious and sparsely decorated home. After talking for an hour or two and a quick lesson in Kriolu (Portuguese Creole), Huw and I said we should be leaving. Quinta suggested we first pray together.
As five people around us sat praying aloud in three languages for our health and well-being, I found myself thinking about the sentiment Ryszard Kapuscinski (yes, him again – we don't have much space in our panniers for books…) wrote about in The Shadow of the Sun:
"The European in Africa sees only part of it, usually only the continent's exterior coating, the frequently not very interesting, and perhaps least important, part of it. His vision glides over the surface, penetrating no deeper and refusing to imagine that behind everything a mystery may be hidden, and within as well."
The next morning we found ourselves firmly back in the physical world, cycling through villages that seemed to have more bars than shops, and natural landscapes that gave the first tiny hints of the jungles to come.
At around midday, we were pulled over at a roadblock: a rope pulled taut across the road by unarmed men in plain clothes. The man flicking through our passports had an inch-long fingernail with the remnants of white powder stuck to it. This, we guessed, wasn't an official roadblock. It was a friendly one though, and we were waved on with "um abraco" – a hug.
After accidentally falling asleep for four hours in the afternoon, we didn't reach Bula until after dark, cycling through dusk past men with hunting guns, and other men carrying pigs or dogs tied around poles. For food? We we'ren't sure but in Bula, we found out. The first restaurant we went into had only meat – no rice or chips. We were hungry – what kind of meat?
We were shown to the back of the restaurant, where the lid was taken off a pot to show what we are sure was a steamed dog's head. We weren't that hungry. In another restaurant, we plumped for the safe option: spaghetti. Unfortunately it came with unidentified scraps of dark meat which I pushed around my plate gamely.We reached the capital, Bissau, the next morning, cycling past billboards advertising beer instead of the free prayer mats/fertiliser with every SIM card we'd become so used to in Senegal and The Gambia. Bissau is a strange place, architecturally – part colonial, part communist bloc and part art deco. It's still scarred from the country's long and bloody struggle for independence from Portugal (in which the Portuguese used some of the same tactics the US infamously used in Vietnam, including napalm and defoliants), and its shorter civil war just over ten years ago.
If rural Guinea-Bissau is the cheapest place we've been to so far, Bissau itself is the most expensive, and the inequality between the city's (usually foreign) rich and (local) poor is vast and shocking. Ironically, it's most obvious around Che Guevara Place, where shoeshiners and hawkers ply aid workers, expats, government ministers, the odd tourist and possibly drug barons for trade.
This square also gave us our first glimpse of the consequences of the cocaine racket on Guinea-Bissau's people. Two shoeshiners – one of them obviously high – got into a fight in front of us; this was the first serious physical fight I've seen in Africa. When cocaine first washed up here, it was found by local fishermen who used the white powder to mark out a football pitch. Nowadays, people clearly know exactly what to do with it.
A few days later, we're still in Bissau. Our trip's taken a pause while we catch up on the latest news from Guinea – where over 150 protesters were massacred a little over a month ago – and look into our options.
We briefly thought about possible boat transport to bypass Guinea but, after seeing the state of the vessels in Bissau's port, we decided we'd rather take our chances on land… The news we've heard from inside Guinea suggests that things are calm outside the capital, so we've decided to cycle through Guinea, avoiding towns and cities – although there is a small chance that we'll get a lift through the country.
We're leaving on Thursday and we're not expecting to have internet access until we reach Freetown in a couple of weeks' time but, as usual, we'll be updating the microblog whenever we have mobile coverage (if we have it).


text:
This job listing has expired! Click here to view the latest Trade / Services jobs in Nigeria
Ladgroup Limited is the foremost exporter of Sheanuts in Nigeria. Ladgroup has a Vegetable Oil Processing Factory nearing completion at Ikenne-Remo in Ogun State. This factory when commissioned will 'pioneer the value addition to Sheanuts on a commercial scale primarily for the export market providing direct and indirect employment to numerous Nigerians and contributing towards increasing the non-oil export earnings of the nation.
We are looking for highly qualified, committed and experienced individuals who will share in this vision and join our team.
Job Description:
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should apply in their own handwriting, not exceeding one page, enclosing the following:
Applications should be submitted in A 4 envelope with the interested position marked clearly on the top left hand side to:
Ladgroup Limited,
Abimbola House,
24 Abimbola Street,
Isolo Industrial Estate,
Lagos State.


text: Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Dina (Tiffany Haddish) and Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) have been friends since their college days in the Nineties. Back then, the tight-knit Flossy Posse partied as hard as they hit the books. After graduating, they curtailed the carousing considerably for the sake of their professional careers.


text:
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when you visit this site and to provide helpful features such as your recent searches. Cookies themselves
do not contain any personal information, and Infotel does not use cookies to collect personal information.
Book online or call +44 (0)1775 843417 at standard rates.
With a restaurant and free parking, Norfolk Arms Hotel is 10 minutes from the coast at Littlehampton. Under the battlements of Arundel Castle, the historical hotel has rooms with period features.
Set in a Georgian coaching inn, the individually designed rooms at the Norfolk Arms have an en suite bathroom, tea and coffee facilities and satellite TV. Many boast unique character and traditional charm.
The Arun Restaurant serves a traditional British menu using seasonal and local produce. The 2 cosy bars offer local ales and Wi-Fi access, and serve afternoon teas, light meals and snacks. Room service is also available.
Built by the 10th Duke of Norfolk, The Norfolk Arms Hotel is just steps from Arundel Castle. With the scenic River Arun close by, the hotel is surrounded by the beautiful countryside of West Sussex. Lively Bognor Regis is a 20-minute drive away.
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Registered Office: Infotel Solutions Ltd, DFC House, Boston Road, Gosberton, Spalding, Lincs UK PE11 4NR For further information visit www.infotelsolutions.com
Desktop | Mobile


text:
SPORTS >> Mimms is JHS's new girls head Red Devil
Leader sports writer
For the second consecutive year, Jacksonville High School has hired a head basketball coach away from North Pulaski. JHS principal Kenneth Clark announced Katrina Mimms as the new head girls basketball coach at Jacksonville. I liked her work ethic, Clark said. She lives here and she knows the kids and people in the district. Its a great fit. Mimms has spent 14 years at North Pulaski, all of them as the head girls basketball coach. The decision to pursue a job at JHS wasnt an easy one at first with so much time spent at North Pulaski.
Like I would tell, and have told people, I was not unhappy at North Pulaski High School, Mimms said. Ive told people I would probably retire there. A change, though, sometimes revives you. Theres great community support for the school. The possibility that it will be its own district is also appealing. Its something theyre really fighting for and could accomplish. Im a resident and will have kids coming up through the school system. There were a lot of reasons. The big thing though was how the city of Jacksonville does such a good job of supporting the school. That really excites me. I worked hard to get support up at North Pulaski. I may not have to work so hard now, Mimms added with a laugh.
Mimms is taking over a program that failed to make the playoffs for the third year last season, but she believes that kind of run wont last at a school like JHS. Im not sure what kind of talent the team has, Mimms said. I havent met the girls yet. Just from being at North Pulaski and living in Jacksonville, I know they always have athletic kids. It will just be getting the athletic kids to become good basketball players. That starts at the lower levels, and that situation will be better than it was at North Pulaski. Mimms middle school feeder was miles away from NPHS and difficult for her to oversee. She will now have a feeder school nearby and plans to be a part of every facet of the JHS girls basketball program.
Thats a big advantage, Mimms said. North Pulaski was so isolated from Northwood. We made some efforts and worked more with them recently, but we just havent been able to get it on the same page. I think that is going to be a lot better at Jacksonville. I believe at Jacksonville we can get it all on the same page, 7th through 12th. Tanya Ganey, the longtime renowned coach that stepped down as Jacksonville girls basketall coach at the end of last season, is taking over the freshman team. Mimms believes that will be a good working relationship.
She called and congratulated me and told me she would support this program in any way she can, Mimms said. That meant a lot to me and I think were going to have a great relationship. Her style and my style are also basically the same and she knows how to coach it. Theyre not exactly the same, but they are similar enough we can work out the details about it.
Mimms currently has no assistant. Former assistant coach Max Hatfield was promoted to head football and track coach for the freshman boys. She is looking forward to reuniting with former co-worker Vic Joyner.
Im very excited about that, Mimms said. Ive always enjoyed working with him and weve always had a good relationship.
The competition level will increase, although its not going to be totally new to Mimms. NP used to be in Jacksonvilles conference before dropping a classification six years ago. Shes fully aware of how much stronger the competition will be.
The AAAA Southeasts top teams are always pretty good and could compete with anybody, Mimms said. The biggest difference is going to be in the middle of the pack and the bottom. Theres not going to be anybody on the schedule you can look at as a win. But again, its nothing Im not used to, and I know its nothing these girls dont know.
Mimms wasnt sure Thursday when she would have her players report for duty. She was still working on getting things moved from one office to another, but shes ready to start. I havent really gotten to all that yet. I just know Im excited. The change has done me good, its sparked me. Right now Ill just start working on getting a staff in order.


text:
April 25, 2002
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
My name is Jennifer Moye. I am the Director of the Geriatric Mental Health/UPBEAT clinic at the Boston VA, Brockton Campus, and an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. I am pleased to testify today on the Unified Psychogeriatric Biopsychosocial Evaluation and Treatment (UPBEAT) program.
Review of UPBEAT Model
I have worked as a psychologist with medically and neurologically frail older veterans with late onset mental health concerns for the past ten years, and I speak today as a clinician. Our clinic was founded in 1995 as part of a nine site clinical demonstration project that evaluated the effectiveness of intensive outpatient case management and mental health treatment for elderly veterans with previously undiagnosed mental health problems in the context of serious medical illness. The program is based on previous research demonstrating: 1) mental health problems are under diagnosed and inadequately treated in the elderly; 2) elderly who have depression or other mental health problems have more complex medical management, a more complicated recovery from illness, and are more expensive for the health care system.
UPBEAT Cost Savings
In the UPBEAT program, patients 60 years and older admitted to medical or surgical inpatient services were screened for depression, anxiety, or alcohol abuse. 1,687 veterans with these problems were randomly assigned to a treatment versus usual care group. The treatment group received interdisciplinary assessment followed by outpatient care coordination and mental health intervention. In the year following enrollment, veterans in the treatment group had higher utilization of outpatient care, especially mental health and telephone encounters, costing $1,171 more per patient per year, than the usual care group. However this expanded outpatient cost was more than made up for by savings in inpatient costs of $3,027, resulting in a net savings of $1,856 per patient per year, or a total savings for all patients enrolled in the treatment group of approximately $1.5 million dollars. Savings were attributable to a reduced length of stay when re-hospitalized. Savings were even greater in targeted subgroups, such as those with circulatory diseases or more significant depression, estimated at $5,000 per patient per year. Additional analyses are ongoing.
UPBEAT Clinical Example
One veteran in the UPBEAT program was enrolled at our site when he was surgically hospitalized and screened positive for depression. The depression was triggered in part because the current surgery was reminiscent of the eight surgeries he received in 1945 after being injured by shrapnel in World War II. This veteran participated in six combat jumps as a paratrooper in Africa, Italy, France, and Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge, and the Anzio and Normandy invasions during which time he received the Bronze Star. Late in life when confronted with illness and vulnerability, he became overwhelmed with depression, to the point of remaining in bed constantly, compromising his health. He entered our program at the age of 75, participating at first reluctantly, then enthusiastically in case management and individual psychotherapy with psychopharmacology. With treatment he was able to manage his mood better when medically ill, and he successfully underwent a subsequent surgery without the excess disability caused by depression. Furthermore, as a result of speaking about his war experiences for the first time in psychotherapy, he began to also share these with his family. None of his family members were previously aware of any details of his military service. This newly found capacity for such communication was tremendously appreciated by both the veteran and his family.
Essentials of Case Management for At-Risk Veterans
What does the success of the UPBEAT program tell us about outpatient based case management programs? UPBEAT is a non-institutional program that reduces institutional care and reduces total cost of care. These findings are similar to other studies that find case management of at-risk geriatric patients can forestall nursing home admission. Key elements of these programs are:
Patients with dementia require additional services including travel, caregiver support such as respite care, and adult day health care. The ultimate success of such programs will rely on appropriate caseloads for primary care clinicians and case managers, clear program goals, and performance measures for clinicians and administrators.
In closing, I have been most grateful to work with our elderly veterans, and I thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today.
Kominski, G., et al (2001). UPBEAT: The impact of a psychogeriatric intervention at VA Medical Centers. Medical Care, 39, 500-512.
House Committees | Senate Committees | Find my Representative | Find my Senator
Veterans and their family members who wish to contact the Department regarding a claim, benefits, or services, may call VA Toll-Free at 1 (800) 827-1000 or 1 (800) 829-4833 [TDD], or Contact the VA via the web.
VA Home | Privacy | FOIA | Regulations | Web Policies | No FEAR Act | Site Index | USA.gov | White House | National Resource Directory | Inspector General
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - 810 Vermont Avenue, NW - Washington, DC 20420
Reviewed/Updated Date: November 10, 2009


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By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON A president who has said he benefited from the civil rights movement added to it Wednesday by giving gay men and lesbians the right to fight for their country without hiding their sexual orientation.
Describing it as "a moment more than two centuries in the making," President Obama signed into law a repeal of the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy that required servicemembers who are gay to keep it a secret. When fully implemented in a matter of months, he said, the action will make the nation's armed forces stronger.
"There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country. Their service has been obscured in history," the nation's first African-American president said. "But at every turn, every crossroads in our past, we know gay Americans fought just as hard, gave just as much to protect this nation and the ideals for which it stands."
It was a poignant culmination of a battle Obama launched during his presidential campaign but has struggled to win amid the harsh realities of governing. Describing himself as "overwhelmed," the customarily reserved president elated hundreds of gay rights activists who have been disappointed at times by his mixed record on their behalf.
THE OVAL: Obama signs historic bill
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the nation's most prominent gay lawmaker, called it the biggest piece of civil rights legislation since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet Frank, like others in the audience, said it marked only a step toward full equality that one day should include the right to marry. "We're at the halfway point," he said.
At a news conference later to mark the end of his second year in office, Obama equivocated on the subject of gay marriage — something he has opposed in the past while favoring civil unions, which would give gays and lesbians new legal rights.
"My feelings about this are constantly evolving," Obama said. "I struggle with this."
The boisterous crowd that heralded the bill signing cheered as a history they helped to create was made. They savored the moment with standing ovations and cries of "Yes We Can" and "U-S-A."
"It's history, and very few people get to experience history in a way that they benefit from," said Dan Choi, an Iraq war veteran and former Army first lieutenant who came out on television last year and was discharged as a result in June. "When you fight for something you believe in, sometimes you have to break the rules."
President Clinton agreed to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in 1993 as a compromise to replace a Pentagon policy that homosexuality was incompatible with military service. More than 17,000 gay men and lesbians were discharged under the initial policy, as well as 14,000 more since 1993.
The fight to repeal the law was uphill even after Obama won the White House. It took until last weekend for the Senate, in a "lame duck" session, to vote 65-31 for repeal; opponents such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., warned it could weaken military readiness. Republicans' gains at the polls last month likely would have made repeal more difficult next year.
"It's a great day in America," said Darrel Choat, a Marine Corps major who attended the bill-signing ceremony. "It would have been way worse for the next couple of years."
Choat came to shake hands with the president, for whom he had worked as a White House social aide. When the two met in the front of the Interior Department auditorium after the event, Choat said Obama told him: "See, I told you we'd get it done."
It's not quite done. The law gives the Pentagon time to implement the policy, which Obama has said could take months. He said he spoke to his service commanders Tuesday — including Gen. James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, who previously opposed the repeal.
"I have spoken to every one of the service chiefs, and they are all committed to implementing this change swiftly and efficiently," Obama said. "We are not going to be dragging our feet to get this done."
In the meantime, gay rights advocates are warning active-duty personnel against declaring their sexual orientation too soon. "The sooner the law is implemented, the sooner our gay and lesbian servicemembers can begin serving their country with honesty and dignity," said Laura Murphy of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The president was joined on stage by some of the gay and lesbian heroes of the repeal effort: Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, who lost a leg as the first American wounded in Iraq, and retired Navy commander Zoe Dunning, who served openly as a lesbian after more than two years of legal battles in the 1990s.
The loudest ovation of the day was reserved for Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Obama quoted Mullen as having said, "Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well."
Speaking directly to gays and lesbians at the end of his remarks, Obama urged them to serve with honor, and he welcomed new recruits:
"I say to all Americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform: Your country needs you, your country wants you, and we will be honored to welcome you into the ranks of the finest military the world has ever known."
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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In the old days leaders promised big during election campaigns ("by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty") and cut back their spending afterwards. These days political leaders promise poor during the campaign ("above all else it will be very lean") and the spendathon comes after it.
Kevin Rudd got the loudest applause during his 2007 election launch when he declared: "The spending has got to stop". It didn't stop for long. After the 2008 budget, his government embarked on the largest spending increase since Gough Whitlam in 1975 - $100 billion of new discretionary measures, money that is still rolling out.
Julia Gillard is promising poor now because she has a huge cash splash - the $14.7 billion for school halls and canteens - already in the system. About 35 per cent of that will be spent this year.
We are still spending to "stimulate" an economy in the grip of a record mining boom, and which has had six consecutive interest rate rises.
But never fear, says Labor, the budget will balance by 2013. Just like the surplus promised in 2008? We've accumulated about $125 billion in deficits since then. This administration has never balanced a budget. It should try one before boasting about how good things will get in the future.
Regardless of whether the financial outcomes will ever match the promises (and recent experience leads us to be cynical), it is good to see the parties trying to sound responsible. We are not as bad as in the US where politicians make extravagant promises about spending money they don't have. In Australia our MPs are a bit more cautious. They have reason to be.
One of the little known reforms of the previous government was the Charter of Budget Honesty. It has a profound impact on how we conduct elections. This law requires a ''Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook'' to be produced independently at the start of an election campaign and provides for independent costing of political promises.
Once you know the starting point and the journey, you can estimate where a party's promises will end up. As long as they keep to the journey.
When the charter was legislated, Labor opposed it. In opposition it promised it would amend it (but hasn't) and now Labor has adopted it. In her first major speech on the economy as Prime Minister, Julia Gillard declared "all our policies will be submitted to Treasury and Finance for independent costing under the Charter of Budget Honesty - and I challenge Mr Abbott to do the same". (Labor didn't submit all its policies for costing last time round, so it is good to see a change of heart.)
The charter was instrumental in forcing the government to tell the truth about the backflip on the "super profits" tax. When she announced it, Gillard claimed it would reduce revenue by $1.5 billion or 12.5 per cent. It was supposed to look like a minor cost. The companies and analysts knew it was much more than that. Gillard knew, or should have known, the statement was false. Treasury knew it, and the Treasurer should never have allowed her to say it.
But the issue would have rested as a misleading claim to cover an embarrassing backdown were we not going into an election. The government knew the pre-election outlook would show the real lost revenue of $7.5 billion, or 63 per cent.
So Swan cobbled together an economic statement to fess up to the truth. He knew it was better to come clean than be caught out during an election campaign. Chalk up a success to the charter. Parties face better scrutiny on the cost of their promises, and that forces them to be more careful about making them. The charter is an incentive to compete for respectability.
The weakness is that whatever it says before an election, a party is not bound to deliver it. There is no law to stop a government trashing its costed promises. The only sanction is the power of the ballot box. So we have good tools to assess promises. but only blunt instruments to enforce them. To hold a government accountable, voters have to compare the rhetoric to the outcome and register their judgment at a subsequent poll.
Memories are short, which is why politicians talk about ''moving forward''. They don't want to be judged by their record. They want the chance to do it all again.
Peter Costello is a former Liberal federal treasurer.


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Kate's best friend Julie comes to Reed & Reed for a standard prenuptial agreement. But her father – a Tae Kwan Do master – has deep suspicions of his future son-in-law. Kate investigates, determined to prove him wrong – but what she uncovers shocks everyone.
Kate learns that mixing friendship and business isn't always easy as she helps a high-school friend with her pre-nup�or more specifically, with the pre-nup her father is trying to make her sign. Joseph Chang is worried that his daughter Julie's poor, parentless fianc� Eric wants a piece of the Tae Kwon Do empire Joseph and Julie have built, and he�s prepared to do anything he can to stop that from happening�even if it means driving a wedge between his daughter and the man she loves. But Kate's not about to let that happen, and she'll do anything she can to make sure the two lovebirds�and the disapproving father�find a way to become a family. And if she has to, she might even bust out some of her old Tae Kwon Do moves. The case hits close to home for Kate, whose feelings about her own father are cloudier than ever, thanks to the information David Smith has finally handed over. Now that she's learned more about her father's dealings with Smith and the founding of Reed & Reed, Kate has discovered that the past isn't always pretty. But that doesn�t means she's willing to let go of her search for answers.


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FLORENCE, S.C. – The Francis Marion University observatory will hold nine public viewing sessions during May that will offer visitors the chance to see a comet and other astronomical objects.
The observatory will be open May 5-8 and May 25-29 from 8:30 to 11 p.m. each night.
These observatory sessions are open to the public free of charge.
Beginning May 3, the Comet NEAT (C/2001 Q4) will be visible in the southwest sky at about 9:30 p.m. in the constellation Canis Major (the Big Dog). This comet will continue to rise higher in the evening sky through the month of May and will be visible to the naked eye, until it vanishes from view June 15th.
Currently in the early morning hours (around 5 a.m.) Comet LINEAR (C/2002 T7) can be found almost directly at due east under the Great Square of Pegasus. This comet is visible to the naked eye, but it is very low in the sky, and it will disappear from view after May 12th. Comet LINEAR will reappear around May 25 in the evening sky at sunset. It will remain low in the sky before disappearing again from view around June 6.
These loosely structured FMU viewing programs allow visitors to come and go as they please. If weather conditions block viewing, the sessions will be canceled. The public may call 843-661-1355 for recorded information about the prospect of a clear sky to allow the event to be held.
The FMU observatory is located beyond the outfield fence of the FMU Softball Field, south of the Smith University Center. Visitors can park in Lot D at the southern end of the campus and follow the walkway to the observatory.
Persons requiring special assistance to visit the observatory, or seeking more information, may call 843-661-1441. The observatory webpage is http://astro.fmarion.edu/observe/


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I have been at considerable pains to explain and vindicate this argument in my Ethics and Natural Law, pp. 13-21. The alternative to the acceptance of it is the view of Professor Stewart, -- and, no doubt, of Aristotle: -- "The theôrêtikos bios is an ideal: it cannot be realised by man, for he is concrete. But the effort to realise it, so far as possible, is all important in human life. The effort to realise it co-ordinates man's powers, it gives him élan, and carries him on to the attainment of many things within his reach, which he would not otherwise aspire to" (Stewart's Notes on Nicomachean Ethics, II, 448). Is man then a lusus naturae, who wins an insufficient pittance in repeated doles by ever asking for more? Is this what Ecclesiastes xii calls all man? We have then the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer granted to the rejection of the second, which scarcely looks like the fulfilment of the third. We have daily bread, but no kingdom come. We have the race progressing indefinitely, but all individual progress ending at no long time in a plunge into nothingness. Is not the case the same with all other animal life and with the whole vegetable world? To be sure it is, but man alone knows it, and his knowledge is his misfortune.
Of God and His Creatures: 3.48


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LATE-PCR and Its Allied Technologies maximum Information from a Single Tube Application to Mitochondria
Conference Recording Jan 07, 2013
About the SpeakerLawrence J. Wangh, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biology at Brandeis University and director of the laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and Global Health. He earned his B.A. at Brandeis University (1968) and his Ph.D. at Rockefeller University (1973) in Biochemistry. As a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow, Professor Wangh studied developmental biology in the laboratories of John Gurdon (MRC Cambridge) and Jamshed Tata (MRC, Mill Hill). Professor Wangh joined the faculty of Brandeis University in 1977 where he did seminal work leading to the invention of whole animal cloning.
Novel diagnostic technologies developed at Brandeis University, including LATE-PCR, ThermalightTm Probes, and PrimeSafeTm have been used to construct a closed-tube triplex assay for simultaneous analysis of sequence variation in mitochondrial genes in cultured cells, before and after selection for hypoxia resistance. Each gene target is several hundred nucleotides long and displays a characteristic "fluorescent signature" in one color. This signature undergoes distinguishable changes in response to each nucleotide alteration in the target sequence. For this reason we call this approach Virtual Sequencing. Virtual sequencing is first used to analyze all of the mitochondria from many cells to establish the fluorescent signatures of the complex population. Next, the fluorescent signatures of individual cells are analyzed to establish whether there are high-frequency mitochondrial DNA mutations in cells before and after selection. Finally, individual mitochondrial molecules within single cell are analyzed to reveal the extent of heteroplasmy in a single cell. This is the first thorough, cost effective approach to analyzing mitochondrial genome heteroplasmy. It is suitable for analysis of mitochondrial genome changes due to pharmaceuticals, chemicals, high levels of glucose, aging and many other factors thought to damage or alter mitochondrial genes over time.
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