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The importance of phase information for recognizing natural images
Gegenfurtner, K., Braun, D., Wichmann, F.
Gegenfurtner, K., Braun, D., Wichmann, F. The importance of phase information for recognizing natural images 2003 (poster)
A Short Introduction to Learning with Kernels
In Proceedings of the Machine Learning Summer School, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 2600, pages: 41-64, LNAI 2600, (Editors: S Mendelson and AJ Smola), Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, 2003 (inbook)
Schölkopf, B., Smola, A. A Short Introduction to Learning with Kernels In Proceedings of the Machine Learning Summer School, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 2600, pages: 41-64, LNAI 2600, (Editors: S Mendelson and AJ Smola), Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, 2003 (inbook)
Bayesian Kernel Methods
Smola, A., Schölkopf, B.
In Advanced Lectures on Machine Learning, Machine Learning Summer School 2002, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 2600, LNAI 2600, pages: 65-117, 0, (Editors: S Mendelson and AJ Smola), Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2003 (inbook)
Smola, A., Schölkopf, B. Bayesian Kernel Methods In Advanced Lectures on Machine Learning, Machine Learning Summer School 2002, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 2600, LNAI 2600, pages: 65-117, 0, (Editors: S Mendelson and AJ Smola), Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2003 (inbook)
Stability of ensembles of kernel machines
Elisseeff, A., Pontil, M.
In 190, pages: 111-124, NATO Science Series III: Computer and Systems Science, (Editors: Suykens, J., G. Horvath, S. Basu, C. Micchelli and J. Vandewalle), IOS press, Netherlands, 2003 (inbook)
Elisseeff, A., Pontil, M. Stability of ensembles of kernel machines In 190, pages: 111-124, NATO Science Series III: Computer and Systems Science, (Editors: Suykens, J., G. Horvath, S. Basu, C. Micchelli and J. Vandewalle), IOS press, Netherlands, 2003 (inbook)
Models of contrast transfer as a function of presentation time and spatial frequency.
Understanding contrast transduction is essential for understanding spatial vision. Using standard 2AFC contrast discrimination experiments conducted using a carefully calibrated display we previously showed that the shape of the threshold versus (pedestal) contrast (TvC) curve changes with presentation time and the performance level defined as threshold (Wichmann, 1999; Wichmann & Henning, 1999). Additional experiments looked at the change of the TvC curve with spatial frequency (Bird, Henning & Wichmann, 2002), and at how to constrain the parameters of models of contrast processing (Wichmann, 2002). Here I report modelling results both across spatial frequency and presentation time. An extensive model-selection exploration was performed using Bayesian confidence regions for the fitted parameters as well as cross-validation methods. Bird, C.M., G.B. Henning and F.A. Wichmann (2002). Contrast discrimination with sinusoidal gratings of different spatial frequency. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 19, 1267-1273. Wichmann, F.A. (1999). Some aspects of modelling human spatial vision: contrast discrimination. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Oxford. Wichmann, F.A. & Henning, G.B. (1999). Implications of the Pedestal Effect for Models of Contrast-Processing and Gain-Control. OSA Annual Meeting Program, 62. Wichmann, F.A. (2002). Modelling Contrast Transfer in Spatial Vision [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 2, 7a.
Wichmann, F. Models of contrast transfer as a function of presentation time and spatial frequency. 2003 (poster)
Surface-slant-from-texture discrimination: Effects of slant level and texture type
Rosas, P., Wichmann, F., Wagemans, J.
Journal of Vision, 2(7):300, Second Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), November 2002 (poster)
The problem of surface-slant-from-texture was studied psychophysically by measuring the performances of five human subjects in a slant-discrimination task with a number of different types of textures: uniform lattices, randomly displaced lattices, polka dots, Voronoi tessellations, orthogonal sinusoidal plaid patterns, fractal or 1/f noise, "coherent" noise and a "diffusion-based" texture (leopard skin-like). The results show: (1) Improving performance with larger slants for all textures. (2) A "non-symmetrical" performance around a particular slant characterized by a psychometric function that is steeper in the direction of the more slanted orientation. (3) For sufficiently large slants (66 deg) there are no major differences in performance between any of the different textures. (4) For slants at 26, 37 and 53 degrees, however, there are marked differences between the different textures. (5) The observed differences in performance across textures for slants up to 53 degrees are systematic within subjects, and nearly so across them. This allows a rank-order of textures to be formed according to their "helpfulness" — that is, how easy the discrimination task is when a particular texture is mapped on the surface. Polka dots tended to allow the best slant discrimination performance, noise patterns the worst up to the large slant of 66 degrees at which performance was almost independent of the particular texture chosen. Finally, our large number of 2AFC trials (approximately 2800 trials per texture across subjects) and associated tight confidence intervals may enable us to find out about which statistical properties of the textures could be responsible for surface-slant-from-texture estimation, with the ultimate goal of being able to predict observer performance for any arbitrary texture.
Rosas, P., Wichmann, F., Wagemans, J. Surface-slant-from-texture discrimination: Effects of slant level and texture type Journal of Vision, 2(7):300, Second Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), November 2002 (poster)
Modelling Contrast Transfer in Spatial Vision
Journal of Vision, 2(10):7, Second Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), November 2002 (poster)
Much of our information about spatial vision comes from detection experiments involving low-contrast stimuli. Contrast discrimination experiments provide one way to explore the visual system's response to stimuli of higher contrast, the results of which allow different models of contrast processing (e.g. energy versus gain-control models) to be critically assessed (Wichmann & Henning, 1999). Studies of detection and discrimination using pulse train stimuli in noise, on the other hand, make predictions about the number, position and properties of noise sources within the processing stream (Henning, Bird & Wichmann, 2002). Here I report modelling results combining data from both sinusoidal and pulse train experiments in and without noise to arrive at a more tightly constrained model of early spatial vision.
Wichmann, F. Modelling Contrast Transfer in Spatial Vision Journal of Vision, 2(10):7, Second Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), November 2002 (poster)
Gender Classification of Human Faces
Graf, A., Wichmann, F.
In Biologically Motivated Computer Vision, pages: 1-18, (Editors: Bülthoff, H. H., S.W. Lee, T. A. Poggio and C. Wallraven), Springer, Berlin, Germany, Second International Workshop on Biologically Motivated Computer Vision (BMCV), November 2002 (inproceedings)
This paper addresses the issue of combining pre-processing methods—dimensionality reduction using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Locally Linear Embedding (LLE)—with Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification for a behaviorally important task in humans: gender classification. A processed version of the MPI head database is used as stimulus set. First, summary statistics of the head database are studied. Subsequently the optimal parameters for LLE and the SVM are sought heuristically. These values are then used to compare the original face database with its processed counterpart and to assess the behavior of a SVM with respect to changes in illumination and perspective of the face images. Overall, PCA was superior in classification performance and allowed linear separability.
Graf, A., Wichmann, F. Gender Classification of Human Faces In Biologically Motivated Computer Vision, pages: 1-18, (Editors: Bülthoff, H. H., S.W. Lee, T. A. Poggio and C. Wallraven), Springer, Berlin, Germany, Second International Workshop on Biologically Motivated Computer Vision (BMCV), November 2002 (inproceedings)
Insect-Inspired Estimation of Self-Motion
Franz, MO., Chahl, JS.
In Biologically Motivated Computer Vision, (2525):171-180, LNCS, (Editors: Bülthoff, H.H. , S.W. Lee, T.A. Poggio, C. Wallraven), Springer, Berlin, Germany, Second International Workshop on Biologically Motivated Computer Vision (BMCV), November 2002 (inproceedings)
The tangential neurons in the fly brain are sensitive to the typical optic flow patterns generated during self-motion. In this study, we examine whether a simplified linear model of these neurons can be used to estimate self-motion from the optic flow. We present a theory for the construction of an optimal linear estimator incorporating prior knowledge about the environment. The optimal estimator is tested on a gantry carrying an omnidirectional vision sensor. The experiments show that the proposed approach leads to accurate and robust estimates of rotation rates, whereas translation estimates turn out to be less reliable.
Franz, MO., Chahl, JS. Insect-Inspired Estimation of Self-Motion In Biologically Motivated Computer Vision, (2525):171-180, LNCS, (Editors: Bülthoff, H.H. , S.W. Lee, T.A. Poggio, C. Wallraven), Springer, Berlin, Germany, Second International Workshop on Biologically Motivated Computer Vision (BMCV), November 2002 (inproceedings)
Pulse train detection and discrimination in pink noise
Much of our information about spatial vision comes from detection experiments involving low-contrast stimuli. Contrast discrimination experiments provide one way to explore the visual system's response to stimuli of higher contrast. We explored both detection and contrast discrimination performance with sinusoidal and "pulse-train" (or line) gratings. Both types of grating had a fundamental spatial frequency of 2.09-c/deg but the pulse-train, ideally, contains, in addition to its fundamental component, all the harmonics of the fundamental. Although the 2.09-c/deg pulse-train produced on the display was measured and shown to contain at least 8 harmonics at equal contrast, it was no more detectable than its most detectable component; no benefit from having additional information at the harmonics was measurable. The addition of broadband "pink" noise, designed to equalize the detectability of the components of the pulse train, made it about a factor of four more detectable than any of its components. However, in contrast-discrimination experiments, with an in-phase pedestal or masking grating of the same form and phase as the signal and 15% contrast, the noise did not improve the discrimination performance of the pulse train relative to that of its sinusoidal components. In contrast, a 2.09-c/deg "super train," constructed to have 8 equally detectable harmonics, was a factor of five more detectable than any of its components. We discuss the implications of these observations for models of early vision in particular the implications for possible sources of internal noise.
Henning, G., Wichmann, F., Bird, C. Pulse train detection and discrimination in pink noise Journal of Vision, 2(7):229, Second Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), November 2002 (poster)
Combining sensory Information to Improve Visualization
Ernst, M., Banks, M., Wichmann, F., Maloney, L., Bülthoff, H.
In Proceedings of the Conference on Visualization '02 (VIS '02), pages: 571-574, (Editors: Moorhead, R. , M. Joy), IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE Conference on Visualization (VIS '02), October 2002 (inproceedings)
Seemingly effortlessly the human brain reconstructs the three-dimensional environment surrounding us from the light pattern striking the eyes. This seems to be true across almost all viewing and lighting conditions. One important factor for this apparent easiness is the redundancy of information provided by the sensory organs. For example, perspective distortions, shading, motion parallax, or the disparity between the two eyes' images are all, at least partly, redundant signals which provide us with information about the three-dimensional layout of the visual scene. Our brain uses all these different sensory signals and combines the available information into a coherent percept. In displays visualizing data, however, the information is often highly reduced and abstracted, which may lead to an altered perception and therefore a misinterpretation of the visualized data. In this panel we will discuss mechanisms involved in the combination of sensory information and their implications for simulations using computer displays, as well as problems resulting from current display technology such as cathode-ray tubes.
Ernst, M., Banks, M., Wichmann, F., Maloney, L., Bülthoff, H. Combining sensory Information to Improve Visualization In Proceedings of the Conference on Visualization '02 (VIS '02), pages: 571-574, (Editors: Moorhead, R. , M. Joy), IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE Conference on Visualization (VIS '02), October 2002 (inproceedings)
Incorporating Invariances in Non-Linear Support Vector Machines
Chapelle, O., Schölkopf, B.
In Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 14, pages: 609-616, (Editors: TG Dietterich and S Becker and Z Ghahramani), MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 15th Annual Neural Information Processing Systems Conference (NIPS), September 2002 (inproceedings)
The choice of an SVM kernel corresponds to the choice of a representation of the data in a feature space and, to improve performance, it should therefore incorporate prior knowledge such as known transformation invariances. We propose a technique which extends earlier work and aims at incorporating invariances in nonlinear kernels. We show on a digit recognition task that the proposed approach is superior to the Virtual Support Vector method, which previously had been the method of choice.
Chapelle, O., Schölkopf, B. Incorporating Invariances in Non-Linear Support Vector Machines In Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 14, pages: 609-616, (Editors: TG Dietterich and S Becker and Z Ghahramani), MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 15th Annual Neural Information Processing Systems Conference (NIPS), September 2002 (inproceedings)
Constructing Boosting algorithms from SVMs: an application to one-class classification.
Rätsch, G., Mika, S., Schölkopf, B., Müller, K.
IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 24(9):1184-1199, September 2002 (article)
We show via an equivalence of mathematical programs that a support vector (SV) algorithm can be translated into an equivalent boosting-like algorithm and vice versa. We exemplify this translation procedure for a new algorithm—one-class leveraging—starting from the one-class support vector machine (1-SVM). This is a first step toward unsupervised learning in a boosting framework. Building on so-called barrier methods known from the theory of constrained optimization, it returns a function, written as a convex combination of base hypotheses, that characterizes whether a given test point is likely to have been generated from the distribution underlying the training data. Simulations on one-class classification problems demonstrate the usefulness of our approach.
Rätsch, G., Mika, S., Schölkopf, B., Müller, K. Constructing Boosting algorithms from SVMs: an application to one-class classification. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 24(9):1184-1199, September 2002 (article)
Phase information in the recognition of natural images
Braun, D., Wichmann, F., Gegenfurtner, K.
Perception, 31(ECVP Abstract Supplement):133, 25th European Conference on Visual Perception, August 2002 (poster)
Fourier phase plays an important role in determining global image structure. For example, when the phase spectrum of an image of a flower is swapped with that of a tank, we usually perceive a tank, even though the amplitude spectrum is still that of the flower. Similarly, when the phase spectrum of an image is randomly swapped across frequencies, that is its Fourier energy is randomly distributed over the image, the resulting image becomes impossible to recognise. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of phase manipulations in a quantitative manner. Subjects viewed two images of natural scenes, one of which contained an animal (the target) embedded in the background. The spectra of the images were manipulated by adding random phase noise at each frequency. The phase noise was the independent variable, uniformly distributed between 0° and ±180°. Subjects were remarkably resistant to phase noise. Even with ±120° noise, subjects were still 75% correct. The proportion of correct answers closely followed the correlation between original and noise-distorted images. Thus it appears as if it was not the global phase information per se that determines our percept of natural images, but rather the effect of phase on local image features.
Braun, D., Wichmann, F., Gegenfurtner, K. Phase information in the recognition of natural images Perception, 31(ECVP Abstract Supplement):133, 25th European Conference on Visual Perception, August 2002 (poster)
The contributions of color to recognition memory for natural scenes
Wichmann, F., Sharpe, L., Gegenfurtner, K.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 28(3):509-520, May 2002 (article)
The authors used a recognition memory paradigm to assess the influence of color information on visual memory for images of natural scenes. Subjects performed 5-10% better for colored than for black-and-white images independent of exposure duration. Experiment 2 indicated little influence of contrast once the images were suprathreshold, and Experiment 3 revealed that performance worsened when images were presented in color and tested in black and white, or vice versa, leading to the conclusion that the surface property color is part of the memory representation. Experiments 4 and 5 exclude the possibility that the superior recognition memory for colored images results solely from attentional factors or saliency. Finally, the recognition memory advantage disappears for falsely colored images of natural scenes: The improvement in recognition memory depends on the color congruence of presented images with learned knowledge about the color gamut found within natural scenes. The results can be accounted for within a multiple memory systems framework.
Wichmann, F., Sharpe, L., Gegenfurtner, K. The contributions of color to recognition memory for natural scenes Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 28(3):509-520, May 2002 (article)
Detection and discrimination in pink noise
5, pages: 100, 5. T{\"u}binger Wahrnehmungskonferenz (TWK), February 2002 (poster)
Much of our information about early spatial vision comes from detection experiments involving low-contrast stimuli, which are not, perhaps, particularly "natural" stimuli. Contrast discrimination experiments provide one way to explore the visual system's response to stimuli of higher contrast whilst keeping the number of unknown parameters comparatively small. We explored both detection and contrast discrimination performance with sinusoidal and "pulse-train" (or line) gratings. Both types of grating had a fundamental spatial frequency of 2.09-c/deg but the pulse-train, ideally, contains, in addition to its fundamental component, all the harmonics of the fundamental. Although the 2.09-c/deg pulse-train produced on our display was measured using a high-performance digital camera (Photometrics) and shown to contain at least 8 harmonics at equal contrast, it was no more detectable than its most detectable component; no benefit from having additional information at the harmonics was measurable. The addition of broadband 1-D "pink" noise made it about a factor of four more detectable than any of its components. However, in contrast-discrimination experiments, with an in-phase pedestal or masking grating of the same form and phase as the signal and 15% contrast, the noise did not improve the discrimination performance of the pulse train relative to that of its sinusoidal components. We discuss the implications of these observations for models of early vision in particular the implications for possible sources of internal noise.
Wichmann, F., Henning, G. Detection and discrimination in pink noise 5, pages: 100, 5. T{\"u}binger Wahrnehmungskonferenz (TWK), February 2002 (poster)
Training invariant support vector machines
DeCoste, D., Schölkopf, B.
Machine Learning, 46(1-3):161-190, January 2002 (article)
Practical experience has shown that in order to obtain the best possible performance, prior knowledge about invariances of a classification problem at hand ought to be incorporated into the training procedure. We describe and review all known methods for doing so in support vector machines, provide experimental results, and discuss their respective merits. One of the significant new results reported in this work is our recent achievement of the lowest reported test error on the well-known MNIST digit recognition benchmark task, with SVM training times that are also significantly faster than previous SVM methods.
DeCoste, D., Schölkopf, B. Training invariant support vector machines Machine Learning, 46(1-3):161-190, January 2002 (article)
Contrast discrimination with sinusoidal gratings of different spatial frequency
Bird, C., Henning, G., Wichmann, F.
Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 19(7), pages: 1267-1273, 2002 (article)
The detectability of contrast increments was measured as a function of the contrast of a masking or "pedestal" grating at a number of different spatial frequencies ranging from 2 to 16 cycles per degree of visual angle. The pedestal grating always had the same orientation, spatial frequency and phase as the signal. The shape of the contrast increment threshold versus pedestal contrast (TvC) functions depend of the performance level used to define the "threshold," but when both axes are normalized by the contrast corresponding to 75% correct detection at each frequency, the (TvC) functions at a given performance level are identical. Confidence intervals on the slope of the rising part of the TvC functions are so wide that it is not possible with our data to reject Weber's Law.
Bird, C., Henning, G., Wichmann, F. Contrast discrimination with sinusoidal gratings of different spatial frequency Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 19(7), pages: 1267-1273, 2002 (article)
Support Vector Machines and Kernel Methods: The New Generation of Learning Machines
Cristianini, N., Schölkopf, B.
AI Magazine, 23(3):31-41, 2002 (article)
Cristianini, N., Schölkopf, B. Support Vector Machines and Kernel Methods: The New Generation of Learning Machines AI Magazine, 23(3):31-41, 2002 (article)
Application of Monte Carlo Methods to Psychometric Function Fitting
Proceedings of the 33rd European Conference on Mathematical Psychology, pages: 44, 2002 (poster)
The psychometric function relates an observer's performance to an independent variable, usually some physical quantity of a stimulus in a psychophysical task. Here I describe methods to (1) fitting psychometric functions, (2) assessing goodness-of-fit, and (3) providing confidence intervals for the function's parameters and other estimates derived from them. First I describe a constrained maximum-likelihood method for parameter estimation. Using Monte-Carlo simulations I demonstrate that it is important to have a fitting method that takes stimulus-independent errors (or "lapses") into account. Second, a number of goodness-of-fit tests are introduced. Because psychophysical data sets are usually rather small I advocate the use of Monte Carlo resampling techniques that do not rely on asymptotic theory for goodness-of-fit assessment. Third, a parametric bootstrap is employed to estimate the variability of fitted parameters and derived quantities such as thresholds and slopes. I describe how the bootstrap bridging assumption, on which the validity of the procedure depends, can be tested without incurring too high a cost in computation time. Finally I describe how the methods can be extended to test hypotheses concerning the form and shape of several psychometric functions. Software describing the methods is available (http://www.bootstrap-software.com/psignifit/), as well as articles describing the methods in detail (Wichmann&Hill, Perception&Psychophysics, 2001a,b).
Wichmann, F. Application of Monte Carlo Methods to Psychometric Function Fitting Proceedings of the 33rd European Conference on Mathematical Psychology, pages: 44, 2002 (poster)
Contrast discrimination with pulse-trains in pink noise
Henning, G., Bird, C., Wichmann, F.
Detection performance was measured with sinusoidal and pulse-train gratings. Although the 2.09-c/deg pulse-train, or line gratings, contained at least 8 harmonics all at equal contrast, they were no more detectable than their most detectable component. The addition of broadband pink noise designed to equalize the detectability of the components of the pulse train made the pulse train about a factor of four more detectable than any of its components. However, in contrast-discrimination experiments, with a pedestal or masking grating of the same form and phase as the signal and 15% contrast, the noise did not affect the discrimination performance of the pulse train relative to that obtained with its sinusoidal components. We discuss the implications of these observations for models of early vision in particular the implications for possible sources of internal noise.
Henning, G., Bird, C., Wichmann, F. Contrast discrimination with pulse-trains in pink noise Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 19(7), pages: 1259-1266, 2002 (article)
A kernel approach for learning from almost orthogonal patterns
Schölkopf, B., Weston, J., Eskin, E., Leslie, C., Noble, W.
In Principles of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2430/2431, pages: 511-528, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, (Editors: T Elomaa and H Mannila and H Toivonen), Springer, Berlin, Germany, 13th European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML) and 6th European Conference on Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (PKDD'2002), 2002 (inproceedings)
PostScript DOI [BibTex]
Schölkopf, B., Weston, J., Eskin, E., Leslie, C., Noble, W. A kernel approach for learning from almost orthogonal patterns In Principles of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2430/2431, pages: 511-528, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, (Editors: T Elomaa and H Mannila and H Toivonen), Springer, Berlin, Germany, 13th European Conference on Machine Learning (ECML) and 6th European Conference on Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (PKDD'2002), 2002 (inproceedings)
Optimal linear estimation of self-motion - a real-world test of a model of fly tangential neurons
SAB 02 Workshop, Robotics as theoretical biology, 7th meeting of the International Society for Simulation of Adaptive Behaviour (SAB), (Editors: Prescott, T.; Webb, B.), 2002 (poster)
The tangential neurons in the fly brain are sensitive to the typical optic flow patterns generated during self-motion (see example in Fig.1). We examine whether a simplified linear model of these neurons can be used to estimate self-motion from the optic flow. We present a theory for the construction of an optimal linear estimator incorporating prior knowledge both about the distance distribution of the environment, and about the noise and self-motion statistics of the sensor. The optimal estimator is tested on a gantry carrying an omnidirectional vision sensor that can be moved along three translational and one rotational degree of freedom. The experiments indicate that the proposed approach yields accurate results for rotation estimates, independently of the current translation and scene layout. Translation estimates, however, turned out to be sensitive to simultaneous rotation and to the particular distance distribution of the scene. The gantry experiments confirm that the receptive field organization of the tangential neurons allows them, as an ensemble, to extract self-motion from the optic flow.
Franz, MO. Optimal linear estimation of self-motion - a real-world test of a model of fly tangential neurons SAB 02 Workshop, Robotics as theoretical biology, 7th meeting of the International Society for Simulation of Adaptive Behaviour (SAB), (Editors: Prescott, T.; Webb, B.), 2002 (poster)
Luminance Artifacts on CRT Displays
In IEEE Visualization, pages: 571-574, (Editors: Moorhead, R.; Gross, M.; Joy, K. I.), IEEE Visualization, 2002 (inproceedings)
Most visualization panels today are still built around cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), certainly on personal desktops at work and at home. Whilst capable of producing pleasing images for common applications ranging from email writing to TV and DVD presentation, it is as well to note that there are a number of nonlinear transformations between input (voltage) and output (luminance) which distort the digital and/or analogue images send to a CRT. Some of them are input-independent and hence easy to fix, e.g. gamma correction, but others, such as pixel interactions, depend on the content of the input stimulus and are thus harder to compensate for. CRT-induced image distortions cause problems not only in basic vision research but also for applications where image fidelity is critical, most notably in medicine (digitization of X-ray images for diagnostic purposes) and in forms of online commerce, such as the online sale of images, where the image must be reproduced on some output device which will not have the same transfer function as the customer's CRT. I will present measurements from a number of CRTs and illustrate how some of their shortcomings may be problematic for the aforementioned applications.
Wichmann, F. Luminance Artifacts on CRT Displays In IEEE Visualization, pages: 571-574, (Editors: Moorhead, R.; Gross, M.; Joy, K. I.), IEEE Visualization, 2002 (inproceedings)


text:
The 2016 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 12th staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. The competition began on Saturday 23 April 2016 and ended on Saturday 4 June 2016.

Roscommon were the 2015 champions and were promoted to the Christy Ring Cup.

On 4 June 2016, Mayo won the Nicky Rackard Cup following a 2-16 to 1-15 defeat of Armagh. It was their first Nicky Rackard Cup title.

Tyrone's Damian Casey was the championship's top scorer with 2-40.

Format

The 2016 Nicky Rackard Cup is played in a double-elimination format. For clarity, the draw details are detailed in each round below.

Round 1

All eight teams play in Round 1.

Round 2A

Contested by the four winners of Round 1.

Round 2B

Contested by the four losers of Round 1.

Quarter-finals

The two losers of round 2A (who won a match and lost a match) play the two winners of round 2B (who lost a match and won a match). These two matches are referred to as quarter-finals.

Semi-finals

The winners of round 2A play the winners of the two quarter-finals.

Final

Christy Ring/Nicky Rackard Relegation/Promotion

The bottom team in this year's Christy Ring Cup (tier 2) plays the winner of this year's Nicky Rackard Cup (tier 3).

Nicky Rackard/Lory Meagher play-offs

Bottom play-off

Contested by the two losers from round 2B. Both these teams lost their first two matches.

Relegation/Promotion play-off

The bottom team in this year's Nicky Rackard Cup (tier 3) plays the winner of this year's Lory Meagher Cup (tier 4).

Scoring statistics

Overall

Top scorer in a single game

References

Nicky Rackard Cup
Nicky Rackard Cup

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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This tutorial shows how you can set up a Kubuntu 10.10 desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. Kubuntu 10.10 is derived from Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) and uses the KDE desktop instead of the GNOME desktop.


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April 16, 2018 April 16, 2018 dht3265
Debunking The Comey/Media 'Obstruction' & 'Loyalty Oath' Narratives
Jim Comey's book tour is producing a lot of lazy, half-cocked rhetoric about both "obstruction of justice" and a nefarious "loyalty oath." And as usual, the anti-Trump propagandists masquerading as impartial journalists (ie the mainstream swamp media) are dishing out a lot of narrative-shaping sensationalism and almost zero intellectual honesty.
"PRESIDENT TRUMP OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE!"
No, he didn't. At least not based on any evidence we've seen.
Just like making the first move (ie going in for a kiss) isn't sexual assault, nor is it obstruction of justice when one voices his opinion or asks for consideration. In both cases, in fact, it's an exercise of free speech. (And contrary to what Jake Tapper and the entirety of the CNN staff believe, yes — even the President is entitled to free speech.) (And no, Jake and Jim and Brian and Brooke and Erin and Don and Anderson and Alysin and Chris and Kate and Brianna and the other Jim — him using that right to call out the dishonest media is not a violation of your first amendment right.)
Now if someone goes in for a kiss, is rebuffed, and persists in any way physically — then that becomes a case for sexual assault.
And if someone voices an opinion or asks for consideration about a legal matter, is rebuffed, and persists in a way that prevents law enforcement from doing its diligence — then that becomes a case for obstruction of justice.
But Trump asking Comey to give Michael Flynn or anyone else the benefit of consideration is not obstruction of justice.
The swamp (media, Democrats and establishment GOP to include the Comey/Mueller NeverTrump wing) will dumb down the "obstruction of justice" charge in an effort to make voters believe that any insertion in to an ongoing legal matter constitutes "obstructing" it. But if that's the case, then President Obama would've been guilty of obstructing justice when he said police acted stupidly in their handling of a local matter during his Presidency. And that's just off the top of my head. But any time a President — or Senator, or House Representative, or really anyone — voices an opinion be it publicly or privately, it could be considered him or her "obstructing justice." And that's just not where the bar is for the charge, despite the media desperately wanting the public to believe otherwise when it comes to President Trump.
"HE ASKED COMEY FOR A LOYALTY OATH!"
Donald Trump defeated the Clinton Machine, Democrats, establishment Republicans, mainstream media, and NeverTrump government embeds like James Comey and Andrew McCabe based largely on his promise to "drain the swamp."
That swamp is where people like James Comey built their careers. Almost everyone in DC — from the lifelong politicians, to the dishonest media so many of them are in cahoots with, to the strategists/advisers/consultants — they all depend on the status quo of a well-muddied swamp to sustain their power and profits.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that President Trump would be compelled to audit the loyalties of someone like Comey. Here's basically how it went down…
Trump: "I was elected to drain the swamp that you've called home for most of your career. And I need to know if you're with me, or against me."
Comey and the media: "LOYALTY OATH! HE'S A WITCH!!!1!"
They use language like "loyalty oath" to create a nefarious cloud around President Trump, and in doing so demonstrate exactly the type of intellectually dishonest garbage that millions of people elected President Trump to help dispose of.
SWAMP VS. AMERICA
We all knew the swamp was lying to us when they said that, actually, illegal immigration is all that's holding our [allegedly] otherwise doomed country together.
We knew they were lying when they said that, actually, MLK was wrong and the key to racial harmony is an actionable, laser focus on skin color; our own and others'.
We knew they were lying when they said that, actually, the infinite ubiquity with which our planet's climate has changed was a myth — and now it's changing for the first time and we're why and we can stop it if we submit to additional taxation and increased government control and regulation.
And we know they're lying now when they say that because President Trump opened his mouth and an opinion came out, that somehow he's a dictator hellbent on blood-soaked loyalty oaths and ready to topple any person or institution that refuses to do his personal bidding.
As has been the case since this self-made billionaire with no political experience made history and became President on his promise to drain the swamp and put America first, those legacy grifters whose existence demands swamp-over-country are doing everything they can to stop him.
They're playing "breaking news" whack-a-mole with the same four targets…
"He's a Russian spy!"
"He's a racist!"
"He's a rapist!"
"He's mentally unfit!"
And the Comey book and book tour provide exactly zero new revelations, but reinforce the "He's a Russian spy!" narrative. So they'll keep treating every detail as though it's earth-shattering. With the sole exception of insight in to Comey's thinking which reinforces that he's a political hack whose ego obstructed his duty, nothing Comey wrote or said is new. But the media will gladly keep recycling their same anti-Trump narratives on the fresh pseudo-evidence that "Comey said."
And we all see right through it. Because when your vision is America First and your means is to drain the swamp, you've already spent most of your lifetime filtering out the media's propagandist dishonesty and are now pretty good at it. It's why we elected President Trump, and in doing so rejected the liberal mainstream media and its swamp-dependent friends across the political spectrum.
a higher loyalty
comey
jim comey
loyalty oath
russian collusion
russian meddling
Previous NBC Panel: Media's Job Is To Create Law
Next Polling Challenge For ABC, NBC & CNN
marty lopez says:
James Comey is a self serving, liar and a sanctimonious hypocrite. His own comments demonstrate, if not prove the same and on their very face.
He would have us believe it was his principled and patriotic concern for the office and institution of the Presidency and not crooked Hillary's promotion, or the continuation of his own tenure that motivated him. Really? Well, telephone for Mr. Comey. It's common sense on the line. Any hypothesis requires consistency and at a minimum, I dare say.
And yet, it is he himself that gives us the lie by publicly disrespecting that very same office of the Presidency and as soon as he is discharged for cause and crimes, as he himself confessed under oath and before Congress and as witnessed by the entire nation. Hello?
The man is a joke, a rather embarrassing incompetent quite unworthy to be a crime boss, much less the head of a secret, federal police. Beria must be rolling over in his grave. I will allow for the possibility of his unwilling ineptitude inadvertently revealing his various misappropriations of authority and criminal misdeeds, but it hardly entitles him to any immunity, nor should his subsequent discharge confer upon him any sympathy.
To the extent James Comey is a victim and we can all identify with Jesus Christ as an every man, he is a victim of his own stupidity and incompetence and this circus act, book tour ought to be conducted on stilts, or in his underwear to maximize the comedic effect.
When We Said 'Political Hacks Destroyed The FBI's Credibility,' We Meant It – LoveBreedsAccountability says:
[…] Debunking The Media's 'Obstruction' And 'Loyalty Oath' Narratives […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Recession Fears Cap Oil Prices In 2020
The expectation is that oil…
Oil Prices Correct Following Iranian Attacks
Oil prices retreated on Wednesday…
Energy / Energy-General
Top 4 Energy Innovations On The Horizon
Apr 03, 2015 at 17:38 | Gaurav Agnihotri
Innovation is anything but business as usual. From driving an ordinary fuel guzzling car to a fuel efficient hybrid sedan, we have come a long way…
Oil Market Knee-Jerk Reaction To Nuclear Deal Unjustified
Apr 03, 2015 at 13:37 | Evan Kelly
A group of exhausted diplomats did the unthinkable. The P5+1 countries and Iran came to a massive and historic framework agreement over Iran's nuclear program, paving…
Energy Glut Is More Than Just Crude
Apr 03, 2015 at 12:09 | Matt Smith
Whilst watching a commercial for the new bacon crust pizza, I suddenly found myself equally torn between being really hungry, and considering the thin gray line…
Creditors Pulling The Rug From Under U.S. Shale Sector
Apr 03, 2015 at 10:59 | ZeroHedge
Back in early 2007, just as the first signs of the bursting housing and credit bubble were becoming visible, one of the primary harbingers of impending…
Putin May Have Last Laugh Over Western Sanctions
Apr 02, 2015 at 17:58 | Scott Belinksi
In what can only be seen as another "symbol of sanctions defiance", on March 27 China announced it would be providing French oil giant Total…
Energy Stocks May Be A Safe Haven For U.S. Investors
Apr 01, 2015 at 18:05 | Martin Tillier
If numbers released last week are to be believed, the U.S. stock market is about to experience a sharp correction at the very least. On Friday,…
Why Putin Doesn't Need To Pander To The West
Apr 01, 2015 at 17:57 | Colin Chilcoat
It's quiet on the eastern front – as quiet as a conflict between world superpowers can be. Since February's cease-fire agreement, relative calm has prevailed in…
Is Warren Buffett Wrong About Oil Stocks?
Apr 01, 2015 at 13:58 | John Manfreda
Recently, Warren Buffett has made headlines by selling all of his shares in Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), the rest of his position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP),…
Despite Major Discovery By Statoil, East-African Oil Faces Obstacles
Apr 01, 2015 at 11:04 | Charles Kennedy
East Africa holds out a lot of promise for oil and gas exploration, but its ultimate emergence as an energy player remains in doubt. Statoil, the mostly government-owned Norwegian oil…
Earthquake Case Could Doom Fracking In Oklahoma
Mar 31, 2015 at 11:38 | James Stafford
The rise in earthquakes as a result of fracking poses a massive problem for the oil and gas industry. It is not hydraulic fracturing per se…
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PARIS — The latest iteration of the Fisker Karma hybrid gasoline/electric sports car made an appearance Thursday at the Paris Motor Show.
Henrik Fisker, the designer and founder, said the model on display in Paris was the first to be produced in the Scandinavian factory, where all future Karmas are intended to be built.
Mr. Fisker said he was proud the vehicle hewed closely to its original sketches as it when from concept to production. The biggest change was addition of a "B" pillar amidships to improve side impact crashworthiness, he said. The production model retained singular features, like its 22-inch wheels and tires, roof-mounted solar panels and large TV screen inside.
Francois Mori/Associated Press The Fisker Karma.
Other aspects of the vehicle, like price, performance and delivery date have slipped a bit. Fisker said the Karma would be priced around $88,000 and would go on sale next February. When the original concept car was unveiled at the 2008 Detroit auto show, the price was $80,000 and it was promised to arrive in showrooms in 2009.
Although Fisker began taking pre-orders for the Karma more than a year ago -– and a reported 1,300 orders had been taken by May 2010 -– its "on-sale date" has been pushed back again and again. The latest shift, to February, follows the company's promise that the Karma would reach showrooms in September 2010. Between 70 and 100 "test cars" were to have been built in 2010, although the Paris debutante is the first one Fisker has acknowledged as having been turned out by its factory.
As constituted now, the Karma, with its distinctive "handlebar mustache" grille, seems little more than a fancy version of the Chevrolet Volt –- which will cost barely half as much and travel nearly as far. The Karma will carry a turbocharged 2-liter Ecotec gasoline engine manufactured by General Motors, in addition to its two electric motors and lithium ion battery pack.
The Karma's all-electric range is now calculated to be about 50 miles, with an additional 250 miles when using only its gasoline-powered engine. The gas engine also is said to charge the battery pack during driving, although a full charge of a depleted battery pack would apparently need to come from plugging into a charging station.
Many questions remain about the Karma, including its performance in federal certification, crash-testing and fuel economy tests. But Paris marked what was billed as the production car's first public appearance.


Travis Stewart is a producer who's always been admired by the electronic cognosenti, both as a solo producer in his project Machinedrum and also as one half of Sepalcure on Hotflush recordings. After a break from producing he started to resurface in a major way last year with the 'Many Faces E.P.' on Glasgow's LuckyMe label. However, for 'Room(s)', his latest album on Planet Mu, he's well ahead of the curve, approaching the album in a way he's never worked before.
LuckyMe are proud to present a new 5 track EP inspired by Deep Chicago & Modern UK House music, filtered through Machinedrum's distinct palette.


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← Roundhouse, London | June 3, 2015
Paul's Shirt →
Primavera Sound, Portugal – Replacements Over?
Posted on June 6, 2015 by MWTJune 7, 2015
All news about the actual set played last night has been completely overshadowed by a story initially posted by Pitchfork and then picked up by many other outlets:
Paul Westerberg Says The Replacements Just Played Their Final Show
During the band's performance at Primavera Porto today, The Replacements' Paul Westerberg announced that this would be the last time that the band plays together. After saying that the band stayed at the hotel instead of coming in for sound check, he also reportedly said "lazy bastards to the end" and smashed his guitar.
It's also being reported as the band "splitting up" as in this article by The Guardian, The Replacements split..again:
Paul Westerberg, the band's leader, announced from the stage at Primavera Porto on Friday that it would be their final show together. He also observed that the rest of the band had stayed at their hotel rather than soundchecking, calling them "lazy bastards to the end".
Speaking to the Guardian's Michael Hann earlier this year for a feature on the band, Westerberg seemed ambivalent about the current iteration of the Replacements, suggesting Stinson gained more enjoyment from their reunion than he did. "He went away and played in another group for so many years and wasn't playing these songs, while these are my tunes and I've been playing a good handful of them forever," Westerberg said. "So it's not quite as new for me to play I Will Dare or whatever."
He also said he found it hard to work in a group again. "It's difficult to work alone for years and then have to be part of a diplomatic process," he said. He also said there was no financial imperative for him to play with the Replacements, despite the big crowds they have been drawing. "As it plays out now, there's a lot of money being generated, yet there's a big staff and equipment and trucks and buses. I could make more money with an acoustic guitar on my own, travelling in a car without having a bunch of people to pay."
Though there had been reports that they had been working on an album, both Westerberg and Stinson ruled out the possibility of an album when speaking to the Guardian.
The Guardian feature on the band they reference ran in May but neither the quote from Paul about it being more profitable for him to tour solo (DO IT DO IT DO IT) or the bit about Paul and Tommy having "ruled out" the possibility of an album were included in the May article.
I have no clue what's going on and I don't think anyone writing these articles does either. Paul said something on stage, there are no additional tour dates scheduled and that's all we know for sure. I could link to 20 articles on this, but they are all-rehashing the Pitchfork story. More to come on the show itself, including the denouement of Paul's Shirt.
The Replacements! #thereplacements #replacements #nosprimaverasound2015 #nosprimaverasound #festival #nos #primaverasound #primavera #primaverasound2015 #Porto #Portugal
A photo posted by Wachtel (@a_wachtel) on Jun 6, 2015 at 6:25am PDT
Posted in Replacements, Shows	Tagged 2015, Speculation	permalink
Primavera Sound, Portugal – Replacements Over? — 1 Comment
Teddy Wong on June 6, 2015 at 3:55 PM said:
Bummer. Too bad they couldn't last until hitting Florida. At least they gave us a glimmer of how great they were and still are.


to file certain Federal individual and business tax returns and make certain Federal tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced Monday. All workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization also qualify for relief. Taxpayers in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, Tangipahoa, Acadia, Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberia, Lafayette, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, Vermillion, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Washington, and West Feliciana parishes will receive this and other special tax relief.
postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on August 11, 2016. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until January 17, 2017 to file Federal returns and pay any Federal taxes that were originally due during this period. This includes the September 15, 2016 deadline for making quarterly estimated tax payments. For individual tax filers, it also includes 2015 income tax returns that received a tax-filing extension until October 17, 2016. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2015 returns (see more on this below) were originally due on April 18, 2016, they are not eligible for this relief. A variety of business tax deadlines are also affected including the September 15, 2016 deadline for corporation and partnership returns on extension and the October 31, 2016 deadline for quarterly payroll and excise tax returns.
In addition, the IRS is waiving late-deposit penalties for federal payroll and excise tax deposits normally due on or after August 11, 2016 and before August 26, 2016 if the deposits are made by August 26, 2016. Details on available relief can be found on the disaster relief page on IRS.gov.
This includes 2015 individual income tax returns originally due April 18, 2016 but on extension until October 17, 2016.
This includes S Corporations and C Corporations originally due March 15, 2016 but on extension until September 15, 2016 as well as partnerships and trusts originally due April 18, 2016 but on extension until September 15, 2016.
This includes 2016 3rd quarter estimated (quarterly) tax payments due September 15, 2016.
CAUTION: This relief does not apply to Federal taxes owed prior to August 11, 2016.
Consider your 2015 Federal individual income tax return originally due April 18, 2016. If you filed for an extension but did not pay ALL of the tax due, any penalty/interest accruing from April 18, 2016 will continue to accrue. The individual extension extends the time to file the return (originally until October 15, 2016, now until January 17, 2017 based on the info above) but does NOT extend the time to pay your tax.
In addition to the Federal relief detailed above, the Louisiana Department of Revenue has also granted relief. Individual and corporate tax returns as well as estimated payments due on or after August 11, 2016 (including returns on extension) will have an extended deadline of January 17, 2017. This new due date mirrors the Federal extended due date.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are here to help! CONTACT US TODAY!
On December 29, the IRS announced that the 2015 filing season of 2014 returns will begin on January 20, 2015, a week and a half earlier than the start dates for 2013 and 2012. On that day the IRS will open electronic filing and begin processing paper returns.
The IRS expects the number of taxpayers eFiling their returns will continue to grow. Taxpayers expecting a refund who eFile returns should anticipate receiving their refunds within 3 weeks of IRS acknowledgement of the return, whereas paper filers generally must wait 6 to 8 weeks from the time the return is filed.
In late December, Congress decided to extend many provisions of the tax law that expired at the end of 2013, including many deduction provisions, valuable for many businesses and individuals.
Be on the lookout for new Form 1095-B's that will be coming from your insurance provider indicating your insurance coverage for 2014. Your tax preparer will need this form to verify coverage so you will not be subject to penalties required under the Affordable Car Act for individuals without health insurance.
Get your information in early. Most documents should be available to you by the end of January. As soon as you have all of the documents together you should give them to your tax preparer to get your return preparation underway.
If you have questions about the extender provisions, the Affordable Care Act, or other questions about your income taxes, I would be more than happy to spend a few minutes discussing them with you.


It should be noted that job seekers upload or share their resumes (along with associated personal information) with SAMS in the context of existing or anticipated vacancies arising with SAMS' clients, comprising employers registered with SAMS.
It is understood that resumes shared with SAMS as above shall reside in SAMS' databank and be fully accessible to SAMS' clients using our resume access service.
Job-seekers desiring that SAMS keep their resumes confidential and not share the same with SAMS' clients without their prior permission are required to specifically instruct SAMS as above, at the time of uploading or sharing their resumes.
SAMS may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from August 16, 2013.
Credit card and banking details of clients are not collected by SAMS and shared only with the independent payment gateway operator who supports SAMS in this area. Strict encryption controls instituted by the payment gateway operator ensure that this information is secure and confidential.


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Enter Shikari Announce 'The Mindsweep' Release Day Pop Up Shop
The wait is nearly over! Next Monday Enter Shikari release their much anticipated 4th album, 'The Mindsweep' and to mark the occasion, the quartet have announced they will be opening their vey own Pop Up Shop on Camden High Street for the day.
The shop will be pen from 11am right through to 7pm, and will see the band acting as salespeople. The show will include a photo gallery, and expanded 'The Mindsweep' artwork on the walls. Whilst a T-Shirt design debuting exclusively at the shop will be available with plenty of free giveaways taking place throughout the day.
If you can't wait to hear 'The Mindsweep', you can stream it here. They're also on tour next month, but dates are quickly becoming sold out.
Mon 16 Pyramids, Portsmouth (sold out)
Tue 17 Yplas, Cardiff (sold out)
Wed 18 Civic, Wolverhampton
Fri 20 Academy, Manchester (sold out)
Sat 21 Barrowland, Glasgow (sold out)
Sun 22 Town Hall, Middlesbrough
Tue 24 Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Wed 25 UEA, Norwich
Thur 26 Roundhouse, London (sold out)
Fri 27 Roundhouse, London (sold out)
Support comes from Feed The Rhino, Allusondrugs and Fatherson.
On: 15th January 2015
Tagged: Allusondrugs, Ambush Reality, Enter Shikari, Fatherson, Feed the Rhino, Play It Again Sam, The Mindsweep, UK Tour


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Has the Strasbourg court allowed too much for local taboos?
At the European Court of Human Rights, the case of I.A. against Turkey in 2005 acted as a controversial precedent for limiting Article 10's definition of freedom of expression in the name of religion, explains Michele Finck.
General view of the European Court of Human Rights hearing room in Strasbourg. (REUTERS/Vincent Kessler)
I.A., a Turkish national born and raised in France, owned and managed the Berfin publishing house. In 1993 he published The Forbidden Phrases, a novel dealing with philosophical issues. Its most controversial part reads: "God's messenger broke his fast through sexual intercourse, after dinner and before prayer. Muhammad did not forbid sexual intercourse with a dead person or a living animal."
I.A. was prosecuted in Turkey for publishing insults against "God, the Religion, the Prophet and the Holy Book". He was sentenced to two months imprisonment, which was later converted into a fine. In front of the European Court of Human Rights, the applicant argued that this conviction conflicts with his right to freedom of expression, enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Turkish Government maintained that the publication "had contained an abusive attack on religion, in particular Islam, and had offended and insulted religious feelings."
The Court recalled that the exercise of freedom of expression carries with it duties and responsibilities, such as the duty to avoid offending others by what is expressed. In this context, states have a wide margin of appreciation when regulating freedom of expression relating to matters that bear the potential to offend intimate moral or religious convictions. The Court then went on to state that the case at issue "concerns not only comments that offend or shock, or a 'provocative' opinion, but also an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam." The Court went on to comment on how, even though there was "a certain tolerance of criticism of religious doctrine within Turkish society, which is deeply attached to the principle of secularity, believers may legitimately feel themselves to be the object of unwarranted and offensive attacks". The Court therefore felt the need "to provide protection against offensive attacks on matters regarded as sacred by Muslims" and judged there to have been no violation of Article 10 by Turkey's prosecution of I.A.
Author opinion
It is interesting to refer to the dissenting judges' opinion in this case. They recall that freedom of expression, as a fundamental feature of any democratic society, not only applies to information and ideas regarded as inoffensive, but also to those that have the potential to "shock, offend or disturb the State or any sector of the population". The dissenters point out that the novel was only printed 2,000 times, so only a relatively small number of people could have read it, underlining its limited impact on society. They further point out that "nobody is ever obliged to buy or read a novel, and those who do so are entitled to seek redress in the courts for anything they consider blasphemous and repugnant […]. But it is quite a different matter for the prosecuting authorities to institute criminal proceedings against a publisher of their own motion […]; a democratic society is not a theocratic society."
They then call on the Court to revise the case law embodied in the judgment, given that the current line of argument "seems to place too much emphasis on conformism or uniformity of thought and to reflect an overcautious and timid conception of freedom of the press."
- Michele Finck
Published on: March 8, 2013 with No Comments
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Related Principles
Take a look at the highlighted principles which are relevant to this article to find out more, or browse all of our key principles.
Swipe left to browse all ten principles.
We express ourselves openly and with robust civility about all kinds of human difference.
We respect the believer but not necessarily the content of the belief.
Lifeblood
We – all human beings – must be free and able to express ourselves, and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, regardless of frontiers.
We neither make threats of violence nor accept violent intimidation.
We allow no taboos against and seize every chance for the spread of knowledge.
We require uncensored, diverse, trustworthy media so we can make well-informed decisions and participate fully in political life.
We must be able to protect our privacy and to counter slurs on our reputations, but not prevent scrutiny that is in the public interest.
We must be empowered to challenge all limits to freedom of information justified on such grounds as national security.
We defend the internet and other systems of communication against illegitimate encroachments by both public and private powers.
We decide for ourselves and face the consequences.
Swipe left to browse all of the highlights.
Peeing on Pétain
Eric Heinze examines the boundary between civil disobedience and desecration.
What is 'dehumanising' speech?
Eric Heinze provocatively argues that no-platformers need to look into the mirror and examine their own blind spots.
Glasnost! Nine ways Facebook can make itself a better forum for free speech and democracy
Free Speech Debate co-authors an Oxford-Stanford report on Facebook.
'Lenin-fall': free speech and the politics of memory in Ukraine
O.T. Jones argues that the Ukrainian state should not restrict open historical debate but use its 'expressive' powers to foster a nuanced understanding of the past.
Are you sitting comfortably? How safe spaces became dangerous
We must distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate safe spaces, argues Eric Heinze.
Don't blame news polarisation on the internet…it's not the technology, stupid!
The internet does not guarantee polarised news, argues Richard Fletcher.
Bridging the deep digital divide in India
Only 17% of rural India has internet access. But citizen journalism is giving voice to minorities says Arpita Biswas.
Russia: 'The Church has an enemy in every home.' It's television.
Helen Haft explains how the Orthodox Church has eroded freedom of the media and lobbied for the 2013 law against offending religious feelings.
Are we losing the media we need for democracy?
Timothy Garton Ash discusses the importance of and whether we are losing the media for democracy at the General Editors Network Summit 2017 in Vienna.
The internet alone will not set Africa free
Iginio Gagliardone explores the surprising technopolitics of two competing visions of the internet, US and Chinese, in Ethiopia.
Freedom of speech in Japan and the Designated Secrets Law
Arthur Stockwin explains the four main areas where free speech is under threat in Japan.
Israel, no-platforming – and why there's no such thing as 'narrow exceptions' to campus free speech
Eric Heinze argues that it is contradictory to the principles of free speech to criticise the Israeli ambassador to Britain online and then no-platform him at a university talk.
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Free Speech Debate is a research project of the Dahrendorf Programme for the Study of Freedom at St Antony's College in the University of Oxford. www.freespeechdebate.ox.ac.uk
About Free Speech Debate
Free Speech Debate is a research project of the Dahrendorf Programme for the Study of Freedom at St Antony's College in the University of Oxford.
Copyright & attribution


Time Warner Cable launched its first Spanish-language free on demand (FOD) service Friday, Lo Mejor (The Best) On Demand.
The channel, which launched with a giant, day-long "freeview" in Times Square, features content from Univision and its Telefuture and Galavision services including Cristina, Sabado Gigante, and Despierta America.
The channel will initially be available in Time Warner markets in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, and San Diego, with more rollouts in 2010.


text:
Q: How to use WebResponse to Download .wmv file I'm using the following code to grab a wmv file through a WebResponse. I'm using a thread to call this function:
static void GetPage(object data)
{
    // Cast the object to a ThreadInfo
    ThreadInfo ti = (ThreadInfo)data;

    // Request the URL
    WebResponse wr = WebRequest.Create(ti.url).GetResponse();

    // Display the value for the Content-Length header
    Console.WriteLine(ti.url + ": " + wr.Headers["Content-Length"]);
    string toBeSaved = @"C:\Users\Kevin\Downloads\TempFiles" + wr.ResponseUri.PathAndQuery;
    StreamWriter streamWriter = new StreamWriter(toBeSaved);

    MemoryStream m = new MemoryStream();
    Stream receiveStream = wr.GetResponseStream();
    using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(receiveStream))
    {
        while (sr.Peek() >= 0)
        {
            m.WriteByte((byte)sr.Read());
        }
        streamWriter.Write(sr.ReadToEnd());
        sr.Close();
        wr.Close();
    }

    streamWriter.Flush();
    streamWriter.Close();

    // streamReader.Close();
    // Let the parent thread know the process is done
    ti.are.Set();

    wr.Close();
}

The file seems to download just fine, but Windows Media Viewer cannot open the file properly. Some silly error about not being able to support the file type.
What incredibly easy thing am I missing?

A: You just need to download it as binary instead of text. Here's a method that should do the trick for you.
public void DownloadFile(string url, string toLocalPath)
{
    byte[] result = null;
    byte[] buffer = new byte[4097];

    WebRequest wr = WebRequest.Create(url);

    WebResponse response = wr.GetResponse();
    Stream responseStream = response.GetResponseStream;
    MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();

    int count = 0;

    do {
        count = responseStream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
        memoryStream.Write(buffer, 0, count);

        if (count == 0) {
            break;
        }
    }
    while (true);

    result = memoryStream.ToArray;

    FileStream fs = new FileStream(toLocalPath, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.ReadWrite);

    fs.Write(result, 0, result.Length);

    fs.Close();
    memoryStream.Close();
    responseStream.Close();
}

A: I do not understand why you are filling MemoryStream m one byte at a time, but then writing the sr to the file.  At that point, I believe the sr is empty, and MemoryStream m is never used.
Below is some code I wrote to do a similar task.  It gets a WebResponse in 32K chunks at a time, and dumps it directly to a file.
public void GetStream()
{
    // ASSUME: String URL is set to a valid URL.
    // ASSUME: String Storage is set to valid filename.

    Stream response = WebRequest.Create(URL).GetResponse().GetResponseStream();
    using (FileStream fs = File.Create(Storage))
    {
        Byte[] buffer = new Byte[32*1024];
        int read = response.Read(buffer,0,buffer.Length);
        while (read > 0)
        {
            fs.Write(buffer,0,read);
            read = response.Read(buffer,0,buffer.Length);
        }
    }
    // NOTE: Various Flush and Close of streams and storage not shown here.
}

A: You are using a StreamReader and a StreamWriter to transfer your stream, but those classes are for handling text. Your file is binary and chances are that sequences of CR, LF and CR LF may get clobbered when you transfer the data. How NUL characters are handled I have no idea.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
VISIT > Historic Flower > Governor's House
The Municipality of Campo Maior promoted, in May 2013, the recovery of the Casa do Governador of Ouguela as part of a broader plan to revitalize that historic village.
The prominent place that the building occupies in the old Square of Arms of Ouguela makes it one of the main protagonists in the strategy of recovering the built heritage and signifies the first step of a bigger project, which includes, between others, interventions in the wall belt that surrounds the village.
With this intervention, the increase in area is small since it is mainly intended to take advantage of the available spaces by making them flow internally with the least possible intervention in order to ensure that the ensemble preserves its character.
The building, of traditional construction, is built according to a system of brick masonry arches and walls of mixed masonry of lime stone, brick and waste on which were built and supported wooden floors and roof (disappeared), and in the case of main body constituted of floors and roof structured in brick vault.


Attic bathroom designs home interior design. Bathroom : white and black interior color attic bathroom furniture. 35 functional attic bathroom ideas home design and interior, attic. Bedroom toilet design bathroom bathroom design for small bathroom.


By the Cove of Bowen Island. There are magical places in Canada where one can enjoy the natural life while connecting to historical communities. Bowen Island is one of the cities that has developed with nature in mind. As one of the islands of British Columbia, this area offers unique lifestyle opportunities. Many that are in the smaller town are able to embrace the nature of the ocean and waterfronts while connecting through water services to Vancouver.
The Squamish tribes used Bowen Island as a main area for leisure, meeting points and hunting. Today, hunting for deer is still popular among those in the area. It was often referred to as the Cove or Fast Drumming Ground, specifically because of the sound of the ocean hitting the shores. It wasn't until the 1900s that settlements began to establish in the area, creating a small community because of the natural settings.
While Bowen Island remains small in size, a large number of visitors from Vancouver come to the ocean island to enjoy the summers with vacation homes. Many of those that remain on the island commute daily to Vancouver on the water taxis that serve the area. There is also an extension of the community with educational spaces as well as a variety of artistic and cultural establishments in the area. The government and private sector have also established a variety of commerce stores in retail and food for the development of the community.
The area of Bowen Island is one that many refer to for relaxation, leisure and the natural embrace of the ocean. The area, while small, also offers opportunities within the community through the newer developments. The island in British Columbia continues to build it's reputation from the luxuries of nature that surround the area.


Internet Explorer 9 is the newest browser around, and no doubt there are many entrepreneurs already using it as part of their daily routine.
But some may not like the fact IE9 displays a summary of your most-visited sites whenever they create a new tab. Thankfully, there's a way to change it.
First, go to the gear symbol at the upper-right hand side of the screen, click it and then press on "internet options".
Click the "settings" button under the "tabs" section at the very bottom. A new box will appear. In the middle of that box, you should see a drop-down menu when the text above it saying, "when anew tab is opened, open".
Then, you can choose what site you want to use – a blank page, the new tab page or your first home page.
If you ever want to change back, put "about:tabs" in the address bar.


India and China signed Education Exchange Programme (EEP) in 2006, which is an umbrella agreement for educational cooperation between the two countries. Under this agreement, government scholarships are awarded to 25 students, by both sides, in recognized institutions of higher learning in each other's country. The 25 scholarships awarded by India are offered by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). During the visit of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi to China, both the countries have signed fresh Education Exchange Programme (EEP) on May 15, 2015. The same provides for enhanced cooperation between institutions in the field of vocational education; collaboration between Institutes of higher learning, etc. 25 Chinese students have been selected to join Hindi language course for the academic year 2017-18 under EEP scholarship awarded by ICCR.
Apart from this, Chinese students are also annually awarded scholarships to study Hindi at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra to learn Hindi. For the year 2017-18, 5 Chinese students have been selected to study in Agra under this scheme.
The cooperation in the education sector between the two sides has resulted in an increase in the number of Indian students in China. During the Academic Year 2016-17 there were 18171 Indian students studying in various universities in China in various disciplines.
Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource Development, attended BRICS Ministers of Education on 5th July, 2017 at Beijing, China. In his speech, he appreciated the creation of institutional mechanism in the form of BRICS Network University and BRICS Think Tank Council. BRICS Network University, where 12 universities from each of the 5 countries will engage with each other in education research and innovation, is another commendable initiative. Five areas of cooperation are prioritised which are Communication and IT, Economics, Climate Change, Water Resources and Pollution, and BRICS study. India will participate whole-heartedly in all these cooperative efforts.
The Embassy maintains regular communication with MoE in China as well as all universities where there are a sizeable number of Indian students. Further, Embassy officials also visit universities to not only establish direct contact with university authorities but also to interact with the Indian students. Students are encouraged to approach the Embassy in case they are faced with serious problems. For this purpose, the mobile number and email address of Minister (Education/Consular) and email address of Second Secretary (Education) is provided on the Embassy website. The Mission has also launched a social media account on Wechat for Indian students, with the objective to make it easy for them to reach out to the Embassy as well as to link them to other fellow Indian students studying in different cities of China.


13 events found on Bliss's timeline.
Bliss is a 37 m / 121′5″ luxury sailing yacht. She was built by Yachting Developments in 2009. With a beam of 8.4 m and a draft of 4 m, she has a GRP hull and GRP superstructure. This adds up to a gross tonnage of 153 tons. She is powered by Caterpillar engines giving her a maximum speed of 17 knots and a cruising speed of 10 knots. The sailing yacht can accommodate 10 guests in cabins with an interior design by Design Unlimited and an exterior design by Dubois.


In addition some photographers like their photos to look light and airy although others choose to produce pictures with lots of darkish tones. Which fashion do you like the best? The purpose this is crucial to believe about when searching at wedding photographers is that, even though it is fantastic to go over your tastes and tastes with future photographers, it is not advisable to question a photographer to completely modify his or her fashion for your wedding. It is better rather to select an individual who has pictures on your site that seem like what you'd like your marriage to look like. So for example if you like a great deal of candid images, make confident that the photographers you decide on to meet feature plenty of people pictures in their portfolios.
How swiftly does the photographer react to your e-mails and cellphone calls? Does he or she get the time to listen to you and understand what you are searching for in your marriage photos? Planning the pictures aspect of your marriage ceremony is an concerned approach that requires careful focus to depth to make sure suitable scheduling and execution. You want to make certain you have a photographer that you can attain by e mail and mobile phone, who will get back to you immediately.
I undoubtedly recommend conference with your photographer in particular person before the marriage ceremony if possible. If not, inquire if you can at the very least organize a Skype get in touch with to speak digital confront to virtual confront. You want to make sure that you get pleasure from this person's firm! This is someone who will most likely be with you from acquiring ready in the early morning all the way until the final tune at the conclude of the night time. If you do not truly feel relaxed with her or him now, chances are you will not really feel comfortable on your marriage ceremony working day possibly. In my impression, a very good wedding ceremony photographer has a feeling of humor, smiles a good deal, cares deeply about you and your fiancé's needs, and loves what she does so a lot it radiates from her pores. How you truly feel about your photographer will, imagine it or not, occur by means of in your photos, so choose somebody you'll have entertaining getting around on your huge working day.
Marriage is the most gorgeous celebration and the most stunning partnership amongst couples. Each pair has their own goals concerning the location where they want to get married. Location can be wherever, be it church, accommodations, gardens and any other outdoor spots. The most essential issue while planning a wedding is that it ought to be the most passionate working day for the wedding couple as nicely as go away an perception on the visitors. There are quantity of factors that impress guests like cuisines, marquee, warm welcome, audio, venue and many others.
New York is also acknowledged as 'Big Apple' and is regarded as the most populous town of US. It is the foremost heart of trade, organization, finance, media and commerce. Every single yr hundreds of businessmen, company executives, professional and visitors check out below.
Realizing your objectives is definitely possible when you have a background in professional wedding photos nyc, and the basic understanding of principles that are relevant. Understand that many people have had problems at the outset, but have used these principles and eventually found success. And if you want to procrastinate, it will have a similar ill effect. It's to your advantage to move one step at a time in order to avoid frustration along the way. It's important that you take a look at to discover more info on this topic and to become more familiar with what is being discussed.


The Kids of the Kingdom Choir (pre-K through 2nd grade) meets every week during the Sunday School Hour. They sing several times a year during the worship service and are an integral part of the Children's Christmas Pageant.
They also make annual visits to the Spring Hills Assisted Living Center in Morristown and participate in the worship service there.
Come hear them make a joyful noise!
For more information about the Kids of the Kingdom, please contact Sarah Michal at sarahmichal@morristownumc.com or 973-539-2132.


I am working exclusively with a leading Bristol digital agency who have won a number of contracts with clients across the UK. Due to this growth they are looking to hire a permanent Umbraco Developer.
If you have the desired skills and experience and would like to learn more about this opportunity then please send me your CV in the first instance, I will then call you to discuss the opportunity.


why buy Replica Swiss Timer and Promotions Watches at swisstimex.com?
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Does a limited budget mean you have to miss out on the quality and beauty of Wrist watch? Not at SwissTimeX.com. Here, you can enjoy everything that makes owning a Rolex so desirable without the steep price tag. You'll find the highest quality Rolex replicas and other Replica Longines Watches. You'll pay a fraction of the price, but get the best quality and craftsmanship around.


The official movie website for "Legend of the Guardians" is available online. Watch the trailer and read the synopsis on www.legendoftheguardians.com. The film is based on the books "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" by Kathryn Lasky.
The animated film is arriving in theaters on September 24, 2010 and features the voices of Abbie Cornish, Ryan Kwanten, Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Richard Roxburgh, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, and David Wenham.
Emilie de Ravin first lends her voice to an animated character in this movie. She is giving her voice to an owl named Eglantine.


About Kevin: Kevin is intrigued by the history and cultivation of liquor and spends much of his time creating new cocktails at home and trying them out at James. In his free time, he enjoys the pleasures of NY, which include drinking in bars and summer baseball games.
Find out how Kevin came up with the idea for the marmalade cocktail after the jump . . .
Please note: The following recipe makes approximately 6 cups of lemon chili marmalade, suitable for a large party. Please feel free to halve or quarter the recipe for much smaller batches.
Cut the Meyer lemons into thick slices and remove seeds. Combine all ingredients into saucepan and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, puree in a blender (VitaMix preferred) and cool. Pour into containers and refrigerate.
We took the classic idea of marmalade in cocktails and added a modern twist. Historically, when Irish church processions ended, men and women would go their separate ways. The men would drink their scotch and beer, and the women would gather to taste jams they had made throughout the week by mixing a spoonful into a glass of gin. At James, we've taken this idea and made seasonal jams including rhubarb-coriander, lemon-chili marmalade and berry-vanilla.
I am a huge fan of having a drink with some heat, and the lemon chili marmalade cocktail originated from that idea. The Meyer lemons' tart juice and bitter rind pair with the chili's sweet spice perfectly. It's a surprisingly refreshing cocktail that will make you think differently about what ingredients can be used to make drinks.
I also love lemon drinks, and looking at these photos made me pucker!
I want one now!!! SO beautiful and refreshing!
This sounds delicious… I got a flavour thesaurus for my birthday last week, so this might just set me of on all sorts of other flavour combinations for cocktails!
Sounds inviting!! Great summer drink.
I wish I could reach into my laptop and grab one right now! Perfect for a balmy day with tradewinds on Maui.
Thanks for having so great topics!
I was just wondering what to do with the surplus of lemons from my over enthusiastic lemon tree. Problem solved!
This is such an amazing idea. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
This recipe looks easy to mix up at home behind your own bar and has a great story to tell to get the party started.
This sounds so delicious – and I enjoyed the mini-history lesson!
I love chili syrup in my drinks. Lemon + spicy syrup = my dream drink! So glad I happened upon this. Thank for sharing.


Children can be highly susceptible to advertising, particularly to ads for toys and snacks. Therefore, many schools offer educational programs to teach children to be more skeptical toward the increasing amount of product advertisements they are confronted with. A study in the Journal of Children and Media shows that such programs can be effective in increasing advertising skepticism--even among children as young as 4-5 years.
A short in-school training about the persuasive techniques used in commercials can teach preschoolers to become more skeptical toward toy advertisements.
Educators and other professionals can implement a short advertising literacy training already before children enter primary school, and in doing so build a foundation for the development of other advertising and media literacy skills.
Can a short advertising literacy training about the persuasive techniques used in toy commercials teach preschoolers to become more skeptical towards product advertisements?
Half of the preschoolers participated in the advertising literacy training, the other half did not. The children who participated in the training watched a short gender-specific commercial (e.g., boys saw a commercial about Lego Star Wars and girls about Dora the Explorer). The children could then play with the actual toy that was advertised. After some minutes, they saw the same commercial again, but then it was paused at three times. In this way, the researcher could explain the difference in what the commercial said the toy could do and what the toy actually did. The children who did not participate in the training saw the same commercials and could also play with the toy, but did not get the explanation from the researcher.
The researcher asked questions about children's skepticism toward advertising (i.e., whether children thought commercials used tricks to make toys look better then they really are or whether commercials were a good way to learn about toys) and their attitudes toward advertising (i.e., whether they liked watching commercials and wanted to have the product that was advertised) at three time points: before the training, directly after the training and two weeks after the training. At the final time point, the children answered some additional questions, for example about the degree to which they thought commercials were trustworthy.
Suprisingly, no differences in preschoolers' skepticism towards the persuasive and informative intent of commercials were found directly after the training.
However, two weeks after the training, the preschoolers who participated in the advertising literacy training more frequently said that commercials used techniques to persuade them to buy the toy compared to children who did not participate in the training (see Figure 1).
No differences between the two groups were found for questions about the informative intent of commercials (see Figure 2), meaning that after the advertising literacy training, children still saw commercials as a good source to get information about a toy.
Preschoolers who participated in the advertising literacy training more often thought that commercials were not trustworthy.
Preschoolers' liking of commercials and desire for the advertised toys did not change after the training.
Critical note. Only a small group of preschoolers participated in this study, meaning that the results might not hold for all children and should be interpreted with caution.
Stanley is connected to Concordia University (United States). Lawson is affiliated with the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin (Unites States).