text:
|Numéro de publication
|Type de publication
|Numéro de demande
|Date de publication
|23 mai 2006
|Date de dépôt
|7 aoűt 2002
|Date de priorité
|7 aoűt 2001
|État de paiement des frais
|Autre référence de publication
|Numéro de publication
|Todd Schneider, David Coode, Robert L. Brennan, Peter Olijnyk
|Cessionnaire d'origine
|Ami Semiconductor, Inc.
|Exporter la citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citations de brevets (5), Citations hors brevets (2), Référencé par (54), Classifications (18), Événements juridiques (10)
|Liens externes: USPTO, Cession USPTO, Espacenet
The present invention relates to audio reproduction applications where a desired audio signal is received in an uncontaminated form and interference (e.g. environmental noise) is present as an acoustic signal.
In acoustically noisy environments, listeners often have difficulty hearing a desired audio signal or "signal-of-interest". For example, a cellular phone user in an automobile may have difficulty understanding the received speech signal through their headset because the noise of the automobile masks the signal-of-interest (i.e., the speech signal received by the cell phone). Many attempts have been made in the past to solve this problem. Some of them are described briefly as follows:
(a) Passive noise attenuating headsets: For the specific application in headset applications, passive noise attenuation is provided by a large and bulky ear cup that physically isolates the environmental (acoustic) noise from the users ear.
(b) Amplification: The incoming electrical signal-of-interest is amplified to overcome the background noise level. If not properly controlled, this can result in dangerously loud output levels. Also, unless the amplification well-controlled it may not provide the desired benefit.
(c) Filtering: The signal is statically filtered to make it more intelligible
(d) Simple Automatic Gain Control (AGC): The signal-of-interest is passed through an automatic gain control (AGC) system in which gain is adjusted based on a level measurement of the noise inside or outside the ear cup. The gain of the AGC is typically controlled by a simple measurement of the overall noise level.
(e) Active noise cancellation (ANC): Anti-noise (generated using either an open- or closed-loop servo system) is generated and added acoustically to the noise signal. For headset applications, sec Bose, Amar, et. al. Headphoning, U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,675. Jun. 19, 1984. and Moy. Chu. Active Noise Reduction in Headphone Systems, Headwize Technical Paper Library, 1999.
(f) Sometimes, these methods are combined: a common scheme for a headset application is to combine a passive noise-attenuating headset with an ANC system (see Bose, Amar, et. al. Headphoning, U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,675. Jun. 19, 1984).
Although these methods are highly effective and reduce the noise for a wide range of applications, they are not always suitable. For example, ANC-requires an accurate noise reference, which may not be available and works only at lower frequencies. Passive noise reduction works well only if sufficient room is available for the sound insulation. Filtering distorts the signal frequency content. AGC systems do not consider the human auditory system and yield sub-optimal results Also, even when these solutions can be applied, applications exist where the power drain of these solutions is prohibitive and a miniature, low power technique is required.
Accordingly, there is a need to solve the problems noted above and also a need for an innovative approach to enhance and/or replace the current technologies.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for improving a signal quality and a signal intelligibility.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for improving a, signal intelligibility over an interference signal, which includes: an analysis filterbank for transforming an information signal in time domain into a plurality of channel information signals in transform domain, a signal, processor for processing the outputs of the analysis filterbank, the signal processor including a psychoacoustic processor for computing a dynamic range using a psycoacoustic model to render the information signal audible over the interference signal, and a synthesis filterbank for combining the outputs of the signal processor to generate an output signal.
The Signal Intelligibility Enhancement (SIE) of the invention is designed to alleviate the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art implementations. It can be used in environments where there are very high levels of noise relative to the level of the signal-of-interest. Such environments can result in a very restricted available dynamic range. While it is possible to use simple dynamic range compression methods of earlier systems to map the signal-of-interest into this small dynamic range, the resulting signal fidelity and quality may suffer. In this situation, applying the minimum gain required to make the signal-of-interest audible over the desired noise (and therefore more intelligible) results in improved signal quality. The present invention is therefore directed at determining and applying this minimum gain
According to the present invention, the SIE processing incorporates a psychoacoustic model that calculates, on an on-going basis, the minimum amplification that must be applied to make the signal-of-interest audible over the undesired signal. This results in better fidelity and signal quality.
According to the present invention. Signal Intelligibility Enhancement (STE) algorithm utilizes a measurement of either (1) the level of the outside interference (undesired signal, noise) or (2) the level of the interference (undesired signal, noise) in the headset ear cup or in the ear canal to adaptively adjust the gain and equalization of the signal-of-interest (electrical) so that the intelligibility and audibility of the signal-of-interest is improved. These level measurements are made using frequency band levels alone on in combination using techniques that are well-known in the art and are described in Schneider, Todd A. An Adaptive Dynamic Range Controller, MASc Thesis. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 1991, Schneider & Brennan, A Compression Strategy for a Digital Hearing Aid, Proc ICASSP 1997, Munich, Germany, and Schmidt, John, Apparatus for Dynamic Range Compression of an Audio Signal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,444.
In summary, by using the invention, the user can receive a signal with improved SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) that continuously adapts to the user's environment, rendering the signal-of-interest at a comfortable level. This results in improved signal intelligibility, improved perceived signal quality and less user fatigue.
To provide the best possible fidelity, ultra miniaturized size and the lowest possible power consumption, the SIE algorithm is preferably implemented using an oversampled filterbank to separate both the, signal-of-interest and the undesired signal into a number of overlapping, abutting or non-overlapping bands. A suitable oversampled filterbank is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,731 Schneider & Brennan, Filterbank structure and method for filtering and separating an information signal into different bands, particularly for audio signal in hearing aids. The design is advantageously implemented in an architecture that combines a weighted overlap add (WOLA) filterbank, a software programmable DSP core, an input-output processor and non-volatile memory Such an architecture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,192, Schneider & Brennan, Apparatus for and method of filtering in a digital hearing aid, including an application specific integrated circuit and a programmable digital signal processor.
This invention can be used in any application where it is necessary to improve the intelligibility of a received audio signal containing significant noise white maintaining high fidelity and good signal quality. Typical applications of the invention include headsets used in call centres, mobile phones, and other miniature/portable audio devices when used in noisy environments (e.g., aircraft concerts, factories. etc.).
A further understanding of the other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be realized by reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The preferred embodiments will be described with particular reference to the use of a headset by a listener, to which the present invention is principally applied, but not exclusively.
Signal processing algorithms for audio listening applications are commonly called "receive algorithms" (Rx) because the listener wants to hear the received audio signal. A typical application for the Signal Intelligibility Enhancement (SIE) processing of the invention is a headset being used in a noisy environment
If the level of signal-of-interest falls significantly below the level of the noise signal in the ear canal, the signal-of-interest is masked and can be inaudible. The listener also has a maximum signal level that is considered comfortable (Loudness Discomfort Level—LDL). LDL may be a simple frequency-based measurement of a discomfort level (as is well know in the art for audiological hearing assessment and fitting) or it may be a complex measure of psychoacoustic loudness that accounts for signal level within critical bandwidth, frequency content, signal duration or other relevant psychoacoustic parameters. The difference in level between the level of the noise signal and the LDL, which are both functions of frequency, is the effective dynamic range, which also a function of frequency. Because of the level of the undesired sisal (i.e. noise), the listener experiences reduced dynamic range. Remapping the dynamic range of the signal-of-interest in a frequency dependent manner raises its level above the ambient noise making the signal-of-interest audible. However, the amplification must not allow the level of the signal to exceed the maximum signal level that is comfortable for the listener (LDL). The solution is to map the dynamic range of the original signal-of-interest into the available dynamic range of the signal in the presence of environmental noise. This type of signal processing is called dynamic range compression. This mapping is shown for a single frequency band in
A version of this dynamic range compression operation acting as a function of frequency is now described with reference to
In the following descriptions of preferred embodiments all of the paths between the one or more analysis filterbanks and the synthesis filterbank should be considered to have N dimensions (parallel paths), since there are N sub-bands derived by the analysis filterbanks, and each requires a separate path. This consideration also applies to any function blocks interposed between the filterbanks, since each sub-band is to be considered and operated on separately The present invention is particularly applicable where the N>1; although typically N>=16. In some embodiments, these N sub-bands are grouped into K channels, where each channel comprises one or more adjacent sub-bands, and each channel is then processed so that all of the sub-bands within that channel get the same gain.
Referring to
Any differences between these implementations are pointed out in the following description. In a closed loop implementation, equalization is included to account for the acoustics of the signal path (e.g., an acoustic tube that supplies audio to a microphone molded into the ear cup). By contrast, in an open loop implementation, a model of the transfer function from the microphone to the inside of the ear canal is incorporated to account for the attenuation and frequency response of the headset ear cup and acoustic signal path. A model of the output stage can also be included so that the level of the signal-of-interest that may appear in the ear canal, prior to any adaptive equalization, can be approximated
In an open-loop implementation, a separate or shared environmental noise microphone can be used. In the shared microphone case, the same microphone can be used for transmitting a signal (e.g., transmitted speech in a headset application). This reduces costs and simplifies mechanical construction. In this case, a signal or voice activity detector is required to ensure that the noise spectral estimate does not contain any of the transmitted signal.
In operation, the psychoacoustic model incorporated in the psychoacoustic processing block 430 receives the level of the signal-of-interest in frequency sub-bands or combinations of frequency sub-bands (channels) covering the desired signal spectrum as produced by the first (signal-of-interest) WOLA analysis filterbank 405. The psychoacoustic processing block 430, using the level of environmental noise in those same frequency bands or combinations frequency bands (channels) but applied to the environmental noise spectrum as produced by the second (environmental noise) WOLA analysis filterbank 406, then computes dynamic range parameters. These computed parameters are passed to the multi-band compressor 420 that, in turn, applies them to the sub-bands derived by the first (signal-of-interest) WOLA analysis filterbank 405. The multi-band compressor 420 then uses the dynamic range parameters supplied by the psychoacoustic processing block 430 to equalize the signal as a function of frequency thereby improving its audibility or intelligibility. The use of a psychoacoustic model, combined with well-known dynamic range compression techniques, ensures that the output audio is made audible and intelligible over the environmental noise while minimizing perceived distortion and maintaining the quality of the desired signal. The Desired Signal Activity Detector (DSAD) block 410, receives outputs from both WOLA analysis filterbanks 405, 406 and controls the updates to the estimate of the noise spectrum by the spectral estimation block 435 This spectral estimation block 435, described next, provides further information to the psychoacoustic processing block 430. The outputs of the Multi-band compressor 420 are supplied to a synthesis filterbank 450. The synthesis filterbank 450 transforms the outputs the Multi-band compressor 420 to output a time-domain audio signal.
Noise Estimation
An important input to the SIE signal processing carried out in the psychoacoustic processing block 430 is the spectrum of the environmental noise supplied by the second input device 402. The Spectral Estimation block 435 of SIE processing of the invention includes an adaptive estimation technique or a spectral differencing technique. These, together with a desired signal activity detector (DSAD) 410, permit an accurate, uncontaminated estimate of the environmental noise spectrum to be determined. In a further preferred embodiment, the environmental noise is obtained by using a shared-input microphone (see below).
In the open-loop case, noise estimation is done using shared or separate microphones. A DSAD or VAD on the shared or separate microphone controls updates to the spectral estimate of the noise that is derived via spectral analysis from the shared or separate microphone. If speech (or some other signal of interest) is detected on the shared or separate microphone, the spectral estimate of the noise is not updated (Note that spectral differencing and adaptive estimate are not used in the open-loop case.)
In the closed-loop case, a mixed version of the signal plus noise is received by a microphone located inside the ear cup. In this case, we need to remove the signal (which is known since we have an electrical version of it). This is done using spectral differencing or adaptive estimation techniques.
Desired Signal Activity Detector (DSAD)
The DSAD 410 employs techniques well-known in the art to sample the spectrum of the signal when the desired signal is not present (i.e. during pauses or breaks in the desired signal). This ensures that the algorithm does not consider the desired signal (or in the case of a headset application with a shared microphone, the transmitted speech) to be part of the environmental noise.
In embodiments using a closed-loop implementation, when the DSAD 410 indicates that there is no desired signal-of-interest present, the noise spectral image is updated, thereby minimizing contamination of the resultant spectrum by the signal-of-interest. In other embodiments using an open-loop implementation, the DSAD 410 may optionally monitor the environmental noise signal to ensure that transmitted speech or other signals-of-interest do not contaminate the noise spectrum that is supplied as an input to the psychoacoustic model.
In a closed-loop implementation, if the noise spectrum has not been updated for some predetermined time period, the output audio may optionally mute for a brief period of time so that the noise spectrum can be updated without the desired signal being present. Using the DSAD in combination with timed updates (when necessary) ensures that noise spectrum is always current and that it is never contaminated with the desired signal spectrum.
Adaptive Noise Estimation
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, adaptive noise estimation is used that employs techniques that are well-known in the art to estimate the environmental noise, but in the context of an oversampled WOLA sub-band filterbank a technology described in the co-pending patent application, which is filed on the same day by the present applicant entitled "Subband Adaptive Processing in an Oversampled Filterbank" Canadian Patent Application, serial 2,354,808, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/214,057, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, may also be used.
Adaptive noise estimation requires no breaks in the desired signal-of-interest to estimate the noise. The noise is continuously estimated using the correlation between the contaminated signal derived from the microphone 520 and the desired electrical input signal 501 (the signal-of-interest). The output of the adaptive correlator 525 contains primarily the signal components that are uncorrelated between the desired signal 501 and the desired signal plus noise 520.
Noise Estimation by Spectral Differencing
Spectral differencing takes the difference between a filtered or unfiltered version of the transform domain representation of the signal-of-interest and the transform domain representation of the environmental noise signal. This subtraction can be done in bands or groups of bands. This estimation method is especially advantageous in closed-loop implementations (see below) where the environmental noise signal also contains the signal-of-interest because of the acoustic summation of the environmental noise and SIE processed signal-of-interest.
Filtering the signal-of-interest can be employed to derive a more accurate estimate. Where the filter has a frequency response equivalent or approximately equivalent to the frequency response of the output stage (SIE equalization, amplifiers loudspeaker and acoustics) and microphone, then the subtraction in the transform domain provides an excellent approximation to the uncontaminated (with the signal-of-interest) environmental noise. This filtering may optionally include calibration to null-out transducer or other differences and may be done using one of off-line or on-line line techniques.
Like adaptive estimation, spectral differencing requires no breaks in the desired signal to estimate the noise—the noise is continuously estimated using the spectral difference between the two signals.
Psychoacoustic Processing
Four different strategies for the psychoacoustic model 635, and combinations thereof can be employed to calculate the gains that are applied to the transformed signal domain. The gains are computed to ensure that the processed version of the desired signal is always audible over the environmental noise and that it is always comfortable for the listener. In all cases the LDL gives the upper limit of the dynamic range.
1) The lower limit of the dynamic range is set by the energy of the environmental noise within a frequency band or combination of bands.
2) The lower limit of the dynamic range is set by the level of the environmental noise within a frequency band or combination of bands, multiplied by a factor (X) between 0 and 1, which is adjustable. This factor controls the amount to which the apparatus amplifies low-level signals-of-interest. A lower X results in more dynamic range being available for the signal-of-interest and improves signal quality. Too low an X will mean that at low-levels, the signal-of-interest is masked by the environmental noise.
3) The lower limit of the dynamic range is determined by a complex psychoacoustic model which considers the level, spectral content and spectral nature of both the signal-of-interest and environmental noise to calculate the minimum audible and intelligible level within the noise, as is well known in the art.
4) The lower limit of the dynamic range is set by subtracting the SNR of the signal-of-interest from the energy of the noise within a channel.
In a preferred embodiment, the LDL is calculated using an on-line estimate of the perceived signal loudness based on signal level, with critical bands, frequency content, signal duration or other relevant psychoacoustic parameters.
Multi-Band Compressor
In a preferred embodiment, a component of the psychoacoustic model is a multi-band dynamic range compressor. Dynamic range compression to a smaller effective dynamic range is accomplished by the use of one of several well-known level mapping algorithms. These can be employed with the support of look-up tables or other well-known means to supply the shape of the compression Input vs. Gain Function, otherwise the gains can be directly calculated based on a mathematical formula. Examples of possible level-mapping algorithms are:
1) Straight-Line Compression—where the Input/Gain Function is a straight line as illustrated in
For all level-mapping algorithms, a psychoacoustic model calculates a level to minimize the distortion in a given (sub-band or) channel, by determining what sounds are audible within noise. This information leads to an objective estimation of the quality of the desired signal, enabling the calculation of near-optimal compression parameters. Other level mapping schemes are also possible.
It is often the case that the incoming signal-of-interest is not entirely noise-free. Instead of using compression on the entire dynamic range in his case, it is advantageous to expand (increase dynamic range) for the low-levels of the signal where the noise exists. This is perceived as making the noise quieter in the signal-of-interest and tends to render it inaudible. Where the noise floor of the signal-of-interest is known, the dynamic range re-mapping, previously described with reference to
In order to deliver high perceptual fidelity in all environments, spectral tilt constraints can be implemented. These constraints prevent the invention from over-processing the sound to the point where the output audio is equalized in such a way that it is objectionable or quality is reduced in spectrally shaped noise environments. In a preferred embodiment, the constraints are implemented by enforcing a maximum gain difference between the various channels in the compressor. When processing used in the invention attempts to exceed the maximum gain difference thresholds, a compromise is made in the channels tending to require more extreme adjustment or adaptation, and more or less gain is applied to satisfy the constraints. Other constraints that use more complex means, such as objective measures of speech quality are also possible.
Each individual is unique, and therefore each individual can determine and set his or her own LDL, desired listening level, and growth of loudness. By a process of personalization, key characteristics of the psychoacoustical operation are adjusted for the individual user (in a manner not unlike adjustments to a heating aid). In a preferred embodiment, these parameters are stored using non-volatile memory as part of the psychoacoustic model.
User SIE Level Adjustment
Users of SIE may want to adjust the sensitivity of the signal-processing algorithm. Users adjusting this control, which can be thought of as an advanced volume control, are typically adjusting the level because tow-level sounds are inaudible (not because high-level sounds are in audible) In a preferred embodiment the parameter "X" described above (in Psychoacoustic Processing) may be made user adjustable to control the sensitivity of the SIE algorithm. Other, more advanced embodiments, where the level adjustment provides a parametric input to the psychoacoustic processing block arc possible and are dependent on the specific type of psychoacoustic processing that is employed.
Combination with Active Noise Cancellation
Many headsets today incorporate Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). ANC technology is used to improve signal intelligibility in noisy environments by generating anti-noise that actively cancels the environmental noise. However, ANC is typically only effective for low frequencies because of well-known constraints of feedback systems. By combining the SIE invention with ANC the audio quality and perceptibility is enhanced to a level that cannot be achieved by either method alone
In a further embodiment a combination of STE and ANC processing is implemented using an oversampled WOLA filterbank as a pre-equalizer to an ANC system. The ANC system may be implemented using analog or digital signal processing of a combination of these two. This ANC processing is well-known in the art and is therefore not described. The WOLA measures the pre-equalized residual noise in the ear canal (closed loop ANC) or the outside environmental noise (open loop ANC) and uses the resultant spectral information as input to a psychoacoustic model that provides dynamic range parameters for the pre-equalizer.
Binaural Operation
When used in a stereo audio system (e.g., binaural headset or in headphones). joint-channel processing extensions for SIE wan be incorporated. Two cases are considered:
Having only one noise measurement for the SIE algorithm is important since a stereo compressor scheme (possibly with independent noise measurements) may lead to undesired independent channel adjustment and a consequent reduction in perceived audio quality. When there is only one measure of the environmental noise for the user, both right and left sides of the SIE processing scheme use the same information. In the case of a stereo signal-of-interest, two SIE processing apparatus use the same environmental noise level to control the subsequent processing of each audio stream.
In one embodiment shown in
The feedback path comprising 1025. 1030, 1035 and 1015 (or 1056, 1060, 1062 and 1050) implements the combination an ANC system combined with SIE as described previously.
Shared Noise Microphone
A further embodiment of the SIE invention is used in an open-loop configuration (typically used in telecommunications headset), shown in
In other embodiments, algorithms to restore the transmitted signal can also be incorporated with open-loop microphone-sharing SIE system of
In an alternative embodiment (not shown in
Note that front end processing techniques such as DSAD, adaptive noise estimation or spectral differencing noise estimation can be used in any open-loop configuration. Other front-end processing (like directional processing) allows some separation of the speech from noise thereby improving performance.
Other features and aspects of the present invention, and the advantages associated therewith are described below:
1) Signal intelligibility is improved. At the same time, signal fidelity and quality are maintained, and perceived quality can improve in noisy environments.
2) The use of psychoacoustic models and high-fidelity, constrained dynamic range adaptation means that the utility of the dynamic range is maximized (where dynamic range is the level difference between the minimum signal level that is audible above the noise and the maximum allowable signal level). This results in excellent signal quality and fidelity.
3) The design can be implemented using ultra low-power, sub-miniature technology that is suitable for incorporation directly into a headset or other low-power, portable audio applications (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,192 Schneider & Brennan, Apparatus for and method of filtering in a digital hearing aid, including an application specific integrated circuit and a programmable digital signal processor). Implementations using oversampled filterbanks (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,731 Schneider & Brennan, Filterbank structure and method for filtering and separating an information signal into different bands, particularly for audio signal in hearing aids) provide a high-fidelity, ultra low-power solution that are ideal for portable, low-power audio applications.
4) When combined with a closed-loop, active noise cancellation (ANC) system, advantage can be taken of the fact that they both require means to measure the undesired noise at a point close to the output transducer. As a result the same microphone (located near the output transducer) can be used for both the measurement of the signal to generate the "anti-noise" and to provide the residual level measurement from which to compute the input level estimate required for the signal intelligibility enhancement (SIE) processing. This combined approach works better than either method alone because ANC is limited to providing benefit at low frequencies (because of design considerations) and the signal intelligibility enhancement provides benefit at higher frequencies. Using the same microphone reduces costs and simplifies the system. In many listening situations, low-frequency noise dominates. Here, the use of ANC at low frequencies to reduce the noise increases the available dynamic range, which results in improved fidelity relative to either method (ANC or SIE) being used alone.
5) In cases where the signal-of-interest contains noise, the signal-of-interest can be processed, using a psychoacoustic model and/or low-level expansion, such that the level of the noise is effectively below the acoustic signal level (or the residual signal level if ANC is being applied). When this is properly implemented, the listener perceives less noise.
6) Single-microphone noise reduction techniques can be incorporated into the signal-of-interest channel as described in the PCT/Canadian Patent Application PCT/CA98/00331 Brennan, Robert, Method and Apparatus for Noise Reduction, Particularly in Hearing Aids. This provides a signal for the listener that is more audible (relative to the environmental noise) and less tiring to listen to for extended periods of time because the processed signal-of-interest contains less noise.
7) When used with a Desired Signal Activity Detector (DSAD), an implementation is able to differentiate between a signal-of-interest and the environmental noise (interference). This ensures that the estimate of the noise signal does not become contaminated with the signal-of-interest, allowing voice communications to be clearer with higher intelligibility.
8) In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an adaptive filter is used to correlate the contaminated signal (signal+noise) with the uncontaminated electrical signal so that an estimate of the noise can be derived. This provides a more reliable estimate of the noise signal that is contaminating the signal-of-interest. Employing this technique provides improved signal fidelity.
9) In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a spectral differencing technique is used to estimate the spectral content of the environmental noise. This provides a more reliable estimate of the noise signal that is contaminating the signal-of-interesting. This processing also improves signal fidelity.
10) With a multi-band implementation of the compressor component (ranges of frequency are treated independently as opposed to compressing the entire spectrum uniformly) more accurate mapping in the residual dynamic range can be made and the overall perceived audio quality is improved as described in Schneider & Brennan, A Compression Strategy for a Digital Hearing Aid, Proc ICASSP 1997, Munich, Germany Treating frequency bands independently of one another allows for greater freedom to produce high-fidelity compression. Furthermore, constraining the relative compression levels of the frequency ranges so a predetermined maximum amount of frequency shaping may occur, maintains the signal quality across a wide range of noise environments. This ensures that frequency localized noise sources are better handled.
11) Using a multi-band and/or adaptive level measurement of the noise allows an implementation to smoothly handle any changes of noise environment. It also protects against undesirable distortion, which would otherwise be caused by drastic changes in the environmental noise. See Schneider. Todd A. An Adaptive Dynamic Range Controller. MASc Thesis, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 1991, and Schneider & Brennan, A Compression Strategy for a Digital Hearing Aid, Proc. ICASSP 1997, Munich, Germany.
12) A safety system is implicitly incorporated into the invention. The signal processing does not amplify desired sounds above the user's Loudness Discomfort Level (LDL). This is a safety feature designed to help protect the user's hearing in very high noise environments. It, along with the other adjustments provided by the invention, provide the opportunity to personalize an implementation to a specific user.
While the present invention has been described with reference to specific, embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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|15 sept. 2015
|Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
|Method and apparatus for reducing the effect of environmental noise on listeners
|22 avr. 2010
|1 déc. 2015
|Qualcomm Incorporated
|Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for automatic control of active noise cancellation
|27 avr. 2012
|22 déc. 2015
|Dolby International Ab
|Efficient and scalable parametric stereo coding for low bitrate audio coding applications
|17 mars 2011
|29 mars 2016
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|14 avr. 2005
|Riedl Steven E.
|Methods and systems for determining audio loudness levels in programming
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|17 nov. 2005
|Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
|Digital signal encoding method and apparatus using plural lookup tables
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|Method and system for active noise cancellation
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|15 mai 2008
|Sony Corporation
|Noise reducing device, noise reducing method, noise reducing program, and noise reducing audio outputting device
|16 janv. 2008
|31 juil. 2008
|Markus Christoph
|Active noise control system
|3 juil. 2006
|28 aoűt 2008
|Noise-Generating Device and Method
|2 juin 2008
|19 févr. 2009
|Time Warner Cable Inc.
|Methods and systems for determining audio loudness levels in programming
|27 mai 2009
|17 sept. 2009
|Kristofer Kjorling
|Method for Reduction of Aliasing Introduced by Spectral Envelope Adjustment in Real-Valued Filterbanks
|15 oct. 2009
|Coding Technologies Sweden Ab
|Method for reduction of aliasing introduced by spectral envelope adjustment in real-valued filterbanks
|3 déc. 2009
|Qualcomm Incorporated
|Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for spectral contrast enhancement
|23 déc. 2008
|24 juin 2010
|Roman Katzer
|Masking Based Gain Control
|12 aoűt 2010
|Short William R
|Adjusting Dynamic Range for Audio Reproduction
|22 avr. 2010
|25 nov. 2010
|Qualcomm Incorporated
|Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for automatic control of active noise cancellation
|17 avr. 2009
|3 mars 2011
|Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
|Method and Apparatus for Maintaining Speech Audibility in Multi-Channel Audio with Minimal Impact on Surround Experience
|31 aoűt 2010
|3 mars 2011
|Kristofer Kjoerling
|Method for Reduction of Aliasing Introduced by Spectral Envelope Adjustment in Real-Valued Filterbanks
|26 mai 2011
|Takahiro Unno
|Method and System for Voice Activity Detection
|14 juil. 2011
|Claus Bauer
|Upstream signal processing for client devices in a small-cell wireless network
|25 aoűt 2011
|University Of Utah
|Offending frequency suppression in hearing aids
|29 sept. 2011
|Gauger Jr Daniel M
|Adapted Audio Masking
|17 aoűt 2011
|23 févr. 2012
|Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
|Apparatus and method for improving communication quality in mobile terminal
|4 oct. 2011
|5 avr. 2012
|Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
|Method and apparatus for processing audio signal in a mobile communication terminal
|21 févr. 2012
|23 aoűt 2012
|Qualcomm Incorporated
|Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for spatially selective audio augmentation
|28 févr. 2013
|Aaron M. Eppolito
|Automatic detection of audio compression parameters
|18 avr. 2013
|University Of Connecticut
|Method and device for improving the audibility, localization and intelligibility of sounds, and comfort of communication devices worn on or in the ear
|10 juil. 2008
|8 juil. 2015
|Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
|Hearing device controlled by a perceptive model and corresponding method
|25 mai 2012
|2 oct. 2013
|Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
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|Dts, Inc.
|Adaptive environmental noise compensation for audio playback
|Classification aux États-Unis
|Classification internationale
|Classification coopérative
|Classification européenne
|1 avr. 2003
Owner name: DSPFACTORY LTD., CANADA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SCHNEIDER, TODD;COODE, DAVID;BRENNAN, ROBERT L.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014504/0869;SIGNING DATES FROM 20021022 TO 20030316
|25 janv. 2005
Owner name: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., IDAHO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DSPFACTORY LTD.;REEL/FRAME:015596/0592
Effective date: 20041112
Owner name: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.,IDAHO
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|26 avr. 2005
Owner name: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., IDAHO
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|1 juin 2005
Owner name: CREDIT SUISSE (F/K/A CREDIT SUISEE FIRST BOSTON),
Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.;REEL/FRAME:016290/0206
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|23 juin 2008
Owner name: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., NEW YORK
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|25 sept. 2009
Owner name: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC, ARIZONA
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|23 oct. 2009
|Fee payment
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Owner name: AMI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., IDAHO
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text:
Welcome to Texas Fine Wine – a distinctive group of highly respected wineries recognized for making quality wines from Texas appellation vineyards, delivering excellent customer experiences and setting the highest standards in the Texas wine industry.
With the Texas Hill Country named one of Wine Enthusiast's "10 Best Wine Travel Destinations in 2014," we hope you will stop by and visit these wineries.
Please welcome the newest member of Texas Fine Wine — Spicewood Vineyards!
Check back often for events & opportunities
to taste wines from this prestigious group of wineries.
to taste wines from this prestigious group of wineries.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Report: #362992
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Epoch.com
Epoch.comepoch.com Internet United States of America
Epoch.com They are uncontactable and scam artists Online Internet
Ripoff Report
About you?
Ripoff Report
A business' first
line of defense
on the Internet.
If your business is
willing to make a
commitment to
customer satisfaction
Click here now..
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
Anyway, I know the rules. You need to cancel at least 24 hours before the trial is up. Which means the next day by midnight exactly.
It didn't even get that far. The site wasn't allowing me in. So basically I paid for nothing. I tried to contact the site, of course no response.
I try to contact epoch.com, no response. I cancel to ensure they don't keep f***ing me over.
I can only imagine if I forgot to cancel. I would have been charged $20 a month for life. Their systems seem totally automated, and it is likely that they expect you to have to go to the bank to stop them.
Meanwhile they rake in all the money they can before the bank can put an end to it.
Of course what am I going to do about $7.50? Stomp into the bank and demand they waste their time trying to get some site to cough up that chump change.
In addition because of the nature of the purchase even if I had a substantial claim it would be highly embarrassing to tell the banking staff about the situation.
I won't bother putting up the site that scammed me, but I will leave up that epoch.com are scam artists. Don't ever sign up with them.
CCbill.com is fine as long as you read the fine print. They are trustworthy, but they are unhelpful if there is a problem.
That is all.
David SF, California
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/14/2008 04:44 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Epochcom/internet/Epochcom-They-are-uncontactable-and-scam-artists-Online-Internet-362992. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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text:
Evelyn Erives
Watch Katy Perry Do The Weather In Australia! LOL #eBuzz991
Posted March 6th, 2014 @ 7:55am
Katy Perry played "weather girl" and gave the forecast for the day on Australia's Sunrise Morning Show! She's just too friggin' adorable!! I especially love how she reacts to the wax figure they bring out. lol
Full Story: Enews


text:
Ok guys this is not a question. I wanted to add that cool Facebook Like button on my blog and after a bit of searching and successfully getting it done on my blog, I thought I'd share it here.
If you're comfortable with editing your WordPress template files, you can simply add this code after your post:
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=<?php echo urlencode(get_permalink()); ?>&layout=standard&show-faces=true&width=530&height=60&action=like&colorscheme=light" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:530px; height:60px"></iframe>
And voila, there it is. Everytime a reader presses the Like button the count will go up and your link will be posted on his/her profile.
Good luck and enjoy! :)


text:
When creative geniuses advance their careers to the point where they can straight up fuck around and get people to pay to see them do it, things get interesting. Tom Sachs is that dude, and that dude just customized a KRINK set that 100 people are going to drop $500 to put on their desks. Is one of them you? Buy it now at the link. [Tom Sachs]
Look At This! Tom Sachs KRINK Set ($500!)
Watch Now


text:
|And the hits keep on coming as Semih Erden pulls his groin
|01.13.11 at 4:13 pm ET
WALTHAM — Doc Rivers paraphrased Bill Parcells following Thursday's practice that didn't include injured forwards Semih Erden and Jermaine O'Neal.
"This is who we are right now," Rivers said in announcing the latest injuries to hit the Celtics' front court.
Jermaine O'Neal had an MRI Thursday on his sore left knee that acted up in the second half of Monday's game against Houston.
Rivers is concerned that surgery will likely be needed to correct the issue.
"Don't know yet," Rivers said following practice Thursday. "I know he did [have] an MRI. Honestly, my guess is they're going to have to do something. So, I don't know that. I'm just using my doctorate right now. My guess is they'll probably have to do something."
Complicating matters is a groin pull sustained by back-up center Semih Erden, which kept him out of practice Thursday and limited the Celtics to nine healthy players. With Kevin Garnett still out with a strained right calf, Kendrick Perkins (right knee) not yet cleared for contact practice and Shaquille O'Neal getting limited minutes to save his stamina for later in the season, the Celtics are struggling with depth in the front court.
"It puts more pressure on them," Rivers said of his remaining healthy front-court players. "Semih couldn't practice today. He has a groin pull. So, that's what we are. We have 15 players. We're going to send Avery [Bradley] down [to D-League] pretty soon, too, so he can get some reps playing basketball. I just think he needs to play basketball. It's part of it."
The Celtics face Charlotte on Friday night at TD Garden as they continue their season-long six-game homestand, likely without Garnett, Erden and Jermaine O'Neal.
Celtics big man Jermaine O'Neal checked in with the Dale & Holley show Thursday as part of the show's Celtic of the Week interview series. To hear the interview, go to the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.
O'Neal has been struggling with his surgically repaired left knee the entire season, and he's been limited to 17 games. "For the most part, it's been a frustrating first part of the year," he acknowledged. "I do understand where I'm at. I understand what we're dealing with. We actually had a little evaluation this morning about something that may or may not be done to kind of just put a couple of scenarios behind me."
O'Neal said another meeting was scheduled for Thursday afternoon with doctors and Danny Ainge, so they can make a decision on the treatment plan. O'Neal indicated surgery definitely is in his future, but he's hoping it can wait until after the season.
"[Surgery] was definitely something that we talked about the first time I was out for an extended period of time," he said. "We wanted to try a couple of options. And we may be looking at that situation now. It's something that I will eventually need at some point, at the end of the season or in the season, but you want to be around. You don't want to miss an extended period of time. I already did that. So, you make your decisions as a player. You listen to the staff, and if they have a certain way, then you try that. And if that doesn't work, you've got to go with the next best scenario."
Despite the injury troubles, O'Neal gushed about how much he's enjoyed playing in Boston. "This is a very enjoyable time for me," he said. "Sometimes when you're not doing some of the things you're used to, sometimes you look at it as a negative. But I've never been in a situation where I've had so many enjoyable teammates. so many enjoyable personnel as far as the coaching staff, and just so many enjoyable people throughout the city that really makes it easy to be here, and no matter what you're going through, it makes it fun.
"It's funny, because me and Kevin [Garnett] were just talking over the last couple of weeks, and we were talking last night actually about the ability to pick a teammate up when he's sort of down and make him feel like nothing else matters. You know, We love you and we want you here. That's how we approach it every day."
Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett have been passed by Derrick Rose and Amar'e Stoudemire, respectively, in the latest round of All-Star voting numbers released by the league. Rondo and Garnett have had slim leads over their counterparts since the returns started coming in, but Rose and Stoudemire have been making steady gains each week.
The Eastern Conference starters right now are: Dwyane Wade and Rose at guards, LeBron James and Stoudemire as forwards and Dwight Howard at center.
The West lines up with: Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant at guard, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony at forward and Yao Ming, who is injured, at center. Final results will be announced in two weeks.
Here's the latest voting:
Eastern Conference
Forwards: LeBron James (Mia) 1,518,807; Amar'e Stoudemire (NYK) 1,143,391; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,049,544; Paul Pierce (Bos) 578,473; Chris Bosh (Mia) 427,551; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 320,661; Josh Smith (Atl) 280,158; Danilo Gallinari (NYK) 259,619; Danny Granger (Ind) 201,653; Luol Deng (Chi) 191,312.
Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,499,768; Derrick Rose (Chi) 1,225,575; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 1,171,311; Ray Allen (Bos) 630,588; John Wall (Was) 260,893; Brandon Jennings (Mil) 254,614; Raymond Felton (NYK) 246,208; Gilbert Arenas (Orl) 240,586; Jamal Crawford (Atl) 163,971, Darren Collison (Ind) 156,230.
Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,537,619; Shaquille O'Neal (Bos) 639,661; Joakim Noah (Chi) 291,107; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 245,253; Al Horford (Atl) 193,449; Roy Hibbert (Ind) 183,092; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 162,364; Brook Lopez (NJ) 125,022; JaVale McGee (Was) 106,710; Ben Wallace (Det) 79,017.
Western Conference
Forwards: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,270,729; Carmelo Anthony (Den) 945,720; Pau Gasol (LAL) 851,456; Blake Griffin (LAC) 702,784; Tim Duncan (SA) 663,487; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 615,243; Lamar Odom (LAL) 364,950; Luis Scola (Hou) 347,986; Kevin Love (Min) 301,529; Caron Butler (Dal) 205,146.
Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,757,216; Chris Paul (NOH) 949,049; Manu Ginobili (SA) 593,718; Steve Nash (Pho) 522,215; Deron Williams (Utah) 487,887; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 463,250; Tony Parker (SA) 355,993; Jason Kidd (Dal) 303,164; Vince Carter (Pho) 277,430; Kevin Martin (Hou) 266,037.
Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 928,928; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 660,576; Nene (Den) 389,263; Marc Gasol 352,136; Emeka Okafor (NOH) 317,677; Brendan Haywood (Dal) 276,777; Marcus Camby (Por) 201,133; Chris Kaman (LAC) 165,684; Andris Biedrins (GS) 126,567; DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 110,230.
|Doc Rivers on D&C: 'I'm against what the Jets are doing'
|at 10:55 am ET
Celtics coach Doc Rivers made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Thursday morning, following Wednesday's night's 119-95 rout of the Kings. To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page.
Rivers started the conversation by giving his opinion of the trash-talking going on in the lead-up to Sunday's Patriots-Jets playoff game. He said, "I can't wait for the game," but he didn't support the Jets' disrespectful comments. "It's stuff obviously I don't like," he said. "But it's who they are. And that's what they've been all year. '¦ I'm against what the Jets are doing, because I do think it ' I don't know if it motivates you, but it may give you that extra, a little bit more, so who knows?"
The Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak with Wednesday's win. It followed Monday's 108-102 loss to the Rockets in which the Celtics' effort was lacking, according to Rivers. "In an 82-game season, you're going have some of those [letdowns]," he said. "I didn't feel like we would have one last night, because of what happened against Houston. '¦ I just thought we'd be ready last night."
Kevin Garnett remains out after straining his right calf two weeks ago vs. the Pistons. "He is day-to-day, very close, but just not ready yet," Rivers said.
Rivers said he feels sympathy for Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, whose team was hammered by the Lakers, 112-57, in losing for the 21st time in 22 games on Tuesday. However, he doesn't think LeBron James deserves the type of criticism he's received for abandoning Cleveland.
"No it's not unfair," he said. "It was legal. He became a free agent and he left. And there's nothing wrong with what he did. What did they have, seven years, in LeBron's mind to get it right, to get him the players he wanted for them to win. And in his opinion, they never did that. And so, he had every right to do what he did. Obviously, you knew if LeBron left it would wreak havoc on that team, and it has. It tells you one thing, is how good LeBron was. He's the only guy that really left the team, and man, it's amazing what's happened."
Rivers raved about the iPad, which he uses to watch video and check stats. "It is absolutely amazing how often I'm on it," he said. "Way too much."
|Kevin Garnett likely out two more games
|01.12.11 at 7:12 pm ET
The original prognosis for Kevin Garnett's return from a strained calf was two weeks. Now it appears that it will take a little longer. Garnett won't play tonight against the Kings, as expected, but Doc Rivers sounded pessimistic about whether Garnett would be ready to go Friday against the Bobcats. That puts Monday's game with the Magic as the new target date.
"Eddie [Lacerte, the team's trainer] and I talked about it yesterday and it will really depend on what we do [Thursday]," Rivers said. "My guess [for Friday] is no, because after that we have two days off. My thinking right now, unless he comes out and practices the whole practice and looks great, is probably off Friday too and then probably [play] Monday."
Rivers is aware that people are questioning the nature of Garnett's injury, but he insisted that nothing has changed except the timeline. "There's no conspiracy here or anything like that," Rivers said. "He's just taking a little longer than we wanted it to, but it's not a big deal."
While Rivers insisted that he's not concerned that the injury is worse than originally feared, he is concerned about Garnett's mental state.
"With Kevin because he's so emotional, you just want to make sure he doesn't get down about stuff," Rivers said. "That's where I'm always concerned with him. Starting with the, 'Why is this happening to me,' stuff and you don't want him to go there, because it's not a bad injury. But he doesn't like missing games."
|The trouble with injury timelines
|01.11.11 at 5:21 pm ET
Celtics president Danny Ainge doesn't like to give timelines on when injured players will return to the court and there's a good reason for that: Things change.
Take Kevin Garnett, for example. Late last week Doc Rivers suggested that Garnett would be back Monday or maybe Wednesday. That forecast no longer appears likely to materialize after the Celtics went through practice without Garnett on Tuesday.
"He's just not ready yet," Rivers said. "He's close, very close. I think he wants to play, but I just don't think he should play yet."
That was probably the right call. Why take a chance in mid-January if you're not 100 percent certain? But if he doesn't play by Friday, expect a whole host of questions about the nature of Garnett's injury, which has been described as a calf strain. Without the timeline, this is just a common-sense delay.
Then there's Kendrick Perkins, who announced that he was ready to return to full-contact practice and would be back in three weeks. But when the Celtics held practice, Perkins was kept on the sidelines by Rivers and Dr. Brian McKeon for everything expect skeleton drills and no-contact running.
It was the team's first practice in weeks and Rivers wanted it to be live and physical. In other words, it wasn't a good environment for Perkins to take his first contact since injuring his knee in Game 6 of the NBA finals.
"We went pretty hard so I didn't want him out there in that," Rivers said. "We did a lot of contact stuff and I didn't want him to be a part of it. It was a good practice actually. I knew we were going to do a lot of live, hard rebounding stuff. Too many bodies. Too many feet. I didn't want him involved."
Perkins, who will be kept out of live practice for the rest of the week, said he was disappointed, but he understood. "A little bit, but at the same time I know it's in my best interest," he said when asked if he was frustrated by the delay. "If they say one more week, I can go one more week."
Still, Perkins wouldn't back off his ultimate timeline to return in three weeks. If he can't go by the time the Celtics play the Lakers on Jan. 30, then it will feel like a setback, he said — even though he is only six months removed from knee surgery.
Of all the injured Celtics, Delonte West has offered no set timetable. He had his hard cast taken off his broken right wrist, but he's still not able to do anything basketball-related with his right hand like catch, shoot or dribble a ball. He also said he has trouble turning doorknobs in his house and carrying groceries.
In the meantime, West said he has watched Youtube videos of "karate masters" (his term) to learn how to absorb contact in other parts of his body when he falls. He also went to Home Depot and bought a bucket, which he filled with rice. He sticks his hand in the bucket and churns. (Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton did the same routine for years.)
"It works too," he said. "Try it man."
West was vague when pressed for a return date, which was smart because he simply doesn't know yet. His next step is to be able to handle the basketball with his right hand, which he hopes will happen next week. Ultimately he knows that his body will tell him when it's time.
"I'd rather let it heal naturally," West said. "With the rice."
|Kevin Garnett doubtful for Wednesday against the Kings
|at 3:08 pm ET
WALTHAM — Celtics forward Kevin Garnett did not take part in his team's practice on Tuesday, and it is unlikely that he will play on Wednesday when the Celtics are scheduled to host Sacramento.
He's just not ready yet," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He's close, very close. I think he wants to play but I just don't think he should play yet."
The Celtics won't have a shootaround before Wednesday's game, which is another indication that Garnett won't play against the Kings. "I doubt he plays. There's a chance but I doubt it," said Rivers, who called Garnett day-to-day.
Garnett has been out since suffering a left calf strain against the Pistons on Dec. 29. Including that contest, the Celtics are 4-4 without Garnett, and his absence was felt acutely by teammates during their 108-102 loss to the Rockets on Monday.
In 30 games this year, Garnett is averaging 15.0 points and 9.5 boards a game while shooting a career-best 53.9 percent from the floor.
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text:
Luann by Greg Evans
- May 04, 2012
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Comments (108) (Please sign in to comment)
Well there is always another day Brad. Be strong.
Get ready for the ride buddy boy. It's up and down, all around, and you better get used to it.
So, Shannon is five. I thought she was still four… unless Toni means preschool?
I love the background on the last panel. My favorite part is that Shannon doesn't even seem to notice the hole in the floor or the destroyed wall.
Amazing what they managed to accomplish (demolish?) In just 25 minutes.
Game rained out, huh, Brad?
NOW they are trying to act sensible. A little too late…Hard to do when there are holes in the wall and the floor. Look, you three, how irrational you were just moments ago!
And Brad, you still have a long way to learn about women. Once they had an ordeal, such as missing a child, they DON"T want to have a lovefest. They rather have cuddlefest and comfort. Men have such a single track mentality.
Five is still preschool, you usually have to be 6 to start first grade. Most states have a cutoff date – i.e. your kid has to be 6 by Sept 1. My brother's b'day is in October, so he was almost 7 by the time he started primary school.
Swing and a miss, Brad. Swing and a miss.
Boy, is the landlord gonna be mad. Oh, wait, the landlord is Mr. DeGroot. How you going to explain this one, Brad?
I meant kindergarten. If she's five (depending on what month she turned five), she might be in kindergarten.
"How you going to explain this one, Brad?"
His usual method: blame TJ.
Mr, and MRS. DeGroot. Explaining to Nancy that you were sucking face with Toni and lost track of Shannon and….yeah, don't even try.
Brad should just start packing now and hope that the border is only a few hours away.
Anything prior to first grade = preschool. First grade and up = school.
Not where I live. In my area, anything prior to kindergarten is considered preschool (at the center where I work, there's a Preschool 1 class for two year-olds, a Preschool 2 class for three year-olds, and a Pre-K class for four year-olds and kids who turned five too late to start kindergarten that year.)
Preschool is optional- parents send their kids if they need to work or sometimes just to get their kid used to a school environment. It is paid for by the parent, unless the parent receives benefits that would pay for childcare while the parent works.
Kindergarten is actually part of the public school system- funded by government, free to attend. Every child attends unless they're considered smart enough to skip ahead to first grade (and even then, many people would be reluctant to do this because the child still needs to develop social skills.)
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Invisible Man
by Ralph Ellison
Character Analysis
Okay: the real Rinehart never actually appears in the novel. But then again, he doesn't need to.
After the narrator dons some colored glasses and a hat, just about everyone in Harlem begins mistaking him for this Rinehart character. (We wish it were that easy to hide from our exes.) To make matters even more interesting, Rinehart seems to shape-shift faster than Mystique from X-Men. The narrator is mistaken for a pimp, a gambler, a reverend, a lover, and a friend. The figure of Rinehart therefore pretty cleanly embodies the messy fluidity of identity.


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Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium reopens
The planetarium has been undergoing renovations with funds from Suffolk County. As it nears completion, it is preparing to reopen. Videojournalist: Jessica Rotkiewicz (March 4, 2013)
Crash seriously injures 1 Dumping probe finds 'crime scene' at West Hills park, officials say Jimmy Buffett fans enjoy concert at Jones Beach Zeldin speaks on cove's draft feasibility study Shinnecock Nation gets help restoring shoreline, wetlands Barclays: Day, Fowler talk about Bethpage Black Southside Hospital unveils expanded ER East End farmer seeks seed revolution You know you're from Suffolk when… 2 hurt in motorcycle-vehicle crash on LIE Funeral services for couple killed in LIE crash Serious crash closes North Amityville road, cops say


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Treaties, States Parties and Commentaries
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Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989.
Part I - Art. 33.
Article 33
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties, and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.
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text:
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 docking station arrives with a few extra slots
This bit of plastic is up for pre-order for the bargain price of £165
IT'S ONLY TAKEN TWO MONTHS since the unveiling of Microsoft's latest Surface Pro 3 tablet, but the Redmond firm has revealed the improvements coming to the upcoming Surface Pro docking station, which is now available on the firm's Surface Accessories store.
Before you get too excited, it's worth noting that this bit of plastic is available for pre-order for £165 and has a basic design similar to that of the original Surface Pro docking station model for the same inflated price, but just adds several additional features.
These added features include extra connectivity options, including three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a security lock slot (which the original Surface dock didn't have), and an Ethernet port supporting 10/100/1,000Mbps speeds as opposed to just 10/100Mbps speeds on the Surface Pro port.
As with the original, there's a 3.5mm audio connection and a mini Displayport connection, but this time Microsoft touts it as delivering high-definition video output of up to 3840x2600 resolution.
And that's your lot. We told you not to get your hopes up. Though those who have pre-ordered a Surface Pro 3 and intend to use it as a desktop replacement are likely to welcome the upgrades, but not the rather hefty price.
Measuring 9.1mm thick, the Surface Pro 3 is the thinnest Intel Core product "ever made", according to Microsoft, which it credits to the device's "fanless build". It might not sound like a vast improvement over the Surface Pro 2, which was 13.5mm thick, but in our hands-on review we immediately noticed a huge difference in aesthetics. It is much nicer to hold due to its thinner design and it's apparent that Microsoft has made an effort to make the device much more attractive to consumers.
The Core i5 powered Surface Pro 3 will hit the UK sometime towards the end of August, priced at £849 and £1,109 for 128GB and 256GB storage options, respectively. The cheapest, an Intel Core i3-powered Surface Pro 3 model has been priced at £639, while the most powerful and expensive Core i7 model will set users back an eye-watering £1,649.
Despite its high price-tag, the technicians at iFixit cracked open the tablet last month and found that it's one of the hardest of its kind to repair, giving it a laughably low score of just one out of 10. Labeled by iFixit as a device with "severely limited upgradeability and repairability", Surface Pro 3 was let down by Redmond's decision to trade the Surface 2's 90 screws for some "seriously hideous adhesive", apparently. µ
INQ Latest
Google Updates: Solitaire, Duo, and Hangout in Groups
Plus, it's goodbye to Device Assist
Researchers uncover new flaws in Apple's iOS
Vulnerabilities in the iOS sandbox thankfully found by the good guys
ICO to probe WhatsApp's data sharing deal with Facebook
Data watchdog will make sure firm is being fully transparent about the controversial move
iPhone 7 maker Pegatron accused of workers' rights violations
Chinese firm reportedly forces staff to do 82 hours of overtime a month


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Bulldog Barbecue
- 15400 Biscayne Blvd.
North Miami, FL 33160
- 305-940-9655
- http://bulldog-bbq.com
- 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily
- $$, $10 - $20
- Barbecue
Top Chef contestant Howie Kleinberg's take on all things BBQ comes pleases the North Miami neighborhood it inhabits with sweet and mild ribs and chicken gently smoked and sauced. Tasty chicken wings and white turkey chili are crowd pleasers though too sweet and dry cornbread and bland cole slaw could use more oomph. Salads, lettuce wraps and flatbread pizzas—items not usually found in a BBQ joint—will please dieters. Homemade lemonade is nice touch, but the beer and wine selection could use more variety. Servers in the 50-seat cute and clean strip-mall space are friendly if not always on the ball.
- Yes
- Barbecue
- Yes
- Both
- Yes
- Lunch, Dinner
- Cheerful din
- Yes


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"The Madonna Files ...Based on Prophecies of the Virgin Mary"
"Dear children! In this time of grace I call you to take the cross of my beloved Son Jesus in your hands and to meditate on His passion and death. May your suffering be united in His suffering and love will win, because He who is love gave Himself out of love to save each of you. Pray, pray, pray until love and peace begin to reign in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call."
"Dear children! With the time, you are approaching a time of grace. Your heart is like ploughed soil and it is ready to receive the fruit which will grow into what is good. You, little children, are free to choose good or evil. Therefore, I call you to pray and fast. Plant joy and the fruit of joy will grow in your hearts for your good, and others will see it and receive it through your life. Renounce sin and choose eternal life. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call."


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Otter Valley grad wins business scholarshipJune 25,2013Staff Report
BRANDON - Otter Valley Union High School graduate Louisa Jerome has received a scholarship from the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce.
The $500 scholarship is awarded annually to a student who is well-rounded and has participated in school and outside activities. The student should also be pursuing a course of study in business or a business-related major, or who aspires to be entrepreneurial.
During her high school years, Jerome was involved in music, athletics, student council, theater and 4-H Club. She was a Vermont Legislative Page while in middle school. She will study international business at the University of Vermont and hopes to start her own business working with renewable energy.
For more information about the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce, visit brandon.org.MORE IN This Just In
WEATHERSFIELD -- A 29-year-old man died Wednesday night after his motorcycle left... Full StoryThe family of Julia Lathrop will host an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner buffet at the Downtown... Full StoryTeen avoids deer, hits utility pole
PAWLET Vermont State Police said a teenager... Full Story
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Privacy Statement
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TimeTrade Systems, Inc. respects your privacy and values our clients' trust. We are committed to ensuring that the privacy of the information stored by our systems is suitably protected and used appropriately. This Privacy Statement outlines how TimeTrade will treat information gathered by our Websites or hosted within our applications. By using this Website, you agree to comply with and be bound by this Privacy Statement and the Terms and Conditions of Use published at www.timetrade.com/tou. This Privacy Statement is incorporated into those Terms, and capitalized terms used, but not defined herein, have the meanings ascribed to them in the Terms. PLEASE READ THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT CAREFULLY, AND PLEASE CHECK THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT PERIODICALLY, AS TIMETRADE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THIS POLICY WITHOUT NOTICE.
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"PII" or "Personally Identifiable Information" is defined under MA 201 CMR 17.00 Standards for the Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (i.e. social security, financial or credit account number, etc.).
"SMB" refers to TimeTrade's Personal, Professional, Workgroup, Individual, or Business Edition SaaS offerings. These offerings are for individuals and businesses or groups that require one-to-one appointment scheduling functionality or appointment routing. The SMB service is owned and operated by TimeTrade and sold on a per Subscriber basis. Terms of use for the SMB SaaS offering are detailed here: http://www.timetrade.com/SMB-termsofservice
"Enterprise" refers to TimeTrade's SaaS product offering for larger businesses or organizations that require high volume scheduling, configurable interfaces and complex business rules. Enterprise is licensed under a Subscriber specific licensing agreement. Terms of use for the Enterprise product are defined in the Subscriber's Software as a Services Agreement with TimeTrade.
"SaaS" or Software as a Service, is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand software" and delivered via a web browser
"Subscriber" is a single customer of the services provided by TimeTrade.
"TimeTrade" shall refer TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
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Unless permission is provided through our Opt-in process, we will not sell, share, or rent your personal information to any third party or use your e-mail address for unsolicited mail. Any emails sent by TimeTrade will only be in connection with the provision of agreed services, products or inquiries.
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The SMB product offering provides an "opt-in" option for Subscribers and their associated Users to receive further information from TimeTrade and third parties. If the User or Subscriber opts-in, TimeTrade may share names and email addresses with selected partners so that such partners may contact them with offers that may be of interest to them. Users and Subscribers can opt-out of receiving such information at any time by unsubscribing to the marketing emails via the unsubscribe links presented in the email. Enterprise Subscriber data is not used or included in any TimeTrade or third party marketing programs.
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Online credit card payments related to SMB subscriptions are processed by a PCI certified payment processing vendor utilizing secure, encrypted payment card processing methods. Financial information will not be shared with any party not directly involved with billing of the services.
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The TimeTrade applications collect data in order to schedule services on behalf of Subscribers. As a function of the application, Subscribers may customize the data that is collected from Users. Typically, the data collected is: First & Last Name, Email Address and Telephone number.
Except as specified elsewhere in this TimeTrade Policy Statement, TimeTrade considers all User information collected by TimeTrade on behalf of a Subscriber to be the proprietary information of the applicable Subscriber. A Subscriber, however, may share their proprietary information pursuant to their own privacy policy.
TimeTrade employees may periodically access Subscriber data solely for administrative purposes, application support, or to improve systems efficiency and add enhancements.
If required by law, TimeTrade may access or disclose information collected by our systems on behalf of a Subscriber, to appropriate authorities. Unless otherwise prohibited, a disclosure request shall be promptly communicated to the Subscriber, i.e. data owner.
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The functionality of the TimeTrade services allows Subscribers to collect information required for the scheduling of their own appointments and services. Pursuant to best practices and privacy regulations, Subscribers should limit the amount of personally identifiable information collected to only that which is strictly necessary. A Subscriber should never ask for a credit card number or government identification number via the TimeTrade services. If other sensitive information, such as PII, is required for the Subscriber to perform services, consider collecting or entering only the last four digits of account information.
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TimeTrade internally classifies all scheduling and appointment information as confidential and proprietary to the Subscriber. TimeTrade will never share a Subscriber's schedule or appointment data with any third party outside the scope of TimeTrade's services. For user experience, analytical and support purposes TimeTrade may record Subscriber User session-specific information, such as source IP, accessing browser and which pages or functions within application were accessed. For Users scheduling appointments with a Subscriber, TimeTrade will not share their scheduling information with anyone except the Subscriber with whom they are making an appointment. A Subscriber can only view information relating to their instance of services.
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Other websites and applications not under the direct control of TimeTrade are not governed by this Privacy Statement. Emails generated by Subscribers as part of the TimeTrade services may contain links to enable Users to visit other websites. Be aware that TimeTrade does not have any control over the target website and cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information that a User provides while visiting them. Caution should be exercised when visiting unknown websites, and the privacy statement applicable to the website in question should be reviewed prior to use.
10. Children
Children should request permission from their parent or guardian prior to sending personal information online. TimeTrade does not intentionally collect any personally-identifiable information from individuals under the age of 13. No part of TimeTrade's Website is structured to attract anyone under the age of 13. If a child has provided TimeTrade or a TimeTrade Subscriber with personally-identifiable information via the Websites or application and the parent or guardian would like this information removed from the Subscriber's data, the parent or guardian of that child should contact the Subscriber and ask that the data be removed from their records. If further assistance is needed, contact TimeTrade directly at privacytimetrade.com and we will use reasonable efforts to assist in the deletion of the child's personally-identifiable information.
11. Non-Personally-Identifiable Information Automatically Collected
TimeTrade collects information about the systems that connect to our Website and services. Examples of this type of information include the IP address and type of Internet Browser and/or computer operating system used in the connection, and/or the domain name of the website and/or Internet Service Provider linked to our Website or services. In addition, TimeTrade may collect general usage statistics and provide them to prospective advertisers or partners. This information is collected in aggregate form and does not include any Personally Identifiable Information about specific Users, Subscribers or Visitors.
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TimeTrade services are accessible via any supported internet connected web browser. This Privacy Statement is applicable to all Subscribers, Users and Visitors connected via a supported mobile device browser.
13. Internet Browser Cookies
When any web browser connects to a TimeTrade provided Website or service, the sites and applications utilize browser cookies to a) provide a customizable and personalized experience, such as personal site preferences, b) record User session-specific information, such as which pages within the application were accessed, and c) provide application session control to the servers hosting the application. Disabling the support of browser cookies is not recommended: non-use of cookies may lead to reduced functionality and or an unsatisfactory user experience.
14. Security
TimeTrade has security controls in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, and alternation of the information under our custodianship.
TimeTrade voluntarily complies with the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information from European Union member countries. The Company has certified that it adheres to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. To learn more about the Safe Harbor program and to view The Company's certification, please visit http://www.export.gov/safeharbor/
15. Contacting Us
Please direct any questions regarding our Privacy Statement to our privacy coordinator at privacytimetrade.com.
This document was last updated on 3/30/2016


text:
Maine MLB players help put on baseball clinic in PortlandUPDATED 6:36 PM EST Dec 28, 2013
Former Deering high standout Ryan Reid and South Portland's Charlie Furbush helped out at a baseball clinic at the Edge Academy.Video Transcript
SOME LOCAL YOUTH BASEBALL PLAYERS RECEIVED A LATE CHRISTMAS GIFT TODAY AS THEY LEARNED SOME TIPS FROM A PAIR OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS. FORMER DEERING HIGH STANDOUT RYAN REID AND SOUTH PORTLAND NATIVE CHARLIE FURBUSH HELPED OUT AT A BASEBALL CLINIC AT THE EDGE ACADEMY IN PORTLAND THIS MORNING. IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK FOR REID WHO WAS CLAIMED OFF WAIVERS BY THE NEW YORK METS ON MONDAY. "i was blessed to get another opportunity with the Mets i had a great one with Pittsburgh you know the waiver thing worked out, the Mets picked me up im excited, there is going to be competetive camp in Port St. Lucie, I belive, its going to be great" CHARLIE FURBUSH SIGNED A NEW ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE SEATTLE MARINERS EARLIER THIS MONTH AND IS COMING OFF A CAREER HIGH 71 APPEARANCES OUT OF THE MARINERS BULLPEN LAST SEASON. IT'LL BE HIS FOURTH SEASON IN SEATTLE... AND HE'S HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THE FRANCHISE. I thought I made some big strides as a bullpen guy for the second year really, got to pitch in some big situations and close ball games and I got to learn a lot about myself so im excited to move forward and to continue what i built on last year
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Bryant Lee passed for 266 yards and two touchdowns to lead Southern to its third straight win with a 35-28 victory over Jackson State on Saturday night.
Southern (3-2, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) ended a two-game losing streak to Jackson State.
The Jaguars trailed 7-3 midway through the second quarter before Lee connected with Juamorris Stewart on a 37-yard touchdown pass for a 10-7 lead with 8:30 left in the first half.
Four minutes later, Lee again found Stewart for a 33-yard touchdown pass to give Southern a 16-7 lead with 4:04 remaining. Stewart finished with 179 yards on eight catches.
Jackson State (1-4, 0-1), which lost its third straight game, got two touchdowns passes from Trae Rutland, but committed 10 penalties and had three turnovers.


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The NX-1308E is an LED keypad from Interlogix which is made up of a swing down removable door, a white color, and a traditional design. The NX-1308E LED keypad comes with a 55 to 130 mA nominal current draw, 8 zones, controls that are compatible with all NX series, plus a 1 gang rough-in box size, and a white ABS plastic construction. This high quality LED keypad comes as a simple and easy to use unit to use, and lights that offer a clear indication of the system status while containing all the features that would be ideal for a security system for a particular lifestyle.
- Code Entry Keypad w/Backlit Keys
- Clear Status Light Indicators
- Optional Audio Tone when Keys are Pressed
- Dedicated Fire, Police and EMS Keys
- Five Pre-programmed Function Keys
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The Stow family is going to file a lawsuit in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, suing the franchise for "criminal acts," according to reports. Read »
The brutal beating of a San Francisco Giants' fan by Dodger fans March 31 has left an impression on the ballplayers as well as fans. Read »
The family has announced the next steps for Giants fan. Read »
Bryan Stow may come home soon. Read »
Fresh off a federal trial, the slugger reportedly visits beating victim at LA hospital. Read »
No change in the condition of the Giants fan brutally attacked outside Dodger's stadium. Read »
The Los Angeles Dodgers have canceled six games that featured half-price alcohol concessions in the wake of Bryan Stow's attack. Read »
Giants pitching-ace Tim Lincecum announced on Facebook Thursday that he has decided to contribute $25,000 to the Bryan Stow Fund. Read »
San Francisco Giants fans have shown their generous side this week as they helped the team raise $70,000 for the Bryan Stow fund. Stow is the fan who was attacked following the team's Opening Day game... Read »
The Dodgers have hired former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton to consult on security around the stadium. Read »
2016 NBC Bay Area TV Schedule
|Spring Training Games
|Sun. Mar 13
|3:00 p.m.
|vs. San Diego Padres
|Fri. Mar 18
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. San Diego Padres
|Fri. Apr 1
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Oakland A's
|Regular Season Games
|Fri. Apr 8
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. L.A. Dodgers
|Fri. Apr 15
|7:00 p.m.
|at L.A. Dodgers
|Fri. Apr 22
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Miami Marlins
|Sat. May 14
|5:00 p.m.
|at Arizona Diamondbacks
|Fri. May 20
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Chicago Cubs
|Fri. May 27
|5:30 p.m.
|at Colorado Rockies
|Fri. June 10
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. L.A. Dodgers
|Mon. June 13
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Milwaukee Brewers
|Mon. June 27
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Oakland A's
|Wed. July 6
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Colorado Rockies
|Fri. July 15
|7:00 p.m.
|at San Diego Padres
|Fri. July 29
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Washington Nationals
|Fri. Aug. 26
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. Atlanta Braves
|Fri. Sep 16
|7:00 p.m.
|vs. St. Louis Cardinals
|Wed. Sept 21
|7:00 p.m.
|at L.A. Dodgers


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Our Reds were well overdue for fate to smile on them , Jason. Fickle lady fate has kicked them in the teeth so many times in the past year. A win is a win is a win. And something to build on with Luis Suarez return to the squad. It really doesn't matter what supporters of other clubs have to say. Won't knock this smile off my face. Well done you Reds.


text:
- Report: #463041
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Discount Book Sale
Discount Book Salediscountbooksale.com Boca Raton, Florida U.S.A.
Discount Book Sale Discount Book Sale made several fraudulent charges to my credit card Boca Raton Florida
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When I called their number (It appeared on the credit card statement as 8667075858*DBS*Books 8667-75858(, I was told that by ordering a book I had agreed to joining the book club. The problem is that I was never told that by ordering a book I was agreeing to a $29.95 membership in a book club plus an on-going $12.00 per month fee.
All charges except for the actual purchase of the book will be disputed with my credit card company.
Before anyone buys from this questionable company, google search for DBS Books and you will find others who have been ripped off in the same way.
Whittier, California
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/19/2009 03:00 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Discount-Book-Sale/Boca-Raton-Florida-33481-0365/Discount-Book-Sale-Discount-Book-Sale-made-several-fraudulent-charges-to-my-credit-card-Bo-463041. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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your health care is easy and convenient with our primary care and specialty
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Boost your strength and energy through Resilience Training, an eight-week program that research shows improves measured areas of mood, anxiety, sleep and pain. Find a program near you.
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Register for a free advance care planning class for assistance with advance care planning discussions and completing a health care directive. Learn more.
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