text:
Khloe Kardashian Wears Fake Fur That Says 'F*ck Yo Fur' in Red
In a shopping trip with her sisters, Kim and Kourtney, Khloe wore a dramatic floor length faux fur coat with red paint spelling out 'F*ck Yo Fur."
WATCH: Skiers Rescue Stag Buried in Deep Snow
A heavy snowfall in East Tyrol, Austria, created a winter playground for skiers, but almost had devastating results for a magnificent looking stag.
Adorable Video: Camera Falls From Sky Into Pig Pen
A few adorable pigs get the surprise of a lifetime when a camera falls from the sky into their pen.
Moby Asks Hunting Supporters to Meet Dawn the Fox (Video)
Richard Mellvile Hall, known by his stage name "Moby" tweeted on Twitter: "if you're in support of fox hunting (or, well, any hunting) please watch this."
WATCH: Diane Kruger Drinks Exhaust Emissions from Electric Car
Diane Kruger drinks out of an exhaust pipe to prove that the new Mercedes-Benz hydrogen powered car is safe for the environment.
WATCH: Jon Stewart Takes on Pig Virus and Factory Farms
"The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart knows a thing or two about America's biggest problems. A bacon shortage? Not one of them.
WATCH: 17 Bears Rescued from Concrete Pits, Now in Sanctuary
17 bears held captive at the Black Forest Bear Park in Helen, Georgia are finally free.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
With a 5:30am blast-off of the 2013 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1, competitors launched in the dark, aided by a variety of onboard lighting systems.
With a 5:30am blast-off of the 2013 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1, competitors launched in the dark, aided by a variety of onboard lighting systems.
Elite Series pro Kurt Dove backs his BK Racing rig into the James River.
The James River is a long drive from Brandon Palaniuk's Idaho home.
A spry Randy Howell hops into his Kings Home Triton.
Should any competitor's boat be disabled, the Tow Boat US stands at the ready.
The confines of Osborne Landing were crowded with competitors' boats.
Chris Bowes called out numbers and weigh-in times to ensure an orderly launch.
Amongst a sea of illuminated navigational lights, boats jockeyed for position at first light.
In addition to avoiding floating debris resulting from the recent storms, competitors will have to dodge the river's commercial barge traffic.
Mike Iaconelli is dwarfed by a James River barge.
Fans on the dock tried to capture images of friends, family members and angling heroes.
Brandon Palaniuk idles toward the take-off point.
After idling upriver past tournament officials, most competitors made abrupt u-turns and headed down the James.
This Labrador retriever didn't seem impressed by the wealth of Bassmaster Classic champions, Elite Series pros and local talent in this week's field.
Skies were relatively clear at first light, but heavy storms are expected this afternoon.
Kelly Pratt, who won here in 2011, is considered one of the odds-on favorites any time there's money on the line on the James River.
Dave Lefebre hopes that the James River is "G-r-r-r-eat!"
No one wants to use the services of Tow Boat US, but they're ready in case of emergency.
Trait Crist hopes to be the first woman to win a Bassmaster Open tournament.
The staff of Tow Boat US can salvage what would otherwise be a lost tournament for any angler in the field who suffers mechanical difficulties.


text: Dude With That Awful "Tebow Time" Centaur Tattoo Did, In Fact, Lose A Bet Dom CosentinoProfileFollowUnfollow Dom CosentinoFiled to: Tattoos Tim Tebow Tebow Denver Broncos Nfl News tweet 12/09/11 10:45amEditDelete Invite manuallyPromoteXDismissXUndismissBlock for deadspinHideShare to KinjaGo to permalink We initially said he didn't. But it's kind of a relief to discover that he did because, like, really. [Larry Brown Sports] 28Reply 28Discuss


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text:
Posted March 2, 2006
Why is Madea's Family Reunion rated PG-13?
Official MPAA Rating: Madea's Family Reunion is rated PG-13 for
Please read our content details for this movie to help determine if it is suitable for members of your family. We also encourage you to check our full review and our movie information page.


text:
StartUpHire is the place to find Client Field Technical Services Analyst jobs. Review the list of Client Field Technical Services Analyst career opportunities to the left. These Client Field Technical Services Analyst jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available.
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Title:Technical Support Analyst Department:CX Student Location:Cincinnati, OH Type:FullTime Position #:192892 Description: Jenzabar is a leader in administrative software products for the higher education market space with headquarters in Boston, MA. We strive for excellence in5/6/2015 Cincinnati, OH Save This Job
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Engineer The FutureSpaceX is a U.S.-based advanced technology company founded by residing CEO and CTO, Elon Musk. Founded in 2002, SpaceX builds rockets and spacecraft from the ground up, including cutting edge electronics, software, vehicle structures, and engine systems. The6/27/2015 Hawthorne, CA Save This Job
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text:
O Say Can You See: The Greatest Patriotic Super Heroes of All-Time
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DC Comics has released artwork and solicitation information for new comics and products shipping in December, 2007.
Marvel's given CBR News an advance look at the December, 2007 X-Men related titles which includes looks at covers for "Messiah CompleX" crossovers and more.
"Legion of Super Heroes" premieres September 22 with a two-part episode entitled "The Man From the Edge of Tomorrow," while "Superman Doomsday" will make its DVD premiere tomorrow.
Brian & Justin are here once again to catch you up on the weekly events in "Countdown" and direct you to some other choice books this week that'll keep you in the loop on everything "Countdown" related.
Marvel has provided CBR News with more advance looks at comics shipping 9/19 including "Quasar" #3, "Galactic Bounty Hunters" #6, "Marvel Comics Presents" #1, "Penance: Relentless" #1 and "Spider-Man/Red Sonja" #2.
Image Comics has provided CBR News with advance looks at 9/19 shipping titles which include "Madman Atomic Comics" #4, "Dynamo 5" #7, "Gutsville" #2 and "Repo" #4.
Fresh off winning its fourth Daytime Emmy Award, "The Batman" returns 9/22 and we've got new screens from the premiere, which sees the Dark Knight joined by the Man of Steel.
Diamond has released the top sales numbers for product shipped in August, 2007 including Market Share, Top 300 Comics and Top 100 GN/TPB's. Marvel leads in overall sales and units sold and holds the #1 spot with "World War Hulk" #3.
Who were the ravers in "Superboy & The Ravers?" Was Ghost Rider's origin changed so as not to offend religious readers? And what do Dazler & Bo Derek have in common? All that and more this week.
Marvel has provided CBR News with advance looks at comics shipping 9/19 that includes "Irredeemable Ant-Man" #12, "New X-Men" #42, "Wolverine: Origins" #17, "World War Hulk: Front Line" #4 and more.
Dark Horse Comics has released images and solicitation information for books and product shipping October, 2007.
Things are heating up in "Captain America" #30 as we come to the conclusion of the epic "Death of Captain America" storyline. We've got an advance look at next week's issue by Brubaker, Epting & Perkins. Updated
Hawaiian Dick ongoing launches this November!
Marvel Comics is pleased to announce that the hotly anticipated Halo: Uprising #1 (of 4) has sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level) after only 24 hours!
Since the death of Captain America, his former sidekick Bucky Barnes (now known as the Winter Soldier) has sought to honor his memory-but first he's gotta survive!


text:
The present invention is an apparatus and method for processing and manipulating one or more video images for use in a video conference. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a video conference endpoint including an image sensor to generate an image, and a controller configured to translate a portion of the image by one or more pixels in response to a translation control signal. The controller is configured to increase a number of a pixel cells associated with the portion of the image in response to a zoom-out control signal, and to decrease the number of the pixel cells associated with the portion of the image in response to a zoom-in control signal.
1. A method for generating a view of a scene at a local endpoint during a video conference, the method comprising:
capturing a digitized representation of an image of the scene by generating a set of pixels data values where each of the pixels data values is associated with a pixel cell of an image sensor;
associating a display pixel of the view with a subset of the pixel data values;
selecting a portion of the image as the view, the portion associated with a number of the pixel cells; and
translating the portion of the image by one or more pixels if a translation control signal is received.
2. The method of
increasing the number of the pixel cells in the portion if a zoom-out control signal is received; and
decreasing the number of the pixel cells in the portion if a zoom-in control signal is received.
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
selecting another portion of the image as the view, the another portion associated with another number of the pixel cells;
translating the another portion of the image by one or more pixels if another translation control signal is received;
increasing the another number of the pixel cells in the another portion if another zoom-out control signal is received; and
decreasing the another number of the pixel cells in the another portion if another zoom-in control signal is received.
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
16. The method of
17. The method of
18. The method of
19. The method of
20. A method for providing panning, tilting, and zoom functions at a local endpoint for manipulating a plurality of views from a scene during video conference, the method comprising:
capturing an image using an image sensor, the image sensor including an array of pixel cells;
defining each of the plurality of views by a view window, the view window identifying a plurality of display pixels for displaying a portion of the scene, where each of the display pixels is determined from pixel data generated by a subset of the array of pixel cells;
shifting at least one of the plurality of views by one or more columns of the array of pixels if a pan control signal is received;
shifting at least one of the plurality of views by one or more rows of the array of pixels if a tilt control signal is received; and
changing a number of the pixel cells constituting the subset of the array of pixel cells if a zoom control signal is received.
21. The method of
22. The method of
23. The method of
establishing a reference point proximate to a reference display pixel, which is associated with at least one pixel cell;
generating a view window boundary including the reference point; and
positioning the view window in relation to the reference point.
24. The method of
25. The method of
26. The method of
27. A video conference endpoint comprising:
an image sensor circuit including an array of pixel cells, the sensor configured to digitize an image of a scene into a plurality of display pixels, where each of the plurality of display pixels is generated from pixel data associated with one or more pixel cells of the array; and
a controller configured to generate at least one requested view of the scene by manipulating the pixel data if a control signal is received.
28. The endpoint of
29. The endpoint of
a memory circuit configured to store the pixel data; and
an encoder configured to compress the pixel data representing the view.
30. The endpoint of
31. The endpoint of
32. The endpoint of
33. A method for providing panning, tilting, and zoom functions at a local endpoint for manipulating a plurality of views from a scene during video conference, the method comprising:
means for capturing an image;
means for defining each of the plurality of views of the image; and
means for manipulating at least one view of the plurality of views by changing a subset of the array of pixel cells constituting at least the one view.
34. The endpoint of
means for shifting the one view by one or more columns associated with the subset of the array of pixels if a pan control signal is received;
means for shifting the one view by one or more rows associated with the subset of the array of pixels if a tilt control signal is received; and
means for changing a number of the one or more pixel cells that determine a number of display pixels constituting the one view if a zoom control signal is received.
[0001] This application claims priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/354, 587 entitled, "APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ELECTRONIC IMAGE MANIPULATION IN VIDEO CONFERENCING APPLICATIONS," and filed on Feb. 4, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] 1.Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to image processing and communication thereof, and in particular, to an apparatus and method for processing and manipulating one or more video images for use in a video conference.
[0004] 2.Description of Related Art
[0005] The use of audio and video conferencing devices has increased dramatically in recent years. Such devices (collectively denoted herein as "conference endpoints") facilitate communication between persons or groups of persons situated remotely from each other, and allow companies having geographically dispersed business operations to conduct meetings of persons or groups situated at different offices, thereby obviating the need for expensive and time-consuming business travel.
[0006]FIG. 1 illustrates a convention conference endpoint 100. The endpoint 100 includes a camera lens system 102 rotatably connected to a camera base 104 for receiving audio and video of a scene of interest, such as the environs adjacent table 114 as well as conference participants themselves. The camera lens system 102 is typically connected to the camera base 104 in a manner such that the camera lens system 102 is able to move in response to one or more control signals. By moving the camera lens system 102, the view of the scene presented to remote conference participants changes according to the control signals. In particular, the camera lens system 102 may pan, tilt and zoom in and out, and therefore, is generally referred to as a pan-tilt-zoom ("PTZ") camera. "Pan" refers to a horizontal camera movement along an axis (i.e., the X-axis) either from right to left or left to right. "Tilt" refers to a vertical camera movement along an axis either up or down (i.e., the Y-axis). "Zoom" controls the viewing depth or field of view (i.e., the Z-axis) of a video image by varying lens focal length to an object.
[0007] In this illustration, audio communications are also received and transmitted via line 110 by a video conference microphone 112. One or more video images of the geographically remote conference participants are displayed on a display 108 operating on a display monitor 106. The display monitor 106 can be a television, computer, stand-alone display (e.g., a liquid crystal display, "LCD"), or the like and can be configured to receive user inputs to manipulate images displayed on the display 108.
[0008]FIG. 2 depicts a traditional PTZ camera 200 used in conventional video teleconference applications. The PTZ camera 200 includes a lens system 202 and base 204. The lens system 202 consists of a lens mechanism 222 under the control of a lens motor 226. The lens mechanism 222 can be any transparent optical component that consists of one or more pieces of optical glass. The surfaces of the optical glass are usually curved in shape and function to converge or diverge light emanating from an object 220, thus forming a real or virtual image of the object 220 for image capture.
[0009] Light associated with the real image of the object 220 is optically projected onto an image array 224 of a charge coupled devices ("CCD"), which acts as an image plane. The image array 224 takes the scene information and partitions the image into discrete elements (e.g., pixels) where the scene and object are defined by a number of elements. The image array 224 is coupled to an image signal processor 230 and provides electronic signals to the image signal processor 230. The signals, for example, are voltages representing color values associated with each individual pixel and may correspond to analog values or digitized values (digitized by an analog-to-digital converter).
[0010] The lens motor 226 is coupled to the lens mechanism 222 to mechanically change the field of view by "zooming in" and "zooming out." The lens motor 226 performs the zoom function under the control of a lens controller 228. The lens motor 226 and other motors associated with the camera 200 (i.e., tilt motor and drive 232 and pan motor and drive 234) are electromechanical devices that use electrical power to mechanically manipulate the image viewed by, for example, geographically remote participants. The tilt motor and drive 232 is included in the lens system 202 and provides for a mechanical means to vertically move the image viewed by the remote participants.
[0011] The base 204 includes a controller 236 for controlling image manipulation by not only using the electromechanical devices, but also by changing color, brightness, sharpness, etc. of the image. An example of the controller 236 can be a central processing unit (CPU) or the like. The controller 236 is also connected to the pan motor and drive 234 to control the mechanical means for horizontally moving the image viewed by the remote participants. The controller 236 communicates with the remote participants to receive control signals to, for example, control the panning, tilting, and zooming aspects of the camera 200. The controller 236 also manages and provides for the communication of video signals representing the image of the object 220 to the remote participants. A power supply 238 provides the camera 200 and its components with electrical power to operate the camera 200.
[0012] There exist many drawbacks inherent in conventional cameras used in traditional teleconference applications, including the camera 200. Electro-mechanical panning, tilting, and zooming devices add significant costs to the manufacture of the camera 200. Furthermore, these devices also decrease the overall reliability of the camera 200. Since each element has its own failure rate, the overall reliability of the camera 200 is detrimentally impacted with each added electromechanical device. This is primarily because mechanical devices are more prone to motion-induced failure than non-moving electronic equivalents.
[0013] Furthermore, switching between preset views associated with predetermined zoom and size settings for capturing and displaying images take a certain interval of time to adjust. This is primarily due to lag time associated with mechanical device adjustments made to accommodate switching between preset views. For example, a maximum zoom out may be preset on power-up of a data conference system. A next preset button, when depressed, can include a predetermined "pan right" at "normal zoom" function. In a conventional camera, the mechanical devices associated with changing the horizontal camera and zoom lens positions take time to adjust according to the new preset level, thus inconveniencing the remote participants.
[0014] Another drawback to conventional cameras used in video conferencing application is that the camera is designed primarily to provide one view to a remote participant. For example, if the display of three views is desired at a remote participant site, then three independently operable cameras thus would be required. Therefore, there is a need in the art to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the conventional cameras and teleconferencing techniques.
[0015] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus allows a remote participant in a video conference to manipulate image data processed by the apparatus to effect pan, tilt, and zoom functions without the use of electromechanical devices or without requiring additional image data capture. Moreover, the present invention provides for generation of multiple views of a scene wherein each of the multiple views are based upon the same image data captured at an imager.
[0016] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary system is provided for processing and manipulating image data, where the system is an imaging circuit integrated into a semiconductor chip. The imaging circuit is designed to provide electronic pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities as well as multiple views of moving objects in a scene. Since the imaging circuit and its array are capable of generating images of high resolution, the imaging data generated according to the present invention is suitable for presentation or display in 16�9 format, high definition television ("HDTV") format, or other similar video formats. Advantageously, the exemplary imaging circuit provides for 12� or more zoom capabilities with more than 70-75 degrees field of view.
[0017] In accordance to an embodiment of the present invention, an imaging device with minimal or no moving parts allows instantaneous or near-instantaneous response to presenting multiple views according to preset pan, tilt, and zoom characteristics.
[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional video conferencing platform using a camera;
[0019]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a basic operating system of a traditional camera used in video conferencing;
[0020]FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a basic imaging system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0021]FIG. 4A depicts an exemplary display pixel formed by one or more pixel cells according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022]FIG. 4B depicts an exemplary display pixel of a pan operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023]FIG. 4C depicts an exemplary display pixel of a tilt operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024]FIG. 4D depicts an exemplary display pixel of a zoom-in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0025]FIG. 5A is a functional block diagram of the imaging system in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0026]FIG. 5B is a functional block diagram of the imaging system controller in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0027]FIG. 6 illustrates how a captured image may be manipulated for display at a remote display associated with a remote conference endpoint;
[0028]FIG. 7 illustrates three exemplary view windows defining specific image data to be used to generate corresponding views; and
[0029]FIG. 8 depicts a display of the three views presented of FIG. 7 to remote participants according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] Detailed descriptions of exemplary embodiments are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure, method, process, or manner.
[0031] The present invention provides an imaging device and method for capturing an image of a local scene, processing the image, and manipulating one or more video images during a data conference between a local participant and a remote participant. The local participant is also referred herein to as an object of the scene imaged. The present invention also provides for communicating one or more images to the remote participant. The remote participant is located at a different geographic location than the local participant and has at least a receiving means to view the images captured by the imaging device.
[0032] In accordance to a specific embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary imaging device is a camera that is designed to produce one or more views of an object and its surrounding environment (i.e., scene) from each frame optically generated by an imager element of the camera. Each of the multiple views is provided to remote participants for display, where the remote participants have the ability to control the visual aspects of each view, such as zoom, pan, tilt, etc. In accordance with the present invention, each of the multiple views displayed at a remote participants' receiving device (e.g., remote participant's data conferencing device), need only be generated from one frame of information captured by the imager of the imaging device.
[0033] A frame contains spatial information used to define an image at a specific time, t, where such information includes a select number of pixels. A next frame also contains spatial information at another specific time, t+1, where the difference in information is indicative of motion detected within the scene. The frame rate is the rate at which frames and the associated spatial information are captured by an imager over time interval At, such as between t and t+1.
[0034] The spatial information includes one or more pixels where a pixel is any one of a number of small, discrete picture elements that together constitute an image. A pixel also refers to any of the detecting elements (i.e., pixel cell) of an imaging device, such as a CCD or CMOS imager, used as an optical sensor.
[0035]FIG. 3 is a simplified functional block diagram 300 illustrating relevant aspects in an exemplary camera. The exemplary camera 300 comprises an image system 301 and an optional audio system 313. In accordance to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the image system 301 provides for capturing, processing, manipulating, and transmitting images. In one exemplary embodiment, the image system 301 is a circuit configured to receive optical representations of an image in an imager 304 and also includes a controller 310 coupled to the imager 304, data storage 306, and a video interface 308. In general, the controller 310 is designed to control capture at the imager 304 of one or more frames, where the one or more frames contain data representing a scene. The controller 310 also processes the captured image data to generate, for example, multiple views of the scene. Furthermore, the controller 310 manages the transmission of data representing multiple views from the image system 301 via the video interface 308 to remote participants.
[0036] An optical input 302 is designed to provide an optically focused image to the imager 304. The optical input 302 is preferably a lens of any transparent optical component that includes one or more pieces of optical material, such as glass. In one example, the lens may provide for optimal focusing of light onto the imager 304 without a mechanical zoom mechanism, thus effectuating a digital zoom. In another example, however, the optical input 302 can include a mechanical zoom mechanism, as is well-known in the art, to enhance the digital zoom capabilities of the camera 300.
[0037] In one embodiment, the exemplary imager 304 is a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging sensor. CMOS imaging sensors detect and convert incident light (i.e., photons) by first converting light into electronic charge (i.e., electrons) and then converting the charge into digital bits. The CMOS imaging sensor is typically an array of photodiodes configured to detect visible light and, optionally, may contain micro-lens and color filters adapted for each photodiode making up an array. Such CMOS imaging sensors operate similarly as charge coupled devices (CCD). Although the CMOS imaging sensor is described herein to include photodiodes, the use of other similar semiconductor structures and devices are within the scope of the present invention. As will be discussed below, FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a sensor array and control circuitry according to an embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, alternative imaging sensors (i.e., non-CMOS) may be utilized in the present invention.
[0038] An exemplary CMOS pixel array can be based on active or passive pixels, or other CMOS pixel-types known in the art, either of which represent the smallest picture element of an image captured by the CMOS pixel array. A passive pixel is a simpler internal structure than the active pixel and does not amplify the photodiode's charge associated with each pixel. In contrast, active-pixel sensors (APS) include an amplifier to amplify the charge associated with pixel information (e.g., related to color).
[0039] Referring back to FIG. 3, the imager 304 includes additional circuitry to convert the charge associated with each of the pixels to a digital signal. That is, each pixel is associated with at least one CMOS transistor for selecting, amplifying, and transferring the signals from each pixel's photodiode. For example, the additional circuitry can include a timing generator, a row selector, and a column selector circuitry to select a charge from one or more specific photodiodes. The additional circuitry can also include amplifiers, analog-to-digital converts (e.g., 12-bit A/D converter), multiplexers, etc. Moreover, the additional circuit is, generally, physically disposed around or adjacent to a sensor array and includes circuits for dynamically amplifying the signal depending on lighting conditions, suppressing random and spatial noise, digitizing the video signal, translating the digital video stream into an optimum format, and other imaging circuitry for performing similar imaging functions.
[0040] A suitable imaging circuit to realize the imager 304 is an integrated circuit similar to the ProCam-1™ CMOS Imaging Sensor of Rockwell Scientific Company, LLC. Although such a sensor may provide a total number of 2008 by 1094 pixels, a sensor providing any number of pixels is within the scope of the present invention.
[0041] The storage 306 in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is coupled to the imager 304 to receive and store pixel data associated with each pixel of the array of the imager 304. The storage 306 can be RAM, Flash memory, a floppy drive, or any other memory device known in the art. In operation, the exemplary storage 306 stores frame information from a prior point in time. In another embodiment, the storage 306 includes data differentiator (e.g., motion matching) circuitry to determine whether one or more pixel changes over time At between frames. If a specific pixel or data representing pixel information has the same information over At, then the pixel information need not be transmitted, thus saving bandwidth and ensuring optimal transmission rates. In yet another embodiment, the storage 306 is absent from the imaging system 301 circuit and digitized pixel data from the imager 304 are communicated directly to the video interface 308. In such an embodiment, processing of the image is performed at the remote participant's computing device.
[0042] The video interface 308 is designed to receive image data from the storage 306, format the image data into a suitable video signal, and communicate the video signal to remote participants. The communication medium between the local and remote participants can be a LAN, WAN, the Internet, POTS or other copper-wire base telephone line, wireless network, or any like communication medium known in the art.
[0043] The controller 310 operates responsive to control signals 312 from one or more remote participants. The controller 310 functions to determine which pixels are required to present one or more views to the remote participants as defined by the remote participants. For example, if the remote participants desire three views of the scene associated with the local participants, then each of the remote participants can independently select and specify whether any of the controlled views are to be zoomed in or out, panned right or left, tilted up or down, etc. The views controlled by the participants can be based upon an individual frame containing all pixels or a sub-set thereof.
[0044] In yet another embodiment, the image system 301 may be designed to operate with the audio system 313 for capturing, processing, and transmitting aural communications associated with the visual images. In this embodiment, the controller 310 generates, for example, digitized representations of sounds captured at an audio input 314. An exemplary audio signal generator 316 can be, for example, an analog-todigital converter designed to sufficiently convert analog sound signals into digitized representations of the captured sounds. The controller 310 also is configured to adapt (i.e., format) the digitized sounds for transmission via an audio interface 318. Alternatively, the aural communications may be transmitted to a remote destination by the same means as the video signal. That is, both the image and sounds captured by the systems 301 and 313, respectively, are transmitted to remote users via the same communication channel. In still yet another embodiment, the systems 301 and 313 as well as their elements may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
[0045]FIG. 4A depicts a portion of an image array according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention (not drawn to represent actual proportions of element size). Exemplary array portion 400 is shown to include pixel cells from rows 871 to 879 and from columns 1301 to 1309. In operation, when the amount of data associated with the pixels is determined, pixel control signals are sent to the imager 304 (FIG. 3), which in turn operates to retrieve the pixel information (i.e., collection of pixel data) necessary to generate a view as defined by a remote participant.
[0046] According to another embodiment of the present, the imaging device operates to provide a one-to-one pixel mapping from the image captured to the image displayed. More specifically, a graphical display is used to form a displayed image where the number of display pixels forming the display image is equivalent to the number of captured pixels digitized as pixel data, where each pixel data value is formed from a corresponding pixel cell. Consequently, the displayed image has the same degree of resolution as the image captured at the optical sensor.
[0047] In yet another embodiment, the imaging device operates to adapt the captured image to an appropriate video format for optimum display of the one or more views at the remote participants' computer display. In particular, one or more pixels captured at the imager 304 or 504 (FIG. 5A) are grouped together to form a display pixel. A display pixel as described herein is the smallest addressable unit on a display available according to the capabilities of, for example, a television monitor or a computer display. For example, in a full view at maximum zoom-out, not all pixels need be used to generate the corresponding view. That is, pixel data generated from pixel cells 871-878 and 1301-1308 can be converted to a display pixel 402 in a particular view that comprises a block or a grouping of pixels for presentation on a graphical display, such as a television. A typical television monitor may only have a resolution or a maximum amount of picture detail of 480 dots (i.e., pixels) high�440 dots wide. Since a 480�440resolution television monitor cannot map each pixel from an imager capable of resolving 2008 by 1094 pixels, known pixel interpolation techniques can be applied to ensure that the displayed image accurately and reliably portrays that of the image defined by the remote participants.
[0048] A display pixel 402 can be represented, for example, by the average color or the average luminance and/or chrominance of the total number of the related pixels. Other techniques to determine a display pixel from a super-set of smaller pixels are within the scope of this invention. As another example, in a normal view (i.e., no zoom), a number of pixels 408 (i.e., shown with an "X") can be used rather than the display pixel 402 to obtain both a sharper and a zoomed-in second view for use by the remote participant. In a further example, a narrow view at maximum zoom-in can include each of the pixels associated with pixel cells 871-879 and 1301-1308 for a defined area to present as a view.
[0049] The present invention therefore provides techniques to receive view window boundaries and to provide an appropriate number of pixels within the defined area set by the boundaries. Moreover, the present invention provides for pan movements of a view by shifting (i.e., translating) pixels over by a defined number of pixel cells 450 to the left or right. Tilt movements of a view are accomplished, for example, by shifting pixels up or down by a defined number of pixel cells 460. Hence, the present invention need not rely on electromechanical devices to effectuate pan, tilt, zoom, and like functionalities.
[0050]FIG. 4B illustrates a display pixel 480, which is formed from pixel data generated from the pixel cells associated with the display pixel 480. The display pixel 480 is shown before a pan operation is initiated. The display pixel 480 is then translated to a position represented by a panned display pixel 482. Thus, after the panning operation is complete, the panned pixel 482 uses pixel cell data generated from pixel cells 483 rather than pixel cells 481. Similarly, FIG. 4C illustrates a display pixel 484 manipulated to form a tilted pixel 486 as a result of a tilt operation. FIG. 4D illustrates a display pixel 492 in relation to the number of pixel cells used to generate the display pixel 492 before a zoom-in operation is performed. After the zoom-in operation is complete, a zoom-in display pixel 490 is shown to relate to fewer pixel cells than the display pixel 492. In one embodiment, the same pixel data values for a specific frame or period of time generate the display pixel 492 and the zoom-in display pixel 490, where the pixel values originate from associated pixel cells.
[0051]FIG. 5A shows another embodiment of an exemplary image system 500. At least two memory circuits 518 and 520 are employed to store image data relating to image frames at time t-1 and t. The stored data represents the characteristics of an image as determined by each pixel. For example, if an imager 504 captures the color "red" with pixel at row 590 and column 899, the color red is stored as a binary number at a specific memory location. In some embodiments, data representing a pixel includes chrominance and luminance information.
[0052] The image system 500 includes an optical input 502 for providing an optically focused image to the imager 504 comprising an array of pixel cells. In one embodiment, the imager 504 of the image system 500 includes a row select 506 circuit, a column selector 512 circuit to select a charge from one or more specific photodiodes of the pixel cells of the imager 504. Other additional known circuitry for digitizing an image using the imager 504 can also include an analog-to-digital converter 508 circuit and a multiplexer 510 circuit.
[0053] A controller 528 of the image system 500 operates to control the generation of one or more views of a scene captured at a local endpoint during a video conference. The controller 528 at least manages the capture of digitized images as pixel data, processes the pixel data, forms one or more displays associated with the digitized image, and transmits the displays as requested to local and remote participants.
[0054] In operation, the controller 528 communicates with the imager 504 for capturing digitized representations of an image of the scene via image control signals 516. In one embodiment, the imager 504 provides pixel data values 514 representing the captured image to memory circuits 518 and 520.
[0055] The controller 528, via memory control signals 525, also operates to control the amount of pixel data used in displaying one or more views (e.g., to one or more participants), the timing of data processing between previous pixel data in memory circuit 520, and. the current pixel data in memory circuit 518, as well as other memory-related functions.
[0056] The controller 528 also controls sending current pixel data 521 and previous pixel data 523 to both a data differentiator 522 and an encoder 524, as described below. Moreover, the controller 528 controls the encoding and transmitting of the display data to remote participants via encoding control signals 527.
[0057]FIG. 5B illustrates the controller 528 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The controller 528 comprises a graphics module 562, a memory controller ("MEM") 572, an encoder controller (′ENC") 574, a view widow generator 590, a view controller 580, and an optional audio module 560, all of which communicate via one or more buses to elements within and without the controller 528. Structurally, the controller 528 may comprise either hardware, or software, or both. In alternate embodiments, more or less elements may be encompassed in the controller 528, and other elements may be utilized.
[0058] The graphics module 562 controls the rows and the columns of the imager 504 (FIG. 5A). Specifically, a horizontal controller 550 and a vertical controller 552 operate to select one or more columns and one or more rows, respectively, of the array of the imager 505. Thus, the graphics module 562 controls the retrieval of all or only some of the pixel information (i.e., collection of pixel data) necessary to generate at least one view as defined by a remote participant.
[0059] A view controller 580, which is responsive to requests via control signals 530, operates to manipulate one or more views presented to a remote participant. The view controller 580 includes a pan module 582, a tilt module 584, and a zoom module 586. The pan module 582 determines the direction (i.e., right or left) and the amount of pan requested, and then selects the pixel data necessary to provide an updated display after the pan operation is complete. The tilt module 584 performs a similar function, but translates a view in a vertical manner. The zoom module 586 determines whether to zoom-in or zoom-out, and the amount thereof, and then calculates the amount of pixel data required for display. Thereafter, the zoom module calculates how best to construct each display pixel using pixel data from corresponding pixel cells.
[0060] The memory controller 572 selects the pixel data in memory circuits 518 and 520 that is required for generating a view. The controller 528 manages encoding of views, if desired, the number and characteristics of display pixels, and transmitting encoded data to remote participants. The controller 528 communicates with the encoder 524 (FIG. 5A) for performing picture data encoding.
[0061] The view window generator 590 determines a view's boundaries, as defined by a remote participant via control signals 530. The view's boundaries are used to select which pixel data (and pixel cells) are required to effectuate panning, tilting, and zooming operations. Further, the view window generator includes a reference point on a display and a window size to enable a remote participant to modify a view displayed during a video conference.
[0062] The vertical controller 552 and the horizontal controller 550, in one embodiment of the present invention, are configured to retrieve only the pixel data from the array necessary to generate a specific view. If more than one view is required, then vertical controller 552 and the horizontal controller 550 operate to retrieve the sets of pixel data related to each requested view at optimized time intervals. For example, if a remote participant requests three views, then the vertical controller 552 and the horizontal controller 550 function to retrieve sets of pixel data in sequence, such as for a first view, then for a second view, and lastly for a third view. Thereafter, the next set of pixel data retrieved can relate to any of the three views based upon how best to efficiently and effectively provide imaging data for remote viewing. One having ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that other timing and controlling configurations are possible to retrieve pixel data from the array and thus are within the scope of the present invention.
[0063] Referring back to FIG. 5A, the data differentiator 522 determines whether color data stored at a particular memory location (e.g., related to specific pixels, such as define by row and column) changes over time interval At. The data differentiator 522 may perform motion matching as known in the art of data compression. In one embodiment, only changed information will be transmitted. An encoder 524 will encode the data representing changes in the image (i.e., due to motion or to changes in the require view window) for efficient data transmission. In one embodiment, either one of the data differentiator 522 or the encoder 524, or both, operate according to MPEG standards or other video compression standards known in the art, such as proposed ITU H.264. In another embodiment, each of the data differentiator 522 and the encoder 524 is designed to process multiple views from a single set of frame data. A multiplexer ("MUX") 527 multiplexes one or more subsets of image data to a video interface 526 for communication to remote participants where each subset of image data represents the portion of the image defined by a view window (as described below). In another embodiment, the MUX 527 operates to combine the subsets of image data for each view to generate a mosaiced picture for display at a remote location.
[0064]FIG. 6 shows an exemplary normal view (i.e., no zoom) of a scene, where a view window is defined by boundary ABDC. Although the imager receives optical light representing the entire scene, the controller uses only the pixels defined within the view window and at a location in relation to, for example, the lower left corner. That is, the view window with area defined by the zoom function is defined in two-dimension space with point C as the reference point and includes pixel rows up through point A (each pixel row need not be used).
[0065]FIG. 7 shows three exemplary view windows F1, F2, and F3 where each view window is at a different level of zoom and uses different pixel locations associated with captured image data for defining the corresponding view. In one embodiment, each view window is based on the same image data projected onto the image array. For example, view windows F1, F2, and F3 include the necessary information to generate three corresponding views as shown in FIG. 8.
[0066]FIG. 8 illustrates an example of how each view is displayed at the remote participants' display device based upon corresponding view windows. In another example, views can be presented or displayed to the remote participants as picture-in-picture rather than displayed in a "tiled" fashion as shown in FIG. 8.
[0067] Although the present invention has been discussed with respect to specific embodiments, one of ordinary skill in the art will realize that these embodiments are merely illustrative, and not restrictive, of the invention. For example, although the above description describes an exemplary camera used in video conferences, it should be understood that the present invention relates to video devices in general and need not be restricted to use in videoconferences. The scope of the invention is to be determined solely by the appended claims.
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Dan Brown 'Inferno' Tour of Florence
Bonus ticket! Both tours also include a combination entrance ticket for independent access to several top Florence attractions after the tour: Opera del Duomo Museum, Crypt of Santa Reparata, Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Bell Tower.
- Inferno walking tour of Florence, led by an expert local guide
- Learn all about the popular Dan Brown Inferno novel, based on Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy
- Explore the secret passageways of Palazzo Vecchio and see the Hall of Geographical Maps and Dante's death mask
- See sights mentioned in the book such as the Gate of Paradise in the Baptistry of Florence
- Upgrade to a full-day tour to enjoy a skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor tour
- Use an entrance ticket to visit selected Florence attractions at leisure like Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower and more
Recent Photos of This Tour
What You Can Expect
During the Renaissance days of the ruling Medici family, the passageways of Palazzo Vecchio and Vasari Corridor were used by the Grand Duke Cosimo I to avoid his Florentine foes; in Inferno, Robert Langdon and his helper, Sienna Brookes, used them to flee from chasing soldiers. Other highlights of the site include the Hall of Geographical Maps and Dante's Death Mask, a plaster cast mask of the author's face following his death.
Leave Palazzo Vecchio and stroll through town to Florence Duomo, one of the city's most iconic sites. In front of its main door is the Baptistery of Florence (Battistero di San Giovanni), where Dante is said to have been baptized. Step inside to see the ornate bronze Gate of Paradise that helped Langton solve a few of his mysteries.
If you have more time, upgrade to a full-day tour and follow the footsteps of Langton to the Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor. Skip past the lines outside the world-famous Renaissance art gallery and explore. After admiring famous pieces of work, by artists such as Giotto and Botticelli, head to the Vasari Corridor for a stroll. The walls of Florence's hidden corridor are lined with one of the world's largest portrait collections, and your guide will point out highlights in between telling little-known stories about Inferno's mysterious characters.
If you selected the half-day tour, finish your tour near the start point. Alternatively, if you selected the full-day tour, finish in front of Pitti Palace. Before leaving, your guide will give you an entrance ticket to Opera del Duomo Museum, Crypt of Santa Reparata, Brunelleschi's Dome (the top of Florence Duomo) and Giotto's Bell Tower. Just use your ticket on the same day as your Inferno tour and explore the attractions at your own pace.
Customer Reviews
June 2015
Unfortunately, I did not clearly read that this tour was in two parts. We did the morning tour with Barbara who was an amazing tour guide. Barbara was very knowledgeable and we were lucky there were only 4 of us on this tour so we got to ask questions and take photographs. Of course, we were not signed up for the afternoon tour, so we missed the Vasari Corridor and the Ufizzi.
June 2015
Our guide Vanassa, was extremely energetic and engaging and it a great tour, even for my wife, who had never read the book.


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ECR4kids 25 Tray Cabinet
ECR4kids 25 Tray Cabinet
Additional Documents
Weights & Dimensions
|Product Type: Letter Tray Cubby
|Primary Material: Wood
|Storage Bins/Trays Included: Yes
|Country of Manufacture: Taiwan, Province of China
About the ManufacturerECR4Kids is a company committed to developing and distributing only the highest quality products, all the while, ensuring that these products represent the maximum value in the marketplace. With so many "me-too" products in the market, the company's focus and commitment is to bring you added value in features, functionality, performance and service.
Combining their responsibility to the community and their desire to be environmentally conscious, they have a program to reduce (or better yet, re-use) what they would normally dispose of... Early Childhood Resources has eliminated almost all of their cardboard waste by implementing commercial cardboard shredding equipment in its facilities to convert cardboard destined for the landfill into some of the best packing material available.
Competition typically demands lower costs and with it, labor intense jobs are being exported faster and faster every year. Early Childhood Resources, being committed to "Maximum Value," balances the demands from the marketplace with the practicality and social values of finding ways to maximize the capabilities of those in our community with developmental disabilities, and want to work! The program provides a stimulating and developmentally enriching environment. These individuals gain valuable social and work skills while earning competitive wages, and creating "Maximum Value" in their products.
ECR4kids 25 Tray Cabinet
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"Hello, what are the dimensions of the cubbies?" asked by Evelyn
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Quality Storage Item
Jenny from Herndon, VA – Verified Buyer
I purchased this piece for home use. We use it to sort my sons massive Lego collection and it is perfect for this task. Unlike reviews that I have read for similarly priced items, this piece is very sturdy and would even hold up well in high traffic daycare environments. I like that it looks like a piece of furniture rather than something that obviously belongs in a daycare. Assembly was time consuming, but not difficult. Give yourself plenty of room to assemble.
OUR SKU # NY131125 Tray Cabinet is also sometimes listed under the following manufacturer numbers: ELR-0427, ELR-0427-AS, ELR-0427-CL, ELR-0427-SD


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For Industry
Companies, commodity boards, and other organizations are encouraged to join and provide direction to the center's goals.
For Faculty
Faculty members interested in biobased products can participate in the center's research activities.
Call for Proposals
CB2 announces a call for research proposals, due September 14, 2015.
The Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites is bringing together university researchers and industry members to push the boundaries of renewable resources and establish new revenue creating processes and products. The center will focus on developing high-value biobased products from agricultural feedstocks.
The Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites is seeking candidates for the program coordinator position responsible for managing the daily operations of the center, organizing progress reports, managing budgets and preparing financial reports, organizing bi-annual meetings and workshops of the center, editing research proposals and progress reports, serving as liaison to industrial advisory board, and supporting the recruitment of potential industry members.


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UPDATE: Man, 80, rescued from SE Minnesota grain bin
Crews in southeastern Minnesota are trying to rescue an 80-year-old man trapped in a corn bin.
Crews in southeastern Minnesota are trying to rescue an 80-year-old man trapped in a corn bin.
Move comes after request for post-conviction relief is denied
Could there be some big changes to downtown.
A Nebraska man has died after falling from a fishing boat in northeastern Minnesota.
Authorities say a 16-year-old from Audubon has died in a tractor accident.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is expected to decide whether to grant a license for a $40 million casino development that would be lo…
A federal bankruptcy judge has refused to keep Iowa regulators from closing the Argosy Riverboat Casino by July 1.
Saving for retirement can be difficult. Here's a few tips from AARP representatives.
Highlights include: B-K/Newman (BB+SB), NB/STA (BB+SB), and GHV/Osage (SB).
Is your fitness monitor really working?


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John Clayton, the Tweety Bird-looking NFL analyst from ESPN was recently in a commercial where he finally let his hair down. When he's on-air he looks like a meek, balding, short-haired man. A while back his former co-worker, the great Dan Patrick, outed him by telling the world he had a pony tail hanging lond and strong behind that tiny head of his. In the newest commercial, he finally lets it fly. Enjoy!
Article found on: Cosby Sweaters
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SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court ordered the U.S. government on Wednesday to immediately cease enforcing the ban on openly gay members of the military, a move that could speed the repeal of the 17-year-old rule.
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A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the "don't ask, don't tell" policy must be lifted now that the Obama administration has concluded it's unconstitutional to treat gay Americans differently under the law. The appeals court noted that Congress repealed the policy in December and that the Pentagon is preparing to certify that it is ready to welcome gay military personnel.Court order on gay military ban (PDF)
Pentagon officials said Wednesday that they will comply with the court order and are taking immediate steps to inform commanders in the field. Col. Dave Lapan, Pentagon spokesman, said the department is studying the ruling.
Gay rights advocates said without an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court — which seems unlikely since the Pentagon already is committed to repealing the rule — the government now is barred from discharging gay or lesbian servicemembers anywhere in the world.
"The ruling...removes all uncertainty — American service members are no longer under threat of discharge as the repeal implementation process goes forward," R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said in a statement to msnbc.com. Cooper is a captain in the Army Reserve.Story: Obama again stops short of endorsing gay marriage
The ruling came in response to a motion brought by Log Cabin Republicans, a group for gay GOP members, which last year persuaded a lower court judge to declare the ban unconstitutional.
After the government appealed U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips' decision, the 9th Circuit agreed to keep the policy in place until it could consider the matter. The appeals court reversed itself with Wednesday's order by lifting its hold on Phillips' decision.
"The circumstances and balance of hardships have changed, and (the government) can no longer satisfy the demanding standard for issuance of a stay," the panel said.
Although the stay is lifted, the 9th Circuit scheduled an Aug. 29 hearing to consider whether the government's appeal of the lower court's decision is valid. But it's unclear whether the Pentagon will pursue the appeal, since military officials have already said they'll stop enforcing the ban.Story: UN group backs gay rights for the first time
Still, Dan Woods, the lawyer representing Log Cabin Republicans, cautioned gay military personnel against rushing to declare their sexual orientations until the government declares that it intends to abide by the ruling.
During the eight-day period last fall before the 9th Circuit put Phillips' injunction prohibiting enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell" on hold, several of the estimated 14,000 veterans who had been discharged under the policy unsuccessfully tried to re-enlist. A handful of Air Force members and members of the National Guard have been discharged from the military under the policy since December.
"I have observed the reactions of my colleagues to the Department of Defense's move toward open service, and can say with complete confidence that our military is ready, willing and able to take this step," Cooper said.Story: NYC offices to open on a Sunday for gay marriage
The Pentagon has been moving carefully to implement the repeal of the 17-year-old ban on openly gay troops. Under the law passed and signed by the president in December, final implementation would go into effect 60 days after the president and his senior defense advisers certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' ability to fight.
Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said he was hopeful the Department of Defense would not challenge Wednesday's order.
"This whole matter could have been avoided had we had certification back in the spring. It's time to get on with that important certification, end the DADT confusion for all service members, and put a final end to this misguided policy," Sarvis said.
This article contains reporting from The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff.


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All Articles Tagged "pregnancy"
How Is Tami Roman Having A Baby At 45? The Secrets Behind Late Celebrity Pregnancies
Was anyone else shocked to hear 45-year-old Tami Roman's pregnancy announcement on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta After Party Live? More and more celebrity moms are giving birth after 40 — but it's not all natural. The secrets behind celebrity pregnancies after 40 might make you think twice about putting your biological clock on hold.
Tags:celebrities, pregnancy, pregnant
"Don't You Already Have Three Kids?": Waffle House Allegedly Fires Woman For Being Pregnant
Tabitha Handy claims that Waffle House was none too happy when she announced her pregnancy. "You're pregnant again?" Handy alleges an upper management staff said, "Don't you already have three kids?" Soon after, Handy was fired.
Handy is slapping Waffle House with a lawsuit, ThinkProgress reports, for discriminating against her for being a mother-to-be. "It hurt me and it was embarrassing. I felt ashamed and I felt like I did something wrong," Handy told NBC 5 about the comments.
In her case against Waffle House, Handy claims she "assured this manager that her pregnancy would not hinder her performance." But her promises fell upon deaf ears. "I was told that I would move too slow […] and can't do the job" Handy said. Even though she received positive reviews for her work performance, she got the boot a short time later.
According to Handy, the manager Karen Whiting conjured up lies to justify her termination and said, "We don't need you here at Waffle House anymore."
"I would like to say this is some unique situation that we don't see very often, but unfortunately, we have seen this by many employers," said Robert Lee, Handy's attorney.
Lee is right. Just a few weeks ago, a nonprofit organization was ordered to pay $75,000 in damages for their "no pregnancy" policy. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded that the policy was unlawful. Two cases, reported by ThinkProgess in March, also follow women being fired after announcing their pregnancy — one the women was reportedly left homeless after the dismissal.
As for Handy, she is suing Waffle House for $100,000 in lost wages and mental anguish.
"Don't be afraid and don't be ashamed," Handy said, calling other pregnant women to speak up. "If you're going through something like this, you hire an attorney and you fight back."
NBC5 reached out to Waffle House for comment, but said they do not comment on pending litigation.
Whose side are you on?
Tags:lawsuit, pregnancy, waffle house
"We Walk Every Step Of The Way With A Woman": Doulas Share Their Stories
The art of giving birth is a prominent part of womanhood. African and African-American history is rich in stories of women supporting one another during childbirth. From African villages all the way across the Atlantic to Southern plantations, childbirth has always been a time when women came together to support, encourage, and uplift one another in one of the most vulnerable but momentous occasions in a woman's life. In many cases today, sharing in this memorable moment of labor with the mother and her family is a doula. Doulas serve as birth coaches who assist women during and after childbirth.
"Doula means 'woman who serves,'" explains Dr. Mai Heath, ND. The 32-year-old naturopathic doctor has been a birth doula for three years. "During the relationship with the family I assist women before, during, and after labor to help ensure a safe, satisfying, and positive birth experience. It's not about getting their 'ideal' birth, but about feeling like they are acting out of their power, making informed decisions, so that when they look back on the experience they feel satisfied and empowered. These are determinants for health, survival, attachment, and maternal mood."
Dr. Heath says there is a big difference between a doula and a midwife.
"Midwives, like OB-GYNs, are focused on the medicalization of the birth process, the cervical os, the dilation, effacement, heart rate, and blood pressure. But a doula is focused on the whole transition for the mother and family," Dr. Heath said. "We focus on the ritual of moving from woman to mother, wife to mother, mother of one to mother of two, etc. We walk every step of the way with a woman as she goes through the tunnel or portal into motherhood."
Sunshine Cummings, 31, who began regularly attending births in the role of a doula in 2008, discusses the types of support she provides. "During birth, I support the mom with whatever physical needs she has and mostly provide comfort measures such as massage, applying hot/cold compresses, and head rubs. I also provide emotional support in the form of encouraging words, assuring her that she can get through the birthing process and that her body is made to do it. Whenever necessary, I act also as an advocate on her behalf to ensure her birth plan is respected by her caregivers."
Dr. Heath continues the list of duties of a doula.
"I also use knowledge and experience as a woman, mother, naturopathic medical doctor, and doula to support the family on an emotional, physical, and informational level. I provide the options of relaxation techniques, meditation, visualization, massage, positioning, herbs, acupressure, acupuncture, and homeopathy when needed," Dr. Heath said. "I also communicate, as needed, with caregivers to ensure laboring mothers have the information they require to make informed decisions, and I can provide suggestions for labor progression, comfort, and perspective to mother and her partner, if present. This is where the therapeutic relationship is key. You are a confidant. You are a constant for them to crash into as needed. Doulas also have a unique role in that we are an emotional support, but we have enough emotional distance from our clients so that we don't crumble when we see them endure the things they must to bring forth their babies. Oftentime relatives have a hard time seeing their loved ones in such a state of surrender."
Dr. Heath and Cummings are both mothers and reaped the benefits of having a doula by their side as they gave birth to their children. Cummings reminisces about what it felt like to switch roles from doula to expecting mother during labor.
"I had a doula when I gave birth to my deceased daughter in 2013, and also when I gave birth to my son earlier this year in February," Cummings said. "Honestly, it didn't really feel like switching roles necessarily, because in birth, when women are able to access the necessary energies required to birth a child, they are in a sense being their own midwife or doula throughout the process anyway. It felt more like having someone there to remind me of my power and help me get through little bumps along the way when I felt like giving up."
Dr. Heath concurs as having a doula during the birth of her children ignited her interest in becoming one.
"I had doulas at both of my births, and they proved to be invaluable support," Dr. Heath said. "I didn't even know what a doula was until five days before I gave birth to my firstborn. We had been living in Toronto for a year when our first child came. All of our family were in the States, and our firstborn came one month early at 36 weeks and two days. My mom hadn't made it up from Atlanta yet. So my doula was an important part of my birth support team. That's why I became a doula. I love reliving my birth stories, the good and bad, and doulas are certainly big parts of those stories."
I haven't yet had the honor of birthing a child, but I had the privilege of being in the birth room when my friend gave birth to her son. After being in labor for hours, the doctors finally decided to give her a cesarean section. As they were transitioning her from the hospital bed to the gurney to take her to the operating room, she had to use her legs to push herself up and out popped the baby's head. After that experience, I researched childbirth practices around the world and found that in many countries in Africa, as well as in Australia, women give birth standing up to gain the momentum and energy from their legs. From my research, I have come to the conclusion that the hospitalized childbirth practices we're accustomed to here in the States aren't ideal. Having women lying on their backs in a submissive position prolongs labor and causes more cases of childbirth surgeries like C-sections. Both Cummings and Dr. Heath agree with this theory.
"Being on one's back is a very submissive position to be in for an event in which you're supposed to be an active participant," Cummings said. "It makes absolutely no sense. I was blessed to have been able to birth in a kneeling squat. Pushing was a breeze as was labor because I had the help of gravity to get my son to descend through my birth canal."
Dr. Heath says doulas also take on an advocacy role so that women know their birthing options and don't feel railroaded into making one decision.
"Too often the birth experience is centered around the doctor when in fact it should be centered around the laboring woman," Dr. Heath said. "She is put on her back so the doctor can have optimal view of the birth canal, not for mom or babe's benefit. This is distressing. There is more than one way for a woman to give birth, and the birth support team should create an atmosphere where the woman is comfortable. When a woman is free to be in the birth room she can run the show, call the shots, and steer the ship quite effectively."
Dr. Heath and Sunshine Cummings are continuing our African legacy as doulas. Cummings encourages women to look into having a doula and experiencing more natural forms of childbirth when the time comes.
"I highly recommend women not only go back to their roots and learn ways of birthing naturally, but also hire doulas to assist in their births."
Check out Dr. Heath's Birth Stories here. Follow her on Twitter @Mrs_MaiNDoula, and you can email her at email@example.com if you have questions.
Check out Sunshine Cummings's blog here. Follow her on Twitter @TheRealBossMom if you have questions.
Say What Now? Woman Gets Pregnant From Anal Sex
In college, I had a friend who only had anal sex with men because she didn't want to get pregnant. Unfortunately, Women's Health Magazine just reminded my friend, along with many other women, that their logic is rather faulty because you can actually still get pregnant if you let your man enter your nether region.
Dr. Brian Steixner, a urologist from the Jersey Urology Group in Atlantic City told Women's Health although there is a one in a million chance for a woman to become pregnant by anal sex, he witnessed it with his own eyes while in med school. A pregnant young woman apparently came to the emergency room one night because she was spotting. Although it is normal for women to have vaginal spotting during their pregnancy, this particular woman was spotting from her rectum. She was born with cloacal malformation, a condition in which you are born without a urethra, vagina and anus and therefore only have one hole, named the cloaca. The condition is rare and usually corrected at birth, however, this particular patient either did not have a successful surgery to separate the three regions or in response to the surgery, her body created a fistula. The latter causes a woman's uterus to be fused with her rectum. Therefore, every month the patient's menstrual cycle comes from her anal region because her vaginal canal is not connected to her uterus.
In a conversation with the patient, Dr. Steixner learned the woman had anal sex prior to getting pregnant, which explained the occasional spotting from her rectum. Nine months later she had a C-section (since doctors didn't think it would be safe for her to give birth naturally) and she had a healthy baby. Dr. Steixner believes if the patient had a successful surgery as an infant to correct her cloacal malformation, she would not have been able to conceive her child through anal sex.
He said of the operation: "Building the walls to separate the three passages [the urethra, vagina, and rectum] is delicate work. The longer the walls need to be built, the closer surgeons get to the urethral and anal sphincters. Some women suffer from leakage of urine and stool their entire lives. It's a huge psychological and quality of life issue."
Although women who've had cloacal repairs may not have internal organs that function perfectly, physically they look normal. This interesting health issue gives truth to the notion, no two vaginas are alike. For more medical insight on cloacal malformations, read Dr. Griffin's column here.
Among Developed Countries, The US Is Worst For Mothers
You would think that the United States, the land of the American Dream, would be a haven for women to have their bundles of joys — but it's not. Not even close. According to RT, the U.S. is the absolute worst place to be a mother in the developed world.
State of the World's Mothers 2015, a comprehensive report published by Save the Children, rated the United States dead last in maternal health among developed countries, 33rd place overall. America dropped two spots from last year's 31st ranking.
An American woman is 10 times more likely to die from childbirth-related causes in comparison to an Austrian, Polish, or Belarusian woman.
Women in the U.S. also face a 1 in 1,800 risk of pregnancy-related death. This is the worst performance of any developed country in the world.
"Other countries are passing us by," said Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children.
Save the Children also zoomed in on 25 capital cities of wealthy countries and found that in the United States, Washington D.C. had the highest infant mortality rate with 6.6 deaths per 1,000 births in 2013. "This rate is a historic low for the District of Columbia," RT wrote, "but it is still three times the rate in Tokyo and Stockholm."
In 2012, D.C. had an infant mortality rate of 7.9 deaths per 1,000 births. Yikes.
The study, unsurprisingly, found a notable disparity between the richest and poorest nations. In Norway, for example, the odds of a child dying before his or her fifth birthday is just 0.3 percent. In Somalia, on the other hand, that figure jumps to 15 percent. "Somali children who survive will get fewer than 2.5 years of formal education, while Norwegian children will get 17.5 years of formal education," CNN said.
"We need to do more to make sure that all mothers and babies have a fair chance of survival and a happy, healthy life — no matter where they live," Miles said in a press release.
The "State of the World's Mothers 2015″ report investigated 179 countries and looked at five indicators of maternal death: educational status, children's well-being, economic status, gross national income, and political status, CNN said.
Norway ranked first; Somalia ranked last.
Tags:infant mortality, motherhood, pregnancy
How My Pregnancy Kept Me Out Of Trouble
It always catches me off guard when people remark, with some astonishment, that they can't believe I grew up in an environment with mostly women and managed to have very little drama.
My father was the only male in a house full of women. (Four daughters, a wife, and my aunt who moved in with us when she was about 13 until she went off to college and grad school). I thought it was a relatively normal environment to grow up in; but when people (usually girls) would say, "Nuh-uhn, all those females?! I couldn't take it!" I began to think that maybe it wasn't as normal as I thought.
I realized that the reason why a house full of women was never a big deal for me was because of the mindset that my father instilled in us. He always told us that we were family and at the end of the day we needed to always be there for each other. Growing up with this in my mind helped me to deal with any sense of competition and jealousy and helped us each to develop a sense of camaraderie.
That eventually translated into my everyday life. So I don't understand women who can't have female friends. There are already too many things playing against women in this world for us to be fighting each other. If, for no other reason, we need to help build each other up instead of tearing each other down.
So that's how I try to live my life, but there was a time where even I struggled because this chick… was trying me.
A few months after my (ex)husband and I started dating, I became acquainted with a woman named Amanda.*
When I first met her, before he and I started dating, she was rude. However, I shrugged it off because life is too short to try to make someone like you. But once he and I became more serious, she was around, and she was just… so… extra. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life, but I was committed to ignoring it.
After I became pregnant and we married, I guess I just assumed that her negativity would stop. It didn't. In fact, she just continued to go even harder. She would text my ex-husband about how much weight I was putting on (she didn't know I was pregnant then), asking what he even saw in me, and I was just irritated.
One night while we were driving, he told me that the reason she was probably so aggressive with the both of us was because he was "talking" to her before I came along.
All of a sudden, things clicked, and my father's words came back into my mind. I told my guy that I wanted to apologize to her because, as a woman, I've been in her shoes before. I've been with a guy once before who I was "talking" to. I was thinking it was leading to something, and then all of a sudden I saw him holding hands with his "girlfriend" without a single notice. I wanted to let Amanda know that I empathized with her, and never wanted to rub our relationship in her face. Maybe we could have a clean slate. However, my guy begged me not to because, "It's my role to talk to her. Don't get in the middle of it."
"Well, are you going to talk to her?" I asked.
*Eye roll*
So the next day, while interacting with her, I saw her in a new light. But as I tried to give her an encouraging "We-Are-Women" smile, she not only continued to be the most irritating person I've ever had to endure, she seemed to get worse. It was almost as if she was getting joy from any type of pain she could inflict on me, my feelings, and my relationship.
After a while, the new light I saw her in not only dimmed, but turned into a haze of anger. I thought to myself, I'm trying to be sympathetic to this girl about her feelings, and she's going to continue to disregard mine?! I mean, all the time I felt guilty about her heartbreak and any way that I may have made her question herself, but she just CONTINUES to act crazy! And if she sends one more text to him talking about my fat thighs…
But things changed when I had my first ultrasound and the little baby, who is now my adorable four-year-old, started kicking her legs. It brought everything back full circle for me.
At that moment, it wasn't my duty to protect Amanda's feelings and it wasn't my duty to be indignant. It was my duty to protect my child because I knew that at the end of the day, whatever I felt, my child felt. It was up to me to make sure that her environment was one of peace as she didn't deserve to have her health compromised just because mommy couldn't keep her cool.
After a while, I stopped crossing paths with Amanda. However, as I raise my daughter with the same knowledge that my parents raised me with, I try to instill in her that self-preservation is the greatest strength she can hold.
Even though a few years have passed, I recently reached out to Amanda to give her not just the apology that I wanted to offer long ago, but to add to it now. I wanted to tell her that not only did I understand her behavior, but I no longer held it against her. I also wanted to let her know that in this world there seem to be forces trying keep Black women at odds, especially along shade lines. I wanted to let her know that if she ever needed something that I was capable of helping her with, I would. My father always said, "We have bigger things to worry about than each other," and that's an example that I'm trying to set for my daughter.
Amanda never responded.
No Baby On Board! Millennial Women Slowest Generation To Have Babies In U.S. History
Millennial women aren't looking forward to being called mommy any time soon. According to a new study, millennial women are having babies at the slowest rate of any generation in U.S. history. The study from the Urban Institute found it's not because this generation is putting their careers first but rather for economic reasons.
Between 2007 and 2012, birth rates among American women in their 20s dropped by 15 percent. Financial challenges drive "young women who aren't worried about the biological clock to say, 'Things are tough right now. Let me put this off because I can,'" co-author Nan Astone, senior fellow at the Urban Institute tells The Washington Post.
By 2012, millennials reproduced at a pace that would lead to 948 births per 1,000 women—"by far the slowest pace of any generation," the report said.
And surprisingly the decrease was across all races. Hispanics saw the largest drop; from 2007 to 2012, the rate dropped 26 percent (1,570 to 1,158). For African-American women the rate declined 14 percent (1,216 to 1,046) while white women experienced a 11 percent rate decrease (976 to 866).
With many millennial women finding it hard to land jobs and are still living their parents, motherhood doesn't seem like a desirable option.
And a lot of millennials are still single, again for economic reasons. Marriage rates have dropped also in all racial groups. More than a quarter of never-married Americans, aged 25 to 34, have not gotten married because they're not "financially prepared," a recent Pew survey found.
Tags:birth rate, millennial women, pregnancy
Sierra Leone's Education Minister Declares Pregnant Girls Banned From School
Dr. Minkailu Bah who serves as Sierra Leone's Education Minister has declared girls who are of school age and "visibly pregnant" would not be able to attend school, take exams or be friends to other non-pregnant students. Another government official also believes that if pregnant girls associate with non-pregnant girls, they would encourage them to conceive children at a young age too.
For eight months, students were on a school hiatus because of the Ebola outbreak. Before their students return to school, Dr.Bah revealed that it was an "unspoken rule" to not allow pregnant students to enrolled in school. However, he has decided to make the rule official. Sierra Leone's Conference of Principals support the new law because they believe pregnant girls "lack self control."
Although Dr. Bah and others feel as though the girls they are banning lack control, RFI reports that many teen girls have been sexually assaulted during the Ebola crisis. Also, there was a pressure for girls to perform sexual transactions in order to earn a living. Education advocate Chernor Bah says there are steps being taken to create pregnant alternative education classes.
He says of the pregnancy issue in Sierra Leone, "They don't have the structures to do that, they don't have the infrastructure to do that, it's a violation of human rights. It's very sad. It's very painful because we're seeing a visible number of pregnant girls in the country today. And we know why this is. It was a crisis before Ebola, it's been made worse due to Ebola, and this policy just makes it worse and punishes the victims."
Currently there is a petition against Dr. Bah's decision in order to get the girls to be allowed back in school. The petition also calls for there to be sexual and reproductive healthcare information classes and services for rape survivors.
It's disheartening to hear that pregnancy shame continues to ensnare young women who conceive a child but not the young men who participated in the sexual act or crime. This new ordinance could drive young women to have an unhealthy perception and relationship with themselves or their children.
Tags:ebola, pregnancy, sierra leone
Man Receives Reduced Sentence After Impregnating Four Prison Guards
From The Grio
Tavon White used to run his Baltimore jail. He later testified to the vast network of smuggling drugs and cell phones that he and other gang members had been part of, and both a federal judge and prosecutor praised him for his work on the case. In a scandal that has lasted over two years and has seen 35 different defendants plead guilty to involvement in the scheme, White described how the Black Guerrilla Family gang ran a smuggling operation inside the prison itself. White has even fathered four children with corrections officers during his time there.
Read more about White at TheGrio.com
GOP Senators Offer Paid Maternity Leave For Staff But Not For Other Americans
Last week President Obama signed a memorandum that would allow employees at federal agencies to take up to six weeks of paid parental leave and he believes the policy should be extended to those in the private sector. Since then, reporter Jen Senior of The New York Times decided to cover the disparities between maternity leave at GOP senators' offices and the private sector states Jezebel.
After writing to 100 Senate offices, only 26 offices responded to Senior, giving her insight on their policies. In her investigative report, Senior found that most Senators offer over six weeks of paid maternity leave to their staff:
"15 Democrats, two independents and nine Republicans — said they provided paid leave of some kind. What this means, practically speaking, is that all of them go above and beyond what the Family and Medical Leave Act requires — 12 weeks of unpaid leave, assuming both employee and employer meet the requirements. The traditional liberal rap on the Republican Party is that its policies are hostile to working women. But that's clearly not how Republicans conduct themselves as bosses on Capitol Hill."
For example, Senator Marco Rubio from Florida gives his staff as much paid maternity (12 weeks) and paternity leave (6 weeks) as possible. Wyoming's Mike Enzi follows suit with six weeks of paid maternity leave too. Senior also notes, some Southern GOP senators may also allow their employees to supplement sick and vacation days along with maternity leave.
"One might expect this from Democrats, who, as a matter of principle, believe that governments have an obligation to care for their citizenry when the free market fails to do so," writes Senior. "But it's more surprising from Republicans, who generally speaking, do not. The question is, why?"
Senior posed this question to Republican Senator Deb Fischer (Nebraska) who offers six weeks of paid parental leave and an extra two if the mother had complications during her pregnancy. Fischer revealed (her opinion) that there is a "difference between the government requesting employers do something and requiring them to do it." For her office, Fischer noted she set aside money for there to be funds for paid parental leave. Funds were cut from other departments or employee benefits such as minimizing the amount of staff travel. As for the private business sector, Senator Fischer believes it is up to private business sectors to make the decision if they can afford paid parental leave.
Do you think it's fair for GOP staffers to receive paid leave but for GOP Senators to vote against the same policy for American citizens?


text:
what times are the holiday show for the castle going to be at?
7:30, 8:30 and following the fireworks.
No, according to Al's article it will be 5:30, 6:30 and after Believe.
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