text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Feb 2, 2010
|Filing date
|Jun 14, 2004
|Priority date
|May 31, 2004
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Claus Mřlgaard, Thomas Alexander Rogon, Thomas Andersen
|Original Assignee
|Phase One A/S
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (15), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (10), Classifications (20), Legal Events (2)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates to lossless or reversible, near-lossless, and lossy compression and decompression of digital image data. In particular, the invention relates to (de)compressing image data on-the-fly with no need for external RAM (Random Access Memory) resources for temporary data storage.
Image resolution is ever increasing and so are the accompanying frame rates. All in all this results in increasing demands to system bandwidths, transporting media bandwidth as well as storage capacity of both temporary storage (e.g. RAM) and permanent storage (e.g. HDD (Hard Disc Drive)). The strains on all these function blocks will be reduced if image data is compressed. Historically memory and permanent storage media bandwidths have not been increasing as rapidly as data processing means, which indicates that using on-the-fly image compression will yield much higher system performance than just adopting technological improvements in memory and permanent storage bandwidths. The higher performance can also be traded in for lower system costs, as less memory and permanent storage is required. Along with this, lower performance memory and storage means can be used. Another benefit, particular in portable products, is the ability to reduce power consumption as the power needed for the image compression can be much less than that required by additional memory and additional permanent storage.
Prior solutions based on industry standards like JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), require a lot of silicon to be implemented in hardware and are often too slow when implemented in software—this is particular the case if the bit-depth of pixels increase from the traditional 8 bits per color to e.g. 16 bits per color. Today the higher bit-depths are a natural thing in high-end digital imaging. This improves the color fidelity and enables more advanced image processing to be applied in order to obtain more satisfactory results than previously accepted. If JPEG or similar compression algorithms are used, the RAW image data must be fully calibrated, interpolated, and enhanced prior to the compression itself, this is outlined in the block diagram of
EP 1 173 005 describes a method for compressing raw color image data by mapping different color planes into square sections and compressing these independently. The decompressed file must then be re-mapped to restore the original pattern of the color image data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,483 describes a method for providing a simple lossy image compression. The method compresses image data in a lossy manner by dividing down pixel values by a loss factor and thereby creating an evenly distributed linear loss in the pool of image data. From an image-quality point of view, it is a disadvantage that this approach will increase the amount of digital noise in the darker areas of the resulting decompressed image as presented on either paper or a computer monitor. The reason being that image processing for preparing data for a more appropriate appearance requires multiplying image data with a gamma function.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,483, the described algorithm also needs data to be handled by a color extraction unit prior to the actual compression. This color extraction unit performs a very simple pixel interpolation to generate red, green, and blue values for each pixel. This instantly reduces the possibility of generating a high quality image at a later stage.
The variable length (VL) encoding described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,483 is based on a combination of 1's complement VL encoding with leading "zero" and "one" detection. This form of encoding works well with image data with low color bit-depth (e.g. 8 bits), but often yields poor results when used with image data with high color bit-depth (e.g. 16 bits) and a relatively high amount of entropy, which are all characteristics for high-quality imaging.
Another limitation of the implementation described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,483 is that it requires an external or internal buffer to hold at least two adjacent lines of image data to be able to do simple color interpolation. With high resolution image sensors, the required amount of temporary storage can be quite high and thereby increase system cost if the buffer is implemented together with the block that carries out the compression itself. Using cheaper external storage (e.g. Dynamic RAM, DRAM) will often be unacceptable from a performance point of view.
The invention provides on-the-fly compression and decompression of digital image data. The invention requires no external RAM resources for temporary data storage while compressing or decompressing image data. In the present context, on-the-fly means that data is processed, here compressed or decompressed, at the same rate as it is input to the relevant section.
In high quality digital imaging, an important feature is to get the recorded data stored or transmitted as fast as possible to make the camera ready for the next exposure as fast as possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for performing fast on-the-fly compression of image data to generate small compressed image data files which can be stored and/or transmitted cheaply and efficiently.
The professional photographer requires total control of the processing of image data, since different processing tools are preferred for different jobs. Image data which have not been processed prior to compression, e.g. by color interpolation, give smaller image data files which can be compressed and stored or transmitted faster.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for compressing raw image data in order to reduce the size of the compressed image data files. The method and apparatus may include the feature of calibrating the raw data for inherent noise and artifacts of the camera.
Lossy compression gives even smaller compressed image data files, and allows for even faster and cheaper handling of files. but also deteriorates the quality of the decompressed image. In the present invention, near-lossless compression is implemented using a gamma function to provide a compression that is visually lossless as it only affects image data in the same manner as the later image postprocessing, e.g. in relation to presenting recorded images on a monitor or a printout. Such postprocessing always applies a gamma curve to convert the linear response of the image sensor to a more logarithmic response which is used to ensure that the final result looks correct when displayed on a monitor or another output device such as a printer. By deliberately reducing bits whose significance will later be suppressed in presenting the image, no noticeable loss is introduced, such reduction is called near-lossless. The process simply removes data which would anyway later be removed by the final image enhancement processing prior to presentation. In the present invention, the gamma curve has a built in bit reduction function which preserves maximum amount of information for the lower values whereas higher values will contain larger errors. This is not visible in the final image as the same kind of bit reduction is always applied to the final processed image.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for performing a near-lossless compression of image data by performing a gamma correction and a bit reduction prior to compression. A corresponding inverse gamma correction is to be performed when decompressing the data.
In predicting pixel values, one is often left with the choice between prediction accuracy and speed. Advanced prediction algorithms can give less prediction errors and thereby increase the compression rate, as fewer errors need to be encoded and stored. Simpler prediction routines are faster with poorer predictions, especially for image data with much variation, resulting in smaller compression rates. According to the invention, speed has a high priority since image data is compressed on-the-fly. The inventors of the present invention have realized that an efficient statistical encoding routine can compensate for the poorer predictions of a simple prediction routine, thereby increasing the compression speed without significant reduction in compression rate.
Hence, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus applying a simple, fast prediction routine and an improved encoding routine adapted to efficiently encode the larger prediction errors of the simple prediction routine.
In order to fulfill the above objects, the present invention provides, in a first aspect, a method for lossless on-the-fly compression of raw digital image data from an image sensor, the method comprising:
Preferably, the method further comprises processing the image data to compensate for inherent noise and errors of the image sensor prior to generating pixel prediction errors.
Preferably, the entropy figure of a cluster is evaluated to reflect the difference between maximum and minimum pixel values in the cluster and a variation of pixel values in the cluster. To make the prediction simpler and faster, the clusters used in predicting pixel values are preferably fixed-size, one-dimensional cluster, such as having a fixed size of 8×1 pixels.
In a second aspect, the invention provide a method for near-lossless on-the-fly compression of raw digital image data from an image sensor, the method comprising:
The unique feature of gamma correcting the image data prior to bit-reduction and compression naturally requires that a reverse gamma correction be carried out before presenting the data with normal techniques, as that typically also involves a gamma correction. Hence, according to a third aspect, the invention provides a method for decompressing image data, the method comprising:
High quality image files are typically extremely large, typically several hundred megabytes. With the presently available computing power, processing of the entire image may therefore be a heavy and time-consuming burden. Therefore, the present invention provides the possibility to retrieve only specific parts of a compressed image for post-processing, thereby significantly reducing the file-size and the processing burden. Hence, the method for decompressing preferably comprises, prior to the decoding:
The methods according to the first and second aspects may be implemented in either software or hardware. According to a fourth and fifth aspect, the methods are implemented in software, and the invention provides electronic storage media storing software for use by a digital image processor in compressing digital image data from an image sensor, the software being executed by the digital image processor in performing the method steps of the first or the second aspect.
According to a third aspect, the methods are implemented in hardware, and the invention provides an image compression section for compressing digital image data, the section being connected to a digital imaging apparatus to receive information relating to at least a sensor integration time, a sensor temperature and analog gain of image data, if applied, and raw digital image data comprising a plurality of pixel values in one or more color planes, the compression section holding gamma correction data, at least two prediction routines for predicting pixel values for pixels in clusters of neighboring pixels using other pixel values in the cluster, and at least two statistical encoding schemes each determining codes and corresponding code lengths for pixel prediction errors of a cluster, the compression section comprising:
The method may be carried out by an algorithm implemented in software and/or hardware. Implementing the algorithm in hardware only requires a very limited amount of silicon and yields very high performance in terms of processing speed—particular when seen in relation to the very low power consumption.
The compression algorithm contains a line indexing format which enables very fast subsampling of an already compressed image. Line indexing is used to enable rapid subsampling of compressed image. It also improves error correction since an error in the compressed stream of data will only affect one line. The line indexing can be embedded in the compressed stream as well as in a separate file. Placing the indexing file in a separate file improves performance if the compressed file must be subsampled or zoomed into straight from a slow media like a HDD, flash based media or the like. If the indexing file is only embedded within the compressed stream it is necessary to read the entire compressed file into memory in order to extract the indexing information. As the indexing file is very small compared to a the size of a compressed high resolution image, it is a small penalty to pay in terms of extra required storage space, compared to the performance benefits gained when working with the compressed files. The line-indexing format makes it possible to only decompress the parts of an image which of interest. This improves performance and reduces the need for temporary RAM storage greatly when zooming and doing other kinds of postprocessing with compressed image data.
Raw image data means data containing only pixel values that have been read out from the image sensor. The data may be amplified and converted, but no new pixel values have been added to the data e.g. by color interpolation. The data may contain several values for each pixel if more than one value can be read out from pixels of the sensor. One type of image sensors (e.g. Foveon X3) may read out three values from each pixel corresponding to different wavelength intervals of the incident light. Since it is an object to get the data transmitted and stored as fast as possible there is no need for generating more data, and the present invention preferably operates with raw data. The compression algorithm may however be applied to interpolated data as well.
As described previously, the invention preferably applies a fast and simplified prediction scenario. According to a preferred embodiment, one feature of the routine is that small, fixed-size, one-dimensional clusters are used in the prediction scenarios, e.g. a 1×8 cluster. This increases speed but may give rise to more and larger prediction errors, which is compensated for by an efficient adaptive statistical encoding.
The compression algorithm is adaptive as it uses information about image sensor integration time, temperature, and gain to adjust the statistical encoder to optimum performance as well as adjusting the preprocessing gamma curve.
In relation to the disadvantages of U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,483, the present invention provides the following advantages:
The algorithm can easily be implemented in a way that makes it very suitable for image sensors with multiple outputs—the small silicon footprint enables easy use of parallel image compression. Multiple image outputs may also be supported by customizing the algorithm for a certain amount of input-channels.
The lossless compression ratios which can be achieved with the present algorithm are almost as good as the ones which can be achieved with state-of-the-art arithmetic compression techniques—but at a fraction of the complexity compared to state-of-the-art arithmetic compression.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, where
The invention provides a digital imaging system having a compression section implementing an algorithm for lossless or near-lossless compressing high-quality image data. Corresponding block diagrams of the algorithm are shown in
In the following, an embodiment of the part of the image system related to the compression of images is described in relation to
The compression section 10 comprises a number of blocks corresponding to different stages of the algorithm. The compression section and the block can be implemented by hardware or software. The highest performance can be achieved by implementing the algorithm hardware (e.g. ASIC, FPGA) or software (using a processor such as DSP Digital Signal Processor)) which does not require external RAM capacity to be used. The algorithm is made to easily fit into a parallel processing architecture, as this will yield the highest performance. Alternatively, the algorithm can be implemented in software stored on an electronic storage medium included in compression section 10 for use by a digital image processor included in compression section 10. The software can be executed by the digital image processor to perform the algorithm.
As shown in
The compression algorithm according to the invention has both a lossless compression mode and a near-lossless compression mode, as outlined in the block diagrams of
A brief overview of the involved stages of the algorithm is presented in the following, hereafter a detailed description of each stage is given.
Decoding the compressed image data consists of doing all the above in reverse.
Black Calibration
In the embodiments outlined by the block diagrams of
Apart from removing fixed pattern noise by subtracting a black reference image, other blemishes like dead columns, cluster defects, etc. can be corrected. The black calibrated and possibly blemish corrected data is fed to the preconditioning stage.
The preconditioning stage can either accept data straight from the image sensor or from a previous black calibration stage. The preconditioning stage conditions the incoming image data in a way to allow the following stages to perform at their best, thereby creating optimum compression ratio and image quality. This can be done by ensuring that the incoming data has image values that have a statistical distribution that does not differ too much between captures.
To understand the need for this preconditioning, one needs more information about the nature of image data under different image capture settings. An image that has been captured at a high ISO value (e.g. 1600) usually needs to be gained digitally at some stage to compensate for the smaller signal from the image sensor as the maximum analog signal from the sensor is typically limited to a lower ISO output (e.g. 100).
One way to make the statistics of a low ISO image and a high ISO image more equal is to gain (analog or digital) the raw image data of the high ISO image.
Another solution can be to have a statistical encoder who adapts its statistics based on the image data or by using other inputs which can help to indicate the optimum statistical encoding. Using knowledge about ISO, image sensor integration time, and image sensor temperature is even more beneficial as it provides a very simple way to fine-tune the statistical encoder prior to passing image data to this stage.
Another reason for gaining image data like that of the histogram of
Depending on the nature of image data as well as the selection of lossless or lossy compression, the preconditioning stage can either be bypassed or used. Bypassing the preconditioning gain stage is equivalent to setting the gain to 1.
The next stage in the algorithm is an optional lossy bit-reduction stage used to adjust the compression ratio, the stage is bypassed if lossless compression is desired.
In general, there are two basic lossy compression schemes:
The lossy stage of the present compression algorithm operates in the predictive scheme and does not apply any transform coding as compression methods operating in the lossy transform schemes (e.g. JPEG).
It is well known that the discrete cosine transform applied in JPEG compression gives rise to "blocky" and "blurry" compression artifacts which can also generate oscillating patterns when compressing high contrast images, typically due to 8×8 pixel squares containing a stripe or "checkerboard" pattern. These compression artifacts are extremely difficult to get rid of in later processing.
The compression artifacts introduced by the present compression algorithm are typically simple quantization errors visible as color "banding", where coarse color transitions result from a too low bit depth. It is a huge advantage of the present invention that such banding compression artifacts can easily be removed.
According to the present compression algorithm, a gamma correction is applied prior to reducing the amount of information in the image data pool. The gamma correction can be implemented as a look-up table, a mathematical function, or a piecewise linear approximation to a true gamma curve.
After the gamma-function has been applied it is possible to reduce the amount of bits per pixel from a high number (e.g. 16 bits) to a figure that suits the bit-depth per color of the final processed image, such as 8 bits per pixel. If the gamma correction is implemented as a look-up table it is an advantage to embed the bit-reduction part within the table, as this reduces the size of the table thereby reducing implementation cost in hardware and basic system strains. The use of a gamma-function to implement a near-lossless data reduction yields a very high quality image after it has been compressed, decompressed, and subjected to the final image enhancement stage. This is due to fact that a gamma curve is applied in the final image enhancement process hereby creating the same commanding function as the gamma curve applied prior to the prediction stage. A straight linear division of all pixel values would create a visible loss of data in the darker areas of the final image, hereby yielding a lower quality image with a noisy appearance. The compression ratio can easily be changed by reducing the bit-depth of each pixel. The higher bit-reduction, the higher compression ratio can be achieved.
An example of a gamma table with built-in bit-reduction functionality is shown in Table 1 below
Input data (16 bit binary)
Output data (12 bit binary)
Other implementations of a lossy stage are possible but the distinct advantage of the lossy part of the present invention is that it is very simple while still giving impressive results in the present images. Also, it can be can be added as a separate stage without affecting the implementation of the following compression stage which is by nature lossless.
A slightly more advanced implementation of a lossy stage may further include an averaging function (prior to removing bits) of the lower bits of neighboring pixels of the same color which would yield even better results as the least significant bits are not just removed but also affect the value of the resulting least significant bit following the bit reduction stage. Using the possibility to average the least significant pixels prior to the prediction stage, less of the least significant bits may be discarded. This is because the averaging function improves the signal-to-noise ratio and thereby the performance of the prediction stage if the image data contains a large quantity of noise, making it difficult to predict the correct values.
Using information about the general level of noise in the image data, it is possible to fine-tune the lossy stage to apply just the right amount of noise suppression and then remove the amount of data which would anyway later be removed by the final image enhancement processing. Applying careful noise suppression followed by a data reduction at an early stage improves image compression ratios without sacrificing image quality.
Following the lossy stage, data enters the clustering stage. In this stage data is being grouped in clusters of a well-defined size. The optimum cluster size for high throughput performance, low cost, and good compression ratio for image data from a Bayer filter pattern sensor is an 8×1 cluster consisting of 8 pixels horizontally in a line as shown in
Using cluster sizes which require data from more than one line of image data, forces the image compression implementation to buffer (store) at least one extra line in memory to be able to compress the following line. For high performance this data must be available on the same silicon as the compression engine to avoid slower access times and more power consuming accesses to external memory. Accessing external memory either increases system cost or decreases performance—often making it impossible to compress data on-the-fly thereby losing the great benefit of reducing data straight as it is read out from the image sensor. The problem with buffering more lines in fast memory becomes very obvious when high performance image sensors with several outputs are being used. These sensors with lines that can be thousands of pixels long (>4000 pixels in a line is common these days) may supply data from distant parts of the same image at the same time, thereby at least doubling the buffering demands and increasing the demands to the complexity and performance of the compression engine implementation. Using an image sensor with 4 outputs, lines with 5000 pixels, and choosing a cluster size of 8×8, the buffering capacity demand will at least be 175 kB with 16 bits per pixel. This is quite expensive if it is implemented as fast on-chip SRAM (i.e. cache), and it is not available in low power, high performance DSP or other commercially available processors of today.
An 8×1 cluster solves all of the above at a low cost with the only penalty being a slightly lower compression ratio. Another advantage of the 8×1 cluster is that it fits very well with the cache line size of many standard processors as well as the burst capability of standard memory interfaces.
With the small cluster size and simple prediction routine, the present compression algorithm uses an adaptive one-pass prediction and encoding stage to achieve higher throughput rates without compromising compression ratio significantly. This approach is significantly different from typical solutions based on adaptive two-pass encoding strategies, where all image data is first analyzed to determine the optimum encoding prior to doing a second pass of all image data to do the actual encoding. The one-pass method is faster and requires less memory than the two-pass encoding strategy.
The one-pass method is made possible because general trends of the noise level and statistics of the image data can be deducted from the information related to the settings of the image sensors. This information allows the algorithm to choose an appropriate prediction routine and thereby eliminates the need for analyzing the entire data pool prior to selecting a prediction strategy. As an example, it is attractive to select a very simple prediction strategy if the general noise level of the data is very high, since even advanced prediction strategies cannot predict random noise. Instead, by selecting a fast and simple one-pass prediction routine and instead providing encoding routines adapted on cluster level, and much faster, a very efficient compression is provided.
Within each cluster, image data entropy is being determined and later used to choose the optimum encoding for each cluster. The entropy figure of a cluster is evaluated to reflect the difference between maximum and minimum pixel values in the cluster and a variation of pixel values in the cluster.
The clustered image data enters the prediction sector in which each pixel value in the cluster is predicted using information from the previous pixels. A pixel can either be solely predicted from previous pixel values of the same color or from previous pixel values of different colors. The very simplest prediction for Bayer image data is that a pixel is predicted to have the same value as the previous pixel of the same color. A slightly more sophisticated prediction may use more than one previous pixel to predict the next pixel. Use of more pixels where they are weighted with the most weight placed on the pixels closest to the pixel to be predicted yields slightly better results. When using cluster sizes with more than one line, pixels of the same color within short distance from the predicted pixel in both the horizontal and the vertical direction can be used to predict the pixel value.
As contrast information is not entirely confined to the green pixels, it is also beneficial to use pixels of other colors to help predict a pixel. How advanced the prediction stage should be depends greatly on the typical amount of noise in the compressed images. With a lot of noise in the image, a very advanced prediction algorithm does not improve compression ratio significantly simply because it is impossible to predict random noise. With less noise in the image or with the addition of a lossy stage with noise suppression, the advantage of more sophisticated prediction increases.
A lossy stage can be included within the prediction stage by for instance accepting prediction errors which differ (smaller than) from the actual figure which is calculated as the difference between the predicted value and the correct value.
When the pixel value has been predicted, the difference (error) from the actual value is temporarily stored as the value to be encoded for that pixel. When the prediction errors for all the pixels in a cluster has been determined, a figure for the amount of entropy within that block is obtained as the maximum prediction error for each color within the cluster. The entropy figures as well as the pixel prediction errors are passed on to the encoding stage.
The encoding stage uses the entropy figures to choose the optimum encoding values for the pixel prediction errors for each color plane within the cluster, hereby adaptively adjusting the encoding to yield the shortest possible codes for the image data within each cluster. Within each cluster, the entropy figures are encoded themselves, followed by the encoded pixel prediction errors. If an entropy figure has not changed since the previous cluster, the entropy code is encoded with a very short code to indicate that the previous value is still valid.
The encoding stage of the present invention makes use of different statistical encoding schemes to choose from when encoding a cluster, the choice depending on the entropy figure for the cluster and on the general noise and statistics information from the image sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the statistical encoding schemes are small tables with different statistical encoding values for the prediction errors of a cluster. The tables can be combined with encoding strategies based on mathematical formulas providing acceptable short codes for input data of variable size. For e.g. a cluster with a small entropy figure and where the general noise level of the image data is low, small pixel prediction errors are mapped to their corresponding statistical optimal encoding values whereas larger pixel prediction values are encoded straight. For another combination of entropy figure and general noise level of the image data, the encoding scheme may favor the mid-range or large prediction errors. The encoding schemes could also be represented by a curve or a mathematical formula.
Table 2 below shows an example of an encoding table based on statistical input where a high value is more likely to occur than a low one:
Input value (binary)
Output value (binary)
The use of a number of small tables avoids the use of for instance a large Huffman encoding table which for 16 bits pixel data would take up 1 Mbit of fast accessible storage compared to only 220 bits for the simplest version of the present invention.
To achieve higher compression ratios, run-length encoding can also be used as a supplement to the previously described encoding, but at the cost of a higher complexity and possibly a lower throughput performance. The advantage is an increased compression ratio for images with regions of very low entropy. In reality run-length encoding is only useful in combination with lossy compression or image data with extremely low noise level.
Stream and Index Generation
The encoded data is passed on to the stream generating stage where the final compressed stream of image data is generated. Each line of pixels is converted into a stream of encoded pixel values with additional information about the entropy level for each cluster. At the end of each line, the size of the encoded line is appended to the encoded stream of pixel values. The size of the line is also stored in a separate index table to enable fast access for postprocessing functions (e.g. zoom) when the compressed image is stored on a slow media.
The final compressed image can either be stored temporarily (e.g. in RAM) and/or on a permanent storage media (e.g. on a HDD). The index file can be stored alongside the image file or extracted from the compressed image stream at a later stage. Transmitting the compressed file over a media (wire, wireless, optical, or any other) will also yield improved performance due to the limited bandwidth requirements caused by the compressed image data.
The image calibration is mainly postponed until the final image enhancement stage as this enables the use of very sophisticated image sensor calibration techniques, which improves the final image quality. There is a great advantage in postponing the image enhancement to a later stage where more processor resources may be available and processing time and power consumption is less critical. The final image calibration and image enhancement may be carried out by the same physical unit which incorporates the compression block. Image calibration and image enhancement may also be handled by another physical unit with processor resources such as a computer. Decompression can be carried out at very high speeds using a standard software implementation of the algorithm running in a standard computer.
The present invention yields very stable compression ratios which in connection with system design is more useful than an algorithm that sometimes generates very high compression ratios and at other times hardly compresses data at all. The deterministic compression performance enables design of a surrounding digital imaging system which does not need a lot of overhead, but can instead use the reduced amount of data to achieve higher performance and/or lower system cost. Using the near-lossless compression setting, a typical high-quality image will be compressed to ⅛th, compared to the size it has when it is fully processed. The image quality achieved is superior to what can be achieved with a standard baseline JPEG set to ⅛th compression, as visual image artifacts are totally absent no matter which image is being compressed.
Being able to compress high-quality image data for later high-speed selective decompression makes the present invention very useful in image bank systems where high-quality image data must be stored, retrieved rapidly, and postprocessed—possibly making use of the selective decompression ability to speed data retrieval and modification even further. With a common standard it will be possible to create a new high-quality image data format which contains compressed RAW data with postprocessing directives appended to the RAW image data.
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|U.S. Classification
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Owner name: PHASE ONE A/S, DENMARK
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Effective date: 20040706
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MOLGAARD, CLAUS;ROGON, THOMAS ALEXANDER;ANDERSEN, THOMAS;REEL/FRAME:015805/0705
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|Jul 25, 2013
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Is that how leaks come? More likely that way than in an official limousine, I suppose. Well, I have had a listen and it seems sufficiently intriguing to warrant a transcript. Besides, reprinting this gives me the chance for a day off.
There are two speakers on the tape, both male, neither identified.
Secretary of State, could we have a little talk about the end of the century?
My dear fellow, I may look old to you, but I assure you I wasn't around at the end of the century.
No, Sir, I am talking about the end of the present century. The other day we were trying to fix a date for it, if you remember.
Oh, yes. December 31st we decided, didn't we?
Yes, we did, Sir. But it's the year we were worried about. Whether to make it 1999 or 2000.
Didn't we decide on 1999? Although it was actually the wrong year mathematically speaking, we decided to go along with the common assumption that 1999 felt like the last year of the century.
Yes, Sir. We thought we'd go along with that and have all the government celebrations in 1999.
And you were going to go and book places for the festivities?
Yes, Sir. I was going to reserve the Albert Hall and everywhere.
It's all booked, Sir.
No, Sir, I mean the places we wanted have already gone. Double booked. Waiting lists.
You mean . . . no Albert Hall?
Nowhere, Sir. The paying public has moved in with a vengeance. Even hotels in New Zealand are booked because it is the first country with decent hotels that you come to after the International Date Line and therefore the first country where you can get breakfast in the next century. And if hotels in New Zealand are booked solid, what hope have we at the Ritz or Savoy?
Quite so. Oh, it does seem so unfair that we in Heritage have to tackle these things] What has the end of the century got to do with our heritage?
Absolutely, Sir. But then what did the poll tax have to do with the environment?
I don't know. What did it have to do with the environment?
Nothing, Sir. But Chris Patten was Environment Secretary when he got lumbered with the poll tax.
Ah, yes, but that was because they were trying to get him before he got too big for his boots]
Yes, Sir.
And nobody could accuse me of that.
If you say so, Sir.
Anyway, we seem to have a bit of a problem. We've settled on 1999 as the last year of the century, and now we find it's too late to book anywhere.
Well, not entirely too late. I have a list of leisure centres still unbooked, and one or two Holiday Inns . . .
Be serious, dear boy. How would it look if I went back to the Cabinet and said that I had fixed up all the millennium celebrations and they're all in a Holiday Inn? Or in a large marquee? They'd laugh me to scorn.
Yes, Sir. Actually, I've checked out all available large marquees. They're already booked for December 31st 1999.
Oh, my God. It's worse than I thought. Got any bright ideas?
Yes, Sir. Make it AD2000.
If we announce that it's the end of the century on the last day of AD2000 after all, I think you'll find there are still plenty of big places available for booking.
Ah, I've got you. But won't it look rather stupid if we're different from everybody else?
It will make us look a bit stupid now, Sir. But come the end of the century people will have forgotten our decision and will be glad of the chance to celebrate twice, and we'll get the credit]
Good thinking. Right, go ahead and announce the new date of the millennium.
I think perhaps I'll do the booking first, Sir.
Good man. Carry on.Reuse content

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Helping Hands & Hearts Hospice
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Rbnm October 17, 2016
I am a past client of this provider
This hospice did not deliver the services that were needed or promised. They cannot deal with difficult cases that require lots of care. They limited my husband to an hour of care a day and I was told it took 24 hours to get medications. It can be a long 24 hours while in pain.
Parrack July 10, 2012
I am a past client of this provider
Hospice cared for my husband in 2007. After he passed away, I knew that I wanted to GIVE BACK. I researched the various Hospice groups in my area and decided to volunteer with Helping Hands & Hearts. I have been a Patient Volunteer and I also volunteer in the Thrift Store. In 2011, HH&H's provided care for my son who was terminally ill. These are the most caring, compassionate people I have ever been around. I would highly recommend HH&H's to anyone
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The primary business is Hospice for Helping Hands and Hearts Hospice. We pride ourselves in getting to the patient and family within 30 minutes of their call. Our Hospice and business office is located at 103 Circle Way Suite 100 lake Jackson TX 77566
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After battling a brain tumor into remission, a Kensington man hopes to fight the disease by raising money and awareness through a bike ride. News4's Melissa Mollet talked with him as he prepared for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Published at 5:45 PM EDT on Aug 12, 2014 | Updated at 2:48 PM EDT on Aug 12, 2014


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Once you create a guild, you can buy a concierge ticket which lets you choose your favourite character in the game as a guide. By clearing quests together, guilds can earn prestige points, which can 'level' them up and earn them a ranking. Levels can gain your guild access to more facilities and items in your guild's hometown. You'll also get to commission statues in your hometown by paying with either Dahlia (jewels) or a prism tickets, the latter of which be available as DLC.
The patch also adds more quests and offers over 100 pieces DLC available for purchase. For 11 screens of the guild patch, you can check out our White Knight Chronicles II gallery below.
Vandal Hearts Sunday, Apr. 30 • 10am PDT/1pm EDT
Vandal Hearts Every Tuesday • 12pm PDT/3pm EDT
Tales of Symphonia Every Wednesday • 5pm PDT/8pm EDT
Horizon Zero Dawn Every Thursday • 5pm PDT/8pm EDT


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free Kung fu panda Games online, explore games: skeletons, disney, kung fu panda. Our friend Po Play with panda Po and small for travel Free Kung Fu.
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a Fighting game online at gundemonline.org You can play Kung Fu Panda 2 in full-screen mode in your browser for free without any annoying AD.
Shame on those who tease Kung Fu Panda's car! It might look funny, but Kung Fu Panda is a great racer, and loves to speed. Kung Fu Panda, who is also very. Kung Fu Panda World Character Creation & Tutorial PARENTS PLEASE REFER TO gundemonline.org. Our favorite browsers for a pleasent and fast experience: Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Kung fu panda: Bicycle Race. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Aleevee comment on Mario, war at sea. Kung Fu Panda Find The Alphabets.


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Perkasie Police search for $30,000 stolen coin collection
A coin collection worth nearly $30,000 is gone after thieves ransacked an auction house in Sellersville, Bucks County.
The Perkasie Borough Police Department said two men were able to pry into the Sellersville Auction House on November 10.
According to police, the two men bagged up the coins in pillowcases. Stolen coins include Civil War tokens and modern mint pieces, according to police.
"An extremely large collection of multiple people. A rare occurrence, but it was an extremely valuable collection, a large quantity," said Detective Sgt. Russ Closs with the Perkasie Borough Police Department.
Investigators found coins scattered around the area soon after the incident.
Police said the thieves showed interest in the coins just days before the Sellersville Auction House was hit.
"An employee recognized the stature of the guy, being stocky, the walk. He went back to the surveillance and got footage of a guy that was in the building earlier in the weekend to look at the coins and the saddle," Closs said.
Police said the robbers also walked off with a custom made "Chief Deluxe" parade horse saddle, worth nearly $10,000.
"A parade saddle, a custom show piece for a horse. Only the saddle was taken and it would be really unusual to have a saddle without the rest of the accessories," Closs said.
Police said the entire raid lasted just five minutes. Police believe the two men may be driving a dark green late 80's to early 90's Saab.
Anyone with information should call Perkasie Borough Police at 215 257 6876 to leave an anonymous tip. You can also email information to firstname.lastname@example.com
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What's holding you back? What's keeping you from achieving your highest aspiration? The answer is that it's your own B.S. It's not what you really think.
What's The Impact When You "Put Down" Others?
The Power of Appreciation and Belonging
7 Most Important Behaviors of Leadership Success
Change Your Conversations; Change Your Life
I could feel it happening. My face felt hot, my heart was racing, and my mind was almost spinning. I was verbally ambushed and being pulled into a confrontational conversation. It was an uncomfortable feeling. I wanted to protect myself, to run away if possible. When I realized I couldn't run I then wanted to […]


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Night Splint for TTS?
Posted by
samuel c
on 3/08/04 at 06:39 (146411)
Anyone ever try the night splint for tts, as i know its for PF, but was wondering if there have been any success cases using it at night for bed.
Re: Night Splint for TTS?
on 3/08/04 at 09:25 (146424)
One caution from my experience -- I used a night splint last November every night. Perhaps i adjusted it for too much dorsiflexion, I don't know. At any rate, it woke me up in the middle of the night with pain in my metatarsals. Sometimes I kicked the splint off at 4 am, most nights I figured this must be good for me and went back to sleep with the pain. After a month of this, I started to develop Mortons neuroma in my 3rd toe. Now, months later the Mortons has lessened but is still with me a bit.
So don't ratchet the splint too tight and if it hurts, take the splint off. Thats my advice.


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Develop and hone specialist skills in the Agriculture industry with a Certificate III in Agriculture. The qualification instructs students on how to carry-out and coordinate the procedures that employees in the agriculture industry perform day-in-day-out. The course also teaches the technical skills that a senior employee on a rural enterprise should possess.
This course covers 16 units of competency
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21 Weirdest Bellies Ever
Page 1 of 26
Most of us simply do not know that these exist. One of the reasons one should know those bellies is that once a belly like this is exposed in real life one shouldn't freak out. Some bellies in this list have a specific scientific name as well. Browse through and get used to these weird stuff. Take your time. We start slowly so you will ease into the freakishness.. ARE YOU COURAGEOUS ENOUGH FOR NUMBER 15???
1# The Weird Teen belly
Some teens like to carve muscles into there skin by using knife or pencil.


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It's been a huge month, leading up to the Super Bowl of NASCAR, the Daytona 500. This is the first year of the new Car of Tomorrow, the "Gen Six" car, and all of the drivers have been trying to figure out its intricacies. The Ford Fusion and Chevrolet NASCAR SS has joined the field and its street-legal equivalent, the SS, was introduced. A huge wreck in the Nationwide Series race the day before the Daytona 500 tore a car in half, tore a hole in the fence, sent car parts flying into the crowd and
Nascar Ss
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- Owners say these cars aren't very good deals
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Nascar Ss Questions
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Tuscan Pork Kebabs- Gundersen Health System
Tuscan Pork Kababs
Makes 4 servings
Getting started Equipment you will need: grater, small bowl, spoon, cutting board/chef's knife, wooden or metal skewers (8), tongs Preheat grill to: medium heat Do right away when you get home:
4 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 pound pork tenderloin
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
1. Combine ingredients in large bowl. Stir well. Trim fat off of pork and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add pork to bowl. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Chop peppers into 1-inch cubes. Thread pork and peppers, alternatively, onto skewers. Cooking spray
3. Coat grill rack with spray. Place skewers on rack and grill for 10 minutes or until pork is done. Turn skewers occasionally.
Suggested Side Items: Farmers' Market Potato Salad (June 25th recipe) and cantaloupe
Tips: Add vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes to kebabs, if desired. Shopping list: Garlic (1 bulb) Yellow bell pepper (2) Red bell pepper (2) Lemon (1) Pork tenderloin (1 lb.)
Check for: Olive oil Black pepper Salt Cooking spray
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I crossed the Texas border into New Mexico. I have driven 757 miles since I left my parents house in Liberty Hill. I haven't been on the road two weeks, and it feels like this is all I've ever done. Driving from place to place. Pitching my camp wherever I feel like. Chilling. Writing. Reading books. Watching movies. Playing with my dog.
A few days ago, I had a small mental break down.
It was my second day at Davis Mountain State Park. I arrived after an amazing few days in Mason, Texas—so amazing that I thought briefly: Why go on? This place is about as cool as it gets. I love the people, I've been offered a part time gig, I bet I can find a cheap place to stay, and I've already got half a dozen friends, each and every one of them an amazing individual?
But I have to take this trip. I need to see the Pacific Ocean. I do.
I paid for four nights at Davis Mountain in cash; as I realized that I simply could not sustain this financially. $23 is cheap, but when you don't have a job, you need gas—averaging 13 miles/ gallon—you need to feed yourself and your dog, and all you've got for revenue are books and schwag; and you keep getting rejections from bookstores everywhere. Well then, $23 becomes a big deal.
So I freaked out.
This is normal.
A few years ago when I lived in Paris, France, and didn't have a job, nor any prospects, my friends dropped me off just north of Limoge at their country house. I had my bike and my gear.
I rode, drank wine, worked, and had a blast for three months. I camped wherever I could pitch my tent. I picked grapes for two weeks during the vendanges—prearranged beforehand—camped near the beach, ate oysters with white wine for breakfast (on occasion, not every single day), rode to Angers, got another gig picking more grapes in the Coteau du Layon, then eventually stopped in Normandy and took a train back to Paris. It was amazing.
My first day on the road, I was scared. I got stuck in a massive rain storm, got two flat tires, and arrived at a campground after dark where I couldn't figure out how to pitch my tent. I hated life. I wanted out. I was depressed. I was pissed at myself. The next morning, I called a friend in Paris to let him know that I was quitting, and he listened, talked to me, and told me to give it another couple of days. So I stayed in a cheap country French hotel on top of a restaurant—the kind with a toilet bowl and a shower in the hallway, and a urinal exposed in a corner. The next morning, I got back on my bike. Best decision ever. After that, everything was fine.
This time there were no flat tires or massive rain storm. What there was is the normal shtick: This great big open of unknown, this great big universe ready to swallow me whole.
I asked myself: What the fuck? You left your job! You left the comfort of AC, heat, and bathrooms? Why? What the fuck is wrong with you?
It was a tough day. I felt sorry for myself, for all the bad decisions I've ever made; everything was dark and morose; I felt pity on myself because of the endless rejection emails.
That night in bed in my RV, I realized: FUCK YOU FRANCOIS! LIFE IS FUCKING GOOD!
If I don't like where I'm at, I get in the driver's seat and go somewhere else. If somebody says no to me reading and selling my books, I ask somebody else. And if that somebody else doesn't have a bookstore, who cares. There are so many other places and people…it is endless…this great big universe never fucking stops!
The very next day I received a confirmation for a reading in Long Beach, and another email from Santa Fe, and several friends reached out to me offering a helping hand without me saying anything about my little break down. It's as if the universe knew, and reached down to give me a little hug.
You got to make yourself get past that first hurdle. Your instincts will tell you to run back home, but there's a reason you left in the first place. What was that reason? The lack of freedom of movement? The strangulation of modern life? Or simply the need for adventure? Every decision bears it's consequences. Life on the road is not going to be easy. And that's ok.
Peace & Love from François, Brutus, and The Rollin' Chateau
Don't forget to buy my books! Beers Songs for the Lonely and Good Feeling: seven short stories. This is how I keep the gas tank full and my belly full. Also, please write reviews, this is how you help me tell the whole world about my books. Thank you so much!


text:
Did you know
William H Scott?
Email us to contribute to this page.
2nd Lt. William H. Scott, Sr.
- HQ & Service Co.
Laurie Scott Mahaffey writes:
My father was William H. Scott, Sr, 2nd Lt, of Pasadena, Texas.
If any of the men still living from this unit remember my dad, I would
love to hear from them.
Email Laurie Scott Mahaffey
The Army Records Center sent
me some paperwork, and I found out he received 2 bronze stars.
My dad will always be one of my heroes. I have a picture of him and the
327th Engineers taken at Camp Swift that is a treasure. Daddy is the one
with the broadest shoulders on the front row. He was 6 feet tall & older
than many enlistees; he was over 30 when he went in.
My father was at Ft Belvoir, VA for a while. He said the boys from the
South all knew how to drive because they had been driving cars,
tractors, or trucks all their lives. The Northern boys who lived in the
big cities didn't have cars, so the Southerners taught them how to
My dad never talked about his military experience except for things not
related to how bad it was. I know he went overseas on a ship, the Queen
Elizabeth (?). He had worked on a ship during the Depression, so wasn't
as seasick as the other young men. He said when they reached Britain,
they all got out & kissed the ground.
For a time, they were in Holland, I believe. The people there had so
little, yet one of the families had chickens & provided my dad with
fresh eggs. He wrote to this family after the war & sent them things
from the US that they had a hard time getting.
My dad was MIA for a short time. A family friend who worked for a Texas
senator helped find him in a field hospital. He had cellulitis in his
feet from wet boots. He also had problems with shell shock & was sent to
a military hospital in Kentucky for treatment.
After the war, he & my mom were married & moved to Oklahoma, where they
lived close to Fort Sill. They were walking down the street one day when
a former Army buddy saw him and hugged him, crying, "Lt Scott! We
thought you were dead."
Both my parents were definitely part of the Greatest Generation. My mom
was a plane spotter in her after-work hours.
Thank you for the opportunity to honor my dad.
Laurie Scott Mahaffey
Email Laurie Scott Mahaffey
* Photos will be added later.


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Invasion of the Undead (2015) - Trailer / Poster
Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure
Type: Trailers
Duration: 1M54S
Cast: Mark Ashworth, Alan J. Sanders, Garry Lenz, Eric Davis, Jay Holloway, Katelyn Brammer, Marie Barker, Caitlin McPhail, Greg Garrison, Cat Espinoza, D. Dylan Schettina, Leah Elyse Cohen, Nathan DeRussy, Isabel Goico, Josie Levy
Director(s): Torey Haas
Torey Haas" Invasion of the Undead (2015) is a new horror comedy adventure movie that looks out-of-the-norm good, keep in mind that the film does not take itself seriously. There is a lot of potential from this crowdfunded movie and effort. The world premiere for this film will happen at Atlanta"s Plaza Theatre on February 10, 2015. The digital release date is set for March 3, 2015 which is also the release date for the video game too. Starring in Invasion of the Undead are Mark Ashworth, Candace Mabry and Marie Barker.
Synopsis: A beautiful young woman gets more than she bargained for when she enlists the aid of two self-proclaimed paranormal exterminators to combat a monster infestation in her new home.
You May Also Like...


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Freedom And Justice Party
News »latest by relevance
Source:Bloomberg - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said 'thugs' and not members of its political party were behind Friday clashes with secular activists that left 30 people injured in central Cairo. "Thugs" wearing T-shirts with the slogan of the Freedom and Justice Party
12.28 PM Oct 15th 2012
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt`s two leading Islamist parties said on Sunday their separate party lists secured about three-quarters of votes cast in the second round of a parliamentary election, extending their lead in the three-stage vote. A source from the Muslim Brotherhood`s Freedom and Justice Party
2.48 PM Dec 19th 2011
Source:IBNLive - The Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party The Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) controls the largest bloc in
9.04 PM Jun 21st 2012


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text:
Bali is an amazing destination for your honeymoon and when travelling to Bali there are some important things to be aware of.
Whether it involves planning before you travel to Bali on your honeymoon or important things to do while in Bali, there are a lot of things that will help your honeymoon be the best, most romantic trip you could think of. Belowere are the 15 useful tips to make your honeymoon awesomely amazing.
1. Give yourself time
Try to give yourself time to decompress after your wedding and instead of leaving the morning after, wait a few days or even a week. You want to enjoy your wedding celebration, and some of the best parties go into the wee hours. Give yourself some time to recover from the festivities. Having some time between the wedding and the honeymoon also gives you the chance for any last minute travel errands.
2. Ask for honeymoon packages
If you book through a travel agent, make sure to ask about specific honeymoon packages. These packages often come with discounts or free upgrades. Everyone loves love and a lot of places want you to start off your new chapter in life in the best way possible. Oftentimes, to, you'll find an excursion you weren't even aware of, or had passed on because of the cost.
3. Keep it simple
While there are so many sights and places to visit in Bali, try not to overplan your day. Instead, keep a loose list of things you want to do, but make sure that your plans remain flexible. Remember that a day is 24 hours long; if you have a busy night, you might not want to get up early for that pre-booked excursion the next morning.
4. Keep asking
Bali is a very friendly island that has heard just about every tourist request. Make sure you ask questions about the best places to eat or visit once you arrive. Your hotel wants you to be happy and can point you in the best direction to enjoy your stay.
It also doesn't hurt to ask for any upgrades once you arrive at your hotel. Often if hotel rooms remain un-booked you can get a different room with a larger bed or more glamorous bathroom. A hotel will always try to make a repeat customer out of you and simple upgrades are an easy way to do this.
5. Bring documentation
Make sure that your passport is up to date and to be on the safe side, bring your marriage certificate with you. If the bride has decided to change her name, you want to cover all bases with appropriate documentation.
6. Have the ability to document everything
Your honeymoon to Bali might be the perfect excuse to finally transfer the pictures from your digital camera to your computer to free up space. Or, more practically, to buy a new memory card. Make sure you have all the right cords to charge your camera, including an adaptor as the plugs in Bali are different from other countries.
If you plan on snorkelling or scuba diving, you might want to bring a waterproof camera. These can be expensive on Bali, so purchase one ahead of time.
7. Flash that ring
It may see ostentatious, but the more you mention you're on your honeymoon in Bali, the more likely you'll get free perks. It might be a drink at the bar or dessert at the restaurant. People love any excuse to celebrate.
8. Keep active
You may not realize it, but a week of relaxation might get a bit boring. Think ahead about any water sports you want to take part in. Surf lessons can be fun and a great bonding experience for a newlywed couple. Take the opportunity to create memories that will last your married lifetime.
By learning something new together you can really strengthen the bond between you and your loved one.
9. Be sun smart
Bali is just south of the equator which means that the sun is very powerful. Even cloudy weather can give you a severe sun burn. Pack a high SPF sunscreen with you so that you are protected from day one. Burns are not romantic but rubbing sunscreen on a newlywed is.
10. Diversify
There are many islands close to Bali, so while on your honeymoon you might want to take advantage of a day trip to a new locale. Keep things interesting and exciting with a change of scenery. Day trips usually entail waking up early, so don't go overboard as you will want to rest and relax. But one early morning won't do any harm.
11. Keep your valuables safe
All reputable hotels have in-room safes and make sure you use them. While most hotel staff are trustworthy, you never want to take the chance. Be careful, too when you leave the hotel. Only bring small amounts of cash and keep them in a secure place. Pickpockets are always on the lookout for easy money.
12. Keep it romantic
This is your honeymoon on Bali, so when packing think of what will make the trip extra romantic. Candles and massage oils can make the romantic location that much more special.
13. Take a cooking class
Food is a labor of love and what better way to get to know the culture of Bali than in a cooking class. Many resorts offer cooking classes, or if you're in town, they can be easy to find and sign up for. Take notes so that when you're back at home you can transport yourself back to your romantic honeymoon with the help of a few spices.
14. Relax with a massage
Many hotels in Bali have full service spas and what better to feel completely relaxed together than getting massages side by side with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Perhaps your partner will even pick up a few tips to treat you right after you return from your honeymoon on Bali.
15. Enjoy the sunset and the sunrise
Natural beauty makes us realize that we are all connected and a part of this glorious world. Take the time to savor the sunset as you enjoy local cuisine at a restaurant. If possible, get up for an early morning hike and watch the sun rise over the ocean.
These varied tips for travelling in Bali while on your honeymoon will help make your trip something you will never forget. You want to start your married life off as best as possible, and here are a few ways to help you do so.


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Some concerts promise so much. With a title as wilfully enigmatic as "400 years of modern music", my expectations for Saturday night's concert at the QEH were high. Just what could such a title mean? Was this to be some revelatory exploration of music that has always sounded "modern", regardless of period? Was I expecting the musical equivalent of Steven Pimlott's shatteringly timeless production of Hamlet? I was trying, in anticipation, to pinpoint those works – Bach's Art of Fugue, Beethoven's "Grosse Fuge", a wayward Scarlatti keyboard sonata – to which the innocent ear might struggle for the era of writing while the professional, if not innocent, might merely gawp.
Sadly, this concert turned out to have no such ambitions, but rather, ambition of an entirely different nature, and ill-conceived at that. In a scant hour, the goal was to present "a musical dialogue between the history of man's evolution through classical music and the foundations of popular culture". Some task! Not up to it were pianists Marcelo Bratke and Marcela Roggeri, and a group of young to very young children, the Meninos do Morumbi, flown in from far-off Brazil.
The Meninos do Morumbi is a noble idea. It's a percussion ensemble of up to 400 children, offering music as an alternative to drugs and delinquency. Only 11 turned up on Saturday. Quite why they were playing with and alongside two pianists was not at all easy to fathom, and why they performed so little, equally mysterious.
The programme – played without break and largely without applause in Stygian gloom – began with a tantalising fragment of Robin Holloway's deconstruction for two pianos of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Gilded Goldenberg is a massive work of over two hours. Its abrupt end (after perhaps seven minutes) seemed wilfully arbitrary, signalled by a lone drummer, whose solemn beats segued into Mozart's great C minor fugue, K426. The pattern of Bratke and Roggeri's playing became apparent: cool and remote; little interchange; little characterisation; little dynamic contrast; little heed to the music's drama; lousy ensemble.
Schubert's F minor "Fantasia", heralded in by a very young "tambouriniste"(!), fared even worse. How can so poignant a piece lack colour, pathos and surprise? And what is gained by drummers crashing into the end, merely to segue into Gershwin's 3 Preludes? Four pieces of Ernesto Nazareth had the percussionists "playing along". At least the tambouriniste – the star of the evening – seemed to be having a good time: she was the only one to smile. And in Milhaud's "Brazileria" from Scaramouche, she had a winning one-finger spin on her tambourine. But as an exercise "culminating in a fusion of ideas and traditions", forget it.
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People often reject creative ideas even when espousing creativity as a desired goal. To explain this paradox, we propose that people can hold a bias against creativity that is not necessarily overt, and which is activated when people experience a motivation to reduce uncertainty. In two studies, we measure and manipulate uncertainty using different methods including: discrete uncertainty feelings, and an uncertainty reduction prime. The results of both studies demonstrated a negative bias toward creativity (relative to practicality) when participants experienced uncertainty. Furthermore, the bias against creativity interfered with participants' ability to recognize a creative idea. These results reveal a concealed barrier that creative actors may face as they attempt to gain acceptance for their novel ideas.
Giorgio BertiniResearch on society, culture, art, neuroscience, cognition, critical thinking, intelligence, creativity, autopoiesis, self-organization, rhizomes, complexity, systems, networks, leadership, sustainability, thinkers, futures ++
Learning Change Project
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Turkey: Failed coup was years in the making
The failed coup in Turkey was years in the making, writes Ahmet Zeki Üçok.
Ahmet Zeki Üçok | Photo credit: Youtube
What happened on 15 July? Politicians and commentators in Europe and elsewhere have hastily sought and found simple answers, and prescribed equally simple solutions: "The military staged a coup. It failed. Now carry on as before."
This prescription is based on a diagnosis that is both superficial and wrong. Fundamentally, it underestimates the extent of the sickness that had taken hold of the Turkish body politic, as well as the depth and duration of the groundwork that made this possible.
For 40 years, the Gülen network has been working to infiltrate the organs of the Turkish Republic. Their methods are sophisticated, and their reach is broad: Gülenists carried codenames, communicated through encrypted systems, reported to a parallel hierarchy of "brothers" and systematically bugged and wiretapped state institutions. They stole the military academy entrance exam papers to help their candidates.
- Kati Piri: EU must freeze accession talks with Turkey
- EU Parliament cancels MEP visit to Turkey
- Schulz: Parliament committed to to EU-Turkey deal
Today, approximately 100,000 officers are estimated to have links to the movement. Of the 358 generals in the Turkish Armed Forces today, 160 have been connected to this organisation.
Let me be clear: their influence is not benign. The movement's political objective is to destabilise the Republic of Turkey.
I have seen what the movement does first hand: I was both accused and imprisoned for allegedly taking part in a coup plot known as the Balyoz, or "Sledgehammer", case, in which Gülenist Terror Organisation FETÖ (Fetullahçı Terör Örgütü) agents who had infiltrated state apparatus fabricated evidence to frame their opponents.
Turkey is founded on a constitutional model familiar to many: republican government, equality before the law, and separation of powers. But these principles do not provide answers to the questions that stem from this widespread infiltration.
How should Turkish society respond when the integrity of the judiciary is compromised by widespread penetration by a terrorist movement? When police officers report to the Gülenist hierarchy, rather than their line of command?
Or when sections of the military are controlled by politically-motivated activists that do not shy away from flying bombing raids on the Turkish Parliament?
Turkish society is in shock. It is vital that our partners and neighbours understand why. The challenge is to restore the integrity of Turkey's institutions.
While there are huge difficulties ahead, there are also opportunities. Wide-reaching reform means that for the first time Turkey's military is subject to civilian control of an elected government - an epochal change.
Those officers and civil servants marginalised by the old Gülenist guard are being rehabilitated. And the unprecedented unity in opposing the coup made it clear that the vast majority in Turkey are committed to democratic principles.
The extraordinary turbulence we are witnessing would sorely test any country's mettle. The Turkish Republic is determined to master the challenges that FETÖ, PKK, ISIS and millions of migrants pose. This is in our mutual interest. Europe's own security is directly linked to Turkey's stability.
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Southwestern Community College (North Carolina)
|SCC, Southwestern
Former names
|Jackson County Industrial Education Center (1964–67), Southwestern Technical Institute (1967–68), Southwestern Technical College (1968–88)
|$2.2 million
|Don Tomas, Ed.D.
|8,911 (2010–11 academic year)
|Sylva, North Carolina, United States
Blue and red
Southwestern Community College is a two-year college located in Sylva, North Carolina, an educational institution providing post-secondary education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. The school is a member of the 59-campus North Carolina Community College System.
The beginnings of Southwestern Community College can be traced back to April 1961 when a need for skilled textile workers brought representatives of the North Carolina state Trade and Industrial Education Department to Jackson County. The county responded, and began setting up training classes in local schools and in other county locations. The NC Board of Education provided needed equipment and logistics, and began hiring instructors, and an advisory panel was set up from local residents to oversee the project.
The genesis of the idea for a college in western North Carolina came out of those advisory group meetings, and coincidentally, the NC Board of Education was beginning negotiations with the Legislature to begin designating funds for a system of state technical colleges. By 1963, Jackson County had obtained a 17-acre (69,000 m2) site for locating the college, and by May 1964, 90 percent of the block work for the building was completed, with local masonry students providing much of the labor. The students, predominantly local residents who had been taking introductory classes in the previously established trade schools, were ready for hands-on experience.
Work continued on the building until late 1965. The one-story 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) structure consisted of five classrooms, four laboratory areas, five instructor offices, two administrative offices, three shop areas, a boiler room, and a coal storage area. The building, appraised at $120,000 when completed, was constructed at a cost of $70,000, principally because student labor helped keep expenses down. Jackson County Industrial Education Center was born as a satellite of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College.
In 1967, it was decided that two other local counties, Macon and Swain, would be included as part of the area which the school served. A new name, Southwestern Technical Institute, was chosen denoting this expanded area of operation, as the school would now be serving the entire southwestern area of the state. Application for independent status of Southwestern Technical College was approved by Governor Dan Moore, and on January 2, 1968, the school began operation under the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges as Southwestern Technical Institute with a budget of $131,000.
In 1970 Southwestern began the process to become accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and received that status in December 1971. It was also accredited by the North Carolina Board of Education in 1972, one of only 11 schools in the state to receive endorsement from both agencies.
Southwestern experienced large growth throughout the next three decades, and evolved into a full-fledged college providing technical training, college transfer, and adult education needs. In 1988, Southwestern Technical College became Southwestern Community College to better reflect its educational role in the community.
Current events[edit]
In 2003 SCC partnered with Drake Enterprises and the Eastern Band of Cherokee to form BalsamWest FiberNET, LLC. This partnership was established in order provide direct network access to Western North Carolina, North Georgia, and Eastern Tennessee, an area which had been experiencing extremely high network access costs, and limited access. Currently the OC192 fiber loop is in final stages of production.
In November 2006, SCC entered into a unique partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that created the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts (OICA) in Cherokee, North Carolina.[1]
2007 saw the opening of the 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) Macon Campus, located in Franklin, North Carolina.
In 2012, OICA became part of the college and still features a focus in Native arts, including printing in the Cherokee syllabary.[2]
Southwestern Community College ranks fourth in the nation in a new listing of America's best community colleges, according to a July 2007 report in the Washington Monthly magazine.[3]
- ^ "Announcement of the founding of the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts in Cherokee" Southwestern Community College (retrieved 21 Nov 2010)
- ^ "OICA is gone, but not really" Cherokee One Feather (retrieved 21 Nov 2010)
- ^ "America's Best Community Colleges" Washington Monthly (retrieved 21 Nov 2010)
External links[edit]
- Southwestern Community College - Official website
- 2012-13 Fact Book - Current information about the college and its programs
- Southwestern Community College - Overview - Thomson Peterson's information page
- NC Community Colleges - Official website
Template:User Southwestern Community College
- Two-year colleges in the United States
- North Carolina Community College System
- Universities and colleges in North Carolina
- Education in Jackson County, North Carolina
- Education in Swain County, North Carolina
- Education in Macon County, North Carolina
- Educational institutions established in 1964
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Buildings and structures in Jackson County, North Carolina
- 1964 establishments in North Carolina


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Discovering Inner Beauty: A Free Children's eBook
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Suzie Snowflake by Crystaline Rose: Follow Suzie on a magical journey of discovering her true self-worth. Suzie Snowflake struggles with what she sees as "flaws" and "imperfections" in her beautiful design. "How can I notice my outer is bright, when there are parts of myself I don't really like?" Through the love and wisdom of her parents, Suzie discovers her true inner beauty and light.
This book is Free on January 11, 2017
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Robert Hughey Requesting Support
$3,317 of $2,000 goal
Asking for Help is Hard
Hi! My name is Robert Hughey, and I am a 36 year-old writer/artist/creative in Atlanta, Georiga. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I have never been very good at asking for help from others, and because of that fault I am creating this at a time where it is very close to "too late."
Thankfully, I beleive it isn't too late, but I feel embarassed for taking it so close.
Robert Hughey (Google+ if you would like to connect)
Project Details
This project is to raise money for... for my daily survival at this point. If I had created it months ago, when I first started getting sick, I would just be raising money to see if I could somehow get my medicalbills under control. Now, I'm faced with utilities and insurance payments this month where neither I nor my family can afford everything.
If I had not been so proud and instead asked for help last month even, I'd be raising money to buy medicine and pay my insurance. Now, I'm raising money to put food in my kitchen. I'm honestly at a loss for words about my situation. I'm not sure how it got so dire financially so quickly, but I have been sick with many systemic and digestive infections over the past year.d
I can tell you an absolute truth: when your health is in crisis, everything else that seems important (work projects, pety drama, etc) just seems to disappear from your attention and focus. It doesn't matter near as much as feeling and being in good health.
How You Can Help
First and foremost, the honestly best way anyone could help me is to donate to this project. If you can afford to donate $10 to my effort here, it will help me turn my situation away from the path it is on right now.
But aside from donating anything, a way I could really use your help it to help get this page seen by more people. If you are willing, sharing this project on your social media as a link or post could make a real diference for me.
Man, I still feel so bummed out about having reached this point financially that I'm asking for donations like this. But please know I wouldn't ask frivilously or even share the difficulty my life has become if it wasn't now becoming an issue of survival.
Can you help me? I appreciate you very much for taking your valuable time and spending it reading this page of mine. That means so much to me.
Thank you so much for caring about me or being curious about me enough to take the time to learn about this fundraising effort of mine, and I wish you all the best in your own life. If I may end this with some advise: don't wait until prblems get their worst before sharing with your frineds and family what's going on, and don't be araid to ask for help when you need it. I'm learning that the hard way.
All my love to you and your loved ones,
Robert Wiley Hughey
December 20, 2014
Atlanta, GA
Any chance you could share this link or post with your social network? I'm at a place where I am feeling stretched. I'm not hopeless, and I have Faith, but I'm also struggling. I could use your help if you can...
I'm glad that Summer is finally starting to cool down as the beginning of Fall approaches. I had an easier Summer than this past Spring, and I really want to say thank you to the people who made that my reality: my Friends and Family, seen and unseen.
At this time, I wanted to update this project and again send out a request to you who are reading this. If you can help with even $10, that will make a big difference to me and my situation right now.
Thank you so much.
-Robert Wiley Hughey
Just a quick update: life is going okay, for the most part. I'm pretty much broke, and I have no idea how I will pay everything from medical expenses and meds to just the house stuff, but I'm in a place mentally and spiritually that I "feel" okay about that reality. I'm updating in the hope that anyone who had planned on donating to my project but didn't get around to it might be willing to do so now. I'd sincerely appreciate it.
You could get food items through pantries and stuff like that. Alos go to Salvation Army. Do your research online there is a lot of valuable information out there. You just have to look for it. Good luck with this. I hope this helps.
Sorry im not in place to donate but i did share on facebook


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OBD-II Scan Tool
With this OBD-II Scan Tool, you can finally figure out WTF that damn "check engine" light is bitching about.
I mean, sure, you could pay a mechanic $60 to diagnose the problem which will consist of him taking a device very much like this one, plugging it into your car then looking the error up on Google. Now, I don't know about you but, I'm perfectly able to look up things on Google too and, frankly, I don't want to overpay a guy to do it for me.
Once I know what the problem is, I can then make an informed decision about trying to to fix it myself or, paying the mechanic to do the work for me. I like that and I'll bet you will too.
This OBD-II Scan Tool plugs straight into the OBDII port (usually right below the steering wheel) and communicates with the on-board computer. You know, kind of like when R2-D2 found Princess Leia on the Death Star. Then R2… err… I mean the OBD-II Scan Tool can tell you what the check engine codes mean. It can even provide real time gauges such as speed, RPMs, horsepower and torque, if you want.
You can use it in any vehicle born in 1996 or later, whether it's a sedan, truck, or SUV so long as it was sold in the US. Just install the included app on your Windows or Android device, pair the device via Bluetooth, and save $60 every time the check engine light comes on.
Oh, it's also great if you're looking to buy a used car. Recently, I got a dealer to drop $1000 just by whipping this out and plugging it into the OBDII port. Turns out, he wasn't going to tell me about a couple of (admittedly minor) engine problems. Talk about negotiating power.
OBD-II Scan Tool: Product Details
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 0.9 x 2 inches
- Weight: 1.1 ounces
- Free Android app & Windows software (compatible with apps such as Torque or DashCommand but not compatible with Apple).
- Works on all 1996 or newer cars and light trucks sold in the USA (except hybrid or electric vehicles).
- Easy to use.


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Ah, day 3-of-3, which can't be a bad thing, can it? Well actually, I've had a bit of a change of heart today…I feel amazing! After feeling as though I had the worst hangover in the world last night, I woke up feeling very bright and chirpy, and not hungry!
Anyway, watch the video diary. I'll be having a long hard think about this detox over the next day or so, and then I'll be submitting my final report!
© 2017 A Model Recommends®: all opinions are my own and any sponsored or paid posts will always be clearly marked as an AD in the title. I accept press samples and receive product and services to review as part of my job. Outward links to retailers are affiliate links. Please see here for full "about" section and disclaimer. A Model Recommends and Ruth Crilly are registered trademarks.


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Ross Kemp in Afghanistan: Revisited - (Import DVD)
List Price R 139
eB1 190
Discovery Miles 1 190
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Follow up to the award-winning documentary series 'Ross Kemp in Afghanistan', in which the actor is embedded with British troops defending the town of Musa Qaleh from frequent and fierce Taliban attacks. As the fighting continues, away from the battle Kemp takes time to find out from the soldiers what they actually think about the enemy, their life in the army, and the hardships modern warfare throws their way.
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Region 2 - Europe (except Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus), Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland, French Overseas departments and territories.