text:
Security module for a printing apparatus
A security module is operatively disposed at the hardware/software interface within a printing apparatus. The module is disposed along a connection which acts as a medium for command signals to operate the printer hardware, and for status signals to indicate physical conditions within the hardware. The security module facilitates security procedures which control aspects of printer operation, particularly the creation of MICR characters.
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The present invention relates to a security module which can be incorporated within a printing apparatus, particularly as to control the production of magnetic-ink-character-recognition (MICR) documents such as checks.
Printing apparatus for rendering images on paper in response to digital data from a computer, such as electrophotographic "laser" printers and ink-jet printers, are familiar in many offices. Recently, the technology which is used in such printers has been found to be applicable to the creation of documents having magnetic-ink, or MICR, characters therein. These MICR characters are familiar as the characters which appear at the bottom of checks. MICR characters are typically numerical characters which are rendered in an ink having magnetic material therein, so that when the characters are run across a magnetic read head, the changing magnetic flux on the readhead caused by unique individual MICR characters create identifiable magnetic flux patterns in the read head. Each individual character (such as the numbers 0-9) has a unique magnetic flux pattern associated therewith, so that the characters can be rapidly read through the read head in an automated check-sorting process. In the United States, the font used for such MICR characters is known as "E13B," although another font having the same function, known as "CMC7," is used in other countries.
Because MICR characters (defined as characters formed on a substrate with a magnetic material, with a font readable by a standard read head) are often used to create documents of value such as checks, security measures must be provided to prevent unauthorized creation of fraudulent documents. In the context of digital printing, such as electrophotographic or ink-jet printing, security measures for preventing unauthorized creation of MICR documents can follow one or more of three strategies: security procedures may be required for (a) access to the printing apparatus in general; (b) access to the magnetic- or metallic-based printing material, such as toner or liquid ink; or (c) access to the software by which MICR characters are created. The reason that alternatives (b) or (c) may be preferable to (a) is that, particularly for a large-scale work-group printing apparatus, the apparatus in general may be desired to be used by a large number of networked users for general purposes such as printing letters. In such a case, security procedures may be required only when MICR documents are created, with the apparatus being generally free for printing other documents. It is a possible design option that a large-scale printing apparatus may provide a plurality of marking devices, such as xerographic development units or ink-jet ink supplies, only one of which includes the magnetic-based marking material for MICR characters. What is meant by "security procedures" is any provision for restricting access, such as the entering of a password by one or more persons, the insertion or sweeping of an authorization card, or even a physical locking of hardware, such as with a lock and key.
In providing a security system for a printing apparatus capable of producing MICR documents, a highly desirable feature is that the security system can be "retrofitted" in an existing printer design, or even in a pre-existing individual printing apparatus. In this way, a security system could be provided as a simple option to a type of printing apparatus with which the customer is already familiar, or a security system could be designed for use with a printing apparatus manufactured by another vendor.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 264,808 discloses a system for separating the information on documents involved in accounting or banking transactions and for placing control of the processing of the transaction on the separated information, instead of on the documents themselves. An "image lift unit" generates an electronic image of each of a series of documents and also tags the documents with identification indicia to provide entry records which can be processed by a computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,719 discloses a reproduction system for confidential documents which include image portions formed with magnetic or metallic toners. The reproduction apparatus is capable of reproducing a visible image with non-metallic pigment corresponding to one portion of the desired image and using metallic or magnetic pigment in a second portion of the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,875 discloses a control system for a digital printer, which is coupled between the host computer and the raster image processor of the printer. Bidirectional communication exists among the host, the printer, and the microprocessor on which the control system is operative. The system includes an audit trail feature which enables the printer to maintain a record of generating negotiable instruments such as checks.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising an image output terminal for rendering an image on a surface according to imagewise digital data. The image output terminal includes a command receiving element for operating a mechanical element of the image output terminal in response to a command signal, and a status element for producing a status signal in response to a condition within the marking engine. An electronic subsystem is adapted to output imagewise digital data and a command signal to the image output terminal, and to receive a status signal from the status element. A connection between the image output terminal and the electronic subsystem acts as a medium for passage of command signals and status signals therethrough. A security module, having a security algorithm associated therewith, is operatively interposed along the connection between the image output terminal and the electronic subsystem. The security module receives a command signal, processes the command signal according to the security algorithm, and selectably outputs an altered command signal to the image output terminal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a security module for a printing apparatus. A logic unit appliers a security algorithm to a command signal from an electronic subsystem which outputs imagewise digital data and a command signal to an image output terminal for causing the image output terminal to render a desired image on a surface according to the digital data. The logic unit outputs an altered command signal to the image output terminal in response to the security algorithm.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a systems diagram showing essential elements of a printing apparatus known in the prior art;
FIG. 2 is a systems diagram showing a printing apparatus in operation with a security module according to one aspect of the present invention; and
FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of two possible physical configurations of the security module according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the essential elements of a printing apparatus according to the familiar "personal computer" model known in the prior art. According to this model, a host computer 10, such as a familiar personal computer, is connected by a bus 12 to a printer generally indicated as 14. It is to be understood that the bus 12 could be in the form of a network, and that a number of host computers 10 may selectably address the printer 14 through bus 12 by means such as the "Ethernet" protocol.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, printer 14 is conceptually divided into two portions, an electronic subsystem (ESS) indicated as 16 and an image output terminal (lOT) indicated as 18. This division of a printing apparatus is in fact fairly common in the design of digital printers.
Turning first to the image output terminal, lOT 18 is intended to encompass all of the electro-mechanical hardware which is directly relevant to creating marks on a sheet according to imagewise digital data. Such hardware is typically related to either a electrostatographic or ink-jet printing technique. As such, lOT 18 is further divided in FIG. 1 into distinct portions, such as imager 20 and transport 24. These general terms can be applied to many types of printing techniques. For example, if printer 14 is a xerographic "laser" printer, imager 20 would typically comprise a raster output scanner (ROS) laser, which outputs a scanning beam which is modulated according to digital data, while the transport 24 includes a photoreceptor having a charged surface, which moves past the imager 20 so that the laser can selectably discharge desired areas to form an electrostatic latent image which is subsequently developed with toner and transferred onto a print sheet (by means not shown). If printer 14 is of the ink-jet type, imager 20 may be in the form of a ink-jet printhead, and transport 24 may be in the form of a paper transport which causes the print sheet to move past the ink-jet printhead may selectably deposit liquid ink in desired areas on the sheet to form the image. What is important is that imager 20 accepts digital video data directly representative of the image desired to be printed, while transport 24 is a mechanical element which enables the imager 20 to create the desired image on a sheet which is output on the printer, such as through path 28.
Electronic subsystem or ESS 16 represents the portion of the printer 14 which directly controls the hardware in lOT 18. As can be seen in FIG. 1, there exists a video line 30 from ESS 16 to imager 20 of lOT 18. Video line 30, which may be in the form of a serial cable or parallel bus, applies digital data to the imager 20 so that the imager may modulate a laser beam in a raster output scanner or selectably activate individual ejectors in an ink-jet printhead. There is also at least one (and typically more) command line 32, along which ESS 16 outputs any number of command signals to particular mechanical elements in lOT 18. A "command signal" should be understood as a signal which is directly operable on a mechanical element, such as a motor or a relay, within the lOT 18. The mechanical element, therefore, can be seen as a "command receiving element," because the mechanical element performs a function (e.g., a motor starts rotating, or a fuser warms up) in response to a command signal from the ESS 16.
As command signals go from ESS 16 to a command receiving element such as 24 in lOT 18, lOT 18 can output status signals to ESS 16. FIG. 1 shows an example detector 34 which outputs a status signal along status line 36 back into ESS 16. One common function of a detector such as 34 is to determine, such as by a mechanical trip switch or a photodetector, whether a print sheet is properly positioned within the lOT 18 at the beginning of a print cycle. Of course, if no print sheet is properly fed in the lOT 18 at the beginning of a print cycle, there will be no sheet on which to form the image; if sheets are improperly fed, the lOT 18 will jam and the desired image will not be successfully printed. These are two examples of many possible conditions which can be detected by one or more detectors in a manner which is familiar to those of skill in the art. For present purposes, what is important is that a detector 34 having a particular purpose related to a physical condition within lOT 18 (e.g., a sheet is not available in a particular position, more than one sheet has been fed onto the transport) is capable of outputting a status signal 36 to the ESS 16, the status signal 36 having a predetermined meaning relevant to the operation of lOT 18. For example, detector 34 could output a digital 1 when a particular mechanical sequence has been successfully performed in the lOT 18, or could output the digital 1 status signal if a malfunction is detected; the actual configuration and meanings of any particular status signal will depend on the specific design of the lOT.
In addition to controlling the mechanical elements of lOT 18 through command line 32 and receiving status signals through status line 36, a key familiar function of ESS 16 is to receive from host 10 a stream of information relevant to the desired image to be printed. Typically, a "page description language" technique is used. Under this familiar technique, host 10 outputs a set of characters in ASCII or similar format, along with instructions to the ESS 16 to render these characters in a particular font. The desired font is in the form of bitmaps which are sent along video line 30 to imager 20 for creating each individual character as required. These bit maps are typically stored at ESS 16, although it is also possible that ESS 16 could accept the bitmaps for an unusual font from another computer as required. This is the general technique carried out by page description languages such as HP-PCL or PostScript.
The video line 30, command line 32, and status line 36 shown in FIG. 1 are collectively indicated as a "connection" 40, which acts as a medium for passage of command signals and status signals therethrough. In a physical manifestation of a printer such as 14, the various connection between the ESS 16 and the lOT 18 are formed on a single cable harness which provides the interconnect at the ESS/lOT interface. In one common hardware design, such a connection is in the form of a 26-pin plug and socket arrangement which forms this connection. The twenty-six pins are variously assigned different functions, according to a particular printer design, and many of the pins may not be used, but some typical arrangements of these pins and the cable harness forming connection 40 include two lines for the video data (generally corresponding to video line 30), two lines for "line synchronization;" two lines for "start of scan synchronization;" and one line for "page synchronization." All of these parameters are relevant to proper operation of a raster output scanner in an electrophotographic printer, and their functions will be apparent to one of skill in the art. Typically two further pins are provided for the output of status signals and two pins are set aside for command signals. Whatever the specific meaning of "status" and "command" signals in any particular printer design from a particular vendor, these definitions of status and command signals as required to describe the present invention are defined in the specification and claims herein.
As mentioned above, if a printer such as 14 is used for the creation of MICR characters (that is, characters formed with a magnetic or metallic-based material using particular MICR fonts), it will be desirable to provide a security system to restrict access either to the printer 14 as a whole, or else to one or both of the magnetic marking material, or the special MICR fonts. According to the present invention, there is proposed a security module, capable of requiring various security procedures, which function at the interface indicated as connection 40 in FIG. 1. That is, the security module of the present invention operates at the software/hardware interface within the printer 14.
FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the operation of a security module 100 according to the present invention as it interacts with the ESS 16 and lOT 18 of printer 14, as well as with the host computer 10. The function of security module 100 is to accept the usual input of characters and other information from computer 10, and in general most of such information is directly passed through ESS 16, such as through a bus or other connection 102 where the information is processed by the ESS 16 for printing as though the security module 100 were not there.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, only certain information from host 10, specifically that information relating to MICR characters (either because the characters are intended to be printed with magnetic material, or are intended to use a MICR font), security module 100 causes such information to be processed according to a "security algorithm." As used in the specification and claims herein, a security algorithm is a program or portion of a program in which a user is required to enter a security procedure in order to perform a particular function which is requested of the printer 14. Such a "security procedure" may include, for example, the entry by one or more persons of unique passwords; the insertion or sweeping of a magnetically-encoded card; or the turning of a key-operated switch. Alternately, an arrangement may be provided which combines various security procedures, such as providing an external box in which a key must be used to access a slot for the encoded card. These security procedures may be required by the security algorithm to permit a particular user to either access printer 14 in general; access a particular source of magnetic printing material (such as a development unit or liquid ink supply) within the lOT 18; or to use the ESS 16 to create MICR fonts such as E13B or CMC7.
FIG. 2 shows how security module 100 of the present invention is arranged along the connection between ESS 16 and lOT 18 in such a manner that security module 100 is operatively interposed along both command line 32 and status line 36. In this manner, command signals from ESS 16 intended for lOT 18 will be subject to the functions of the security algorithm within security module 100, and similarly certain status signals 36 from lOT 18 intended for ESS 16 may be subject to alteration by security module 100.
According to the present invention, when any particular status signal or command signal which may be relevant to a security function passes along the connection and also through security module 100, security module 100 will process the signal according to the security algorithm and if necessary alter the signal before it reaches its destination within printer 14. By "altering" a signal, it is meant that security module 100 may output a different signal in place of the received signal, or may select to simply not transmit the signal, or send a signal to someplace besides the place where the original signal was intended to go; that is, the "altered signal" may in fact be no signal. The application of the security algorithm, and the selectable output of an altered command or status signal in reponse to the security algorithm being applied to an original command or status signal, is carried out by a "logic unit" (not shown) within security module 100. Such a logic unit may be embodied by, for example, a suitably-programmed microprocessor operatively connected to command lines 32 and status lines 36.
To take concrete examples of this principle of the security module, consider a basic case where host 10 instructs the printer 14 to print certain characters with the E13B MICR font, in a document having characters of various other fonts as well. Information relating to the other fonts will be simply passed through along bus 102 for use by the ESS, and are never touched by security module 100. Optionally, the ASCII characters intended to be printed in the MICR font can be passed along to the ESS 16 as well without alteration. The information from host 10 which of interest to security module 100 would be the instruction to print certain characters with the E13B font. In order to print such characters, security authorization will be needed. It is the purpose of the security algorithm within security module 100, upon noting this important font instruction, to check, through software means which would be familiar to one of skill in the art, to see whether the particular requester at host 10 is authorized. As mentioned above, this authorization can come from the entering of a suitable password by the user on host 10 (and also optionally, another password issued by a systems administrator at another host or at a panel on the security module 100 itself), or the insertion or sweeping of a magnetically readable card at the security module 100. This card entry is shown generally as 110 as a portion of security module 100.
Whether or not the proper authorization is manifest in one of the security procedures will effect the behavior of signals passing through 100. In one simple case, it will inevitably be required that a command signal eventually come from ESS 16 through line 32 into lOT 18 in order to start the printing process. If the security algorithm in the security module does not receive the necessary security procedure, security module 100 can function to prevent any use of the lOT 18 by altering the signal from ESS 16 that starts the transport, by outputting no signal where the start signal would have been. This would be the most obvious method of preventing printing of an unauthorized MICR document. However, depending on the particular design of the lOT 18, a different alteration of the command signal can be made. For example, if the lOT 18 has two available sources of marking material, one magnetic and one non-magnetic, such as two development units or two liquid ink supplies, the altered signals on command line 32 could alter the request to use the magnetic marking material and substitute therefore a request to use the non-magnetic marking material, such as by activating one development unit instead of the other. In this way, the lOT 18 will output the desired image, except not with the magnetic material necessary for MICR characters.
Security module 100 can also be used to respond to status signals on status line 36, where such status signals are relevant to security considerations. For example, it is a common design in work group printing apparatus that if there is a misfeed or paper jam within the lOT 18, the lOT 18 will be controlled by the ESS 16 to simply print out the misfed image once again on a subsequent sheet. However, if a series of checks are being produced, this fairly common recovery technique could result in the production of two checks where only one was intended. Thus, a paper jam or misfeed detected by a detector 34 in lOT 18 could present a security problem. So, when a detector such as 34 outputs a particular misfeed or paper jam status signal on status line 36, security module 100 outputs back onto line 36 an altered signal, such as a signal to override the programming in ESS 16 that would cause a reprint, and also may output either on status line 36 or through bus 102, an instruction to display some sort of error message at a graphical user interface responsive to the ESS, such as shown here by 120. This error message, which may read something like "Paper misfeed at printer, check number 101 not printed" may also be communicated through connection 12 to host 10 as needed. In this way, security module 100, which is operatively disposed along command signal line 32 and status signal line 36, can be made sensitive to any behavior of the ESS or lOT which may have a security implication.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the "secure" font for printing MICR characters, such as the E13B font or the CMC7 font, is preferably resident directly on security module 100, and is not immediately accessible to ESS 16 as would other fonts such as Roman. Such a "font card" is shown in FIG. 2 as 112. Under this arrangement, when host 10 presents a request to printer 14 to print in a MICR font, ESS 16 must request and access the font card 112 through security module 100. Ordinarily, for other fonts, the bitmaps for the fonts are resident within ESS 16, and typically placed in a hard or non-volatile form such as in a read-only memory. When the MICR font is accessed through security module 100, assuming that the necessary security algorithms have been satisfied, the bitmaps for the font are entered through bus 102 into ESS 16, but placed in ESS 16 in a non-permanent form such as in a volatile memory. The MICR fonts can then be used by ESS 16 as though they were resident fonts, but, significantly, these bit maps are erased or otherwise made inaccessible when certain predetermined external events occur to ESS 16. For example, security module 100 or ESS 16 could be programmed to erase the bitmaps in response to a power shut off, the printing of a certain number of prints, or the end of a job. Further, it is conceivable that either security module 100 or ESS 16 could include means by which a running total of all check amounts printed by a particular user could be compiled over time and compared to an available account kept elsewhere in the system. The important function is that access to the font card 112 is only temporary and can be revoked as part of the security algorithm in security module 100.
Another security aspect of font card 112 may be that the font card can in fact be placed on a physically removable card, such as a PCMCIA card, which can be selectably inserted and removed from the security module 100 to further prevent unauthorized access to the font. In order to access the font card, a particular user may have to physically obtain the card 112 from an authorized person. Further, there may be provided on the security module 100 a key mechanism such as shown as 114, which may operate to selectably shut any opening in which the font card 112 is to be inserted. The font card 112 may include, in addition to the MICR character font bitmaps, other security-sensitive bitmaps, such as a corporate logo.
Another feature of practical importance to security module 100 is the availability of a memory for keeping records of all MICR documents made by the printer 14. Such an "audit trail" memory is illustrated in FIG. 2 by non-volatile memory (NVM) 130. Such a "memory" could include, for example, an instantaneous hardcopy printing of a record of prints made. Under this system, when a MICR document invoking the security algorithm is printed, certain character strings, such as would be found in a check, are simultaneously copied into the non-volitile memory 130. Such character strings may include the payee, and the amount. Also, there may be included either at the security module 100 or at the audit trail memory 130, other provisions which are tied to the particular image data, such as the time of printing, and the identity of the last person to invoke the security algorithm. This copying of relevant character strings may be carried out by the same "logic unit," such as a microprocessor, which outputs altered status and command signals in reponse to a security algorithm.
As shown in FIG. 2, security module 100 is operatively disposed along the command signal line 32 and the status signal line 36, but does not necessarily interact with video line 30, by which the ESS 16 directly sends digital image data to the imager 20 in lOT 18. This is the preferred embodiment of the present invention, although an architecture in which the video line 30 is also subject to the security algorithm within security module 100 is possible. However, it has been found that merely controlling the command and status lines between the ESS 16 and lOT 18 is satisfactory for performing any common security procedure. One possible security feature which directly involves the digital signals along line 30 would be a possible design in which, should the MICR font bit maps in font card 112 be unavailable, to have security module 100 load into ESS 16 through bus 102 certain default characters instead of the desired MICR characters. These default characters, which may be simple Roman characters or special blank or other characters, would manifest themselves on the digital data on video line 30.
The physical presence of security module 100 along a command line 32 and a status line 36 may be relatively simply made, because in many common designs of printers, as mentioned above, these lines are part of a wire harness having plugs and sockets between ESS 16 and lOT 18. A hardware device which could re-route lines such as 36 and 32 as shown in FIG. 2 could simply be provided by a plug and socket combination adapted to be interposed between a plug and a socket between an ESS 16 and lOT 18 of a pre-existing printing apparatus. Therefore, a printing module such as 100 is relatively easily "retrofitted" in existing designs of printers, or even in printers which have already been installed.
It is significant that the security module 100 of the present invention carries out its security function within the printer 14, and particularly along the software/hardware interface within the printer 14 itself. This configuration represents a significant improvement over a system such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,875, which carries out security and audit trail procedures at a microprocessor which is operatively disposed between the host and the printer. Because the security module of the present invention operates between the control software and the hardware within the printer itself, its function will be less intrusive to individual users at various hosts, particularly when there are a multiplicity of possible hosts distributed among a network. Further, because the security module 100 of the present invention directly receives status information at the hardware level from status line 36 (such as to individual paper feed and position detectors with an lOT 18), specific physical conditions within the printer, which may have security considerations, can be readily identified, and only those conditions which have security considerations would be allowed to halt the process. A system which resides between the host and the printer as a whole is less likely to be able to react properly to hardware faults within the printer. Because the security module of the present invention exists at a software/hardware interface, the security module may be relatively difficult to circumvent by a hacker who may conceivably be able to get around a security system which is external to the printer and therefore, may be considered to be as much "on the network" as any other host computer.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are simplified perspective views showing possible physical configurations of a security module 100 in combination with a pre-existing printing apparatus, each type shown as 14 respectively in the Figures. In FIG. 3A, the security module 100 is placed in a box which is intended to rest on or next to the printer itself, and in the FIG. 3B embodiment, the security module 100 is configured to be placed under a desk-top printer. In both cases, the important user-accessible portions of the module are a card slot 111, which will accept a magnetically-encoded card, a font card slot 113, which will accept a font card such as a PCMCIA card, and a physical key lock 114. Once again, the physical key lock 114 could be used either to enable the entire security module and thereby the entire printer, or conceivably could be used to restrict access to the font card slot 113 into which a font card can be inserted.
While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed, it is not confined to the details set forth, but is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.
1. A printing apparatus comprising:
- an image output terminal for rendering an image on a surface according to imagewise digital data, including at least one command receiving element for operating a mechanical element of the image output terminal in response to a command signal, and a status element for producing a status signal in response to a condition within the image output terminal;
- an electronic subsystem, adapted to output imagewise digital data as video signals and a command signal to the image output terminal, and to receive a status signal from the status element;
- a connection between the image output terminal and the electronic subsystem, the connection acting as a medium for passage of video signals, command signals and status signals therethrough, the connection including at least a video line for transmission of video signals, a status line for transmission of status signals, and a command line for transmission of command signals; and
- a security module, having a security algorithm associated therewith, operatively interposed along the command line and the status line between the image output terminal and the electronic subsystem, the security module adapted to receive a command signal through the command line, process the command signal according to the security algorithm, and selectably output an altered command signal to the image output terminal through the command line, the security module being further adapted to receive a status signal through the status line from the status element associated with the image output terminal, process the status signal according to the security algorithm, and selectably output an altered status signal to the electronic subsystem through the status line, the security module being independent of the video line and not altering the video signals.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, the image output terminal further comprising a user interface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, the security module being further adapted to selectably output an altered status signal, the altered status signal causing a predetermined output on the user interface.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, the electronic subsystem further including a font generator for outputting character bitmaps in the digital data, the character bitmaps being derived from a character set.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, the security module further including
- a secure character set resident therein, the secure character set being transferable to the font generator, and
- means for transferring the secure character set to the font generator in response to a security procedure.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, the security module further including a selectably removable font card, the secure character set being resident on the font card.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, the security algorithm in the security module including means requiring a security procedure for connecting the font card to the security module.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, the security algorithm in the security module including means requiring a security procedure for removing the font card from the security module.
9. The apparatus of claim 6, the security module further including a key lock for controlling connection of the font card to the security module.
10. The apparatus of claim 5, the electronic subsystem further including
- a memory for storing the secure character set, and
- means for causing the stored secure character set to become unavailable in response to an external event.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, the security algorithm in the security module including means requiring a security procedure for causing the security module to output commands to the image output terminal to render an image on a surface.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, the image output terminal including means for rendering MICR characters on a surface, and
- the security algorithm in the security module including means requiring a security procedure for causing the security module to output commands to the image output terminal to render MICR characters on a surface.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, the security module further including
- means for receiving image information from a host computer,
- means for transferring the image information to the electronic subsystem,
- an audit memory, and
- means for copying a portion of the image information to the audit memory.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, the security module further including means for entering into the audit memory a time check when image information is copied to the audit memory.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, the security module further including means for entering into the audit memory information relating to a most recent security procedure when image information is copied to the audit memory.
16. A security module for a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including an electronic subsystem and an image output terminal, the electronic subsystem adapted to output imagewise digital data and output a command signal to the image output terminal for causing the image output terminal to render a desired image on a surface according to the digital data, the security module adapted to be interposed along a connection within the printing apparatus between the electronic subsystem and the image output terminal, the connecting including a video line for transmission of video signals, a status line for transmission of status signals, and a command line for transmission of command signals associated therewith, comprising:
- a logic unit, adapted to apply a security algorithm to a command signal received on the command line from the electronic subsystem, and apply a security algorithm to a status signal received on the status line from the image output terminal; and
- the logic unit further adapted to output an altered command signal on the command line to the image output terminal in response to the security algorithm, output an altered status signal on the status line to the electronic subsystem in response to the security algorithm, and not alter the video signals on the video line.
17. The module of claim 16, further comprising
- a secure character set resident therein, the secure character set being transferable to a font generator in the electronic subsystem for outputting character bitmaps in the digital data, and
- the logic unit further adapted to transfer the secure character set to the font generator in response to a security procedure associated with the security algorithm.
18. The module of claim 16, further comprising
- an audit memory, and
- the logic unit further adapted to copy a portion of image information from a host computer to the audit memory.
|April 28, 1981
|Owens et al.
|June 9, 1987
|Murphy et al.
|July 3, 1990
|Price et al.
|December 25, 1990
|Allen et al.
|October 1, 1991
|Carlson et al.
|December 24, 1991
|Love et al.
|December 28, 1993
|Kallin et al.
|August 23, 1994
|June 27, 1995
|July 1993
Type: Grant
Filed: Jan 27, 1997
Date of Patent: Feb 17, 1998
Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Stamford, CT)
Inventors: Michael J. McVeigh (Webster, NY), Jose R. Diaz (Rochester, NY), Paul W. Eakin (Webster, NY), Lawrence Meyer (Fairport, NY), George E. Marshall (Fairport, NY)
Primary Examiner: Edward L. Coles, Sr.
Assistant Examiner: Dov Popovici
Attorney: R. Hutter
Application Number: 8/791,009
International Classification: G06K 1500;


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|"Jay Hacker (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] Commented: (HADOOP-7141) hadoop fs -put and -copyFromLocal do not support globs in the source path
|Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:48:57 GMT
[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-7141?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:comment-tabpanel&focusedCommentId=12994360#comment-12994360 ] Jay Hacker commented on HADOOP-7141: ------------------------------------ [~qwertymaniac] notes that the {{-cp}} command can be used as a partial workaround: {noformat} hadoop fs -cp 'file:/home/test/*.jar' /destination {noformat} but this does not seem to support relative source paths. > hadoop fs -put and -copyFromLocal do not support globs in the source path > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: HADOOP-7141 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-7141 > Project: Hadoop Common > Issue Type: Bug > Components: fs > Affects Versions: 0.20.2 > Environment: Cloudera CDH3b3 > Reporter: Jay Hacker > Priority: Minor > > I'd like to be able to use Hadoop globbing with the FsShell -put command, but it doesn't work: > {noformat} > $ ls > file1 file2 > $ hadoop fs -put '*' . > put: File * does not exist. > {noformat} > This has probably gone unnoticed because your shell usually handles it, but a) I'd like to be able to call 'hadoop fs' programatically without a shell, b) it doesn't work in Pig or Grunt, where there is no shell helping you, and c) Hadoop globbing differs from shell globbing and it would be nice to be able to use Hadoop globbing consistently throughout Hadoop. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. - For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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They say you can leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you.
I grew up in Africa. 9 years of my childhood was spent in that beautiful land which has very much defined and influenced the person I am today. I remember watching women carry babies on their backs with beautifully patterned chitenges, while balancing buckets of water or wood on their heads. They looked as graceful and calm as a mother can be, and those are the images that I remember now as a mother myself. Though I wasn't born there, a big part of me identifies as African.
I am also Peruvian. My daughter calls me Mamá and I sing "Los Pollitos Dicen" and "Pinpón es un Muñeco" to my children before they go to bed.
I am a Peruvian woman, who grew up in Africa, raising Canadian children, while speaking to them in Spanish and carrying them in a chitenge.
As their mother, I have a responsibility and privilege to introduce them to the culture before them; through the foods I offer the, the songs we sing, the books we read, and the language I speak to them in – the language of their maternal grandmothers, and their grandmothers, and many generations before them. In all that, I give them a sense of identity, and a feeling that they belong to the world… to many parts of it.
As I carry my children in either in a Malawian chitenge or a Peruvian manta, I can only hope that through the culture of my motherhood, I am teaching them that they are part of many things. Part of many histories and practices before them, and hoping they feel a part of all of them, and love them as much as I do.


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A disagio is a negative difference between the face value of a security or loan and its actual, lower price. The term is often used in relation to personal loans and bonds. An agio, on the other hand, is a positive difference between the face value of a security or loan and its actual, higher market value.
A disagio is normally shown as a percentage of face value.
Example: A 4% disagio is applied to a 1000-franc loan. So the borrower only receives 960 francs (1000 – 4%*1000) paid out.
A disagio makes a loan more expensive for a borrower. Disagios are not accounted for in nominal interest rates, which are based on the higher face value. Because of this, they can potentially add a "hidden" cost to a loan. However, disagios are accounted for in effective annual interest rates.
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Newsmax Wires
Wednesday, 15 November 2017 09:41 AM
A psychiatric hospital escapee described by police as extremely dangerous reportedly took a taxi to a chartered plane in Honolulu bound for the island of Maui and then boarded another plane to San Jose, California.
Randall Saito, acquitted of a 1979 murder by reason of insanity, escaped in Honolulu over the weekend, police said, and is believed to be in Northern California, The Associated Press reported.
Honolulu police said late Tuesday he is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached.
Saito left the state hospital outside Honolulu on Sunday at 10 a.m. and didn't return, police said. Hospital staff called 911 to report his disappearance shortly after 7:30 p.m. — two hours after he landed in San Jose, police said. An all-points bulletin was issued at 8:30 p.m.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service have reviewed security footage from San Jose International Airport in connection with the manhunt, said Jon Vaden, a spokesman for the airport.
Saito was committed to the hospital in 1981, two years after he was acquitted in the killing of Sandra Yamashiro.
The victim was shot and repeatedly stabbed before her body was found in her car at a mall.
"He is a very dangerous individual," said Wayne Tashima, a Honolulu prosecutor who argued in 2015 against Saito receiving passes to leave the hospital grounds without an escort.
Tashima warned people not to approach Saito, saying there's a concern he could commit the same "very heinous and violent offense" again. Authorities asked anyone with information to call police.
It was not immediately clear under what circumstances Saito left the facility in Kaneohe, a Honolulu suburb.
Hawaii State Hospital Administrator William May said officials are fully cooperating with law enforcement and appropriate steps would be taken if Saito had help from someone inside the facility.
Defense attorneys sought to have Saito released in 2000. But Jeff Albert, a deputy city prosecutor, objected, saying Saito "fills all the criteria of a classic serial killer."
In 1993, a court denied Saito's request for conditional release, saying he continued to suffer from sexual sadism and necrophilia.
The state Department of Health operates the hospital, which houses over 300 patients in Kaneohe. The department said it's investigating the escape.
"There is a serious lack of information for the public," said Nicholas Iwamoto, who was stabbed 18 times on a popular Hawaii hiking trail in 2009. His attacker was found legally insane and sent to Hawaii State Hospital. He was later granted conditional release to attend community college, a decision Iwamoto wasn't notified about.
"Public safety has certainly been compromised," Iwamoto said. "It's extremely alarming. But nothing from the state surprises me anymore."
Irving Tam, who has lived near the hospital in Kaneohe for about 30 years and was walking by the facility on Tuesday, said he worries about hospital patients getting out in his neighborhood.
"When they do escape, especially someone with this kind of a record, there is a high degree of concern, he could be violent and who knows," Tam said. "That's why I have a gun, for this very reason. Hopefully I never use it."
Tam said he heard about the escape from a neighbor, not the police, hospital or the media, and that patients have gotten out several times in the past.
"This is not totally uncommon, we have had similar incidents in the past, and fortunately nothing has ever happened," Tam said.
Tam thought that someone with a violent past like Saito should closely monitored. "It is disturbing that he was given that much freedom," he said. "You would think he would be under heavier security."
Saito was the impetus for a rule change in 2003, when the state attorney general's office decided mental patients committed to Hawaii State Hospital have no legal right to conjugal visits.
The issue came to light when the hospital administrator learned Saito had been escorted home for weekend conjugal visits over two years. The administrator blocked the visits away from the facility and on its grounds.
Dangerous psychiatric patients have escaped recently from other facilities in the United States.
In Washington state in 2016 a man accused of torturing a woman to death broke out of the state's largest mental hospital. Anthony Garver crawled out of a window of his ground-floor room at Western State Hospital, rode a bus 300 miles to Spokane and was captured days later without incident.
After the escape Washington Gov. Jay Inslee fired the hospital's CEO and brought in the Corrections Department to inspect the building for security improvements.
A review of police reports by the AP found 185 instances in the 3 ½ years before Garver's escape in which Western State patients escaped or walked away.
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Some car parks will prioritize individuals who are less mobile. 'Expectant Mother Parking' signs should be clearly labelled alongside parking which is close to an entrance. These are usually in a blue and white format, and can be accompanied by a pregnant lady graphic, or even an image of a stork carrying a baby, for a softer tone.
Brass sign
4.1x2.4 in
$43.38 excl. VAT
Aluminum sign
15.7x5.0 in
$53.23 excl. VAT
Acrylic sign
11.0x8.0 in
$106.46 excl. VAT
Plastic sign engraving
8.0x3.0 in
$17.66 excl. VAT


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thin is beautiful
off late i've been reading these bits in almost all the colored supplements ; talking about how Priyanka Chopra is under fire for not losing enough weight for madhur bhandarkar's film fashion and some other karan johar produced film… one of the articles went on to say that she has broad frame and will look beautiful if she becomes thinner… i'm just wondering where are we heading towards… as far as i remember priyanka she does not look obese… she looks good… and why can't a woman who does not look malnourished and is not a bag of skin and bones wear a bikini (the article said that priyanka can't wear one be'coz she is fat)… i want to laugh on that… why can't we project good health over an anorexic thin body… i'm just wondering…
3 Comments
astralwicks said,
SSS. which means 'some stupid standard'. perfection. that somebody else defines. standards we all have some stupid standards and stupid works, is popular, is fashionable. knowledge. experience. fetish. perversity. beauty. some stupid standard.
dreamhatcher said,
I agree……..


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Основные советы
|Это незавершённая статья. Вы можете помочь АвтостопВики, исправив и дополнив её.
Существует несколько основных установок, которые пригодятся во время автостопа.
- 1 Используйте дороги с наибольшим траффиком
- 2 Используйте точные карты
- 3 Be in a good, safe spot
- 4 Stay positive, smile and laugh
- 5 Avoid tight deadlines
- 6 Make eye contact with drivers
- 7 Разговор с водителем
- 8 Work with the weather
- 9 Types of clothing
- 10 Signs
- 11 Safe hitchhiking
- 12 In the car
- 13 If you're lost...
- 14 If you've gone the wrong way...
- 15 Finding accommodation
- 16 Getting to the nearest city
- 17 Use buses and trains
- 18 Highway hitchhike
- 19 Avoid mistakes
- 20 Related links and references
Используйте дороги с наибольшим траффиком
Кратчайший путь - не самый лучший в некоторых случаях. Если нет попутных машин, то автостоп будет затруднен.
Самый быстрый и легкий путь обычно пролегает по малонаселенной местности между двумя большими городами. В областях с высокой населенностью будет очень много локала, поэтому такие места лучше избегать и при прокладывании маршрута. Например, (я думаю, нам нужен пример из российских реалий) добираясь на юг Франции из Нидерландов, лучше избежать появления в Париже и пользоваться малонаселенным Люксембургом.
В общем, избегайте автостопа на маршрутах, которые лишены смысла для водителей машин.
Используйте точные карты
Если желаете знать где вы находитесь. Попытайтесь найти карту в формате книги, а не одного огромного листа, иначе какждый раз будете тратить много времени на сворачивание и разворачивание. В Европах без карт ездить довольно-таки сложно, но тем не менее возможно.
Ниже перечислены европейские карты, которые надо вывести в отдельную статью Map Tips: Positive
- The Shell Euroatlas is good for Europe, however, it's difficult to find.
- The Falk Länderkarte series (in German, but can be understood by everyone) is brilliant for individual European countries, with a useful, clever and compact fold-out page system. It is easy to find but only inside of Germany and neighbouring countries. The Falk Reiseatlas Europa 1 : 800 000 / 1: 4 500 000 (ISBN 9783827904348) covers the whole Europe for a low price and includes the petrol stations.
- The maps by Marco Polo are excellent for Europe. The 1:800,000 ratio version is the best (the name of this map changes in different countries). It is printed in Germany but is available across the continent. Pay attention, the 1:2.000.000 version (ISBN 9783829737043) has no petrol/service stations marked!
There is an italian version of this map edit by Studio F.M.B Bologna and the 1:2.000.000 version has the same problem (ISBN 9788877752321).
- In Scandinavia (especially Finland) - the Esso country maps are great, but unfortunately these are no longer available in Finland as Esso has fled the country.
- For the United Kingdom and Ireland AA maps are good but can get a bit too large.
- In Germany, you can get a booklet for free at the rasthof restaurants which provide a map of all the country's rasthof and the information about every one of them.
- The Dutch ANWB) has quite good European country maps for free (for its members, just ask in the shop some people at the cashpoint if they can take it for you), they also include the motorways to the country from and to the Netherlands.
- The Berlitz Europe atlas includes petrol stations and has a ratio of 1:800 000, though many important cities are in the crease of the book and are difficult to read (e.g., Paris, Berlin, etc.).
- France: "Grands Itinéraires" by Michelin. 1:1,000,000, but featuring all the autoroutes, service areas and Péages plus lots of other roads. You should be able to buy it in most service areas for about EUR 5.50 (July 2009)
- Another good map is the 1:1.250.000 Atlante Stradale Europa edited by Istituto Geografico De Agostini (ISBN 8851109680). It has petrol/service stations marked and it's really small and handy! just a little bit bigger than a lonely planet guide. It's sold in italian book shops but can be found on amazon as well.
It's recommended you have a map that is at least 1:1,000,000 ratio. 1:750,000 is usually good enough.
Remember that petrol stations often have maps for sale, including very local ones. If you need to find out the geography of the local area, simply walk into the shop, pick up a local map, study it, get the information you need, then put it back and walk out. Many service stations also have large maps on walls or notice boards.
Map Tips: Negative
- Michelin Individual Country maps are not the best to use, they do not list the Services Area and lots of useful information are absent, the scale ratio is often not good enough.
Be in a good, safe spot
Путешествовать автостопом можно везде, но важно помнить простое правило: автомобиль нельзя остановить мгновенно, это не космический корабль.
Место, где может остановиться автомобиль должно быть безопасным и для автомобиля и для вас. Это главное для обеспечениия безопасности в автостопе.
This is the case that the drivers consider as well. Few drivers stop unless it is safe for them. Some do, but you shouldn't count on them, as they are the minority. Therefore consider the safety of the driver as well, you don't want to involve them in an accident if they can't pull over safely. Make sure to not stand on the way, the driver will usually make their decision to stop or not when they see you from a distance and will get ready to pull over just next to you or right behind you. If you stand too much on the way (of the normal pulling aside triangle) you will make it complicated for them and they might change their mind. So one good option is to 'make sure' that your body language point out the area they would pull over in total comfort.
Stay positive, smile and laugh
It is easy to become bored or frustrated when waiting for a ride, but remember that a good attitude will help you get rides. Keep your spirits up by singing, humming, laughing and simply smiling. A grumpy hitchhiker may get rides out of sympathy, but a happy hitchhiker will get better rides and go further distances in less time. If you're in a group, try dancing or clapping your hands at the same time, it makes the drivers smile and lifts come much more often!
Avoid tight deadlines
It's easier to stay positive when you have nowhere to be. Getting stranded on the autobahn isn't so terrible as long as you're not trying to meet some friends in Berlin by nightfall; not only are you suddenly worried about how to catch a ride, you don't want to miss out on what's happening at your destination. Hitchhiking is a mental sport, and planning in enough time will allow you to enjoy the road and keep your head in the right place.
Make eye contact with drivers
Hitchhiking means making a connection with a person driving by, convincing him or her to stop. To best do this, make sure drivers can see the 'whites of your eyes'. Remove sunglasses and keep your hat higher on your head. Smile while you look at the oncoming cars. If you are looking a different direction or your head is down it is easy for drivers to pass by without relating to you. If you cannot see the person in the car, just look at the windshield where a face should be. Focus on each car until it passes. If traffic is light, let your gaze follow each car expectantly. If there is too much traffic, pay attention to each nearby car for a moment. The more you do this, the less time you will wait for rides.
'Mark Snyder and his co-workers (1974) found that hitchhikers doubled the number of ride offers by looking drivers straight in the eye. A personal approach, as my panhandler knew, makes one feel less anonymous, more responsible.' (Source: Social Psychology, Myers. p.503 Social Relations)
Respectable eyes for male drivers and puppy eyes for female drivers seem to work quite well.
Разговор с водителем
Водители подбирают автостопщиков по многим причинам: некоторые из-за желания просто помочь, некоторые из-за желания помочь, так как однажды им самим помогли точно так же, некоторые считают, что Вы можете быть неплохим собеседником. Велик шанс того, что с Вами захотят поговорить, если кто-то подобрал Вас. К слову, разговор с водителем, как правило, помогает продлить Ваше путешествие именно с этим водителем. Держите наготове примерный список вопросов, подходящих любому водителю, например: "Где Вы сегодня начали свой путь?", "Почему Вы выбрали именно эту машину?" и т.п. Если водитель все еще ведет себя сдержанно, он, вероятно, думает, не зря ли он Вас подобрал. Обязательно благодарите за то, что Вам оказали такую услугу.
Work with the weather
If it's hot, choose a hitchhiking spot where you can get some shade, in case you have to wait for some hours.
If it's wet, drivers may feel sorry for you, and choose to help you out. No-one likes a soggy hitchhiker in their car, so keep an umbrella handy. Better: stay dry at a petrol station.
Thunderstorms are a blessing. If, during a dry day, you notice that a thunderstorm is coming, don't worry. When the storm hits you, keep you and your possessions under an umbrella and keep signalling. Drivers will feel very sorry for you, and many will stop for you. While waiting on the roadside, Tom was hit by three thunderstorms in 2006, all of which got him a ride in less than ten minutes. The best example was in Cologne - after waiting for two hours without a ride offer, a storm came and there were three offers in five minutes (took the third one, it was a short ride and at the next petrol station another ride came within two minutes).
Types of clothing
Although this may seem to be a small matter, types and colour of clothing are very important. Try to wear light, even bright and colorful clothes, and have your non-thumbing hand visible since light coloured clothes inspire more trust than darker clothes. Also, if the weather permits it, try to keep your forearms visible. If people can see your hands and arms, they'll be less likely to see you as a threat, or as someone trying to conceal something. A fun and colorful clothes/hat is a great way to inspire people to pick you up, but be careful not to appear weird!
If you can, don't wear your old clothes or clothes that might frighten a driver (such as a T-shirt with a skull). Conservative people only take well shaved guys with proper clothes. Liberal-minded people always take you, but even conservative (or old) people can be very helpful on your trip. (I dont think this is of overwhelming importance. I often hitch wearing red tartan pants, punk/metal t shirts and black leather boots and I get rides just as often as the next guy!)
Avoid wearing black. (Not really, it had positive impact (in comparison with a similar trip some time before) on one of my over-Europe hikes where I got on road wearing completely black clothes. Even women were picking me up regularly on that trip.) Even having a smart black shirt could keep you stuck in one place for a long time. Some have found that caps might have a negative impact. (Though Simon from Sweden, with shaved head and beard found it much easier wearing a cap always, because people seem to be afraid of people with shaved heads.) Black or blue woolly hats are awful too. If the weather permits, wear light coloured shorts and a bright colourful t-shirt or a smart short sleeved shirt. Although you may have no choice on whether you have luggage, some hold that hitching without luggage is quicker as the driver knows you're not concealing anything. But some drivers think that carrying a backpack makes you more of a traveler and will only pick up people with backpacks (e.g. Guaka and amylin experienced this in New Zealand).
A thumb or hand gesture will work fine for hitchhiking (depending on the region). But in some cases, the use of a sign displaying your destination or general direction will increase your odds.
A sign just saying PLEASE (in local language) can help sometimes.
Making people laugh with funny signs is a great way to lift your mood, have fun with passing cars and get rides.
When you're hitchhiking on a road that goes to plenty of destinations: The driver will be more likely to stop if he knows that you're going the same way he does.
When the traffic is too heavy: The driver will be less likely to say "Somebody else is going to stop" if he sees that you want to go exactly his way.
If you're going from Barcelona to Amsterdam, consider writing "Paris", or just Perpignan, on your sign, when you start in Barcelona. Few people will be going to Amsterdam or even Paris, directly. There's a dilemma, though, because if the destination you write is too close, you won't make good time, and if it's too far, nobody will be heading all the way there and so won't feel confident in stopping for you. A good solution to this is to simply use your direction of travel, e.g. "East" or maybe "France".
It often helps if you write the sign in the same language as the drivers you're trying to attract. If you can show some affinity to the drivers' country, it usually increases your chances of a lift. If you want to make a sign in a language that you don't know (whether you need it now or in the future), try asking drivers or petrol station staff for help. Note: In countries where hitchhiking is a very common thing to do by locals, e.g. Romania, it could be advisable to make it clear that you're in fact not a local; be it your sign or well-displayed huge backpacks.
To make the sign, it's better to use cardboard or similar with a thick black marker or India ink (works well with cotton buds), if possible − other pens/pencils will do as well, but require more work. Write neatly in big, block letters the name of a city or the name of a road, or both. Make it easy to read for the drivers: Write a big capital letter and then lower case characters (the varying forms of lower-case letters, especially ascenders 'd','k','l'.. and descenders 'p','g' etc. make at-once reading easier).
If you have a chance to plan a long hitchhiking trip in advance, some find using an erasable white board as a sign to be very useful for making big, clear and reusable signs. Remember the sign has to be read from a distance. At 100km/hr, a vehicle is covering approx 30 meters/second. The average reaction time when driving is 1.5 to 2.5 seconds, so 45 to 75 meters has gone before they start to stop. If you want them to stop, then you not only have to place yourself in the right location so they can see that you are a traveler and not just cagging a lift (this is what the sign does), you also have to have a sign that is readable. The more space between each letter the better to be read from a distance. (This is called Kernel, e.g. see road signs specifications.)
If space doesn't permit a long city name shorten it to something everyone will understand. For example Amsterdam could be A'dam and Hamburg could be HH. Have a look at the country's license plates, the short forms featured there will probably be known in the population.
Signs don't just have to list a place - Much success can be had (in the proper setting) with more off-the-wall signs like "We're Awesome!", "Free Cookies!", "Runaway Bride" or even "Not Far", "that way ==>", etc.
Artwork on a sign can also be helpful, particularly if there are simple images that are commonly related to your context. For instance, when hitching out of Austin, Texas (home of the Longhorns, which are absurdly popular there), adding a Longhorns logo to the sign was a big improvement.
While living in a small village near a larger town my housemates and I found that using a sign decreased waiting times from 20-40 minutes average to about 10-20 minutes even though there were no other villages on the way. When I put this to my drivers some of them said that the sign made me look like a proper hitch-hiker.
If you have the chance, adding "Please" onto your signs could be a great idea. As well as being polite, writing "Please" in a certain language can indicate that you are a good speaker of that language, and this can be used to attract certain groups of driver who were ignoring you before. However, your main message is the destination/road number/compass direction. "Please" is an extra word for the driver to read, and trying to read that word can become a big distraction from the main message. Also, as you're clearly in a desperate position it's already accepted that you are being grateful for any assistance; once a driver stops, you can say "Please" as much as you like. Experiment with "Please" for yourself, and see what happens.
Safe hitchhiking
Wear bright colored clothes or a reflective warning vest while walking along the road.
Say no, if you don't feel safe! Trust your instinct, when it says no. This doesn't happen often, though. Minimizing risk is not being a coward, it's being smart. If you don't feel comfortable with someone, just don't ask him/her, there will be enough other cars. Most people who pick up hitchhikers are friendly and don't mind a no. Tip: If you want more security, send an SMS of the number plate of the car to a friend (or at least pretend you do so). A nice way of getting out of a car without offending a driver if you're uncomfortable, is to pretend that you're going to be sick. Tell the driver not to wait, and run away from the road. If you should need to get more radical, a pepper spray or a pocket knife may help and improve your self confidence. (A knife may be a confidencebooster bit is useless in a situation turned bad. By the time you have your knife out it is probably too late, it can be used against you. The most important thing is to get out/away from your attacker. Pepperspray is probably a better option (if legal).
Girls check out the safety guide tailored to your needs at http://girls.hitchbase.com
In the car
Once you've actually managed to get in the car and start heading towards your destination, it's all a matter of being courteous. Remember, your driver didn't have to pick you up at all. Settle in, get comfortable, but of course, not too comfortable. Keep your shoes off the dashboard, don't pass any form of gas (from either end), etc. In other words, don't do anything to offend your driver!
Your driver may have picked you up for many possible reasons. One of the main reasons is companionship on a long journey. That means you have to talk to the driver. Have a few things to talk about in mind before you get in (What's your name? Where are you headed? Oh yeah? What's there?). If the driver doesn't seem too interested in talking you can relax or read a book.
If not, keep it simple to begin with. A solid rule that should be followed by any hitcher is to try to shy away from talking about politics with a driver who has differing view points than yourself. People have a tendency to get worked up when it comes to politics or religion, so if they mention something that your political or religious views disagree with, try to use a reply like "I'm not going to get into that", "I never thought about that", or pretending to be in vague agreement. Many hitchers have been thrown out of cars following a fiery political debate.
Some drivers will go a few extra kilometers off their route to help you, if you ask very nicely; be prepared to graciously accept a no, however.
Make sure you know where the driver intends to drop you off, and if you know the city or have discussed the city with the driver, try to choose the best drop-off point yourself; drivers can sometimes be "trying to help", and despite their best intentions leave you in what turn out to be very bad places. If the drop-off point is not helpful to you, then say so, and the driver may take you to a different location instead, particularly one on their way.
Don't get lost while you're in a car! Some drivers have a terrible sense of direction and may need your help; so keep track of your journey using road signs and your maps. Also, knowing exactly where you are when you leave the vehicle will save a lot of time; if necessary, ask the driver exactly where you are.
If you're lost...
...then it's maybe a good idea to stop traveling until you know where you are. Ask whoever you can for help. Look on road signs for city names and road numbers, and try to match them with your map.
If getting lost isn't a problem because you have no fixed destination, then stop worrying and enjoy the ride ;).
If you've gone the wrong way...
...then work out whether it's best to turn around, to carry on in the new direction (either trying another route, or changing your destination), or to stop hitchhiking. If you're on a motorway, then it might be tough to turn around.
If you decide to turn around, then watch out: it can be hard to find a lift that gets you back to your route, and travels in the right direction. You could easily get back to your route, and have to turn round a second time.
Finding accommodation
You are sure to reach your destination before the night
If you make small distances, you can plan in advance where you will sleep. If you have Internet access, you can check out those websites for free accommodation:
- CouchSurfing.com (more active);
- BeWelcome.org;
- Hospitality Club (good for finding phone numbers in smaller places).
If there's a YMCA centre in town, see if they have a room for the night.
You are not sure to reach your destination before the night
On longer hitchhiking trips, you may need to sleep along the way.
If it's not too cold outside and if you have a sleeping bag and a tarp or a tent with you, begin a few hours before the sunset to look out for places where you could sleep. It may be a hidden place in the nature, McDo games, an inhabited house.
If you don't want to sleep outside, consider those possibilities:
- Are you ready to pay for a hostel? If yes, can you find one?
- Is there a (big) airport on your road or close to the place you are? You may sleep there.
- Can your driver host you?
- Can you find a car/truck driving overnight and crash out on the way? In this case, is the driver really reliable?
- Are many people around you? If yes, a paper with a big "Couchsurfing?" on it may help you to find someone that would host you.
If you can't find anywhere to sleep, there are still other ways to get out of the situation. If you are lucky enough to be at a 24-hour petrol station, just keep drinking coffee and keep hitching through the night. Keep in mind that it gets really quiet between 2:00 and 5:00, even at motorway service areas.
Getting to the nearest city
It's tough to hitchhike out of city centres. But sometimes (if you're tired, hungry, thirsty, ill etc.) you'll need to go off your route and take a pause in the nearest city. Hey, if you're flexible with your travel arrangements, you may decide to stay there for a bit longer...
If hitchhiking to the city is too hard for whatever reason, and the city is too far to walk, then take public transport. Head for nearby areas of houses: they often have bus stops.
Most petrol stations on motorways have a special access road for staff and delivery/emergency vehicles. Many petrol stations also have local maps you can look at to find bus stops near you, if you exit via the special access road.
Use buses and trains
It's not worth trying to hitchhike at all costs. Sometimes it's just more convenient to take a bus to get to a highway or to your final destinations. This is the case especially when leaving or arriving at big cities or at night. Sometimes you can get away without paying on public transport, although in some countries or cities you have to be more careful than usual: check a "Public Transport" (or "Blackriding") section (if there is any) of a country/city you travel to. If you do blackride anyway, sit or stand preferably by the door; sometimes quick reaction (last second jumping off) to suspiciously looking folks who might appear to be ticket controllers can save your butt. It is usually better to sit in the front of the bus so you can quickly scan all the people waiting for the bus while the bus approaches the station and stops. Also, it helps to direct sight in only one way to look for ticket controllers you missed before already in the bus.
Highway hitchhike
If you need to travel over long destinations, taking the highway may help a lot, and in some place is almost unavoidable. Most highway entrances are bad spots, and many are dangerous. A good way to "hitchhike" on highway is to practice "station hopping": you only stops in petrol stations. Petrol stations (or rest areas, often the same) are the best spot ever, because you can go directly talk to people (show them you are nice and smile) and the car is totally stopped. Enjoy. This works particularly well in Germany and France. In Italy, hitching from toll stations seems to work a little better.
Do realise that in most countries, hitchhiking directly on the highway is forbidden! In rare occasions however, you might be forced to. Keep in mind that it is very unsafe for drivers to stop on the highway, and that your own safety is also in danger. The police might force you to leave the area, but in some cases they just don't care.
Avoid mistakes
Last but not least, try to avoid common mistakes and you will save a couple of hours and loads of frustration.


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Brass Soap Dish
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Leggings | Sweater (Zara) | Charming Charlie Earrings
I took a few weeks off from posting on the blog and Instagram to recharge around the holidays. It seems like I need this every year and maybe I should just make it an official vacay so I don't get so frustrated when I feel myself needing a break. I realize most bloggers published about the new year about two weeks ago, but that won't stop me from sharing how I brought 2017 to a close now. This year I put a big focus on reflecting on the year that passed. Normally I'm all excited about the change that comes with the new year and jump right in to goal setting and list making and forget to take a second to look at how far I've gotten in the last year. I found some great advice from Marie Forleo which lead me to asking myself the following questions about 2017:
What did I do, create, or experience in 2017 that I am really proud of?
What mistakes did I make that taught me something?
What am I willing to let go of? Projects, goals, or commitments that I am no longer aligned with? Resentments, angers, stories, embarrassments? LET GO.
The answers to these really helped me move into the new year with a fresh perspective and a nice little confidence boost when it did come time to set those goals for 2018. It's not too late to still ask yourself these questions and do a little reflecting! And I'd love to hear what practices you have for getting the new year off on the right foot!


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pokemon valentines day cards
hundreds of free animations,weather animated gifs print pokemon coloring pages for free and printable coloring book pages online. See Also Weather Page 2 Page 3 See Also Sun Animations February 14 is Valentine s Day, and what better way to celebrate it than with your love of Pokémon? Starting today through February 15, when you go out and explore for kids & adults print pokemon coloring pages pdf. Shop for pokemon valentine on Etsy, the place to express your creativity through the buying and selling of handmade and vintage goods free holiday coloring pages holiday coloring sheets and coloring book pictures. Pokémon has been loved for years, but with the recent release of Pokémon Go, the Pokémon excitement is now everywhere! If your kids are on the Pokémon free printable pages for christmas, easter, valentines, and halloween! also get your. This is a vid 4 Valentine s Day! Hope ya ll enjoy!! It has all shippings in it so yeah dltk s pokemon activities pokemon valentine s day cards. I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR THE SONG [Valentine s Day] DLTK s Crafts for Kids Pokemon Valentine s Day Cards print these home-made valentine s day cards for a special friend or family member. Print these home-made Valentine s make some love potions and explore simple science with your potion making kids. Spectacular Pokemon X and Y Coloring to print of your pokedex 650-684 pocket monsters perfect for a valentine s day party. Free cartoon coloring pages of Pokemon Chespin 650, Quilladin 651, Chesnaught find great deals on ebay for pokemon valentines and disney brave valentines. For UK Next Day Delivery of the best Sexy Fancy Dress Costumes, Halloween Costumes, Sexy Lingerie, Dresses, Clubwear, Kinky Boots, Sexy Shoes, Gothic Clothing shop with confidence. Valentine's Day – A Little Bit of History forget valentines day, it s all about valentines week! get ready you romantics for double candy across the board & more :d vlogs + extras: . At BusyTeacher several different types of pokémon valentine s day cards have been manufactured. org, we have two excellent worksheets that provide students with the opportunity to learn a little more at least four different sets of valentines exist. Is your child crazy about Pokémon and also love drawing & painting? Now you can bring your kid's love together with 25 free printable pokemon coloring pages DIY Kids Valentine s Day Box: Pokemon! Like the rest of you loving mothers, I wanted my son to have to best valentine s box in class! Hope you LOVE this Pokemon Bookmark series as much as we do and that it inspired you to get crafty and create NEW characters too! Pokemon Evolution Cards • Ideal for Valentine s Day • Made from cardstock This lovely card pack comes with 32 Pokemon Valentine s Day-themed cards and tattoos these valentines are. Valentine s Day Craft - all natural gelatin heart-shaped bird feeder find and follow posts tagged pokemon valentines on tumblr Print pokemon coloring pages for free and printable coloring book pages online


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Many moon ago, when Ragin' Dave was just a wee thing, he attended Midnight Mass at a local church. It was a Novus Ordo parish, as I didn't even know the Traditional Latin Mass was still going, but it was an old fashioned church nonetheless. We had a full blown pipe organ; a 1920 Black organ. And we had an organist who knew how to play it. He was, and still is, one of the true masters of the pipe organ.
Have you ever heard the phrase "Pulling out all the stops"? That is a reference to a pipe organ. The organist as "stops" arranged on his organ. Pull one out, and the sound gets louder. Push one in, and the sound gets quiet. Pull them all out, and you have a pipe organ at full volume.
This being Midnight Mass at a semi-traditional church, many of the parishioners were someone older. And they weren't used to being up past midnight. Which means that by the time mass ended, many of them were half-asleep.
The last song of the night was "Joy To The World". And the organist pulled out all the stops. On a vintage, 1920 pipe organ, in full working order.
You could see a WAVE of sound roll over the congregation.
Woke them up properly for the drive home, it did.
Feel free to sing along. I sure did.


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To register for MyChart, our patient communication and information system, you'll need the activation code from your enrollment letter.
If you haven't received an activation code, please request one to begin.
To register for MyChart, our patient communication and information system, you'll need the activation code from your enrollment letter.
If you haven't received an activation code, please request one to begin.
Fishers, IN---Community Home Health, part of Community Health Network, is seeking volunteers to serve Madison County hospice patients. A five-session training sequence will be held September 13, 20 and 27, and October 4 and 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Central Wesleyan Fellowship Hall, 2209 Main St., Elwood.
Hospice patient contact volunteers must be 18 or older, and will provide comfort or companionship to terminally ill patients and their families. Volunteers do not provide hands-on care, but may read, listen to stories, watch TV, or just spend meaningful time with patients and families. Volunteers generally commit to spending two to four hours weekly with the patient, depending on the need and request.
No experience is necessary, but the training classes are mandatory, and will provide education and support.
For more information or to register for the upcoming training, potential volunteers can contact Sherrill Miller, volunteer services manager, at 317-621-4785, toll-free, at 800-404-4852, or by email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Hospice is appropriate when treatments are no longer effective in curing a patient's disease and aims to provide relief from physical and emotional pain. Hospice affirms life and assists the patient and family with life-closure activities, spending remaining days in comfort and with dignity.
About Community Home Health
Community Home Health, a part of Community Health Network, offers personalized home health services such as home care, hospice, home infusion, respiratory and home medical equipment. Serving 19 counties in central Indiana, Community Home Health has been one of the top home health agencies in central Indiana for more than 55 years. From skilled nursing to occupational, physical and speech therapies; from intravenous therapies of antibiotics, hydration, chemotherapy and nutrition to hospice care; from oxygen, sleep disorder equipment, wheelchairs and beds to Lifeline personal response services; one call will give you access to your home health needs. Additional specialty areas include chronic disease care, wound care, cardiac care, behavioral care, pulmonary care, telehealth, perinatal and infant hospice, and maternal-child care. Community Home Health also offers self-pay senior care management services and home medical equipment and supplies at HomeHealthMedical.com. For more information about Community Home Health, call 800-404-4852, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


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Madras mixture recipe, Diwali recipes
Click Image for Gallery
Sri Krishna sweets style Madras mota mixture recipe, with step by step pictures. Madras mixture recipe with kara boondi, plain sev, maida biscuits, cashew nuts and peanuts as main ingredients, gives a classic sweet stall style mixture. Deepavali is incomplete without making mixture in a South Ind..


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lipstick tree
From the resemblance of open fruit pods to red lips.
lipstick tree (plural lipstick trees)
- (botany) The shrub Bixa orellana, of tropical regions of the Americas.
- 1960, Sydney Clark, All the Best in Hawaii, page 338,
- Among flowering trees and shrubs of the Kona Coast, kalu, or yellow mimosa, is common, as is the yellow Timor shower, as is the lipstick tree, whose pods give an orange-red substance good not only for lips but—if local claims are true—for margarine.
- 1985, Helen A. Wolfe, Adventure Bound: From Backpacking in New Zealand to Bushwhacking in South Africa, page 56,
- Here grow the tropical lipstick trees — source of color for foods — and the flowering African tulips.
- 2011, Rosabelle Boswell, Re-presenting Heritage in Zanzibar and Madagascar, page 114,
- Crushed and infused in warm water, the roots of the lipstick tree increases male desire. However, the seeds of the lipstick tree can also be used as an alternative to saffron and is added to tandoori curry to produce a red colour.
- 1960, Sydney Clark, All the Best in Hawaii, page 338,
Bixa orellana — see annatto
- Bixa orellana on Wikipedia.Wikipedia


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Pack your bunsen burners and safety goggles – we're taking team building to the next level at the London Science Museum!
We can't let you make jets of fire out of the gas taps or blow things up in the toilets like you may have done at school, but we will be inviting you to get up close and personal with the interactive exhibits at this famous museum.
You and your team will come face to face with some actual moon rock, make shadows and heat rays with the clever bits of kit on show, test your science knowledge and learn some exciting facts. Who will emerge as the new Einstein at the end of the day?
As you explore all the Science Museum has to offer, you'll be presented with questions and tasks to test your knowledge and intellect using our award winning GPS based app, which features customised content, interactive maps, augmented reality and image recognition technology. You'll experience a unique team building event the likes of which you've never seen before.
Photo and video challenges will see you and your team channelling your most creative side to earn points in this competitive, fun and unique corporate team building activity.
Whether you choose a self managed or fully managed event, we guarantee your activity will appeal to each and every member of your team. As the leading provider of employee engagement events and team activities worldwide, we know what works. We organise more than 2,000 interactive team events worldwide each year from our offices in London and New York.
One of our wonderful team will be in touch to discuss your options…
If there are no challenges displayed for your event purpose please give us a call or send us an enquiry and we'll get back to you with a solution.
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Send us your details and we'll start planning your next team event.
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