text:
|N·mero de publicaci¾n
|Tipo de publicaci¾n
|N·mero de solicitud
|Fecha de publicaci¾n
|7 Ago 1984
|Fecha de presentaci¾n
|1 Abr 1982
|Fecha de prioridad
|1 Abr 1982
|N·mero de publicaci¾n
|Hugo Romero, Avi Arad, Dietmar Nagel, Melvin Kennedy
|Cesionario original
|North American Foreign Trading Corporation
|Exportar cita
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citas de patentes (7), Citada por (16), Clasificaciones (8), Eventos legales (7)
|Enlaces externos: USPTO, Cesi¾n de USPTO, Espacenet
The present invention relates in general to educational devices, and more particularly to a device which is capable of audibly stating questions and responding to manually-inputted answers to those questions with an audible indication of whether the selected answer is correct or incorrect.
Advances in electronics have motivated the design and development of an entirely-new field of educational devices for use by people of all ages. In particular, it has been recognized that children are capable of understanding and learning many subjects with relative ease even at a very-young age if properly motivated. Accordingly, efforts have been made toward the design and development of educational toys which not only serve as a means for amusement of young children, but also provide an educational aspect to their play which leads to an early learning of basic information in many subjects.
Many of the educational devices which are now being developed rely on the use of microprocessors and other complex electronic circuitry which not only provides a complex operating procedure, but also considerably increases the cost of such devices to the consumer. Unfortunately, the more complex devices which require intricate procedures for operation of the device cannot be used by younger children not only because they are incapable of performing such complex operations, but because such devices tend to lose the interest of the younger player rather quickly in view of the tedious and/or complicated operating requirements thereof.
Thus, devices have been proposed as amusement/hearing instruments which audibly reproduce questions from a magnetic tape and respond to a manually-inputted answer with an audible response which indicates whether the selected answer was correct or incorrect. Such a device is disclosed, for example, in the Freeman U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,972. However, all of these systems are characterized by the fact that the recorded questions and a response to each possible answer to the question are provided in separate tracks on the magnetic tape and selection buttons for answer selection are provided for direct selection, either electrically or mechanically, of one of the tracks on the magnetic tape for reproduction of the question and/or a selected answer.
The obvious disadvantage with these systems is the need for multiple tracks on the magnetic tape which not only provides for poor efficiency in the use of the tape insofar as the storage capacity thereof is concerned, but also limits the number of possible answers to be selected for each question. The result is a system which is complex, expensive, inefficient and may require a tape unit of special construction.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device of rather simple construction which is capable of providing an audio output in the form of a series of questions and of responding to answers manually input by the player to indicate whether the answer selected is right or wrong for that particular question, on the basis of coded information recorded with the question.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device includes a magnetic tape player which is capable of reproducing information recorded on a cassette tape, the recorded information comprising a series of questions spaced along the length of the tape with spaces between the questions which magnetically carry a coded answer to the preceding question, which recorded answer is automatically compared to a manual response by the player to determine whether the answer selected by the player is right or wrong.
A further feature of the present invention relates to the provision of a player of the type described in which the system automatically compares an answer which is inputted by selection of one of a plurality of answer buttons to a recorded answer and produces an audible response indicating whether the player's selection is correct or incorrect.
Another feature of the present invention relates to the provision of a player of the type described which requires only two tracks on a magnetic tape to record a question and substantially any number of selectable answers to that question since the determination of the correctness of the selected answer is accomplished logically on the basis of recorded information rather than by track selection.
This player may be provided in the form of a simple tape unit fitted with a stereo playback head. Either one of the two channels on the tape can be selected to be applied to the audio output, the channel selection being controlled by a combination of information recorded on the tape and the state of various decision or answer buttons as determined by a logic control circuit. A series of tones recorded on the tape provide an audible indication of the start of sequential question and answer periods, and these tones are also used by the logic control circuit in its determination of whether the correct decision or answer button has been depressed and to automatically switch between channels on the tape to announce whether the selected answer is correct or incorrect.
Thus, the present invention requires no complex or expensive electronic circuitry, but in its simplest form provides a standard cassette tape player and simple logic circuitry including standard circuit elements to provide a device having very simple operating requirements.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the talking player in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the basic electrical system for the talking player of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the information as recorded on the tape used with the talking player of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a more detailed block diagram of the electrical control circuit for the talking player of FIG. 1.
One embodiment of the present invention in the form of a magnetic tape player is illustrated in FIG. 1. The magnetic tape player includes a housing 1 which houses the magnetic tape playing device and the electronic logic circuitry necessary in responding to the manually-inputted answers to questions reproduced audibly from the magnetic tape. The housing 1 includes a keyboard which comprises a series of pushbuttons by which the operator inputs his answers to the questions audibly reproduced from the magnetic tape. Thus, one button carries the designation "A", a second button carries the designation "B", a third button carries the designation "C", while a fourth button carries the designation "D". Fifth and sixth buttons carry the designations "T" and "F" for true and false, respectively. As a result, the system may state a question to which there may be a plurality of possible answers designated "A", "B", "C", or "D", or the question may require simply a true or false answer. In response to the question, the operator simply presses the proper button on the keyboard indicating his selection of an answer and the system will then automatically provide an audible response indicating whether the selected answer is correct or incorrect.
The keyboard on the device illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes a rotary dial 5 and a series of keys 6 for controlling the magnetic tape device, which may be a cartridge or cassette tape unit. The rotary dial 5 when operated controls the volume to a speaker located behind a grill 7.
The set of keys 6 are the standard operating keys for the tape unit and may include start, stop, fast forward, rewind, pause and the like keys typically provided on a conventional tape deck. In this regard, the present invention is not limited to use with any special or particular type of tape deck, but may be applied to any cassette or cartridge deck of typical construction having a stereo read-out capability. In FIG. 1 the housing 1 is designed for a cassette tape deck, a pivotable cover 8 being provided to cover the tape playback station where the drive spindles and playback head are located and into which the cassette tape is inserted during use.
FIG. 2 illustrates in basic form the control circuitry for the device of FIG. 1. A tape deck 10 is the source for the recorded questions and answers which is provided in the form of a standard tape unit having a stereo playback head capable of reproducing magnetically-recorded information from one or the other of a pair of adjacent channels on a magnetic tape in a selective manner. The tape deck 10 is connected to a control circuit arrangement 20 comprising a pair of preamplifiers 21 and 22 connected to the respective output channels CH1 and CH2 of the tape deck 10, a gate 23 connected to receive the outputs of the preamplifiers 21 and 22, an audio amplifier 25 connected to the output of the gate 23, and a speaker 30 which receives the output signal from the amplifier 25. A logic circuit 24 receives information from the output of preamplifier 21 relating to the information derived from the channel CH1 at the output of the tape deck 10 and operates to control the gate 23 on the basis of a comparison between the information recorded in the channel CH1 and the information selected by the player via the switches 26. Depending upon the comparison operation performed by the logic circuit 24, the gate 23 is controlled to supply to the amplifier 23 either the output of the preamplifier 21 representing the recorded channel CH1 or the output of the preamplifier 22 representing the recorded channel CH2.
FIG. 3 illustrates the format of the recorded information on the magnetic tape which is provided in the form of a cassette tape or cartridge tape in the tape deck 10. As in the standard stereo recording format, the recorded information is provided on the magnetic tape in the form of adjacent channels CH1 and CH2 so that either the same or different information may be recorded in a side-by-side manner on the tape. At spaced areas along the length of the magnetic tape there are recorded a succession of questions, two such areas labeled question No. 1 and question No. 2 are shown by way of example in FIG. 3. In these areas containing the recorded questions, the same recorded information is provided both in channel CH1 and channel CH2, so that this information will be reproduced whether the audio amplifier 25 and speaker 30 are connected by the gate 23 to receive either the channel CH1 information or the channel CH2 information. This information may consist, for example, simply of a spoken question followed by a statement of various possible answers to that question. Additionally, any other type of narrative information which may relate to the question in any way can be included in these areas on the tape reserved for the statement of the question and the various possible answers which may be selected in relation thereto.
Following each space reserved for the statement of the question and possible answers thereto, a space A is provided which includes, first of all, a band A1 which extends across both of the channels CH1 and CH2 and includes a recorded tone at a first audible frequency, for example, 1750 Hz. Following the band A1 in the channel CH1 only, there may be provided a number of further partial bands in which the same tone at the first frequency is recorded. The number of recorded bands A1 and A2 indicate additively the number of the answer to the previously-recorded question. Thus, the band A1 will always be present and will always extend across both channels CH1 and CH2 so that regardless of the condition of the gate 23 in FIG. 2, the speaker will reproduce the tone recorded in that channel to indicate the start of the decision time during which the player is to make his selection of the answer to the question. If the correct answer out of those available answers is the first one indicated during the question period, then only the band A1 will have the tone recorded therein. On the other hand, if the second answer of the available answers is the correct answer, then both the band A1 and the band A2 will be recorded with the tone. Thus, the number of bands A1, A2 . . . A6 which may be provided during the recorded period A on the tape equals the maximum number of selection keys provided on the keyboard, as seen in FIG. 1.
During the period A on the tape following the tone band A1, there is recorded in the channel CH2 portion of the tape music, comments, or any other type of recorded information which it may be desirable to present to the player as he is considering the question and the possible answers thereto. Thus, the period A on the tape following each question period represents the player decision time during which he must decide which answer to the previously-stated question is the correct answer. During this period of time, he will hear from the speaker 30 music or other information, such as a restatement of the possible answers to the previous question, as he decides which answer to select.
Following the period A which represents the player decision time, there is a period B during which the system responds to the player's answer and indicates whether his selection of an answer is correct or incorrect. This period B includes a band B1 which extends across both of the channels CH1 and CH2 of the tape and is recorded with a tone at a second audible frequency which is higher or lower than the frequency of the tone recorded in the band A1 at the start of the player decision time. The frequency of the tone recorded in the band B1 may be, for example, 1350 Hz, which is reproduced by the speaker 30 regardless of the state of the gate 23 so that the player will hear this tone indicating the end of the decision time. At this point, the system automatically responds to the player's selection of an answer and provides a readout of the information recorded either in channel CH1 or channel CH2 of the band B2 of the period B. Thus, the player will hear either a statement indicating that his answer is correct, such as "you are correct" or "that's right", or the like. On the other hand, if the player has selected the wrong answer, the system will provide a response such as "that's wrong" or "your answer is incorrect" or a similar response. Following the period B on the tape, the next question period is provided.
FIG. 3 discloses the details of the electronic control circuitry which responds to the recorded information on the tape and controls the state of the gate 200 in accordance with the answer selected by the player by way of the keys on the keyboard. The stereo playback head 11 which forms part of the tape deck 10 provides respective outputs representing the information recorded in the channels CH1 and CH2 of the magnetic tape, as described in conjunction with FIG. 3. These outputs are supplied to the preamplifier 21 and 22, respectively, the outputs of which are in turn supplied to the gate 200, which selectively passes one or the other of these information signals through the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30, in the manner already described with respect to FIG. 2.
The output from the preamplifier 21 which represents the information recorded in the channel CH1 on the magnetic tape is applied to a tone decoder 201 which operates to detect the first frequency, i.e., the frequency of the tone recorded in the bands A1-A6 on the magnetic tape following the question period. Upon detection of the frequency A by the tone decoder 201, a squarewave output is applied to a delay and pulse-shaping circuit 202 which produces an output pulse applied to the SET input of a flip-flop 203 and simultaneously to a clock input of a counter 204. Thus, with the detection of successive tones at the frequency A which may be recorded in the bands A1-A6, the counter 204 is advanced to sequentially enable the outputs A1-A6 thereof which are connected to respective AND gates 205-210.
The decision buttons A, B, C, D, T and F which may be selectively depressed by the player in response to the stated question reproduced from the tape, will connect a logic level B+ to the second input of one of the AND gates 205-210 to enable that gate. In this regard, the decision buttons operate respective interlocked switches which permit depression of only one switch at a time. Thus, the player can only select one of a plurality of possible answers by depressing a given decision button on the keyboard of the device thereby enabling a single one of the AND gates 205-210.
The outputs of the AND gates 205-210 are applied through an OR gate 211 to one input of an AND gate 212, the output of which serves to reset the flip-flop 203. The state of the flip-flop 203 determines the state of the gate 200 which serves to select which of the recorded channels CH1 or CH2 are applied through the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30. For this purpose, the other input to the AND gate 212 is enabled by a pulse output from a delay and pulse-shaping circuit 214, the output of which is also supplied to the reset input of the counter 204. This circuit 214 produces an output pulse in response to a squarewave supplied by a signal integrator 213, which is connected to receive the recorded information at the output of preamplifier 21 in the channel CH1.
The system of FIG. 3 operates in the following manner. The state of the gate 200 which selectively applies either the channel CH1 or the channel CH2 through the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30 is unimportant during the reading of that portion of the magnetic tape which includes a statement of the question and selection of possible answers since this information is recorded both in channel CH1 and channel CH2 on the tape. However, when the tone at the frequency A recorded in the band A1 is detected by the tone decoder 201, a squarewave pulse will be applied to the delay and pulse-shaping circuit 202, which produces an output pulse setting the flip-flop 203 (if it is not already in the set state) and advancing the counter 204 so as to provide an output on lead A to the AND gate 205. At the same time, the operator will audibly hear the tone at the frequency A which is supplied to the speaker 30, indicating to the operator that the decision time for selection of an answer has begun. This tone at the frequency A is applied to the speaker 30 regardless of the state of the gate 200 since the tone is recorded in the band which extends across both of the channels CH1 and CH2. However, when the flip-flop 203 is set, (or if it was already previously set) the gate 200 will be switched to apply the recorded information from the channel CH2 at the output of preamplifier 22 through the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30. The player will therefore hear what is recorded in the channel CH2 during the period A on the tape, such as music, a restatement of the question and possible answers, or any other information. At the same time, the tone decoder 201 continues to detect successive tones at the frequency A which may be provided in the bands A2 through A6, depending on the numerical designation of the correct answer associated with the previous question. Each time the tone decoder 201 detects another band carrying a recorded tone at the frequency A, a pulse is provided at the output of the delay and pulse-shaping circuit 202 to the clock input of the counter 204 to advance the counter to step the enabled output from the previously-enabled lead A to the successive leads B, C, . . . and so forth, successively enabling the AND gates 205-210.
As an example, if the correct answer to the previously-reproduced question is an answer designated (C), a tone at the frequency A will be recorded in the bands A1, A2 and A3 and three pulses will be applied to the clock input of the counter 204 stepping the output thereof to the lead C extending to one input of the AND gate 207. During this decision period, the player will depress one of the decision buttons to close the contacts of the associated switch and connect B+ to the second input of the associated AND gate 205-210. If the player depresses the decision button C in the stated example, the AND gate 207 will be enabled by the output of the counter 204, providing an output through the OR gate 211 to one input of the AND gate 212. Thus, when the AND gate 212 is enabled, an output will be applied to reset the flip-flop 203 to control the gate 200 to switch the output of preamplifier 21 through the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30 thereby reproducing the information recorded in the channel CH1. As indicated in FIG. 3, this will produce an audio reply indicating that the player has correctly selected the answer to the previous question. On the other hand, if the player has selected any other decision button than the button C, none of the AND gates 205-210 will be enabled, with the result that the AND gate 212 will not be enabled and the flip-flop 203 will remain set. Under this condition, the gate 200 will continue to apply the output of preamplifier 22 through the audio amplifier 25 to speaker 30 so as to audibly reproduce the information recorded in the channel CH2. As indicated in FIG. 3, this will result in a reply indicating that the player has selected the wrong answer.
In addition to the audio reply indicating the correctness or incorrectness of the selected answer, other visual or audible effects may accompany this decision making operation. For this purpose special effects circuitry 225 may respond to the output of flip-flop 203 and circuit 214 to energize lights, horns, buzzers or the like for a correct or incorrect answer.
The timing for enabling of the AND gate 212 is controlled by the signal integrator 213 and the delay and pulse-shaping circuit 214 in the following manner. The signal integrator 213 responds to both of the recorded tones, i.e., the tones at the frequency A and the tones at the frequency B on the tape. Each time one of these tones is supplied from the channel CH1 to the signal integrator, a squarewave output will be applied to the delay and pulse-shaping circuit 214; however, the circuit 214 is inhibited by the output of the tone decoder 201 which detects tones at the frequency A. Thus, for each tone at the frequency A reproduced from channel CH1 on the magnetic tape, the delay and pulse-shaping circuit 214 will be inhibited preventing an output pulse to be provided therefrom to enable the AND gate 212 or reset the counter 204. However, when the tone at the frequency B which appears in the band B1 is applied to the signal integrator 213, no output will be produced from the tone decoder 201 so that the delay and pulse shaping circuit 214 will not be inhibited. As a result, an output will be produced by the circuit 214 which enables the AND gate 212 permitting the flip-flop to be reset if an output is supplied to the AND gate 212 via the OR gate 211, as already described. At the same time, this tone at the frequency B will be applied through the gate 200 and the audio amplifier 25 to the speaker 30 providing a signal to the player that the end of the decision time has been reached. Following this, the audible indication of whether the player has selected the right or wrong answer is provided from the tape as already indicated.
While the exemplary embodiment described herein has particular application as an educational toy for younger children, it should be apparent that the level or subject matter of the questions or other information recorded on the tape is not limited by the present invention so that the disclosed device can be used by people of all ages as an educational aid. For example, such a device can be used by students of all educational levels as an aid to studying for exams or for basic study of any subject matter at the selection of the user. In this regard, with the use of a cassette tape to provide the recorded information, one can select any subject matter for study with this equipment by simply inserting the proper tape in the device.
It should also be apparent that the present invention is not limited simply to a device for reproducing recorded information, but also can include the recording of questions as well. This can be accomplished in a manner similar to that provided in automatic telephone answering equipment which allows the caller to record information on a magnetic tape as a message. In this way, a student studying for an examination can insert his own questions and selection of answers on the tape as his course of study progresses, and he then may use that tape in studying for the final examination to review all of the subject matter provided during the term of the course.
Various other features which have not been specifically described or illustrated in the examplary embodiment may also be incorporated into the system in accordance with the present invention. Thus, rather than using interlocked switches with the decision buttons, an electronic keyboard may be provided in the well-known manner. In addition, light-emitting diodes may be provided on the keyboard to provide a visual indication of which decision button has been depressed.
In the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the signal which controls resetting of the counter 204 and enabling of AND gate 212 is derived from a signal integrator 213 and an inhibitable delay and pulse shaping circuit 214; however, it should be apparent that the integrator 213 may be replaced by a second tone decoder which is responsive to the frequency B, thereby eliminating any need for inhibiting of the circuit 214 from the output of tone decoder 201.
Further, while it has been indicated that the numbers of bands A1-A6 following each question provides a direct indication of the number of the correct answer to that question, it should be apparent that these bands A1-A6 could be provided in a pattern representing a digital code, and that more or less than six bands may be provided depending on the number of possible answers to the previously-recorded question.
While we have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the details shown and described herein but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications known to one of skill in the art.
|Patente citada
|Fecha de presentaci¾n
|Fecha de publicaci¾n
|15 Mar 1966
|6 Ago 1968
|Robert Lloyd Leslie
|Teaching machine systems
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|Nutting Ind Ltd
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|13 Feb 1973
|Westinghouse Electric Corp
|Remedial branching teaching system
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|6 Abr 1976
|Freeman Michael J
|Real time conversational student response teaching apparatus
|19 Mar 1974
|14 Dic 1976
|Foster Richard W
|Instruction machine
|24 Jun 1976
|14 Mar 1978
|Freeman Michael J
|Real time conversational toy
|24 Jun 1976
|3 Oct 1978
|Michael J. Freeman
|Real time conversational toy having secure playback response
|Patente citante
|Fecha de presentaci¾n
|Fecha de publicaci¾n
|11 Ene 1985
|20 Ene 1987
|Access Learning Technology Corporation
|Software training system
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|17 Feb 1987
|Bernard Migler
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|Epoch Company, Ltd.
|Interactive educational device
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|Access Learning Technology Corporation
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|1 May 1990
|Dunn Jeffery W
|Educational device
|29 Nov 1988
|29 May 1990
|Chi Wai Chu
|Multiple-user interactive audio/video apparatus with automatic response units
|16 May 1989
|18 Dic 1990
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|Machining data forming system for numerical control device
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|9 Mar 1993
|Arkelon Research
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|31 Ago 1993
|Avedis Baghsarian
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|30 Abr 1996
|U.S. Philips Corporation
|Consumer appliance having both explanatory comment and extra-linguistic signalization upon actuation thereof and reversible stepping between those two
|28 Sep 1995
|12 Ago 1997
|Microsoft Corporation
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|31 Oct 1996
|5 Oct 1999
|Intouch Group, Inc.
|Network apparatus and method for preview of music products and compilation of market data
|7 Jul 2000
|21 Ago 2001
|John B. Sterling
|Three dimensional board game
|24 Dic 1993
|13 Jul 1994
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|A consumer appliance having both explanatory comment and extra-linguistic signalization upon actuation thereof and reversible stepping between those two
|24 Dic 1993
|7 Sep 1994
|Koninkl Philips Electronics Nv
|A consumer appliance having both explanatory comment and extra-linguistic signalization upon actuation thereof and reversible stepping between those two.
|13 Abr 1992
|29 Oct 1992
|Frazer Concepts Limited
|Audio entertainment/learning system
|Clasificaci¾n de EE.UU.
|434/321, 434/335
|Clasificaci¾n internacional
|Clasificaci¾n cooperativa
|Clasificaci¾n europea
|29 Mar 1984
Owner name: NORTH AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADING CORPORATION, NEW Y
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:ROMERO, HUGO;ARAD, AVI;NAGEL, DIETMAR;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:004237/0574;SIGNING DATES FROM 19840312 TO 19840314
|26 Ene 1988
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|5 Feb 1988
Owner name: LOWINGER, ANDREW
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:NORTH AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADING CORPORATION, 1115 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10010, A CORP. OF NY;REEL/FRAME:004845/0271
Effective date: 19850808
Owner name: LOWINGER, RONALD
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:NORTH AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADING CORPORATION, 1115 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10010, A CORP. OF NY;REEL/FRAME:004845/0271
Effective date: 19850808
|7 Feb 1992
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|12 Mar 1996
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|4 Ago 1996
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|15 Oct 1996
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19960807


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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
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text:
'Self(ish)' @ Art Beat Gallery, Brussels – 11th June 2009
I am pleased to announce that a solo exhibition of my 'Self(ish) Characters' series of works will open at the Art Beat Gallery in Brussels next week, the opening is on 11th June from 7.p.m. and the show runs until 30th June.
Also I'm pleased to announce that I won the Royal Photographic Societies Rejlander Competition with my image 'Self(ish) Characters #14′, of all the entries the RPS said they felt mine was 'the most creative and that it was to a high technical standard.' (image below)
Tags: Art Beat, Belgium, Brussels, dan ponting, Exhibition, gallery, photo prize, rejlander, RPS, Self(ish)


text:
Black lights, cool music, mini golf and MONSTERS!
What is Monster Mini Golf?
It all began in 2004 with two quirky people cooking up a new recipe for a favorite good ol' American pastime. They converted an 80 year old outdoor concept to indoors, gave it a 21st century twist, a good dose of COOL and quite possibly created the coolest indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf experience and Family Entertainment Center on the planet. Imagine 18 holes of glow-in-the-dark mini golf surrounded by creatively designed, fun for all ages, animated monsters around every twist and turn! They move, they talk, they wiggle and they squawk...making our course a one-of-a-kind experience! And our monsters are only the beginning of this family entertainment experience. Beaming black-lights bring to life witty, comical, relatable pop-culture artwork belonging to the town and state of the location. All artwork is specifically created for each course and is uniquely designed by our team of Monster artists, making each a visual experience of its own. All of this sounds fun, right? Well there is more....
Broadcasting LIVE
The Monster Mini Golf founders thought our course needed a bit of music and some interactive fun! Therefore each course has its own internal radio station, W.I.R.D. (pronounced weird) Radio. Each and every hour that we are open for our guests, we are ON THE AIR! Once you enter, our Entertainment Team will not let you leave until you've had the time of your life. There's nothing normal about our golf course, and our entertainers are trained to prescribe memorable moments and hysterical laughter to all guests! Mini golf, monsters, music, arcade games and prizes...need we say more? Ready for family entertainment...MONSTER STYLE?
Ready for family entertainment...MONSTER STYLE?
Monster Mini Golf is fun, lighthearted, upbeat and appropriate for humans of all ages...the kiddos, the cool teens, the parental units, and even those hip grandparents. Our team of Masters of Entertainment are extensively trained to cater to all and do everything in our power to have everyone leave with a smile (big ones)! Monsters, Music and Mini Golf are our equivalent to Peace, Love and Happiness!
- Little Monsters - $9.98
- Big Monsters - $10.98
- Add Mini Bowling (5 frames), Laser Maze and Atomic Rush to a round of Mini Golf for an additional $5
Little Monsters - $14.98, Big Monsters - $15.98
- Add 30 minutes of unlimited Mini Bowling to any party for an additional $38.


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AGAINST: No power steering on early models, noisy, average finish with squeaks and rattles. French plastics.
VERDICT: Great character, superbly sharp steering and brilliant handling distinguish it from Japanese rivals. Short on comfort and luxury, it was overpriced at launch.
RATING: 3 *** (out of 5).
When the Peugeot 205 GTi arrived in Australia in the spring of 1987 it had two notable traits - a formidable reputation established in Europe since 1984 and a high price. At $30,000 on arrival, it was more than twice the price of the final few discounted Nissan Pulsar ET Turbo hatches and $12,000 dearer than the astonishing new Suzuki Swift GTi.
Nevertheless, the 205 GTi had Europe in its pedigree; it was dubbed the all-time definitive hot hatch. The original 205 GTi had sold in Europe with a well-tweaked 1.6-litre engine. For the Australian version, Peugeot borrowed the format made famous by the BMW 2002 - and dropped a biggish engine into a very compact car.
With the 1.9-litre engine used in the Peugeot 405 and Citroen BX, the very light 205 GTi had a completely different character from the likes of the Corolla Twin Cam and the Swift GTi. Rather than using high engine revs to achieve strong performance, the little Pug relied on effortless torque.
Flat-out acceleration matched that of the highly tuned Japanese models but the 205 always felt quicker and less stressed because it did not need to rev hard to give anywhere near its best. The engine, not especially refined or sporting on Australia's low-octane fuel, worked well in this application. The gearchange was delightful and so, for a short drive, was the unassisted rack and pinion steering.
A short drive? Certainly, the 205 GTi was a car to take briskly over your favourite road when the mood struck. But its steering - heavy at parking speeds and prone to loading up through corners, ie, feeling heavier as more lock was applied through the twisty bits - made it tiresome as a commuter.
There were other impediments to interstate tripping or hacking through the burbs. Overall noise levels were high. This Pug's interior, with so much painted metal, was spartan despite standard air-conditioning, and power mirrors and front windows.
Performance was impressive by hot hatch standards. Among comparably priced hatches, the tiny 205 lacked the style and refinement of the Honda CRX ($29,000) and the space of the Mazda 626 Turbo (also $29,000) and was slower than both.
Market positioning was a problem, with the car appealing to a small but dedicated band of followers.
Where the 205 GTi shone was in its agile, precise, adroit handling and the accurate road feel transmitted through that sometimes heavy steering.
It was also vibrant, right down to the red highlights on the trim and the matching bright red carpet. Finish was only so-so.
The interior treatment was improved for 1990. The dashboard and console were restyled and there was a new style of cloth trim. A three-spoked leather steering wheel and a full-width reflective plaque between the tail-lights distinguished this model.
The biggest changes came in 1991: 15-inch alloy wheels replaced the previous 14-inch items and a new engine of the same displacement (but still without either twin camshafts or multi-valve technology) gave 90 kW instead of the previous 75.
There were disc brakes all round instead of just at the front. Power steering and infra-red remote central locking made the vehicle more desirable and ownership more comfortable. These revisions also made the original model look overpriced and under-equipped.
On older GTis, the plastic dashboard and glovebox develop infuriating squeaks and the fuse holder can break up, especially if the car has spent much time on rough roads. A can of silicone spray should fix most dashboard squeaks. Other areas in the interior to show wear are the front seat bolsters which tend to get threadbare - from so much enthusiastic cornering.
The brake calipers can get clunky when reversing but a little lithium grease eases this irritation. The Peugeot price for a replacement fuel filter is $90 - which makes the $12 aftermarket item look attractive.
Ball joints may require replacement but generally the front end, like the rest of the mechanical package, is remarkably robust. Both the engine and the front struts were designed for the bigger Peugeot 405 where they also serve long and hard; in the lightweight 205 GTi life is even easier.
The toothed rubber cam belt must be changed at regular intervals.
What to look out for
Squeaks - In dashboard (and many other locations)
Camshaft belt - Replace if in doubt.
Ball joints - Check for wear
Clutch - Short-lived if abused
Fuse holder - Breaks under hard use


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80. You said the tax credit system was the biggest
change ever to hit you. What is the total cost to the Department
of setting up and administering this new system?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) Dave can tell you the cost
of new tax credits. I certainly do not have a figure to hand,
though I could probably produce one, for tax credits as a whole.
(Mr Hartnett) For new tax credits over a four-year
period the figure is about £1 billion.
81. The cost of administering it.
(Mr Hartnett) In staff, in computers and everything
else which goes with setting up something new.
82. Would that be a similar figure, would that
be a good estimate for what it has cost so far?
(Mr Hartnett) No; new tax credits, for example, has
a computer system which is eight times bigger, more complicated
or whatever, than for self-assessment. It is a much more significant
structure than working families' tax credit where we were actually
able to build, in part at least, on the computer systems which
came to us with the Family Credit Unit which became the Tax Credit
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) On a procedural point, just
to avoid my having to send you a note, may I say that I have been
characteristically modest. The Committee will have noted that
I said five times; Dave is undoubtedly right when he says eight
83. Although the Chancellor does not accept
that it is a form of social security benefit, would you agree
that the kind of compliance checks you have to run are rather
like the old DSS used to run?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) No, I do not think I would.
I have indicated in reply to an earlier question that the Department
of Social Security, now the Department for Work and Pensions,
does not apply the kind of risk based approach that we are applying
to tax credits. What we are trying to do, and obviously we shall
be talking with DWP and picking their brains as well, is to apply
the sort of compliance approach that we have found works well
for tax to new tax credits. Dave, with his sponsoring responsibility,
may want to add to that answer.
(Mr Hartnett) There are three stages to this. There
was the compliance regime which existed for benefits before tax
credits were introduced. Some new things have come with tax credits.
Nick mentioned one of the most important, which is risk assessment.
There is also a progressive compliance response now. In the past
it was essential for what is now DWP to consider prosecution in
order to make recoveries. We do not have to prove debt now, we
can use something like a tax assessment to recover money where
we have to recover money.
84. The Department of Social Security, or indeed
the Department for Work and Pensions now, has to be fairly intrusive
into people's family circumstances and arrangements. Are you finding,
because you are now administering tax credits, that you are having
to undertake that kind of intrusive work which perhaps previously
you did not have to do?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) It is not entirely new to us.
Although independent taxation has been in for some time, a lot
of our work has turned on households. For example, when an additional
personal allowance was paid to a single parent, we needed to be
sure that the person claiming that allowance was not living with
somebody as a partner. There are new elements to it, but it is
not as new as you might think.
85. It says in this report that you do cross-checks
with the Department for Work and Pensions and the data they hold,
"where appropriate" is the phrase used in the report.
Is it not always appropriate? Often the people you will be dealing
with will also be claiming other forms of benefit.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) No, it will not always be appropriate.
Our basic check is that the person says they are who they are.
We then apply a risk assessment. With new tax credits, much of
this will be done within the system. If there is an indication
that somebody is a risk, then we would cross-check with our own
data, for example, with the data warehouse to check on households,
we would cross-check with the Department for Work and Pensions.
With something like this, whether it is a social security benefit
or whether it is a reduction in the tax bill, there is obviously
a balance to be struck between proper and rigorous compliance
and making it easy to claim.
86. You are talking about risk assessment. It
says in paragraph 3.17 on page R14, ". . . 49,000 cases have
been referred to the Compliance Co-ordination Unit" since
October 1999. However, limited additional checking allowed you
to eliminate a further 22,500. The view here is that your risk
approach, particularly your risk scorecard, was basically a complete
waste of time.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) That is not wholly fair.
87. When you suspended it at 22,500 there was
absolutely no impact whatsoever on the effectiveness of your activity.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) Yes, but bear in mind that
a major purpose of the risk scorecard was to get staff administering
this new system used to doing the analysis of it. By the time
we discontinued it, it would have been second nature to many of
them. I am not saying it was perfect; clearly it was not. That
is why, iteratively, we concentrated on improving the risk scorecard
and re-introducing it. As I indicated to the Committee on previous
occasions, what we try to do with the whole spectrum of our compliance
activity, is constantly to refine our indicators and our analysis
of risk.
88. You further decided that of the remaining
26,500 cases you accepted for inquiry, you would not pursue 3,600
of those. The truth is that you are not pursuing a huge number
of these cases, are you?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) We are not pursuing them for
the sake of pursuing them, certainly. We identify the cases that
we think call for further investigation. If they do, we have quite
a lot of specialists working on this in tax credits, we then decide
whether it should be what we call an aspect inquiry or a more
comprehensive one. If there is only one point which needs to be
checked up, this is probably done most effectively on the phone
from the tax credits office. If more looks wrong, or if there
are certain factors present like the claimant having an undeclared
partner or self-employed earnings being involved, then we will
undertake a full inquiry with the local compliance teams.
89. Your inquiries take so long that by the
time you have completed them you find it very difficult to recover
any overpayment you have given because by then you cannot recover
it against the current award they have been given.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) That is not wholly fair. The
length of time for the inquiry looks longer than it actually is.
The time is measured from when it first reaches the relevant compliance
section. We conduct these inquiries in accordance with the code
of practice that we use for other areas of our business. People
must be given time to make their representations to us. As Dave
has indicated, if we find that people have had more credits than
they are due, we have a number of different mechanisms which we
can use to recover that money and we shall use them.
90. In paragraph 3.21 it says, "Delay between
an award being made and a decision being taken to recover an overpayment
creates a risk that an erroneous award will have expired by the
time the need for recovery has been established . . . These may
not be easily recovered and in some cases may prove irrecoverable".
If you speeded up the time you took to investigate these things,
then it would be much easier to recover the money, would it not?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) I can totally understand your
worry. I hope I can reassure you. The amounts written off from
overpayments are pretty small. The specialist debt recovery group
remitted under 1 per cent of the amounts sent for recovery in
2000-01. That amounts to under £35,000. Against some of the
background we are talking about, that is peanuts.
91. May I move on to a point Mr Davies made
before he left, which I found extraordinary? You have no idea
what the total number of eligible people is for these tax credits.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) How can we without knowing
what numbers in the population are earning below or have income
from self-employment below the appropriate threshold? That is
why we need to set off the numbers claiming against the Family
Resources Survey.
92. When the Chancellor of the Exchequer is
setting his budget, presumably someone must come to him, maybe
in the Treasury as opposed to your Department, and say they think
it is going to cost roughly X. They must have some estimate for
the total number of eligible people or the take-up.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) We would have an estimate.
93. What is the estimate.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) Ministers have talked with
the present credits in terms of expecting a take-up in the region
of 1.4 million; we are at 1.33 million.
94. Take-up is not quite the same as total of
eligible people.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) As you know, Ministers are
congenitally optimistic. I would have thought that represented
a fair view of the number they thought was eligible. I really
cannot give you a reply of the precision you would expect until
we have compared take-up with the Family Resources Survey.
95. You have been administering these tax credits
since October 1999. Your Family Resources Survey must have taken
two or three years to compile.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) This is the 2000-01 survey
relating to the accounts on which I am being examined.
96. So you have had previous surveys.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) Yes, but remember we are talking
about a system which came in at the end of 1999 and with payment
via the employer from 2000. In other words, we are talking about
the first full year of the system as reflected in these accounts.
97. It seems striking that when you heard you
were going to take over this system or set up this system, which
was when the Chancellor first announced it in 1998, you did not
say you had better conduct some surveys to see the likely household
expenditure and household incomes of the people you were going
to be dealing with, instead of waiting until 2002, to do this
survey in advance.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) I have to give you a `not-me-guv'
answer there. The Family Resources Survey comes within the responsibility
of the Department for Work and Pensions.
98. You could have got onto the phone to the
Permanent Secretary there. I am sure you are good mates. You could
have said it would be very useful to have one of these surveys.
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) We are very good mates. I am
sure that you, like me, have experienced the sort of reaction
that Rachel Lomax, for whom I have the highest regard, can give
to unwelcome suggestions whether from this Committee or from one
of her fellow Permanent Secretaries.
99. Why would it be an unwelcome suggestion,
apart from the fact that you have taken over half her empire?
(Sir Nicholas Montagu) It would require her to do
the job twice, and these things cost money.


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Long before Steamboat Springs was known for its world-class ski resort, the 150 geothermal hot springs that dotted the landscape were revered among Native Americans and pioneers alike. Regarded as relaxing and healing for the mind, body and soul, it was a bubbling hot spring that even inspired the name of the town. Today, two hot springs offer unique and memorable experiences. Whether you're looking for a fun afternoon for the family or a leisurely soak for those sore legs after a day of hiking or skiing, Steamboat's hot springs are the perfect way to put an exclamation point on the ultimate Colorado getaway. Get up to Steamboat Springs any time of year to experience these unforgettable hot springs.
There's no cooler place to check out Colorado hot springs than in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Nestled along the Continental Divide, the welcoming mountain towns of Buena Vista and Salida are bustling outdoor recreation destinations, with emphasis on hiking, mountain biking, skiing and whitewater rafting. Add the element of relaxing in natural geothermic waters and this central Colorado destination has it all. From historic and rustic to state-of-the-art spa facilities to cabin hideaways and unique natural creek soaking, the hot springs in Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado offer something for everyone. So whether you're an avid hiker, fervent paddler or simply an admirer of Colorado's natural beauty, the area's outdoor assets won't disappoint.
Located in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, Pagosa Springs is surrounded by three million acres of wilderness and national forest areas. Home to the world's deepest geothermal aquifer, the Great Pagosa Hot Springs was discovered hundreds of years ago by the Southern Ute Indians, and was respected for its rejuvenating and healing qualities. Today, Pagosa Springs features abundant outdoor adventure with 650 miles of trails, the most snow in Colorado in the winter months and nearby Chimney Rock National Monument. Pagosa Springs provides visitors the opportunity to enjoy the water, fish, hike, raft and bike without ever leaving town.
The mountains and canyons of Ouray County are filled with some of southwest Colorado's most iconic scenery. Ouray and Ridgway welcome visitors with friendly and charming downtown districts filled with unique locally owned shops, breweries, distilleries, coffee roasters, chocolatiers, restaurants, performing arts venues and festival sites, extensive lodging options and countless adventures that let you touch the mountains. Ridgway is a Certified Creative District, and Ouray boasts a downtown National Historic District of impeccably restored Victorian buildings. Ouray's hot springs have been a draw for the bone-weary for centuries. The same geologic forces that made the town rich in mining also produced large and pleasant hot springs, free of the strong sulfur smell that you encounter at many others.
Glenwood Springs is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, home to one-of-a-kind attractions that include the Glenwood Hot Springs, considered the world's largest mineral hot springs pool; Iron Mountain Hot Springs situated along the Colorado River; mountain-top Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, which features the highest-elevation roller coaster in North America; and the Yampah Vapor Caves, a naturally occurring underground steam bath. During the warm-weather months rafting the town's two rivers, hiking to Hanging Lake and biking along paved and unpaved trails are popular activities. Come fall, Glenwood Springs welcomes leaf-peepers and big game hunters to the area. In winter, skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling dominate outdoor itineraries. Glenwood Springs offers a full spectrum of lodging choices.


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Name of product/article
IO | Lacquered door
Hinged lacquered solid wood door
Solid Wood
Io is the collection of solid wood doors distinguished by creativity and modernity. Countless combinations of materials, engravings and original designs create a wide range of customisable models. Conscientious design and in-depth knowledge of materials are combined, resulting in a completely unique product for the decoration of highly distinctive spaces.


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Local Hero
Kevin R. Roberts has made it his mission to save New Orleans' neighborhood restaurants. 'We could wake up five, six, 10 years from now and a lot of them could be gone,' he says. 'I'm trying to turn on suburban people to the wonderful restaurants of New Orleans.' He singlehandedly writes and distributes the New Orleans Neighborhood Restaurant Guide , an opinionated survey of 40 neighborhood restaurants that serve quality Louisiana food. Roberts just completed the fourth edition of the guide. He chooses the restaurants based on their reputation, the meals he's eaten there and by asking restaurant owners where they go to eat. A photo by Roberts accompanies each listing and the book also includes recommendations for bars, juke joints and jazz clubs. The New Orleans Neighborhood Restaurant Guide can be found at area bookstores and retailers or ordered directly through Roberts' Web site at www.krrmarketing.com.
The Name Remains the Same
This weekend Restaurant Indigo (2285 Bayou Road, 943-1707; www.restaurantindigo.com) reopens with a new menu and new owners. The husband and wife team of Kerry and Michael Sichel moved from Napa Valley to New Orleans to open their first restaurant. Kerry Sichel, a Lafayette native, has worked in the front and the back of the house at restaurants throughout Louisiana and Napa Valley. Most recently she served as the general manager of Napa's Bistro Don Giovanni and Restaurant Angele . Michael Sichel, born in upstate New York, was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and cooked at world-class restaurants in France, Chicago, Napa Valley and San Francisco. When the couple decided to open their own restaurant, they were enchanted by Restaurant Indigo. 'It's beautiful and it's in a community,' Ms. Sichel says. The new menu will feature 'French country cuisine with a touch of Southern soul,' including whole redfish with white beans and sauteed calamari, seared tuna with an eggplant puree and an Angus burger topped with seared foie gras.
Wide World of Suds
In two hours, you can drink your way around the world at WYES' 22nd Annual International Beer Tasting (www.wyes.org/events/beer.html). Two hundred beers from every corner of the globe, including brews from Japan, Denmark, Germany and the United States, will be served from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, in the air-conditioned comfort of the Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena (6801 Franklin Ave.). Local home brewers will also offer samples of their craft. Representatives from breweries and distributors will answer questions, and the New Orleans Dixieland and Rag Time Orchestra will provide entertainment. Tickets are $25 in advance, $20 for seniors or groups and $30 at the door. Call the UNO box office (280-7222) or Ticketmaster (522-5555) for advanced tickets. All proceeds benefit public television station WYES (www.wyes.org).


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Where one mother testified before Congress about her painful decision to abort her fetus when an MRI showed it was missing most of its brain, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) scolded her for tearing that fetus apart and not carrying the baby to full term so God could kill it like He was supposed to. Congressman Gohmert proves once again that a brain is not necessary to be a Republican Congressman.
In Other News...
The Boy Scout Executive Board voted to allow gay scouts. God will start stomping on major metropolitan areas, probably on Tuesday (Monday being a holiday).
All this and more on today's LORD OF SATIRE PODCAST.
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Family in Conroe
needing a nanny for2 of my children of ages 22 mnths, 3 yrs, . My oldest would be starting school in august for half the day. . I am very limited money wise and can only budget 120 a week (total) please do not answer to this ad if you do not agree with the amount offered. Busco niera responsable... email or text 936-333-...
Family Details
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Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Educate us on H. Clinton
Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Bartimaeus, Dec 26, 2006.


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The Ultimate Sports Gift Guide
If you're looking to rack up some points with the sports nut in your life, we've got the necessary holiday gift guide.
Whether your favorite sports fan prefers the gridiron, the hardcourt, or the Octagon, tickets to an unforgettable sporting event will make for a jaw dropping present.
This time of year is prime for sports, with football, basketball, and hockey all in full swing. The NBA rules Christmas day, while the NHL takes over on New Year's at the Winter Classic. And with Super Bowl LI getting closer and closer, there's no better time to surprise them with tickets to see a live game. In addition to team sports there are tons of other events on sale now that'll make the sports fan in your life cheer.
Hoops fanatics are sure to be glued to the Christmas Day games, but all throughout the season you can take them to the next level with tickets to the game. Tickets to NBA games, March Madness, and NCAA Women's Final Four or the Harlem Globetrotters will also most definitely score you some points.
With single and multi-game NFL tickets, you can put your football fan right in the middle of the action to cheer on their favorite team. Feel like splurging this year? Treat them to a Super Bowl LI Package—the holy grail for any NFL fan. Plus, Ticketmaster has great seats to tons of College Football Playoff and College Bowls games so your loved ones can root on their alma mater.
The hard-hitting action of NHL goes down on the ice, but the thrill of attending a game can also make a heartwarming gift. What hockey fan wouldn't want to experience the Winter Classic, where the Bruins and Canadians will take over Gillette Stadium on New Year's Day? The NHL also offers fans in Minnesota and Denver the ultimate in open-air hockey action with more Stadium Series this season.
Know someone who'd rather be golfing? Tickets to the Masters or the US Open are a holiday gift hole-in-one, and there are tons of other events that will definitely get you on the green. The Players Championship, Barclays Tournament, and Cadillac Championship are all great choices to get your loved ones out on the links experiencing the excitement first-hand.
The BNP Paribas Showdown kicks off the professional tennis season every year, and tickets to a match are an ace gift sure to please any hardcourt fan. Your racquet-eer will watch active champions and retired legends go head-to-head in this single-elimination exhibition tournament at Madison Square Garden. Game, set, match. Other hot tennis events include PowerShares Series, Volvo Car Open, Delray Beach Open, and Miami Open.
Action Sports
Extreme sports offer awesome action and thrills for fans that like to live on the edge. X Games returns to Aspen, Colorado, while Air + Style is coming back to Los Angeles, CA for the second time, and snow enthusiasts won't want to miss out on all the jumps and spins live in person.
The hand-to-hand intensity of mixed martial arts has created a huge movement, and no battleground is more fierce than the UFC Octagon.
If your sports fans are looking for an all-out brawl-out, then give them the gift of live professional wrestling. With the WWE LIVE Holiday Tour hitting cities across America, tickets to a match are the ultimate seasonal surprise. WWE Live and WrestleMania are also great choices for treating your favorite fan to all the colorful characters and over-the-top action they've been looking for.
If you're looking to get a motorsports fan revved up this holiday season, we've got just the high-octane excitement you need. Monster Jam will give fans all the car-crushing, piston-pumping action they can't live without, while the Monster Energy AMA Supercross supplies speed demons with unbeatable dirt bike action.
Still looking for the perfect sports gift? Check out more sports events or view VIP sports packages.


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South Thomaston man nets 7 months for cash theft
Rockland — A 20-year-old South Thomaston man, arrested in April for his involvement in the theft of $200,000 from a Vinalhaven home, has been sentenced to serve seven months in jail.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office arrested Jacob Mondello and Vincent Hilt, 19, of St. George for going into an unlocked house on Vinalhaven and taking cash and a firearm.
Mondello was convicted of two counts of theft and sentenced to serve seven years in prison with all but seven months suspended.
He is also ordered to pay back $14,000 in restitution to the victims. As part of his probation conditions, Mondello is barred from having contact with Hilt, the victims, and is ordered to participate in restorative justice.
Detective Don Murray and Deputy Rob Potter investigated the case, which was first called in to police April 13.
Hilt will appear in Knox County Superior Court Sept. 22.


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Owned since new?
Owned for how long?
2003 year(s)
Buy this make again?
Under the bonnet8.0/10
More than enough horsepower for what is needed. Smooth and reliable. Good economy available if driven well.
Safety and security8.0/10
Brakes are very good. Car handles and responds well. Safety features supply a good feel for the car.
Quality and reliability8.0/10
We have never had any major problems with the car. Normal servicing would be the only maintenance required.
Overall verdict8.0/10
I have always liked Commodores and they have improved with each model owned. This has definitely been the best I have had. Solid and reliable with plenty in reserve. I haven't had to use all its muscle, but know there is always plenty to go. The car looks good and presents itself well. I would certainly be looking at a similar model when I look for my next vehicle.


text: We're almost finished with artwork and need to figure out the printing part. We are interested in printing on high quality paper suitable for an old map. The paper type we are looking for should be heavy paper (e.g. 170gsm) that appears old but durable (e.g. pergamenata) like a treasure map. It should not be glossy nor feel too modern but it can be smooth. It should be able to hold quality image resolution so I don't know if rag paper would work. Do you guys have ideas? Can you suggest some printers or paper suppliers?


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Photos: Sunny Leone thrills with her scintillating dance moves!
Zee Cine Awards 2017 witnessed the perfect cocktail of glitz and glamour with the crème de la crème of Bollywood coming together to celebrate the best of Hindi cinema. The who's who of the entertainment world bedecked and bedazzled rocked at the awards show.
The baby doll of Bollywood - Sunny Leone - set the stage ablaze with her drop-dead gorgeous looks and scintillating moves, giving a tribute to the most iconic dance numbers of all times! The pop culture dominated by dance numbers is the talk of the town with songs like Laila getting millions of views. Dressed in a shimmery pink outfit and making a dramatic and eye-grabbing entry ascending from a giant prop resembling a woman's eye with long lashes, Sunny Leone re-creates the magic on the stage.
The sensuous actress danced her heart out to songs including Madhubala's Aaiye Meharbaan, Helen's Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Zeenat Aman's Yeh Mera Dil amongst many more. The beautifully crafted act ended with her own latest chartbuster Laila o Laila from Raees. The actress left the viewers asking for more!


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Category: Web Element, Photoshop Template
GraphicRiver Retro Vintage Social and Web Buttons 1329228
Photoshop \ Web Element \ Buttons
Social \ Buttons \ Follow \ Vintage \ Pinterest \ Included \ Layered \ Download
Web Element - Retro Vintage Social and Web Buttons 1329228 by DesignDeposit @ GraphicRiver
Photoshop \ Web Element \ Buttons
A collection of vintage-style social and web buttons perfect for your websites, blogs, portfolios and profile pages. Transparent .PNG and layered .PSD files are included in the download.
Further information.
- - Layered, named and organised .PSD
- - 64 .PNG files – use them in your projects straight away
- - Resizeable – Vector shapes used
- - Easy to customize – change text, colors, textures and icons
- - .PDF Help File Included.
UPDATE Changes to version 2 include: Addition of Pinterest buttons.
Like this item? There's plenty more to see! Follow along with us.
Layered: No; Graphics Files Included: Photoshop PSD, Transparent PNG; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS2; Pixel Dimensions: 800x1200.
The Incredible Book; Express Retina Graphical User Interface ; Essential Button Styles; App Download Buttons; The Incredible Box; Creative Web Boxes; Giftcard Creator.
Keywords: Pinterest, buttons, comment, download, facebook, flickr, follow, follow me, google plus, like, linkedin, retro, retweet, rss, sign up, social, social media, social networking, textured, twitter, vimeo, vintage, web, web buttons, youtube.


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GraphicRiver Clouds Brushes 2 0 4032042
Script & Plugin \ Add-on \ Photoshop \ Brushes
Clouds \ Brushes \ Textures \ Photoshop \ Included \ Filters \ Collections
Add-on - Clouds Brushes 2 0 4032042 by GrDezign @ GraphicRiver
Script & Plugin \ Add-on \ Photoshop \ Brushes
Great set of 71 high resolution clouds brushes for Photoshop CS2 – CS6. Included 1 ABR file for Photoshop CS2 with brushes size 2500px and 1 ABR file for Photoshop CS6 with brushes size up to 5000px.
Files Included
- 2 ABR files
- Help PDF file
More Clouds
Add-on Files Included: Photoshop ABR; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS2.
Keywords: backgrounds, beautiful, blue, brushes, clouds, clouds brushes, clouds textures, cloudy, daylight, filters, fresh, high quality textures, hot, isolated clouds, natural, nature, new, photo, photo filters, png clouds, puff, puffy, sky, sky textures, summer, sunny, textures, transparent clouds, unique, white.


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Firelight Cottage
Firelight Cottage
Firelight Cottage
REPRINT please somebody help me vote!
Must have
love it!!! =)
Please reprint this tee.
I made that puzzle! REPRINT, please!
I love the art style on this.
I just bought this in a Guys medium and it's like 3 inches longer than the shirts I bought earlier this year. It seems that every time I buy shirts from threadless they're an inch longer than the last one. I understand that tall people need to be clothed as well, but maybe Threadless could make make a note explaining that anyone under 5'9 should expect to bone up on their shirt-hemming skills unless they want to look like they've swiped something from their big-brother's wardrobe.
haha love this, hate thomas kinkade
Bought this tee a couple of weeks ago. Love the design, but the colour of the shirt is a lot different to what you see in the photo. It's kind of a dark creamy kind of colour. Also, the quality of the shirt itself is lacking somewhat (and also quite large), compared to other shirts I've bought from Threadless.
Not complaining, I still like the tee, just forewarning anybody who might be thinking of ordering one :)
Got this one in my closet...
Agree with AidyTM, I really love the design, but the shirt quality is a disappointment.
why is this shirt so big?
Looks kinda like a thomas kinkade painting. I wonder if that is where you got your inspiration.
reprint size M plssssssssssssss
Ah, at last another being that shares my firey hatred of Mall Art.
reprint plsssssss
Please reprint guy's small for $10 :)
Prints please! Want it framed!
Now would be an especially awesome time to reprint this. You know you want to, Threadless!
Although I don't share in the Kinkade hate (poor guy) like others seem to, I do hope you create more robot designs. This is fantastic.
thats great!
Fantastic design, unfortunately the shirt itself is miles bigger than others purchased in the same size, making it unwearable. Hopefully you've rectified this issue or you'd have most people unable to wear after ordering, there was that much difference in sizing!
If this came in a boat or V-neck, I would totally buy it.
I love it!!!
OMG I f*cking love this. I don't think my wife will like me getting this... since i recently bought 7 shirts...
size is okay now?
size is okay now?
M reprint please?
I'd be happy with an M too ;)
'Spooky narrative, well executed; 'might just have to purchase!
Gave the first one of these away to a friend who loved it on sight. Can't resist getting another for myself again, so cool!
This is amazing
Yes, please REPRINT!!!
This is still one of my favorite shirts


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The depth of our grant writing experience cannot be matched! All of our professional grant writers have many years of experience in government or research organizations and working on complex submissions and documentation.
Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author.While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server.


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We'll have a page on Microsoft.com about this soon, but the offers are available now so I didn't want to wait to get the word out... plus I wanted to poast this info for everyone attending tomorrow morning's SQL Server 2005 Live Meeting.
Savings on related e-learning: Register by March 30, 2007 to receive 15 percent off all of the following collections on www.microsoftelearning.com. Use promotion code DBA5 at check-out. Subscriptions are valid for one year from date of purchase.
2. Savings on MeasureUp Practice Tests: Save 30 percent on practice test 70-431 and/or 70-447 when you purchase by April 30.
3. SQL Server 2005 instructor led courses from worldwide Certified Partners for Learning Solutions. Check to see if there's something in your area: Find SQL Server 2005 training offers.


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Results 1 to 1 of 1
08-14-06, 20:46 #1Registered User
- Join Date
- Jul 2006
- Posts
- 4
Unanswered: DNSless connection to Oracle not working
I can successfully link to an Oracle table from MS Access. It uses a TNS file. I now want to link to the same table via VBA and a DNS-less mode since I want the MS Access DB to be used on several computers.
I have been to CarlProthman's WEB site, to 4GuysfromRolla, I have KB193332 from MS, etc., etc. etc.
My successful DNS connection uses the following:
[copied from my TNSNAME.ORA file]
SOXP, SOXP.GES.SYMANTEC.COM = (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=ustu-soxdbspdin02.ges.symantec.com)(PORT=1531))(CONNECT _DATA=(SID=SOXP)))
My VBA & connect string are:
sConnect = "ODBC;Driver={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle}; Host=ustu-soxdbspdin02.ges.symantec.com;" & _
"Port=1531; SID=SOXP;" & _
"UID=hyp_read; PWD=as needed"
DoCmd.TransferDatabase acLink, "ODBC Database", sConnect, _
acTable, "OPENPAGES_SX_ENTITY", "nuENTITY"
Where I have tried Server= instead of Host=. Also tried \\ in front of host name. Also {Oracle} instead of above.
Can anyone please help??


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Let's Connect!
Hi! I'm Becky, the mom behind 'lil Burghers. We love working with companies committed to family, fitness, food, fun, or faith…and we love sharing about Pittsburgh, travel, and parenting multiples. Read more about us!
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Tag Archives: camping
Five Favorite Moments: Vacationing While Growing Up
The other night, my family got to talking about family memories, specifically vacations on a frugal budget. While the stories were mostly memories about how my Grandma made vacations (and life) special on essentially one income to raise seven kids, … Continue reading
Posted in Becky, Camping, Memories, Our Extended Family Tagged camping, Camping Out, memories, vacationing 36 Comments
Cook Forest Fire Tower
For my final post on our camping trip, I bring you the Cook Forest Fire Tower. This tower, no longer in use, gives climbers a gorgeous view of the forest. We cannot wait to experience it (hopefully with the kids) … Continue reading
Posted in Camping, Memories Tagged camping, Camping Out, Cook Forest, Fire Tower 2 Comments
Seneca Point
There is just something about sharing a beautiful moment with people you love. During our camping trip to Cook Forest State Park, we enjoyed a stop at Seneca Point. Here are some of our photo memories.
Posted in Camping, Married Life, Memories Tagged camping, Camping Out, Cook Forest, Seneca Point Leave a comment
Camping Must: Campfire Biscuits
() When I was a kid, one of the parishioners at my dad's church made AMAZING biscuit rolls over the campfire. These were canned biscuits wrapped around a dowel rod, held over the fire, and then filled with squeeze butter, … Continue reading
Pickle Barrel
If you are ever camping in Cook Forest State Park, or just up there to enjoy the leaves, make sure you stop at the gorgeous 'lil gift shop called "Pickle Barrel". It's full of fun items, Pittsburgh sports apparel/decorations, country … Continue reading
Posted in Camping, Memories Tagged camping, Camping Out, Cook Forest Leave a comment
Campfire Quesadillas
When we went camping, I wanted to be sure that I stayed true to my meal plans as best as possible. Sure, I let myself enjoy a s'more and a mountain pie, but I didn't get out of control. One … Continue reading
Posted in Camping, Dinners, Foodie Stuff Tagged camping, Camping Out, quesadillas, recipes Leave a comment
Tubing (Our Camping Experience)
There are several places you can go tubing when camping at Cook Forest State Park. We didn't really plan ahead, and ended up checking out three places before we actually hit the river. Take our word for it, make yourself … Continue reading
Posted in Camping, Married Life, Memories, Weekends Tagged camping, Camping Out, fun, River, tubing Leave a comment
Eggs in a Bag
() As I hinted in the first camping memory post, Missy wowed us with Eggs in a Bag. I know, it sounds really gross and I am sure you are skeptical that this would result in runny eggs and food … Continue reading
Posted in Breakfast, Camping, Foodie Stuff, Memories Tagged breakfast, camping, Camping Out, eggs 1 Comment
City Mouse and Country Mouse Go Camping
If you have never gone camping, do it. If you have never gone camping with your best friend, do it. A few weeks ago, the City Mouse (me) and Country Mouse (my best friend, Missy) decided to go camping. We'd … Continue reading
Posted in Becky, Camping, Greg, Memories, Weekends Tagged Best Friends, camping, Camping Out, Cook Forest, Missy and Tom, nature 6 Comments


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Diverse Format
Monday, April 21, 2014 at 10:47AM
Diverse Format is the final show of the Foundation Degree in Digital Design featuring Graphics, Photography and Illustration work. The exhibition showcases a broad range of creative flavours that will definitely have something for everyone.
Venue: The Old Post Office, 32 Southgate Street, Bath BA1 1TP


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Aurobindo Pharma Limited announced Thursday that it had received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its entecavir tablets in 0.5- and 1-mg dosage strengths.
Access to healthcare drove 82.9% more blood pressure screenings and 26.9% more diabetes screenings.
Mylan on Thursday announced the launch of lamivudine tablets, 100 mg, the generic version of Epivir-HBV from GlaxoSmithKline.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday launched a website for patients and caregivers on the safe disposal of needles and other "sharps" that are used at home, at work and while traveling.
An experimental vaccine for hepatitis B made by Dynavax Technologies appears to work better in patients with diabetes than current treatments, the company said.
Bristol-Myers Squibb will present 22 study abstracts next month at the 62nd annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in San Francisco, the company said.
A phrase like "silent killer" sounds creepy enough on its own, but it's an often-used one for a virus that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infects 1.3% to 1.9% of people in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved an additional use for a hepatitis drug....
"Systemic underfunding" at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Viral Hepatitis puts...


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When it comes to lead generation, knowledge is key. In order to best the competition, you'll have to stand apart based on your knowledge. Use the following ideas to help you generate leads. Always remember the buying cycle in your attempt to generate leads. Consumers frequently research items before making a final decision. You can […]
The post Lead Generation Advice Even The Pros Can Use appeared first on Joseph "The Ninja" Montes.
from Joseph "The Ninja" Montes http://bitly.com/2dWtVJZ
via IFTTT


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jaydenjaymes.com was registered 8 years 8 months ago. It has a alexa rank of #1,173,701 in the world. It is a domain having .com extension. This site has a Google PageRank of 1/10. It is estimated worth of $ 720.00 and have a daily income of around $ 3.00. As no active threats were reported recently, jaydenjaymes.com is SAFE to browse.
|Daily Unique Visitors:
|Daily Pageviews:
|Income Per Day:
|$ 3.00
|Estimated Worth:
|$ 720.00
|Google Indexed Pages:
|Yahoo Indexed Pages:
|Bing Indexed Pages:
|Google Backlinks:
|Bing Backlinks:
|Not Applicable
|Alexa BackLinks:
|Google Safe Browsing:
|No Risk Issues
|Siteadvisor Rating:
|No Risk Issues
|WOT Trustworthiness:
|Very Poor
|WOT Privacy:
|Very Poor
|WOT Child Safety:
|Very Poor
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|Not Applicable
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|Registration Date:
|2009-03-20 8 years 8 months 1 day ago
|Last Modified:
|2012-10-30 5 years 3 weeks 4 days ago
|Expiration Date:
|2017-03-20 8 months 5 days 12 hours ago
|IP Address
|United States
|United States
Join Universe Ltd. is a London-based digital agency with a large portfolio of internet projects in different industries.
Commercial real estate for sale & for lease. Commercial property listings, agent representation from Upstate to Downstate NY & more. Call (315) 445-1030
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Lenny M
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Behringer BCD 2000
I am keen on using a Linux OS, Windows XP is so damned expensive!, having just bought a Behringer BCD 2000 Control Dee-Jay & laptop (pre-installed with fake XP)to run alongside. The device enables manipulation of MP3, WMA formats, OGG & the like. I have checked out qbik.ch/usb/devices where it seems any drivers have yet to be written!
I guess there need to be sufficient interest in said product. So here's a pretty please to anyone out there...
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:58 PM.


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|Is bad document management spoiling
your compliance efforts? Learn how
to fix seven common document
management mistakes.
by James Jardine
Marketing Communications, MasterControl
Achieving regulatory compliance without any document management slipups is like walking through a dog park without getting your shoes messy. It seems nearly impossible to find a safe route to your compliance destination and there are countless potential mistakes you can make at any step along the way. Since the path to compliance is narrow and treacherous, here are seven examples of common document management mistakes that can jeopardize your compliance and a few ideas on handling these types of problems.
Inefficient Manual Paper-Based Systems
Managing documents manually simply perpetuates a wasteful system that is prone to error. Plus, manual document management systems are often responsible for introducing quality problems that can result in product defects and regulatory penalties. And don't fool yourself into thinking you're any better off with that hybrid paper/electronic system you've Frankensteined together. It's just as inefficient.
But you're not alone; most companies' document management and collaboration practices are still outdated, even in a modern world where technology simplifies everything we do. According to a recent Harris Interactive survey of knowledge workers, 57 percent of those surveyed reported that they're uncertain whether or not they are working on the right version of a document at any given time. Think of all that collectively wasted time!
Be cautious about buying into the belief that all your document management woes can be cured by a new software system, however. It's possible that technology can even contribute to bad document management because more inaccurate or outdated information is available than ever before or because the system you've chosen to implement isn't a good fit for your particular needs. Make sure that the electronic system fits your specific requirements before making an investment.
This article is related to the Whitepaper: Automating Document Control Processes. To get the full details, please download your free copy.
This article is related to the Whitepaper: Automating Document Control Processes. To get the full details, please download your free copy.
Disorganized Document Lifecycle Management
No matter how hard you try to streamline operations, it always seems there are tasks you can't make any less labor intensive. For most companies, document routing (e.g., for approval, distribution, archiving, etc.) is this very kind of time consuming, physically demanding chore. In fact, tracking vital documentation can become so complicated that it not only threatens efficiency but it can compromise compliance as well. Especially when the documents you need reside in several different locations. Matters are complicated further by the fact that your documents usually exist in different kinds of formats—spreadsheets, Word documents, CAD files, video, and every other file type imaginable. All these documents need to be managed securely throughout their lifecycle, usually according to the phase they inhabit along the lifecycle (i.e., draft, current, or archived).
An electronic system can alleviate the byzantine and manually burdensome aspects of document management. Plus, most high quality electronic systems are format agnostic and provide users with archiving and audit trail functionality that fully satisfy compliance requirements. Any authorized user should have the ability to peer into an electronic document management system to view a document or record's status, past versions, metadata, and approval history from the time it was created until its present state. Another added bonus is having all your documents in a central, secure repository.
Manually Conducted Revision Control
Nothing proves to regulatory authorities that your right hand doesn't know what your left hand is doing more than rogue documents. At best rogue documents only lead to minor inconveniences that waste the time of several workers and may necessitate some rework or scrap. At worst they can lead to product recalls and delays in getting your products on the market. Either way, they raise obvious red flags.
Certainly switching to an automated document management system with strict versioning controls is the most obvious means of controlling rogue documents. At very least you need to have a procedure for "self-destructing" obsolete documents at the appropriate time and a means to ensure everyone is working on the most current version of working documents. Most off-the-shelf automated systems are designed specifically to do just that, plus they usually include electronic signature, approval history tracking, audit trail, and related kinds of functionality geared toward compliance. In addition, the system's functionality should include the ability to send automatic notification of document changes, approvals, triggered training tasks, and escalations. If you plan to automate your document management system, be sure your system also includes some functionality for managing printed documents. An automated system can't help much if users are able to print hard copies of production documents that haven't been prominently watermarked with expiration dates.
Unintuitive Administration Tools
How is your document management system administered? Maybe it's a series of binders you have to hunt through to find the document you need. Or a room full of file cabinets managed by a fellow employee who nags you for a signature every time there is a manufacturing change. Chances are it's not as efficient as it should be.
Your system administration tools should make it easy to find the exact information you're looking for. Plus, you should be able to build a document approval route simply, without draining IT resources. You should also have instant access to a variety of custom or standard reports like audit trails, master lists, cycle times, and revision histories. An automated document management system can meet all of these administrative needs.
Lack of System Usability
Practicality is essential if a document management system has any chance of being adopted successfully. Users must be able to quickly find the documents they need to do their jobs. They also prefer to access information using the same point-and-click, drag-and-drop methods they're accustomed to using in the programs they work with every day. In fact, if a system isn't intuitively functional, it will be avoided whenever possible. That's why browser-based document management systems continue to gain popularity. They are familiar, easy to use, and helpful for connecting employees, customers, and supply chain members regardless of their physical location. Users also benefit greatly from systems that feature search capabilities that allow them to find documents based on keywords or word strings.
Closed System Architecture
It is nearly impossible to compile useful information about product quality and compliance if you are gathering data from incompatible sources and disparate applications. Open system architectures, platforms and industry-common SQL database technologies can provide you with flexible integration gateways across the quality system so you can connect vital processes (e.g., integrate nonconformance with training, tie customer complaints to CAPA, etc.). If you are able to connect your quality systems more efficiently and across more points along the value chain, you will be able to leverage your data better and make more proactive, informed decisions about your product.
Inadequate Implementation and Validation Tools
If you are doing business in a regulatory environment and you are implementing an electronic document management system, you'll need a system that can be installed and validated according to regulatory guidelines. Your willingness (or inability) to tolerate any risk of noncompliance and bear the validation workload will dictate the level of validation you'll need. Some vendors are prepared to do all the heavy validation lifting, while others are more than willing to let you sink or swim on your own. Which you choose is entirely dependent on the risk tolerance of your organization. What is vital, however, is that you ensure that the solution provider has been audited by companies relative to your own in terms of size and industry and that the provider has a respectable user-base of references.
The availability and quality of educational and training tools is another vitally important element of the decision to implement an electronic document management system. There should be an adequate variety of training tools for both beginning and advanced system users that not only provides thorough education on the system but is adaptable to your industry and unique business culture.
When it comes to maintaining compliance, an electronic document management system can be a life saver. An electronic solution can help you streamline operations, accelerate compliance, and reduce the time it takes to get your product to market. Just remember that no matter how great the technology is, bad document practices will only lock in systemic problems and reinforce adverse document management issues.
James Jardine is a marketing communications specialist at MasterControl. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah and is based in MasterControl's headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Creating a Paperless Process Using MasterControl
Watch Related Videos:How MasterControl Makes Your Job Easier
Creating a Paperless Process Using MasterControl
Related Links
- Document Management Software Systems
- Version Control Management
- Document Control
- Document Control Software Systems
- Electronic Document Control
- Document Management
- Content Management Software System
- Quality Management Document Control
- PDM Software Systems
- Document Control Interface
- Automating Document Based Processes
- Document Collaboration Software Systems


text: Nothing wakes you up in the morning as stumbling out to see what the strange noise is coming from the filter and feeling cold water on your bare feet. Child/dog vomiting sounds come in a close second. The pipe with the output for my skimmer fell off and the resulting water pressure from the skimmer was strong enough to pour out of my sump. I approximate around 55 gallons was aiming for my floor, but 30 gallons was caught by the towels under the sump built into the stand. Of the remaining 20 gallons, 10-15 was absorbed by the oriental rug, leaving 5-10 gallons on the wood floor. Definitely no fun, but not insurmountable. I explained to my wife that if the tank had a leak in the bottom glass we would have felt it when we got out of bed at the other end of the house.(240 gallons + 100 gallon sump) I have 2 screamers that are sitting in their cases next to the tank stand that I will install today. The good news is that: the new top-off system I made works, it was empty - 5 more gallons of water for the floor . The pump didn't burn out because the pump is lower than the sump . The stand filled with towels idea worked and saved alot of damage. The rug is a cheap replica and can be dried out outside with no damage . It didn't kill me, so I must be stronger (yet for some reason I still bench the same. )