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Sensors 2014, 14(3), 3965-3985; doi:10.3390/s140303965
Published: 26 February 2014
: It has now been 20 years since the seminal work by Finlayson et al. on the use of spectral sharpening of sensors to achieve diagonal color constancy. Spectral sharpening is still used today by numerous researchers for different goals unrelated to the original goal of diagonal color constancy e.g., multispectral processing, shadow removal, location of unique hues. This paper reviews the idea of spectral sharpening through the lens of what is known today in color constancy, describes the different methods used for obtaining a set of sharpening sensors and presents an overview of the many different uses that have been found for spectral sharpening over the years.1. Introduction
Our visual system has a striking ability in allowing us to deal with color. However, we are far from fully understanding its behavior. To gain an insight into how our visual system works, some assumptions are often made: first, it is assumed that there is a single illuminant in the scene which is spatially uniform, and second, it is assumed that objects are flat, coplanar, and Lambertian, i.e., their reflectances are diffuse and independent from the angle of view.
Following these assumptions light energy reaching our eye depends on the spectral power distribution of the illuminant (E(λ), where λ spans the visible spectrum) and the spectral reflectance distribution of the object we are looking at (R(λ)). This information is called the color signal and is written as
This color signal is weighted along the visible spectrum ω with the sensitivities of our cone-cells (which peak in the long, medium and short wavelengths of the visible range, and are denoted by s(λ),m(λ),l(λ) respectively) to obtain the L,M,S color space coordinates of the signal
From this equation, we can see that when looking at a white piece of paper in sunset the values captured by our eye are reddish as a result of the illumination. In contrast, when looking at a white piece of paper on a cloudy day these values are bluish. However, we perceive the piece of paper as approximately white in both cases. This property of our visual system is called color constancy.
1.1. Human Color Constancy
Color constancy is usually defined as the effect whereby the perceived or apparent color of a surface remains constant despite changes in intensity and spectral composition of the illumination [1]. An example is shown in Figure 1, where we are able to perceive the t-shirt of the man in the right as yellow; however, if we isolate the t-shirt we perceive it as green. Some reviews on color constancy have been published recently [1–3].
von Kries [4] in the XIXth century hypothesized that a compensation (or gain) normalization was performed individually within each photoreceptor. Mathematically, we may write
where the subscript in represents the values captured by the eye.This model is called von Kries adaptation. The idea of an individual gain for each photoreceptor was adopted early in computer vision and the gains were computed based on the scene, e.g., assuming that the scene had a mean value of grey [5], or that a white-patch was presented on the scene [6]. von Kries adaptation has been shown to provide a reasonable approximation of how we perceive scenes composed of natural reflectances and illuminant spectra [3]. In a contemporany version of the model, it is stated that cone-signals interact and the gain in each channel is influenced by the other channels [7]
Even though this model can predict the data very well in natural environments, there is still no agreement in the literature as to how the gain values are computed from the image statistics of the stimulus [3]. Furthermore, this model performs poorly when natural reflectances and illuminants are not present in the stimulus.
For this reason, further research on the neural mechanisms that underline color constancy has been conducted over the years [1]. Different parts of the brain have been shown to deal with color constancy, specially the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), and the regions V1 and V4 of the visual cortex [1], although recent studies suggest that other areas might also be involved [8]. Therefore, as Smithson says [2] "It seems most reasonable to say that processing for color constancy starts in the retina, is enhanced in V1/V2 and continues in V4". Cues for color constancy used by humans that might befall in the further neural levels might include mutual reflections, 3D shapes, shadows, color memory, and even the consciousness of illumination change [2,9].
1.2. Computational Color Constancy
Computational color constancy does not aim to recover the perceived image, but an estimation of the surface reflectances of the scene; Therefore, it changes the paradigm upon which human color constancy is built. In other words, while human color constancy relies on the perception of the colors, computational color constancy relies on the absolute color values of the objects viewed under a canonical (usually white) illuminant, without considering how the image is perceived by an observer. Vazquez-Corral et al. [10] have shown that computational and human color constancy do not aim for the same final image: they performed a pair-wise comparison experiment where they asked human observes to pick out the most natural image from a range of images produced by different computational color constancy algorithms. Observers only chose the best computational solution in 40% of the comparisons.
Therefore, computational color constancy is treated from a mathematical point of view. Let us suppose we have an object with reflectance R(λ) and a camera with sensitivities Qi(λ). We take two photos of the object with the camera at two different moments in time; at each of these moments there is a different illuminant in the scene E1(λ), E2(λ) (let us suppose the illuminant is uniform). Then, the response of the object recorded by the camera sensor i under one of the illuminants is denoted by where the superscript n denotes the illuminant used. Mathematically,
Marimont and Wandell [11] showed that although natural surface reflectances in the world are 5 or 6 dimensional, i.e., there is a need of a basis of 5 or 6 reflectances in order to derive any other reflectance, an "effective basis" of smaller dimension can be extracted. Similarly, Judd et al. [12] showed how to derive a basis from the set of daylight illuminations. These studies allow us to relate and by a 3 × 3 matrix. That means, we are dealing with a 9-dimensional problem:
Equation (6) is crucial in order to solve the computational color constancy problem. If we wish to estimate reflectances by discounting the color of the prevailing light from the picture of a scene, it suffices to find the matrix that replaces this light by the canonical one. As an example, if an image is captured under bluish light then all the recorded sensor responses are biased in the blue direction and, in particular, a white surface will itself be bluish. If we can find the matrix that takes us from the blue light to a white counterpart then applying this matrix will remove the colored light. Of course, as simple as Equation (6) is, there are 9 components in a 3 × 3 matrix and so color constancy, viewed in this perspective, is a hard 9-dimensional problem.2. Spectral Sharpening for Diagonal Color Constancy
Early research in computational color constancy [5,6] focused on modeling illumination changes by a scaling multiplication in each of the sensor channels (inspired by von Kries' coefficient law). This idea, called the diagonal model of illuminant change, can be expressed as:
where D1,2 is a 3 × 3 diagonal matrix. Equation (7) supposes that illumination change is a process that operates in each sensor channel independently, which simplifies color constancy computation. The diagonal model turns out to be rather good at accounting for illuminant change in many circumstances. Partly, this is explained by the underlying physics which states that as the support of the sensor becomes small, i.e., as the range of wavelengths to which the sensor responds becomes smaller, then a diagonal matrix will work well [13]. Empirically, it has been shown that a diagonal matrix works for most cameras that have spectral sensitivities with support of 100 to 150 nanometers [14]. Let us in any case note that this is different from von Kries adaptation, which should be performed in the L,M,S cone space.Many cameras do not have sensors that match the above specifications. Therefore, different methods have tried to search for a linear combination of the original sensor responses in order to force them to accomplish the diagonal model. Mathematically, this linear combination will be the one accomplishing
Finlayson et al. [15] called this approach "spectral sharpening" since the new sensors responses are sharper than the original ones. We should note that other authors had previously suggested a similar idea [16]. Figure 2 compares a set of originals sensors with their sharpened version. The remarkable and useful conclusion of the spectral sharpening work was that, even for a broad-band sensor system, a diagonal matrix model of illumination could be used to solve the computational color constancy problem.
An example of the use of spectral sharpening can be seen in Figure 3. In this figure, an original image that presents a blue cast is seen under the CMF color matching functions. In order to apply diagonal color constancy and remove the blue cast, a linear transform T is computed by 5 different methods (that will be explained later in this section). Then, for each method, the pipeline works as follows: (1) a change of basis is performed by the linear transform T; (2) a method for diagonal color constancy (MaxRGB in this case) is applied to the new basis image; (3) the image is converted back to the original sensors by T−1. The different T matrices have been obtained using the Planckian illuminants and the whole set of reflectances from [17].
In this section we will show a review of different methods used to achieve spectral sharpening. Figure 4 presents a hierarchy regarding when each particular method might be used. In this figure, the different methods are linked to their section in the paper. The selection of a particular method might be taken depending on two aspects: the availability of spectral data and the final goal that is being pursued.
2.1. Perfect Sharpening
Finlayson et al. [15,19] showed that when illuminants are two dimensional (in the sense that two illuminants are enough to define any other illuminant as a linear combination of them) and reflectances three dimensional (in the same sense), or vice versa, spectral sharpening is perfect.
Let us suppose that reflectances are three dimensional and illuminants two dimensional (the other case is analogous). In this case any reflectance can be decomposed as
where j(λ) is a basis and σ̱ = [σ1, σ2, σ3] is a coefficient vector in this basis. Let us define Λk as a 3 × 3 matrix which ijth entry is defined as , where superscript k denotes the illuminant used and Qi are the sensors to be sharpened. Then, a color descriptor (Equation (5)) under a canonical light c can be written asAs illuminants are two dimensional they need a second illuminant E2(λ) independent from the canonical one Ec(λ) to span the space. Associated with this illuminant there will also be a new lighting matrix Λ2. This second lighting matrix is some linear transform (M) away from the first one, Λ2 = MΛc, that is, M = Λ2[Λc]−1.
As E2(λ) and Ec(λ) span the space, any other lighting matrix will be a combination of Λc and MΛc. For this reason, any color descriptor under an illuminant Ee(λ) = αEc(λ) + βE2(λ) can be written as
where I is the identity matrix. Calculating the eigenvector decomposition of Mand expressing the identity matrix in terms of T,I = T−1IT, they rewrite Equation (11) as a diagonal transform Finally, writing p̱c in terms of p̱eThis implies that the spectral sharpening is perfect since both matrices D and I are diagonal.2.2. Sensor-Based Sharpening
Finlayson et al. proposed in [15] a method called Sensor-based spectral sharpening. The idea underlying this method is that it is possible to sharpen a sensor from an original set Q(λ) (of dimension n × k) in a wavelength interval [λ1, λ2]. The resulting sensor Q(λ)ṯ where ṯ is a coefficient vector of dimension k, can be found by minimizing
where ω is the visible spectrum, Φ denotes wavelengths outside [λ1, λ2] and μ is a Lagrange multiplier. In other words, the idea is to strengthen the percentage of the norm of sensor Q(λ)ṯ lying in the interval [λ1, λ2] in relation to the rest of the spectrum.To solve the problem for all the spectra Finlayson and co-authors defined k intervals, where k is the number of sensors. These intervals have no intersection between them and cover all the spectra. Then, the kth row of matrix T will be the vector that minimizes Equation (15) for its particular interval (note that ṯ is post-multiplying in Equation (15) while T is defined in Equation (8) as a pre-multiplication).
Mathematically, they defined a k × k matrix
where Δα is an operator that picks out wavelengths indices in the sharpening interval α within any sum.They took partial derivatives over the vector ṯ in Equation (15) and equated to the zero vector to look for the stationary values. They combined this derivative with Λ(α) obtaining:
In parallel, they differentiated Equation (15) over μ and found the constraint Σλ∈ω[Q(λ)ṯ]2 = 1. Rearranging Equation (17), they concluded that finding ṯ amounts to solving eigenvector problem
Then, as this last equation has multiple solutions, they choose one solution minimizing Σλ∈Φ[Q(λ)ṯ]184.108.40.206. Sharpening with Positivity
Sensors with negative values are physically impossible. For this reason Pearson and Yule [20] defined different positive combinations of the color matching functions. Following this trend, Drew and Finlayson proposed methods to obtain sharpening transforms giving always positive values [21]. These techniques are very similar to the previous one but some constraints were added for ensuring all the values are positive. These constraints can be based either on the L1 or L2 norm and can be performed both in the sensors themselves or in the sharpening matrix coefficients. All these methods can be solved by either linear or quadratic programming. Here we report the different methods presented.
L1- L1 Constrained coefficients:
L1- L1 Constrained sensors:
L2- L2 Constrained coefficients:
L2- L2 Constrained sensors
L2- L1 Constrained coefficients
L2- L1 Constrained sensors
2.3. Adding Information to Improve Sharpening
Information about the illuminants and reflectances that are more representative in natural scenes is available from multiple sources [12,17,22–26]. In this section we review methods that take advantage of this available information to search for sharpened sensors.
2.3.1. Data-Based Sharpening
Finlayson et al. [15] proposed a method called data-based sharpening which uses linear algebra methods to directly solve for T by minimizing the residual error between a pair of illuminants. To this end, they defined W1 and W2 as 3 × n matrices containing the color values for a set on n different refectances under two different illuminants E1 and E2.
Then, they solved Equation (25) for D1,2 in a least-squares sense. This can be done by the Moore-Penrose inverse where []+ represents the pseudoinverse [27]. Rearranging Equation (26), they got Therefore, T is the eigenvector decomposition of W1[W2]+.Some years later, Barnard et al. [28] tried to allow more flexibility to the database sharpening, by averaging over a set of illuminants (not only one), and introducing a parameter to prioritize positivity.
2.3.2. Measurement Tensor
Chong et al. [29] introduced a new method which finds a matrix T for a complete set of illuminants at the same time. This method is based on the measurement tensor defined as
where {Ei}i=1,⋯,I is a set of illuminants, {Rj}j=1,⋯,J is a set of reflectances and {Qk}k=1,⋯,K are sensors. This measurement tensor is an order 3 tensor.Chong et al. proved that a measurement tensor supports diagonal color constancy if and only if it is a rank 3 tensor. An order 3 tensor τ is rank N if N is the smallest integer such that there exist vectors allowing decomposition as the sum of outer products
where ○ represents the outer product.They rewrote Equation (29) as
Where the columns of A, B and C are composed by the different , , and respectively. C is the matrix we search, and T = C−1.In order to solve Equation (30) they used the Trilinear Alternate Least Squares (TALS) method [30]. This is necessary since in most of the cases the tensor Mkij is not rank 3, and therefore it is necessary to search for the "closest" rank 3 tensor. At each iteration of the minimization procedure through TALS, two of the three matrices are fixed while the free matrix is chosen to minimize the difference between the given data Mkij and the obtained tensor τ in the least-squares sense. The alternating process is repeated until convergence.
This method has the drawback of local convergence, that is, the result obtained can be a local minima. Also, TALS needs initialization values for two of their three matrices.
2.3.3. Data-Driven Positivity
In [21], Drew and Finlayson proposed a data-driven approach for obtaining positive sensors. Following the original sensor-based sharpening method they divided the spectra in k intervals, where k is the number of sensors, and for each interval they searched for the sensor Q(λ)ṯ minimizing
where Φ denotes the wavelengths outside the selected interval, ω represents the visible interval, R̂ is a r × 3 matrix representing the gamut boundary of the set of RGBs obtained from the data, r represents the number of points lying on that boundary, and υ = 1, 2 represents the chosen norm. The transpose of the vector ṯ is the k-th row of the sharpening matrix T. This method does not guarantee per se the positiveness of the result. Positiveness is conditioned to select a big enough space of reflectances and illuminants so no other color signal lies out of the gamut defined by R̂.2.4. Chromatic Adaptation Transforms
All the previous methods were defined in order to help solving for diagonal color constancy. But, the sharpening matrices related to these methods are not the only ones, there are sharpening matrices that have been derived from psychophysical experiments in chromatic adaptation. Chromatic adaptation matrices also represent sharp sensors [31], and are obtained from the XYZ color matching functions. They are used to match image appearance to colorimetry when the visual conditions are changed. In particular, they are defined to handle corresponding colors data. Citing from the Fairchild's book [32] "Corresponding colors are defined as two stimuli, viewed under different viewing conditions, that match in color appearance". Examples of chromatic adaptation transforms are the Bradford transform, the Fairchild transform, and the CAT02 transform. For a review on the different transforms, we recommend the book by Fairchild [32]. Here we enumerate some of them.
2.4.1. Von Kries Transform
The Von Kries chromatic adaptation transform is usually defined by the Hunt, Poynton and Estevez transform [32]. The values of this transform are:
2.4.2. Bradford Transform
The Bradform transform was defined by Lam [33] following the results obtained in an experiment regarding corresponding colors. The data used for the experiment consisted of 58 dyed wood samples under the A and D65 illuminants. The original Bradford transform is non-linear, but the non-linear part is usually neglected. The linear matrix is then
2.4.3. Fairchild Transform
The Fairchild transform was suggested by Mark Fairchild [34] for improving the CIECAM97s color appearance model. It was obtained through a linearization of the previous chromatic adaptation transform. The matrix suggested by Fairchild was
2.4.4. CAT02 Transform
The Comission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) selected in its report CIC-TC8-01 the CAT02 transform as the preferred chromatic adaptation transform. CAT02 was obtained by optimizing a wide variety of corresponding data, while approximating the non-linear transformation of CIECAM97s. The matrix obtained was
2.4.5. Chromatic Adaptation Transforms by Numerical Optimization
Bianco and Schettini [35] defined two new chromatic adaptation transforms based on estimating the corresponding colors data from [4,33,36–40].
They defined an objective function with two competing terms
The term gest becomes bigger for better estimations of corresponding colors according to the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. On the other hand, the term gmed becomes smaller when the median errors on the corresponding colors datasets are smaller. Therefore, our goal must be to look for the transformation T maximizing Equation (36). To this end, authors applied the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique.
This first optimization might, however, incur in negative values of the resulting sensors. For this reason they defined another objective function
In this second function they added a positive competing term gPC that prioritizes positivity of the sensors. The second transform was obtained by maximizing Equation (37) though PSO.2.5. Spherical Sampling
Spherical sampling [31,41] provides a means for discretely sampling points on a sphere and relate them to sensors. The main idea is to consider each row of the sharpening matrix T as a point in the sphere.
Mathematically, let us represent our original camera sensors Q as a m × 3 matrix where m is the wavelength sampling and 3 the number of sensors. We perform the reduced singular value decomposition (SVD) of these sensors in order to obtain a basis:
where U is an orthogonal matrix with dimension m × 3, Σ is a diagonal 3 × 3 matrix containing the singular values of matrix Q and Vt is an orthogonal 3 × 3 matrix. Then, U is the basis we seek.From this basis U, we can define a new set of sensors (m × 3), different from the original sensors S, by multiplying the basis by any linear transformation P (3 × 3), which simply consists of 3 sample points vectors, , …, located over the 2-sphere. Then,
We are interested in the relation between the original sensors Q and the new defined ones . Using Equations (38) and (39) we find Therefore, relating this equation to Equation (8) where T is pre-multiplying we obtain We can also rearrange this equation in order to relate a transformation matrix T with a set of points P over the sphere.2.6. Measuring Diagonal Color Constancy Effectiveness
Effectiveness of sharpening matrices has usually been evaluated by least-squares as follows. Let us denote an observed color by (Equation (5)) where E is the illuminant and r the reflectance for the observation. Then, if we select a canonical reflectance s (usually an achromatic reflectance), we can compute for each illuminant the ratio between any reflectance and the white reflectance as follows.
where is a vector of dimension 3,Let us note that if the transformation T perfectly accomplishes diagonal color constancy, the value is independent from the illuminant. Therefore, measuring the disparity of this ratio depending on the illuminant should tell us the effectiveness of a method.
Mathematically, if we select a canonical illuminant Ec, we can denote the error of the sharpening matrix by
This formula has been widely used to compare spectral sharpening methods and was already included in Finlayson et al. [15] work. By using this formula two methods outperform the rest. First, the Measurement Tensor method as shown in [29]. This method has an inherent advantage because both the method and the measure are based on least-squares. Therefore, we deal with a least square minimization-least square evaluation paradigm. The second method that excels is Spherical Sampling due to its capability to minimize any measure. Spherical Sampling presents a further advantage since it avoids local minima.
The formula presented in Equation (44) is good for a first inspection on how the methods work with simple diagonal color constancy. But, recently, further applications of sharpened sensors have been found (see next section) where this measure is no longer appropriate.
3. Beyond Diagonal Color Constancy
The original aim of spectral sharpening was to achieve diagonal color constancy. Over the years, spectral sharpening has proven beneficial for a number of purposes, some far removed from the original aim. In this section we review some of these new applications. They are presented graphically in Figure 5 where they are listed in terms of their research field and linked to a particular subsection of this paper.
3.1. Chromatic Adaptation
Section 2.4 shows that chromatic adaptation transforms can be understood as spectral sharpening, therefore it is a straightforward idea to use spectral sharpening techniques for handling corresponding colors data and chromatic adaptation.
Finlayson and Drew [42] showed that the Bradford transform can be obtained through spectral sharpening with a careful selection of intervals. Later on, Finlayson and Süsstrunk in [43] defined a chromatic adaptation transform following a technique very similar to the data-based sharpening considering the preservation of the white point. Ciurea and Funt [44] used the same algorithm but applied it to spectral quantities instead of tristimulus values. Finally, Finlayson and Süsstrunk [31] used the spherical sampling technique to derive a set of chromatic adaptation transforms that were equivalent in terms of the error committed to the colorimetrically obtained.
3.2. Color Constancy in Perceptual Spaces
Human perception is not linear but colorimetric spaces are. In other words, when we work in RGB or XYZ spaces, a Euclidean distance d will be perceived differently depending on the region of the color space the points are located in.
To overcome this issue CIE proposed the CIELab and CieLuv color spaces [45]. Later on, Finlayson et al. [41] defined a new color constancy error measure regarding differences in the CIELab perceptual space. From Equation (5), let us call ρ̱D65 the XYZ color value of a particular patch under the D65 illuminant and ρ̱e the value of the same patch under a different illuminant e. We know we can find an approximation of the value under the D65 illuminant by . The basic idea is to convert both ρ̱D65 and values to CIELab and to minimize the measure Δϵ, that is, the euclidean distance between the two points. This measure is considered to be perceptual. Formally,
The matrix T minimizing this equation for a set of reflectances and illuminants is defined as the best matrix regarding perceptual color constancy. It is found using the spherical sampling technique [41].
3.3. Relational Color Constancy
Foster and co-authors [46,47] defined color constancy as a ratio-based phenomena, not pixel-based. This view, called relational color constancy, assumes that the colors in a scene have a fixed relation between each other. Relational color constancy is also related to Retinex [48]. On the other hand, from the computer vision side, color ratios have proven useful for dealing with some particular problems such as object recognition [49] and image indexing [50].
Finlayson et al. [41] defined a color ratio stability measure that works in each sensor individually. They defined a vector ḇ (m-by-1) containing the colors for a set of m reflectances under the canonical illuminant viewed under a particular sensor, that is , where is the response of the sensors for reflectance m and canonical illuminant c, and subscript i denotes the sensor selected. They defined the vector of color ratios a̱c
They considered a second vector of ratios for the same reflectances under a different illuminant a̱e. In this case, the total ratio error is defined by This error is minimized by the spherical sampling method [41].3.4. A Perceptual-Based Color Space for Image Segmentation and Poisson Editing
Chong et al. [51] defined a perception-based color space with two main goals: (1) be linear correlated with perceived distances, that is, distances in this space might correlate with perceived ones, and (2) color displacements in this space should be robust to spectral changes in illumination, that is, if we re-illuminate two colors by the same light, the difference between them might stay equal. To obtain a space with these characteristics the authors showed that one further assumption is needed. This assumption states that diagonal color constancy must be well modeled in the space.
Therefore, the definition of the color space parametrization F given a point x̱ in XYZ coordinates is
where B is coding a change in a color basis by converting original sensors into ones where diagonal color constancy is well characterized, ln̂ is the natural logarithm and A is used to match perceptual distances. To obtain B authors used the measurement tensor method [29].The authors showed the advantages of this new space in two common image processing tasks: image segmentation and Poisson editing [52].
3.5. Multispectral Processing Without Spectra
Drew and Finlayson [53] showed that spectral sharpening was useful to simplify the cost of calculating the modeling of the interaction of light and reflectance. Reducing this cost is important for problems such as ray-tracing. For this application they applied spectral sharpening in more than the usual 3 dimensions (red, green, and blue).
First, they defined a set of color signals, from which they obtained a n-dimensional (n = 5, 6, 7) basis B(λ) (via SVD). They sharpened this basis to improve the discernability of its information obtaining a new basis B̂(λ) = TB(λ), where T is a n × n sharpening matrix obtaining using the method L2 − L2 sensor-based with positivity. Then, any light or reflectance can be expressed as a coefficient vector in this last basis
Drew and Finlayson showed that computing the modeling of light and reflectance using these coefficient vectors and then reconstructing back the full color signal needs less computations and that the error committed is very small.Later on, Finlayson et al. [41] showed that even smaller errors are obtained by the use of spherical sampling in terms of the Δϵ measure between the Lab values of the real and the reconstructed signal.
3.6. Obtaining an Invariant Image and Its Application to Shadows
Finlayson et al. [54] theoretically proved that it is possible to obtain a 1-dimensional representation of reflectances independent from the illuminant if one supposes a narrow-band camera. From this 1-dimension representation they obtained the invariant image, where the RGB value of the pixel is substituted by its illuminant-independent representation. In the same work they also showed that the illuminant independent representation was useful in real cameras (the narrower the camera sensors, the better the results). Following this last point, Drew et al. [55] proved that when using spectral sharpening sensors, the invariant image was better than with the original ones.
Finlayson et al. [56], later used the invariant image to remove shadows from images. Drew et al. [57] recently showed that when using spectral sharpening sensors, the results were improved, although this last algorithm requires user interaction.
3.7. Estimating the Information from Image Colors
Recently, Marin-Franch and Foster [58] presented a method to evaluate the amount of information that can be estimated from the image colors captured by a camera under different illuminations. To this end, they applied different statistics to the color images. In their work they explained that when dealing with spectrally sharpened sensors the amount of information that can be extracted is higher than with the original ones.
3.8. Color Names, Unique Hues, Hue Cancellation and Hue Equilibrium
Philipona and O'Regan [59] showed the possibility of extracting a surface reflectance descriptor using only the information reaching our eye. To start with, they defined υs as the accessible information about the reflected light for a given surface s and u the accessible information about the incident illuminant
where R(λ), E(λ) are the same as in Equation (5) and Qi(λ) is the absorption of photopigments presented in the L,M and S photoreceptors.They repeated this procedure for N different lights. They arranged the N response vectors for the surface in a 3 × N matrix Vs and for the lights in a 3 x N matrix U. They related these two matrices by finding the best 3 × 3 matrix transform As such that
where the superscript s denotes dependence on the surface. They solved for the matrix As by linear regression. Finally, they considered the eigenvalue/eigenvector decomposition of As reaching to where s and s are the 3 ×x 3 matrices of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues respectively.Philipona and O'Regan selected the eigenvalues s as the surface descriptor, from where they were able to precisely predict color naming, unique hues, hue equilibrium and hue cancellation data.
Building upon Philipona and O'Regan's model, Vazquez-Corral et al. [60] demonstrated that it is possible to find a unique transformation T for all the surfaces such that the Philipona and O'Regan model can be expressed as
This transformation T was computed by spherical sampling. The work of Vazquez-Corral et al. shows that the surface reflectance descriptor is equivalent to a Land color designator [6] computed in the space spanned by the sharp sensors.4. Conclusion
Sensor sharpening was developed 20 years ago to achieve computational color constancy using a diagonal model. Over this period, spectral sharpening has proven important for solving other problems unrelated to its original aim.
In this paper, we have explained some of the differences between human and computational color constancy: human color constancy relies on the perception of the colors while computational color constancy relies on the absolute color values of the objects viewed under a canonical illuminant.
We have reviewed different methods used to obtain spectrally sharpened sensors, dividing them into perfect sharpening, sensor-based sharpening, sharpening with data, spherical sharpening, and chromatic adaptation transforms.
We have also described different research lines where sharpened sensors have proven useful: chromatic adaptation, color constancy in perceptual spaces, relational color constancy, perceptual-based definition of color spaces, multispectral processing without the use of all the spectra, shadow removal, extraction of information from an image, estimation of the color names and unique hues presented in the human visual system, and estimation of the hue cancellation and hue equilibrium phenomena.
This work was supported by European Research Council, Starting Grant ref. 306337, and by Spanish grants ref. TIN2011-15954-E, and ref. TIN2012-38112.
Author Contributions: Both authors contributed equally to this work.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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It's been over 5 weeks since I last came on. D: I am so sorry for those that I haven't replied to yet! I'm really sorry! I'll try to be more active!!! Gah, so sorry!
So, anyone can answer, since Hiro Mashima didn't put up the new chapter this week, does anyone have any predictions as to what may go down? I want to hear what others will say :)
Oh my goodness! Are my eyes deceiving me?
If this true, you wouldn't understand the level of happiness I have reached! Tokyo Pop is possibly coming back! So many manga under that title that we were forced to claw fight might come back! But I'm more concerned about Hetalia! My little Feli is coming back to the US! No more having to scavenge websites just to read about the history lessons nor having to almost have heart attacks at seeing the price of $50 for the one I'm missing! Yay!

subset: commoncrawl


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MMOs are plagued by nasty -isms. Racism. Sexism. Nationalism. Ageism. Orientalism. Homophobia. Misogyny. OK, so those last two aren't really -isms, but you get my point. No matter how much we want our fantasy games to be zones of escapism, these prejudices chase us there. Sometimes we bring them with us as unwanted baggage that spills out in chat channels and character choices. And sometimes they're inherent in the game design itself.
Classism is one such problem you'd think the internet would reduce or conceal, but the divide between the haves and have-nots is stronger in MMOs than ever. To illustrate that point and how it affects us as gamers, I'd like to talk about another set of games ruled not by skill or talent but by money.
The Olympics pose a perfect parallel to MMO games. They are (with rare exceptions) participated in and won by wealthy amateurs in large, rich countries. To participate, you and your family need excess time and money to invest in training, equipment, and coaching. If you're really talented, a corporation might sponsor you in return for what is effectively advertising. If you're in most countries, though, you're lucky to find a team let alone score state funding. The result is that the Olympics aren't even remotely a collection of the best athletes whom our species can offer the world. They're merely a collection of the best athletes who could afford to participate. That cheats everyone and demeans the games. And the people with the luxury to play are intrinsically invested in making sure others are kept away from participating.
"Many gamers brought up on subscriptions simply don't want to associate with real-life poorbies." |
Like the Olympics, subscription games have become (and maybe always were) the domain of relatively privileged people in wealthy countries. ("Relatively" according to worldwide standards; if you have a computer and free-time, you're already ahead of the game.) And many gamers brought up on subscriptions simply don't want to associate with real-life poorbies. They view a subscription as a welcome barrier to entry, a country club fee that keeps the unworthy out. This is part of the reason that so many traditionalists trash accessibility. Some gamers pine for the "good old days" when games featured gameplay that better filtered out the undesirable elements. EVE Online's tedium and brutality is painted as a necessary measure to keep lesser beings from mingling with the elite. Ultima Online's rampant PKing and EverQuest's anti-solo design ensured those who lacked social skills would wash out. And World of Warcraft? WoW's current blend of ultra-accessibility is criticized for letting the rabble in. Blizzard screwed up, so say these elitists, by making the gameplay so easy and accessible that "casual" gamers flooded in to ruin everything. And what is the word "casual" but code for money-poor, time-poor, or skill-poor -- all of which are, as the Olympics show us, effectively the same thing?
Time vs. money is the perpetual class issue in MMOs, one that existed long before the first freemium game hit the internet. The subscriptions-or-bust crowd scoffs not just at freemium games but at the microtransaction content featured in those games (and at black market or even open market RMT before that). You'd think the wealthy would be in favor of games that allow them to buy their way into MMO success, but the wealthy aren't just rich in money; they are rich in time. They can easily afford the luxury time necessary to undertake time-consuming hobbies (like, say, competing in the Olympics or raiding for the very best gear). The poorbies, by contrast, are generally short on time because they're working twice as long for less money, so even if they can afford a sub, they can't afford as much time to compete as the wealthy hardcores. The casual gamer is thus born.
"And what is the word 'casual' but code for money-poor, time-poor, or skill-poor -- all of which are, as the Olympics show us, effectively the same thing?" |
Consider our own recent Behind the Mask column. In it, Patrick suggested that Champions Online's recent conversion to a F2P game (and the subsequent inflow of freemium players) had increased griefing (crime?) in the game. While I know Patrick to be an upstanding citizen and he's usually very careful to specify "griefers," even he in a few instances equated griefing with the free players while recommending roleplayers find new and exclusive places to hang out. "The blimp in Millennium City, the UNTIL building, and the Champions HQ building offer other indoor areas for people to get away from the huge swarm of free players," he said, as if the free players themselves (and not the rise in griefing) were the problem. He also recommended that Cryptic create new pay-to-play RP zones and ways for pay players to skip the early free-player-heavy zones because he "like[s] gating RP with real money more than levels or subscription status." He's not wrong that an increase in players, freemium or not, usually correlates to a rise in griefing, but we must be careful not to assume that a player's ability to pay for a game tells us anything about his willingness to grief. The "poor=crime" stereotype is hard enough to combat in the real world.
I don't mean to suggest that we should all eschew capitalism or that the downtrodden workers of the world should revolt to get their fair share of the MMO pie. Nor am I claiming there are no legitimate complaints to be made about freemium games, only that the loudest complaint is rooted in something vile -- a pretense that time isn't money, affected solely for the purposes of class warfare on video game turf. In fact, I'm the first to say that freemium games deserve mountains of criticism. Many are terrible and tawdry and tacky. Many compromise gameplay values and quality for a quick buck. But the pay-to-play and pay-to-win and F2P and RMT arguments are as much about classism as they are about game design. So the next time we're picking on freemium games, let's make sure we're doing it for the right reasons... and not just out of sheer snobbery.
Everyone has opinions, and The Soapbox is how we indulge ours. Join the Massively writers every Tuesday as we take turns atop our very own soapbox to deliver unfettered editorials a bit outside our normal purviews. Think we're spot on -- or out of our minds? Let us know in the comments!


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This is
the official
website for
Aloha Hawaiian Parrot Association
Encouraging and promoting the highest standards in aviculture, welfare and
conservation of the world's most charismatic birds.
Mahalo to HAWAIIAN NEWS NOW and Reporter CHRIS TANAKA for June 13, 2014 story on MARY ROSE and GREAT PACIFIC RACE. If you'd like to donate to Mary, go to her w/site:http://maryrows.com/ To see the story: To follow GREAT PACIFIC RACE: http://www.newoceanwave.com/great-pacific-race/ Visit our FACEBOOK page for daily updates, news and pix! https://www.facebook.com/HawaiianParrot Join our email list for all meeting dates and events!All monthly meetings are at Blaisdell Park in Pearl City, *usually on the 2nd Sunday of the month, at 12-noon, with potluck lunch and our parrots! All parrots (healthy, with wings clipped or caged) are welcome. Pls bring a beach/camping chair since we meet on the grass. *(unless other activity scheduled) We welcome anyone with an interest in parrots, regardless of whether you are already owned by one! Our thanks to HONOLULU MAGAZINE for covering our Sept. meeting. See our 2-page feature in the October 2013 issue: http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/October-2013/Field-Notes-Aloha-Hawaiian-Parrot-Association/ ANNUAL CLUB DUES (starting January 1, 2014) $20/single or $30/couple, family, 2 or more, and entitles you to the Club Membership Card, good for 10% discount at several local pet stores. (See Membership) Visitors may attend 1 meeting for free before paying dues. OFFICERS and BOARD OF DIRECTORS for 2014-15 President: Cinde Fisher Vice president: Alan Vanderpool Secretary: Jana Julleis Treasurer: Barbara Maxfield Board of Directors: Jackie Johnson, Ron Stebbins, Paddy Sell APPOINTMENTS Facebook Manager: Jeff Nash | The ALOHA HAWAIIAN PARROT ASSOCIATION (AHPA) is the oldest and most-trusted parrot club in Honolulu, Hawaii, founded in 1992. We have also been awarded (in 2013) the Certificate of Excellence from the City & County of Honolulu, "honoring and recognizing AHPA for their level of commitment and dedication to animal welfare in Hawaii." We usually meet the 2nd Sunday of each month at 12 noon at Blaisdell Park in Pearl City (see map) with potluck lunch. (The dates may change if we have a special activity planned.) The best way to stay informed of each meeting is to join our email list. Once joining, your email remains anonymous and will never be given out nor used by any other group(s) or individual(s) without your express written or verbal consent. [Contact Us] Our members range from the novice to the experienced and knowledgeable parrot owner. The one thing we all have in common is our love and respect for these feathered treasures. We welcome anyone with an interest in parrots, even if you don't already have one! One of the best ways to learn more about parrots is to attend one of our meetings where you'll see our birds and meet their owners. We bring our parrots to the meetings, provided they are healthy and clipped or in cages. Attendees should bring a beach chair since we sit on the grass, and bring a dish/refreshment to share for potluck. For information call 808-381-5545. Be sure to check out our "sister club" in Pennsylvania: |
A few of our best friends


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In error I had posted in the lawn Care forum....
Looking for some suggestions on what shrubs/trees to use for a somewhat privacy barrier along the back part of my lot. To somewhat block out the view of the back of the house behind us. The area is wooded with large trees (tulip poplar and maples) and shade. I would like them to get up to let say 6 feet or so. Probably in the range of 30 - 40 linear feet.
Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.....Ollie |
Follow-Up Postings:
If it's not too dense shade then perhaps the older varieties of rhododendron (rhod. maximum) would work. We grew them successfully on Long Island under the shade of tall locust trees. They were spaced about 5 feet apart and filled in nicely in about 5 years or so. I've also grown this variety of rhododendron in very heavy shade (under a European Beech tree), but growth was very slow, and it was a little scraggly looking. However, it survived for fifteen (or more maybe...we moved) and it looked a lot better than nothing, and better than any other plant I've seen growing in such heavy shade. |
- Posted by maureeninmd z6 MD (My Page) on Sat, Apr 3, 10 at 11:14
Aucuba japonica grows well in shade. It is good for privacy as it is a dense grower. |
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Revised Standard Version (RSV) | New International Version (NIV) |
1 And he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off. | 1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, |
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (Revised Standard Version - Holy Bible) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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NHL Hockey - Preview
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens | |
The San Jose Sharks and the Montreal Canadiens will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Bell Centre. Last time out for San Jose, they were a 2-1 loser as they battled the Bruins on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Bruins at -110 were rewarded, while the 3 combined goals moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Canadiens were a 4-1 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Ducks. That made winners of bettors who got Montreal at -120 on the moneyline, while the total score (5) was good news for UNDER bettors. Montreal: Team record: 6-4-0 SU, ATS is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose When playing on Saturday are 4-6 Team record: 8-1-1 SU, ATS is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games When playing on Saturday are 5-5 San Jose at Ottawa, Sunday, October 27 Montreal at NY Rangers, Monday, October 28 |


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Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism Suit Rambles On, With New Twists
Meanwhile, Jimmy Page is re-releasing his autobiography, which he probably wrote himself
Turns out, even rock'n'roll lawsuits can be fun-filled occasions. At least that's what our sharp legal minds parse from the documents in the copyright infringement case brought against Led Zeppelin, who are accused of nicking the music for "Stairway to Heaven" from Spirit's 1968 instrumental "Taurus."
Attorney Francis Malofiy — who recently got reamed by a judge for unprofessional conduct while working a copyright case against Usher — filed the suit in Pennsylvania last Friday, May 30, representing the estate of Spirit frontman and songwriter — yes — Randy California. The court documents show that Malofiy cheekily decided to use the same font Zeppelin used throughout their career, an interesting move considering the circumstances of the case.
Aside from the legalese, it's a pretty interesting read for rock fans. In a clear-cut way, Malofiy tells the story of how California got his break after being discovered by Jimi Hendrix and went on to tour with Led Zeppelin opening for Spirit. It also goes into some detail about how Zeppelin even covered a different Spirit song, "Fresh Garbage," and how guitarist Jimmy Page bought a theremin, the spooky effects device he used on "Whole Lotta Love," after seeing California use one.
On top of that, there's an entire section devoted to Zep's previous issues with plagiarism. They've infamously had to pay up and give writing credits to such bluesmen as Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon, and other artists they've allegedly ripped off include Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, and Traffic.
"Led Zeppelin is undeniably one of the greatest bands in history, and their musical talent is boundless," the lawsuit states. "However, what happened to Randy California and Spirit is wrong. Led Zeppelin needs to do the right thing and give credit where credit is due. Randy California deserves writing credit for 'Stairway to Heaven' and to take his place as an author of Rock's greatest song."
Speaking of authorship, and pages, Page is reissing re-releasing his eponymous 2010 memoir later this year. The original pressing of Jimmy Page was limited to 2,500 copies and cost a few hundred bucks. Now, the wide release will only run about $40. While you wait for your copy, read the lawsuit against Zeppelin below.


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Godrej Properties
Godrej Properties
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Real Estate
Equity Shares
Price Band
Godrej Properties adds new project in Mumbai through pact with Godrej & Boyce
March 11, 2014
Kailash Babar , ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Godrej Properties, the real estate development arm of the Godrej Group, has entered into a pact with group company Godrej & Boyce to develop a new project on the latter's property at Vikhroli suburb of Mumbai, the company said in a release. The potential saleable area in this proposed project will be up to 800,000 sq ft. The project is likely to comprise of premium residences as well as a small component of convenience retail. Godrej Properties will be the development manager and will work with Godrej & Boyce on the concept, design, sales, and marketing of the project.
Over 30 Indian property developers to exhibit in Dubai
February 21, 2014
DUBAI: More than 30 real estate developers from India will showcase their properties to Non-Resident Indians at an expo starting here from today. The two-day expo is organised by the Dubai-based Yard Real Estate, in association with Indian Properties - a leading realtor from Mumbai that brings Indian real estate brands closer to the NRIs across the globe. The Indian Properties Spring Expo 2014 is being held with multiple offers and deals to attract the Indian expatriate customers from across the UAE and other parts of the region.
Godrej Properties seeks shareholder nod to invest Rs 565 crore
February 5, 2014
NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties Ltd has sought shareholders' approval to invest up to Rs 565 crore in its subsidiaries that are executing realty projects. In a filing to the BSE , it has sought shareholders approval of 6 special resolutions through postal ballots. The investments in the subsidiaries/SPVs could be in the form of purchase of securities or debt or guarantee in connection with loan provided by some other persons or entities. The realty arm of the Godrej Group plans to develop a project at Mundhwa, Pune, through a special purpose vehicle.
Supreme Court ruling may help revive stalled real estate projects
February 1, 2014
ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Shares of Mumbai-based realty firms rose on Friday after the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed builders to develop several land parcels in the city's suburbs that were listed as forest land and were barred from encroachment. The apex court's ruling is expected to revive stalled projects, adding several thousand apartments to the city where home sales are down due to high prices. In addition to overturning the earlier Bombay High Court ruling in 2008, the apex court also quashed all notices issued by the state government under the Indian Forest Act of 1927 to residents of housing societies built on such plots.
Dealing room: Petronet, Just Dial, Godrej Properties, PVR
January 31, 2014
MUMBAI: ET Now spoke to dealers on institutional and high net worth investors' activity in the dealing room. The following stocks are on their radar on market buzz. Petronet LNG: The company is likely to report weak set of numbers, say dealers. The stock was at Rs 108, up 3.15 per cent, on the BSE. It touched a high of Rs 109.40 and a low of Rs 104.30 in trade today. Just Dial: Dealers suggest positional buy in the stock as the management commentary is positive. The stock was at Rs 1,433.50, up 3.27 per cent, on the BSE. It touched a high of Rs 1,467.70 and a low of Rs 1,399 in trade today.
Godrej Properties October-December net profit up 5%, income down 9%
January 29, 2014
Kailash Babar , ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Realty developer Godrej Properties reported 5 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 37.36 crore for the quarter ended December, the company said in a release. Total income for the quarter declined over 9 per cent to 241.95 crore due to lower sales. The Godrej Group's realty development arm received total bookings worth Rs 428 crore, down 36 per cent from a year ago. Sales volume in terms of space also slipped 51 per cent to 0.5 million sq ft. Other income for the quarter stood at nearly Rs 12 crore against Rs 1.37 crore a year ago. "We expect 2014 to be our best ever year for new launches with major launches planned in all the top real estate markets in India including a handful of high impact launches in Mumbai . We remain very confident of the reception these launches will receive even in the current market environment," said Pirojsha Godrej, MD & CEO Godrej Properties.
Godrej Prop buys back Red Fort's 49 pct stake in Kolkata project
December 4, 2013
NEW DELHI: Realty firm Godrej Properties today said the company has bought back private equity firm Red Fort Capital's 49 per cent stake in a subsidiary that is developing an IT Park in Kolkata, for an undisclosed amount. In 2008, Red Fort had picked up 49 per cent stake in the IT Park project 'Godrej Genesis'. "In terms of the agreement with Red Fort India Real Estate Babur (Red Fort) for Project Godrej Genesis at Kolkata, the company has given exit to Red Fort by purchasing its 49 per cent stake in the equity share capital of its subsidiary Godrej Developers Pvt Ltd (GDPL)
Godrej Properties net debt falls by 22% to Rs 1,260 crore
December 1, 2013
NEW DELHI: Realty firm Godrej Properties' net debt has fallen by 22 per cent to Rs 1,260 crore during the second quarter of this fiscal, mainly with the help of funds raised through rights issue. Net debt of Godrej Properties, the realty arm of Godrej Group, stood at Rs 1,611 crore at the end of the first quarter of this fiscal. "Our total net debt of Rs 1,260 crore stands at the lowest level it has been in the past 2 years and our borrowing cost has declined both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter to approximately 11.3 per cent," Godrej Properties Ltd Managing Director & CEO Pirojsha Godrej said.
Top realty firms like DLF, Oberoi Realty see sales fall 40-70% in Sept quarter
November 19, 2013
Ravi Teja Sharma & Jwalit Vyas , ET Bureau
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: India's top listed real estate firms have reported a sharp drop in sales in the quarter to September as high prices and continued economic uncertainty kept home buyers away. Sales fell 40-70% at realty heavy weights such as DLF , Oberoi Realty , Orbit Corp and Godrej Properties. Heavy discounts offered by developers during the festive season that began in October did push the sales but only a little. "Mumbai-based real estate companies are seeing acute pain in terms of sales with volumes dropping 40-50% year-onyear," said Amit Agarwal, senior analyst for real estate at SBI Capital Securities . "Gurgaon-based firms are also struggling, and this is likely to continue for some more time.
Godrej Properties Q2 net profit up 5 % to Rs 34.25 crore
October 30, 2013
NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties today reported a marginal five per cent increase in its consolidated net profit at Rs 34.25 crore in the second quarter of this fiscal mainly due to higher tax expenses. The company, which is the real estate arm of the Godrej Group, had posted a net profit of Rs 32.58 crore in the year-ago period, according to filing in the BSE . Total income from operations rose by 32 per cent to Rs 306.49 crore during July-September quarter of 2013-14 fiscal compared with Rs 232.74 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.
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Fulham Football Club
- Nickname:Cottagers
- Founded:1879
- Manager:Felix Magath
- Ground:Craven Cottage
- Capacity:26,600
- Last Game: 24-Jan-2015 15:00
- Sunderland0
Fulham0 - Full match report
Zamora op shows ligament damage
13 Sep 2010 - 08:24:04
Fulham's England international striker Bobby Zamora has undergone surgery on the leg injury sustained in Saturday's 2-1 win over Wolves at Craven Cottage.
The 29-year-old is facing at least four months out of action, with the surgeon also having to repair ligament damage to Zamora's right ankle, just below his fractured fibula.
A statement on the club's official website confirmed: "This morning (Sunday) Bobby Zamora underwent an operation on the injury sustained in Saturday's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"The operation was viewed as successful by the surgeon and the fracture to the fibula was repaired - ligament damage was also discovered and repaired during the operation."
Meanwhile, Cottagers boss Mark Hughes has backed Moussa Dembele to help cover for the absence of Zamora, after the Belgium international scored both goals against Wolves.
He said: "We hope Moussa can get the goals - there's a big onus on him now that Bobby's gone.
"He'll get good support from the guys around him and that will help him become the success we think he will be.
"The beauty of Moussa is that he can play in a number of positions. That's the attraction from my point of view, because I like players who have that flexibility."
Related Fulham News
Related Fulham News


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Running a Coffee Shop
Scarlet Cup Coffee House Joins the Crimson Cup Community
We're thrilled to welcome husband-and-wife team Bill and Judy Lawn into the Crimson Cup Community of independent coffee shops! Their Scarlet Cup Coffee House held its soft opening Dec. 2, 2013 at 2300 North Hills Street, Suite B, Meridian, Miss. Located … Read More
Gimme Java Coffee Off to Great Start
Congratulations to Albert Plummer, Vicki White and Joann Dipasquale on the opening of Gimme Java Coffee at 3427 Lee Road in Shaker Heights, Ohio. After running a bakery in New Jersey for 10 years, Albert Plummer decided it was time … Read More
Welcome to French Express Coffee House!
We're excited to welcome Regina and Ryan French and their French Express Coffee House to the Crimson Cup community! On Dec. 17, the mother-and-son team held the grand opening of their new coffee shop at 2087 Dale Earnhardt Blvd. in Kannapolis, … Read More
Business Plan Basics: Determining Your Breakeven Point
Dreaming about opening a coffee shop? Then it's in your best interest to master business fundamentals such as writing a business plan and calculating your breakeven point. As Greg observes in a recent issue of CoffeeTalk magazine: "Most coffee shop … Read More
The One-Day Coffee Shop Business Plan
Writing a business plan is an essential step in opening a coffee shop. But if you're like many new entrepreneurs, you view the process of developing a plan with reluctance. As a result, you may drag out the process, making … Read More
How to Wow! Your Banker
As an entrepreneur, cultivating a relationship with a business banker is essential to your long-term success. Bank loans are often a key component of opening or expanding your coffee business. Bankers can also become trusted advisors and connect you … Read More


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Calendar ⋅ Contact ⋅ Documents ⋅ Employment ⋅ FAQs ⋅ Maps ⋅ News ⋅ Online Services ⋅ Projects
Virtual Art Gallery
Using Oro Valley's Virtual Art Gallery is a simple way to view our extensive public art collection.
View the Oro Valley Hospital and Public Art Collection
Experience OV Public Art in person
Guided Public Art Tour are conducted every third Tuesday from 1p.m. - 3p.m. To register, click on the month you would like to participate. Seating is limited so make your reservation today!
January 20, 2015 - Guided Public Art Tour |
February 17, 2015 - Guided Public Art Tour |
March 17, 2015 - Guided Public Art Tour |
April 21, 2015 - Guided Public Art Tour |
Special art tours may be accommodated for a group of 8 - 10 people. Please contact William Vicens at 520-229-4758 for details.
What is the 1% Public Art Program?
In 1997, the town established a 1% Public Art Program, which requires that commercial developers set aside one percent of a projects total budget for the creation of public art. By passing the public art mandate, Oro Valley signaled an ongoing commitment to create beautiful surroundings that enhance the quality of life for all who live, work and play in the town. Developers and businesses are key to the 1% Public Art program.
Check back often as our collection is cataloged and new projects are added.


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New International Reader's Version (NIRV) | New International Version (NIV) |
12 Moses looked around and didn't see anyone. So he killed the Egyptian. Then he hid his body in the sand. | 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. |
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Reader's Version Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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Lyft, the rideshare company that connects drivers and riders through mobile apps, has agreed not to start its service in Brooklyn until it meets all requirements of the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
The TLC said Lyft officials began sitting down with them on Monday "to begin discussions on how they may provide for-hire service that is fully compliant with TLC rules."
Lyft already operates in 30 states and the District of Columbia. That includes New York, where it provides services in Buffalo and Rochester.
Lyft was planning to launch in the city this past week before state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin Lawsky sought a temporary restraining order.
The state had concerns that Lyft did not or would not meet state and city standards in areas such as licensing of commercial drivers, insurance and vehicle inspection.
The company did not respond to an inquiry from the Chronicle for this story, but its officials have said in numerous published reports that they are not a traditional ride-for-hire service, but more of a peer-to-peer operation that connects riders with drivers in return for an agreed-upon fee.
Lyft's website states that its insurance covers drivers for up to $1 million for bodily injury and damages should a driver's own insurance not cover the accident.
Jeanne Salvatore, chief communications officer for the Manhattan-based Insurance Information Institute, said drivers thinking of joining Lyft should consult with their insurance carrier first to see what would be covered in the event of an accident.
"I think under most policies, they would not be covered," she said. Salvatore did add that as services like Lyft become more popular, insurance companies likely would begin creating products to meet the new demand.
Lyft's website also said it conducts driver background checks and on-site vehicle inspections.


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Faxon, Rash Capture Summer, Dysfunction in 'The Way, Way Back'
The Oscar-winning writers of the George Clooney hit, "The Descendants," return with the year's best comedy to date, "The Way, Way Back."
The Oscar-winning writers of the George Clooney hit, "The Descendants," return with the year's best comedy to date, "The Way, Way Back."
XFINITY Entertainment Editor David Onda's coverage of the Oscars continues with a look at the red carpet set-up and predictions in the Best Supporting Actor category.
This month's XFINITY On Demand offerings feature a number of Indie Spirit Award nominees and Oscar hopefuls. Wondering whether they're worth your while? Our own culture pundit gives you reasons… More
What would Steve Carell and Keira Knightley do if the world were coming to an end? "I would probably just eat everything I can in my final few days," Carell… More
Your hub for all the personal finance news that affects you and your family.
A blog about health, food, beauty, fitness, fashion, parenting and travel focused on how we, as individuals and as a society live our lives.
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A blog about movie news, movie stars, movie premieres and the business of the big screen.
About music, artists and the news that envelops the industry.


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Readymade Projects Vb Net
Readymade Projects Vb Net is a collection of products with 90 downloads. The most lightweight of them are Flashcontrol (sized at 31,886) and WebHtmlEdit .NET Control (sized at 220,673), while the largest one is Nevron .NET Vision with 187,671,751 bytes. It includes 41 freeware products like Paint.NET and Creative Docs .NET as well as commercial software like 1-abc.net Hotkey Organizer ($19.99) and VB.Net to C# Converter ($209.94)
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St. Monica Comments
St. Monica was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa, who was much older than she, and although generous, was also violent tempered. His mother Lived with them and was equally difficult, which proved a constant challenge to St. Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband and his mother to the Catholic faith in 370. He died a year ... Continue Reading
201 - 220 of 239 Comments
5 years ago
She is a great women who never stopped trying!
5 years ago
when was she born
5 years ago
Really the life of Saint Monica impress me so much, and touch my life, because for any reason my life has been similar to her life. Obviously she is a Saint and I am a simple sinner. I'm married with a man that don't trust in the christian life. I have three sons and they still are going to the church but I feel that the world wants to trap to them. I beg every day to god for my husband conversion and for my kids salvation. I know that God have Mercy to any one and just like Saint Monica I am sure that God listen me, but I have to wait for him at his time. Thrust in God and never gave up.
5 years ago
this coming year i am making my confirmation.at the end of the year my teacher told my class to think and research some saints and pick one that inspires us.i came to this site to research.i have not yet picked a saint but i think saint monica is such an inspiration the way she prayed to god every day to help her son and believed in god and never gave up.she is such a beutiful role model for anyone.
5 years ago
I am Making my Confirmation this year and i spent houers looking for a saint on some other website and at the bottom of the list was the name i loved Monique/Monica so it had not much information on that website so i came to this web page and red about her from my opinion St Monica you are truly beautiful:) <3
5 years ago
I'm doing an assignment for my confirmation and I would like to know were the bibliography for this awesome website is! this website was very helpful!
5 years ago
I would like to know the feast day of St. Monica and of St. Sixtus IV, and what do they represent. For example - St. Siacre he represents taxi driving. I need this information for a project due on Wednesday.
5 years ago
Saint Monica please pray to our Lord for my son-in-law David that his eyes and heart are opened to see and receive His grace.
5 years ago
Saint Monica, please pray for my son david who still loooking for the meaning of life. He is a very good and son love God, but I know that he is looking for some kind of meaning in life. May he see the light and turn his life around. Amen
5 years ago
Saint Monica, please pray for my son in prison. May he see the light and turn his life around. Amen
6 years ago
i think she is a good saint
6 years ago
Please pray St. Monica for my friend and her husband, may his heart soften and he find forgiveness and love in his heart for her.
6 years ago
St.Monica, Pls. pray for all the members of my family.
6 years ago
Saint Monica please pray for a peaceful resolution to my situation. Please pray that it comes soon.
6 years ago
St. Monica please pray for my
family especially Rose,Anton and
Claude. Bring God and love into
my family. -
6 years ago
Saint Monica, please pray for Anna to be my friend. PLEASE!!!
6 years ago
please take care of my family
6 years ago
Saint Monica please pray 4 my Aunt Thelmaa who has been diognosed with cancer and is just recovering from a stroke
6 years ago
St.MONICA PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AND MY FAMILY ALWAYS WATCH OVER ME PLEASE.
6 years ago
St. Monica, please pray always for the love, safety and protection of my two precious daughters, Madeline & Gabrielle, and for the same for my loving husband, Mark, and mother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and in-laws. May you watch over us and bless us with your love and please remember to help me be a good mother--kind, loving, patient and above-all a good role model in all that say I do. Amen.
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- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown
- Ogdensburg
- Massena-Potsdam
- Lowville
- Carthage
- Malone
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Brasher Falls- Mr. Perry F. Stowe, 54 passed away unexpectedly, Saturday February 2, 2013 at the Massena Memorial Hospital. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hammill Funeral Home in Winthrop.
Perry was born in Massena on August 25, 1958 to Robert and Bertha (Jock) Stowe. He was raised and educated locally, graduating in 1976 from Salmon River Central. On June 10, 1978 he married Sharon F. LaFave at the Bombay Catholic Church.
Work was important to Perry; he was employed for 24 � years as a boot lacer for Tru-Stitch Footwear in Malone. After the factory closed, Perry always found ways to keep busy. He had a talented hand for woodworking and wasnt afraid of a new craft or project of any kind. Most importantly, Perrys passion was hunting and fishing.
Perry was a family man and enjoyed his friendships. He loved spending time with his grandchildren; he cherished them and the mutual adoration they had for each other.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Sharon, two daughters: Carrie and Jason Premo of Brasher Falls, and Christy Stowe of Brasher Falls, his father, Robert Stowe of Brasher Falls, his grandchildren: Nathan, Taylor, Aiden, Cole, Avery, and Brenten, his siblings: Robert Bobby Stowe of Bombay, Julie Tuper of Brasher Falls, Debbie Moulton of Brasher Falls, and Arthur Art Stowe of Brasher Falls. He was predeceased by his mother, Bertha, one brother Ernest Stowe, and his grandson Evan Premo.
Visitation will be Monday (Feb. 11) from 2-4, at the funeral home. Perrys Funeral Service and Celebration of Life will commence at 4pm upon conclusion of visitation, with Rev. Martin Kline officiating.
For those wishing to express an act of kindness, memorial contributions in Perrys honor may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Central New York Chapter 100 Metropolitan Park Drive, Suite 400 Liverpool, NY 13088.
Memories and condolences may be shared with his family at www.hammillfh.com


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Items where Author is Brodersen, Klaus P.
Jump to: Langdon, P Number of items: 1.
Langdon, PLangdon, Peter G. and Ruiz, Zoe and Brodersen, Klaus P. and Foster, Ian D.L. (2006) Assessing lake eutrophication using chironomids: understanding the nature of community response in different lake types. Freshwater Biology, 51 (3). pp. 562-577. ISSN 0046-5070 |


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How often do you wear cufflinks? I might wear them once a year? I put my Tag on when cufflinks come out.
I agree with you though, i like the analog faces/movement, but i didn't have that choice this time. All they had left of the nixon Channel T is the gold colored one. Who the f would wear that?


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Gear Review
Burton Cargo Snowboard Pant
Great for snowboarding, stylish, durable and comfortable. Spacious with lots of room, although not too baggy, excellent fit. Adjustable waist straps are hidden inside that do not pinch or bind. Pockets are well placed with abundant space to carry items. I especially like the hidden zipper in waist that attaches to Burton jackets which prevents snow from entering during a fall. Great buy for the money.
View More Details on Burton Cargo Pant - Men's


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COROMA, Costa Rica — By the time Odily Sanchez Segura saw her bike for the first time, it had crossed a sea, sped through cities and mountains, and jolted over rough dirt roads deep into a reserve for an isolated tribe of native Costa Ricans. It had floated 40 minutes in a canoe along a river lined with plantain trees, and then, with several other bikes donated in suburban Washington, bounced miles over a jungle path to Coroma, a small village of thatch-roofed huts on stilts.
Odily, who's 10 years old and skinny, looked at it: bright green, fat tires, a tough little mountain bike. She didn't smile — not yet. It was too important.