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|The courses listed below are approved for CPE in-major and non-major technical elective credit. Actual course offerings will be based on sufficient resources, including faculty availability, and student demand. Refer to the university's on-line timetable of classes for specific course availability information.
On this page:
|Non-Major Technical Electives
|Mechanical Engineering Senior Engineering Design and Project
|Graduate Courses Used as Technical Electives
4504 Computer Organization (3C) Prereq: 2500 or CS 3214
4514 Digital Design II (4C) Prereq: 3544 if 4514 taken spring 2014 or later; 3504 if 4514 taken prior to spring 2014 (Design Technical Elective)
4520 Digital and Mixed-Signal System Testing and Testable Design (3C) Prereq: 2574, 3504
4524 Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Applications (4C) Prereq: 2574; Co-Req: STAT 4714 (Design Technical Elective)
4530 Hardware/ Software Codesign (3C) Prereq: 3504, 2534 (Design Technical Elective)
4540 VLSI Circuit Design (3C) Prereq: 2204, 2504 (Design Technical Elective)
4550 Real-Time Systems (3C) Prereq: 4534 or CS 3214 (Design Technical Elective)
4560 Computer and Network Security Fundamentals (3C) Prereq: 4564 (Design Technical Elective)
4564 Network Application Design (3C) Prereq: 2504, 2574 (Design Technical Elective)
4570 Wireless Networks and Mobile Systems (3C) Prereq: 4564 or CS 4254 (Design Technical Elective)
4574 Large-Scale Software Development for Engineering Systems (3C) Prereq: 3574 (Design Technical Elective)
4580 Digital Image Processing (3C) Prereq: 4624, STAT 4714
Note on CS Course Restrictions
NOTE: The Computer Science Department restricts some of its courses to CS majors. Contact the CS department to follow their force-add procedure. CS requires a C or better in all in-major (CS or ECE) prerequisite courses. CS may accept some ECE courses as prerequisite substitutions. See the CS advisors in 114 McBryde for any clarification of prerequisite requirements. Note that many CS courses are taught in Java. If you use an ECE course as prerequisite, you will be expected to be proficient in Java before entering these upper level courses.
3614 Introduction to Communication Systems (3C) Prereq: 2704, STAT 4714
4605 Radio Engineering (3C) Prereq: 2014, 3106, 3204, 3614; Co-req: 4675
4606 Radio Engineering (3C) Prereq: 4605
4614 Telecommunication Networks (3C) Prereq: 2504, 2704, STAT 4714
4624 Digital Signal Processing and Filter Design (3C) Prereq: 2014, 3704
4634 Digital Communications (3C) Prereq: 3614, STAT 4714
4644 Satellite Communications (3C) Prereq: 3614
4664 Analog and Digital Communications Lab (1C) Prereq: 3614, Co-req: 4634
4674 Scattering Parameters Lab (1C) Prereq: 4605, 4675
4675 Radio Engineering Lab (1C) Prereq: 3106, 3204; Co-req: 4605
4676 Radio Engineering Lab (1C) Prereq: 4675; Co-req: 4606
3105 Electromagnetic Fields (3C) Prereq: 2004, MATH 2224, PHYSICS 2306
3106 Electromagnetic Fields (3C) Prereq: 3105
4104 Microwave and RF Engineering (4C) Prereq: 2014, 3106, 3204
4114 Antennas (3C) Prereq: 2014, 3106
4124 Radio Wave Propagation (3C) Prereq: 3106
4134 Fiber Optics and Applications (3C) Prereq: 3106
4144 Optical Information Processing (3C) Prereq: 3106
4154 Perils of Space: An Introduction to Space Weather (3C) Prereq: 3106
4164 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Theory and Design (4C) Prereq: 2014, 3106
3004 AC Circuit Analysis (3C) Prereq: 2704
3074 AC Circuit Analysis Lab (1C) Prereq: 2074. Co-req: 3004
3204 Analog Electronics (3C) Prereq: 2204, 2704. Co-req: 3274
3274 Electronics Lab (1C) Prereq: 2274. Co-req: 3204
4205 Electronic Circuit Design (3C) Prereq: 3204
4206 Electronic Circuit Design (3C) Prereq: 2014, 4205
4214 Semiconductor Device Fundamentals (3C) Prereq: 2204 or MSE 3204 or PHYS 3455
4220 Analog Integrated Circuit Design (3C) Prereq: 3204
4224 Power Electronics (3C) Prereq: 2014, 3204
4234 Semiconductor Processing (3C) Prereq: 2204 or 3054
4235 Electronic Packaging (3C) Prereq: 2204
4244 Intermediate Semiconductor Wafer Processing Laboratory (3C) Prereq: 2014, 4234 or MSE 4234
4284 Power Electronics Lab (1C) Prereq: 4224
|Power Systems
3304 Introduction to Power Systems (3C) Prereq: 3004
3354 Power Laboratory (1C) Prereq: 3304
4304 Design in Power Engineering (3C) Prereq: 2014, 3304
4334 Power System Analysis and Control (3C) Prereq: 3304
4344 Electric Power Quality for the Digital Economy (3C) Prereq: 3304
4354 Power System Protection (3C) Prereq: 4334
4364 Alternate Energy Systems (3C) Prereq: STAT 4714
4374 Power System Protection Lab (1C) Prereq: 4334, Coreq: 4354
Systems & Controls
3704 Continuous and Discrete System Theory (3C) Prereq: 2704
4405 Control Systems (3C) Prereq: 3704
4406 Control Systems (3C) Prereq: 4405
4704 Principles of Robotics Systems (3C) Prereq: 3704
ME 4734 Mechatronics (3C) Prereq: 2504, 2704
ME 4736 Mechatronics II (3C) Prereq: ME 4734
NOTE: ME courses are typically restricted to ME students and will need to be force-added through the ME Advising office.
Electrical and Computer Senior Engineering Design and Project
A two-semester design project, emphasizing systems engineering principles in the development of an electrical and/or computational system. A specific, substantial engineering design problem is taken from problem definition to system realization and testing to demonstrate meeting of design specifications. This represents a major design experience based on knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work throughout the curriculum. Note: both semesters must be completed to earn credit.
ECE 4805 Engineering Design and Project (3C) Prereq: 2014
ECE 4806 Engineering Design and Project (3C) Prereq: 4805 (Design Technical Elective)
Mechanical Engineering Senior Engineering Design and Project
ECE students, with the permission of the ME department, can enroll in the ME senior engineering design and project courses. Force-adds must be approved and processed through the ME Advising Office. Note: both semesters must be completed to earn credit.
ME 4015 Engineering Design and Project (3C)
ME 4016 Engineering Design and Project (3C) (Design Technical Elective)
Non-Major Technical Electives
ECE students may take up to 3 credit hours of non-major technical electives. Students are reminded that they DO NOT have to take a non-major technical elective. All technical electives can come from the in-major list.
The courses listed below can generally be used for technical elective credit or design technical elective credit, based on the particular content of each course as it is taught in a given semester. Please discuss technical elective credit options for these courses with your advisor prior to registering for the courses.
4974 (ARR) Independent Study
4984 (ARR) Special Study
4994 (ARR) Undergraduate Research
The forms are due in 340 Whittemore by 12:00 noon on the 3rd day of the first week of class for the requested semester – no exceptions. Forms are available in the ECE Student Services office in 340 Whittemore.
For purposes of satisfying the major technical elective requirements, the sum of the number of hours taken from ECE 4974, 4994 cannot exceed 6 in any one project, without prior approval.
Graduate Courses Used as Technical Electives
ECE students who meet the University requirements to enroll in graduate courses may use graduate level ECE courses as technical elective credit.
- Per University policy, undergraduate students must have earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA to be eligible to enroll in graduate level courses.
- Note that graduate student courses taken as undergraduate cannot be used toward a graduate degree in ECE at VT. Exceptions to this policy: a) students enrolled in the Accelerated UG/G program; b) students who are dual enrolled in the ECE graduate program. Please see your advisor if you have questions regarding this policy.
- To enroll in graduate level courses, undergraduates must complete an Application for Graduate Courses form. If prerequisites are met and space permits, students will be force-added to the graduate course(s).


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Kirszbraun's theorem is one of my favorite theorems in mathematics.
I always wanted to know something about Kirszbraun, or at least to see his picture. Do you have any information about him? (I know only trivial things, like where he was publishing and that he was working in Warsaw.)
P.S. Thanks to Lukasz Grabowski, I fould this entry about Kirszbraun in Polish Biographical Dictionary.

subset: commoncrawl


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Is it known why a さかや normally has a か, rather than a け like in さけ?
Are there many other -や constructions for stores that change the spelling of the word added to?
(Especially in the ancient times,) there were/are bound morphemes (morphemes that cannot be used in isolation as a word) that end with the vowel
When they are used as the first component of a compound noun, the
These morphemes cannot be used in isolation, but there were ways to modify them so that they can be used by themselves. One such way was to attach the vowel
These forms derived in this way are called 被覆形.
A related question


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Web Content Viewer (JSR 286)Actions
- ${title}
- ${title}
You should read the current RS Funds' Prospectus before investing. The RS Funds' Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides information about the Funds that may not be contained in the Prospectus.
RS Funds are sold by Prospectus only. Before investing in any RS Fund, you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. To obtain a Fund's Prospectus and Summary Prospectus, which contain this and other important information, please call 800-766-3863, option 4. The Prospectus and Summary Prospectus should be read carefully before investing or sending money.
As with all mutual funds, the value of an investment in the Fund could decline, so you could lose money.
If you are an existing shareholder and would like a copy of the prospectus or need to contact RS Investments, call 800-766-3863. If you are interested in learning more about and how to invest with RS, please contact your financial professional.
The information on this website is intended for U.S. residents only. The information provided does not constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy, or an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is not lawful to make such an offer. RS Investments will not accept subscriptions from any investor who is not a U.S. resident who approaches RS as a result having visited this website.
^External Links: Certain hyperlinks will direct you to external, third-party sites that are not maintained by RS Investments. RS Investments does not control these other sites, and RS Investments makes no representations or endorsements whatsoever concerning the content of the external sites. Please see our Terms of Use for details.
Read our social media guidelines and disclosures here.
RS Funds are distributed by RS Funds Distributor LLC, member: FINRA, SIPC. Find out more about the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
Not a Deposit / Not FDIC or NCUA Insured / May Lose Value / No Bank or Credit Union Guarantee


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Girls Dance Bags
Send her off to dance class or her first recital in style with a darling girls dance bag from Sophias Style! We carry boutique girls dance bags that will help her stay organized for her favorite activity. For customized dance bags, you can always add personalized embroidery. Personalized dance bags for girls make great gifts!
Embroidered Dance Bags
Have your little girls dance bags personalized with customized embroidery at Sophias Style! We carry adorable dance bags for toddlers, little girls dance bags and childrens dance bags that your little dancer is sure to adore. Shop a variety of prints and colors, including zebra dance bags. Pick the perfect ballet bag for your little girl!


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Adding a little bit more luxury to Rowan Big Wool, this yarn is 70% wool and 30% silk, giving a beautiful sheen to the knitted fibre. Soft to touch and luxurious to wear this is a little bit extra for all lovers of Big Wool.
Rowan Tweed is a beautiful soft, traditionally spun tweed yarn made in one of the few surviving mills in Yorkshire.
Rowan Fine Tweed is a finer version of Rowan Tweed and is perfect for fairisle and colour work.


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Let $K$ be a field and $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $K$. It well understood the points on $E$ forms an abelian group. What is the structure of this group?(depending on char($K$)?) Is it a direct sum of some well known abelian groups such as $\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}$?
First case: Complex number. Over $\mathbb C$ the structure as an abstract group is $\mathbb S^1 \oplus \mathbb S^1$ where $\mathbb S^1$ is the circle, i.e., $\mathbb R/\mathbb Z$. This follows as Robin Chapman denotes below, i.e., it is a complex torus in the form $\mathbb C/\Lambda$ where $\Lambda$ is a lattice in $\mathbb C$.
Let $K$ be an algebraically closed field of char $p$. If $n$ is prime to $p$, the the $n$-torsion is $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z} \oplus \mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$. The $p^e$-torsion could be either trivial for all $e$, or $\mathbb{Z}/p^e\mathbb{Z}$ for all $e$.
Over a non-algebraically closed-field, this is going to be much more complicated. I will try to give just an introduction.
Over $\mathbb Q$ and number fields: Over $\mathbb Q$ or a number field, it is finitely generated by the Mordell-Weil theorem. So it has a torsion part and free part. The free part could be arbitrarily large.
The Mordell-Weil theorem is in fact true for arbitrary finitely generated fields. This is due to Néron.
Over $\mathbb Q$, The torsion part has exactly $15$ possibilities according to the theorem of Mazur. Over number fields, this had been generalized that the torsion part is uniformly bounded.
Over finite fields, the torsion group would be $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z} \oplus \mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}$ where $n |m$. There is no free part.
And it could go on like this. Please have a look at Silverman's "Advanced topics in the Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves" for elliptic curves over real numbers, $p$-adic numbers, function fields, etc..
If you don't specify more about the structure of the field $K$, then we can't say much about the structure of the group $E(K)$. There are special cases (described in the Wikipedia article):
If $K$ is larger than that, then $E(K)$ can be quite large. For example, if $K$ is separably closed, then $E(K)$ is divisible. In this case, if $K$ has characteristic zero, then $E(K) \cong (\mathbf{Q}/\mathbf{Z})^2 \oplus \bigoplus \mathbf{Q}$. If $K$ has characteristic $p>0$, then $E(K) \cong \bigoplus_{\ell \neq p} (\mathbf{Q}_\ell/\mathbf{Z}_\ell)^2 \oplus (\mathbf{Q}_p/\mathbf{Z}_p)^h \oplus \bigoplus \mathbf{Q}$. Here, $h$ is zero or one depending on whether the curve is supersingular or ordinary, and the $\bigoplus \mathbf{Q}$ is a vector space whose dimension is:
Away from the separably closed case, you get a subgroup of one of these groups, but you can have very complicated subgroups of $\mathbf{Q}$ as summands, and very complicated torsion subgroups.


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I have two beautiful Mezuzot in my possession. It seems obvious that I affix one on the doorpost of our new home's front entrance. What would be the most appropriate room inside the home to affix the second Mezuzah?
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
First, Mazel tov on your new home!
A rabbi once told me that the order should be: outside doors, then bedrooms, then dining room, then living room, then kitchen. I don't have sources on this, but here's a list of all rooms that biblically require a mezuzah: http://www.mezuzadepot.com/tag/rooms-that-require-a-mezuzah/
EDIT: Per DoubleAA's comment, there are exceptions to these.
They are not biblically required if the doorway does not have a lintel (top part), and two side posts, the room is smaller than 64 sq. ft. or is a:
Per Sefer Lekach Chaim if someone can not afford to purchase a Mezuza for every door that requires one he should first place on the doors that are Biblically obligated in Mezuza (as opposed to rabbinically obligated).
In general all doorways to rooms of 36 square feet in a Jewish home that are used for living (to exclude bathrooms and closets) that have both a lintel and a right doorpost as one is entering the doorway should have mezuzot affixed to them. As is common in Jewish law, there are a number of different opinions about certain details regarding which doorways are obligated, so if you only have one mezuzah available, I would recommend choosing a doorway with the additional features of having a left doorpost, having a door attached and opening to a room of 64 square feet that is no less than 6 (or ideally 8) feet in either dimension.
You can read more about which doorways require a mezuzah here. For some good online places to buy more mezuzah scrolls as necessary see our discussion here.


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Resources- video files>musicThe purpose of this page is to showcase positive representation of Muslims who have same-sex attractions and relevant issues. The list below is as good as the submissions we recieve from people like you. So, if there is a video or a series of videos that you think is worthy of greater exposure and viewership then get in touch.
All you have to do is provide us with the URL of the video(s) and we'll take care of the rest. The videos you submit do NOT have to be created by you. All submissions will be reviewed and then embedded if appropriate. We do not accept porn.
Safra is only aggregating video content that exists on other sites. This means that none of the videos on this site are hosted on our servers. All of the videos exist on other sites and are only embedded here. We do not accept video uploads and do not host/own any of the videos. No intent of copyright infringement.
If you would like to suggest a video missing from this list, please email firstname.lastname@example.com with the URL.
Pornographic submissions will be declined. Links to porn sites will be rejected!1 |
Music: | 1 |
Categories: animation, film, music, people & politics, soaps, web series
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Summer Spectacular with Fireworks
July 8
Athletic Fields (Rain location: Wadsworth Auditorium)
Tickets: $5-12; Children under 5 free.
Jeff Tyzik conducts the Rochester Philharmonic in an annual outdoor concert under the stars. The concert includes music by Copland, Sousa, Tyzik, as well selections from John Williams' scores to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Superman.
Tickets are available at the gate for $6-12; advance tickets cost $5-10 and can be purchased at the Eastman Theatre Box Office.


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Event Organizer & Promoter
Dr. Michael Maddox has organized & promoted arts, entertainment, and spiritually-themed events at major venues (i.e. Madison Square Garden, the Washington Monument, national soccer stadiums) throughout the U.S. & foreign nations. He has organized & promoted music and arts festivals, fine art exhibitions, and concerts featuring noted performers. He has worked with Charlie Daniels, Arlo Guthrie, Paula Cole, & Colin Hay, just to name a few.


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Local Land and Property Gazetteer
The LLPG is a database that contains accurate and up-to-date address details of all properties within Birmingham.
What are the Benefits of the LLPG?
The LLPG is fast becoming the master address database for the entire Council and will eliminate duplication of effort across departments and help to improve service delivery. Every building and piece of land will have a unique reference but if it is known by different names, these will still be recognised..
Each property is allocated a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) that can be used to link addresses across different databases within the Council and will increasingly be used by outside organisations (UPRNs are currently required when paying property stamp duty). This will enable efficiencies to be realised, help to improve response times to public requests for services and increase the council's capacity for streamlined service delivery.
The NLPG enables all the data to be brought together in a consistent format that links national bodies, such as the Police and Fire and Rescue services, and local authorities together to enable the rapid exchange of property information. This sharing of information will make it easier to maintain current property information on both a local and national level.
Data can also be combined with national statistics such as indices of deprivation and flood plains to enable services to be targeted more effectively to those who need them.


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I have a URL -
http://localhost/products/product-name/ and I want to use this URL to retrieve the title
Product Name
This is out of loop, so the URL provided is all I have to work from.
Product Name is obviously the name of the term, which has the URL
http://localhost/products/product-name/ I just need it so I can print it out on a particular place on the website.
The url above denotes the taxonomy as
products but this is a rewrite of
product_type - I'm not sure if this'll affect the solution.


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ViVOtech and USA Technologies Partner to Develop Contactless Payment System for the $1.32 Trillion Micro-Payments Segment
SANTA CLARA, Calif. & MALVERN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 2005--ViVOtech, the leading supplier of contactless payment solutions and USA Technologies (OTC Bulletin Board:USTT), a leader in the networking of wireless non-cash transactions for financial/network services and energy management, today announced a joint effort to deliver the first radio frequency cashless credit card transaction technology to the micro-payments segment.
Known as PayPass from MasterCard, ExpressPay from American Express and Blink and Tap N' Go technologies by others in the payment industry, the credit card associations in conjunction with issuing banks started providing credit cards embedded with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology last year. Additionally, thousands of major retailers and merchants nationwide have been equipped to accept these new cards.
The contactless credit card initiative is targeting the micro-payments segment that is defined by transactions that are $5.00 dollars or less. As reported in the Wall Street Journal last week, the Tower Group concluded, "The market for valued at $5 or less accounted for $1.32 trillion in consumer spending in 2003, representing more than 400 billion transactions." The article also cited other research statistics which stated, "More than 37 million Americans are willing to use their cards for $5 or less and an estimated 6.5 million Americans would be comfortable using credit cards for transactions less than $1, according to a study released late last year by Ipsos-Insight, the latest available from the market research firm."
As part of this partnership, ViVOtech, and USA Technologies have been working together to capitalize on this enormous market opportunity. To do this, the Companies integrated USA's e-Port(R) cashless transaction technology with ViVOtech's ViVOpay contactless readers and software services. The integrated technology platform enables vending machines to accept contactless payments, allowing vending operators to increase the average dollar amount spent per machine at peak hours, while reducing cash handling costs. Earlier this month, vending machines in Atlanta and New York City were equipped with the companies' intergrated solutions.
"We are delighted to partner with USA Technologies and bring contactless capabilities to vending machines--a move that will revolutionize the vending industry," said Mohammad Khan, president and founder of ViVOtech. "Since consumers will no longer need to carry exact coins to enjoy a drink or a snack, vending will be more convenient and popular than ever, driving up sales and profits for operators."
"The convergence of two powerful market trends made USA Technologies adopt RF or contactless technology for our customers. These trends are the increase of consumers making transactions less than $5 and how vehemently the credit card authorities are working towards replacing consumers traditional credit cards with new card embedded with contactless technology," said Stephen P. Herbert, President and COO, USA Technologies. "ViVOtech is the leader in contactless payment technology with more than 120,000 contactless payment readers being deployed in Quick Service Restaurants, Corporate Cafeterias, Movie Theaters, Convenience, Grocery, and Drug Store. We are proud to be their partner."
On November 26th, USA Technologies and MasterCard International announced they were working together to combine USA Technologies' e-Port(R) cashless payment and networking services with the MasterCard PayPass contactless payment solution to give consumers a faster, more convenient payment option for use at vending machines.
More than 500 vending machines especially equipped with ViVOtech's ViVOpay readers to accept MasterCard PayPass are currently being installed at locations in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia.
ViVOtech and USA Technologies are driving next generation electronic payments for the vending industry worldwide.
About ViVOtech
ViVOtech provides an end-to-end transaction platform that allows consumers to make contactless payments with radio frequency-enabled credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, cell phones, PDAs and identity cards. The company's products are backwards compatible with today's existing PoS infrastructure, providing seamless upgrades. With more than 120,000 of its contactless payment readers deployed around the world, ViVOtech products are found in Fast Food Restaurants (QSR), Casual Dining Establishments, Vending Machines, Corporate Cafeterias, Parking Garages, and Movie Theaters as well as Convenience, Grocery, and Drug Stores. ViVOtech is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with offices in Europe and Asia. In 2005, ViVOtech received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan technology award for its role in transforming the contactless payment industry. www.vivotech.com
About USA Technologies:
USA Technologies is a leader in the networking of wireless non-cash transactions, associated financial/network services and energy management. USA Technologies provides networked credit card and other non-cash systems in the vending, commercial laundry, hospitality and digital imaging industries. USA Technologies is an IBM Business Partner. The Company has marketing agreements with Cingular Wireless, Honeywell, MEI, and ZiLOG Corporation. For further information on USA Technologies, please visit www.usatech.com
Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act:
With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that may individually or mutually impact the matters herein described, including but not limited to, the ability of the Company to increase revenues in the future due to the developing and unpredictable markets for its products, the ability to achieve a positive cash flow from operations, the ability to obtain operating profit, the ability to obtain orders for its energy management products, the ability to obtain new customers and the ability to commercialize its products, which could cause actual results or revenues to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements.
USA Technologies
George R. Jensen, Jr., 800-633-0340
Stephen P. Herbert, 800-633-0340
Investor Relations:
CEOcast, Inc.
Ken Sgro, 212-732-430
ROI Group Associates, Inc
Bob Giordano, 212-495-0200 ext.10
Weber Shandwick, for ViVOtech
Janice Mackey, 408-530-8400 ext.2223
At A Glance
USA Technologies
Headquarters: Malvern, PA
Website: http://www.usatech.com
CEO: George R. Jensen, Jr.
Employees: 51
Ticker: USTT (OTCBB)
Revenues: 5.6 M (2004)
Net Income: NA (2004)
Source: via Business Wire
Updated 08/15/2005 by company


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I understand that a vector has direction and magnitude whereas a point doesn't.
However, the course note that I am using states that a point is the same as a vector.
Also, can you do cross product and dot product using two points instead of two vectors? I don't think so but my roommate insists yes and I'm kind of confused now.


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Andy Thornton
Specialist supplier of decorative lighting for hotels, restaurants, pubs & bars
Andy Thornton offers an extensive range of exclusive decorative lighting for hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs, providing a comprehensive mix of vintage, traditional and contemporary lighting for most venues. If you can't find exactly what you require, we would be delighted to manufacture bespoke fittings to your specification or source from our many suppliers.
Much of the Andy Thornton range is in stock ready for a quick delivery and can be purchased securely online. All fittings are manufactured to the highest specification, are CE marked and meet all UK safety regulations.
We're constantly updating our product ranges so why not be one of the first to hear about the latest products, services and special offers from Andy Thornton


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17 Oct 2011 9:08 AM #1
Unanswered: Logging to XCode console...
I thought of an idea that could help me understand (and debug) Sencha Touch but I'm having some difficulty with it. I have already watched Tommy Maintz's excellent video on debugging, etc...
The idea: Since I have a debug version of ST (sencha-touch-all-debug.js), I could add some debug logging to various functions/methods to follow the flow of my MVC application. This would be tremendously useful as I am using XCode/PhoneGap/SenchaTouch. The problem is that the logs are not showing up in the XCode console. The only thing that reliably works is alert(). I tried console.log(), debug.log(), Ext.log, Ext.Logger.warn(), and throw. How can I get this to work?
onBeforeLaunch: function() { alert('onBeforeLaunch:'); if (this.autoCreateViewport) { this.getView('Viewport').create(); } var controllers = this.controllers, ln = controllers.length, i, controller;
17 Oct 2011 10:35 AM #2
debugging tool
have you looked into using Weinre to debug?
17 Oct 2011 10:44 AM #3
Update - Now nothing is showing up. I tried restarting Weinre, restarting the app, cleaning the app and restarting it, etc... No logs!


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NSAW Fact of the Day: Red Kettle Origin and Modern Traditions
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Did You Know…?
The Annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign began in 1891 when a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco set up a crab pot at Oakland Ferry Landing to collect money for the poor at Christmas. The campaign has since become one of the longest-running and most recognizable fundraising efforts in the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and throughout Europe.
Since 1997, The Salvation Army has launched the Annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign with a special halftime show performance at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game. Previous performers have included Daughtry, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Toby Keith and Jessica Simpson. During this time period, The Salvation Army has raised more than $1.5 billion from the red kettles to support service efforts in communities nationwide.
Hit rock band Daughtry performed for The Salvation Army's 2009 Red Kettle Kick-Off half time show during the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game.
In honor of National Salvation Army Week, everyday we are posting one interesting fact on our blog and an event on our website demonstrating how Salvation Army's across the country are celebrating. Click here for more information on the history of National Salvation Army Week.


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Nueva York Serenity Guest House
Instalaciones Mapa Streetview Críticas
57 Rutland Road Brooklyn New York
Nota: Es responsabilidad de la cadena hotelera o de la propiedad individual garantizar la precisión de las fotos que se muestran. Travellerspoint no es responsable de las imprecisiones de las fotografías.
Experience the grandeur of this beautiful Guest House in the serene and historic section of Lefferts Prospect Gardens, located minutes from the world famous Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Museum and the renowned Prospect Park.
Serenity at Home Guest House, you can rent an entire floor or individual rooms in this pre-war style beauty with original details, modern amenities, and a touch of elegance mixed with the owner's personal artistic touch. Whatever you decide, your stay will be
warm and memorable.
One of many tree-lined blocks in the Lefferts Manor, our community is like living in a small town in a big city neighborhood, quiet, friendly and a photographer's dream for picture taking. The row houses and freestanding homes reflect fine examples of divergent architectural styles including neo-Renaissance, Romanesque Revival and neo-Federal.
Serenity at Home rentals provide guests with the comforts of home, wrapped in hotel accommodations and bed and breakfast hospitality. We pride ourselves on making your short stay in New York City a lasting memory.
We require a 50% deposit in advance of your arrival. It is the guest responsibility to contact Serenity at Home Guest House with credit card information.
Last Minute Bookings (bookings made 14 days or less before the arrival date) are charged in full and are non refundable.
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text:
Reviewer: Nathan Jones, DO
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Ultima Vez Modificado: 28 de octubre del 2007
Authors: Garg AK, et al.
Source: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007 Sep 12, epub.
Young age is considered an independent poor prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer. In the past decade, several randomized trials and meta-analyses have displayed improvements in local control and overall survival with postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for locally advanced breast cancer, but have failed to report age-specific results. With increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this population, a recent retrospective review has suggested continued improvement to local control and cancer specific survival over all age groups. This retrospective review of the experience of MD Anderson Cancer Center was conducted to evaluate the effect of PMRT after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in young patients.
Addition of PMRT was associated with increased overall survival and locoregional control in patients <35 years old who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy for Stage IIb to III breast cancer. The clinical benefit was evident in patients with stage T3 disease or >3 positive lymph nodes. The benefit in smaller tumors with 1-3 positive lymph nodes remains unclear.
At present, recommendations regarding PMRT in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer are unclear. These data support the use of PMRT in young women with stage IIb-III breast cancer. Previous retrospective analysis of PMRT in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with patients of all ages did not reveal a benefit in Stage IIb disease. Given the modest numbers of Stage IIb patients (12 in each arm), and the retrospective nature of this study, further studies would benefit to clarify the role of PMRT in Stage IIb disease in young patients.
An additional limitation of this study is the length of follow-up. Given a 6-year median follow-up, it is not clear that late locoregional recurrences or late toxicities would be accounted for in these data.
This study provides useful data on a high-risk population to aid in treatment decisions, but the limitations of a retrospective study of this nature prohibit clear conclusions that might change previous clinical standards.


text:
Art & Antiques fairs
10/9/2016 - 18/9/2016
23/9/2016 - 25/9/2016
Most viewed today
Price on request
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Kees Maks
€ 25.000 till € 50.000
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Latest art news
TEFAF Maastricht to launch two new annual art fairs in New York at Park Avenue Armory
Maastricht, the world's foremost fair of art, antiques and design presented annually in Maastricht, Netherlands, today announced that, through a joint venture with New York based Artvest, it will be launching two TEFAF art fairs that will be presented annually in New York at the Park Avenue Armory.
Expo 'Breitner: Girl in Kimono' in Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
For the first time ever, the Rijksmuseum is bringing together all the versions of Girl in a Kimono by George Hendrik Breitner. The countless versions of a girl in a kimono, which is considered an icon of Japonism, emerged between 1893 and 1896.
Paris Tableau joins the Biennale des Antiquaires
The decision to annualize the Biennale, to revise its organization and the constitution of an independent vetting committee presided by Mr Henri Loyrette, combined with the important changes that occurred at the SNA, were considered by the members of PARISTABLEAU as positive signs of the revival of Paris as the capital of the arts.
Dutch artist banned from Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam after urine threat
A Dutch court has upheld the right of Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum of modern art to ban the Dutch artist Rob van Koningsbruggen from entering after he threatened to urinate on works, including those by Marlene Dumas.
Does France allow the export of two Rembrandt paintings?
Two famous portraits by Rembrandt which have been hidden away in a private collection in France are going on sale according to US website Art Market Monitor.
Expo to see: Anton Corbijn, HOLLANDS DEEP
To mark the sixtieth birthday of photographer Anton Corbijn, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag is organising a retrospective entitled HOLLANDS DEEP. The exhibition will feature highlights from all Corbijn's series.


text: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brady of Chester, Vt., formerly of Waterbury, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with a party given by their children at Capellaro's Grove in Bethel. Mr. and Mrs. Brady were married July 26, 1942 at St. Joseph's Church in Lincoln Park, N.J. They have three children; Richard Brady of Waterbury; Kathleen Brady of Norfolk, Mass. and Clare Brady of New Milford; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.


text:
23 Nov 2012 3:57 AM #1
Stores config missing when publishing app
Architect Build tested: 2.1.0
- Build: 676
Project Type:
- ExtJS 4.0.7
- This morning I started with a whole new project design (RelationPerformance.xds)
- I first designed the whole screen as you can see in the xds, so I could use this as a screen design.
- When I wanted to publish, I got the message that my combo's were missing stores (which is correct)
- I created the stores (array stores) and in Architect the combo's showed the loaded values correctly
- When I published the app and ran it I got an errormessage (me.store is undefined somewhere in the bind of the Ext Combobox component (StoreManager lookup)
- After looking into older projects I noticed that the 'stores' config in the app.js is missing and not generated by Architect (I now added them myself to the app.js but of course Architect overwrites this)
Steps to reproduce the problem:
- See above
The result that was expected:
- See above
The result that occurs instead:
- See above
Screenshot, Project, or Video:
- attached xsd / screenshot
Possible fix:
- See above
Operating System:
- Windows 7
23 Nov 2012 4:27 AM #2
Also when doing save as and republish the app on a total different location does not make any difference.
Hereby the code I had to add in the app.js
stores: [ 'RegionStore', 'CountryStore', 'LanguageStore', 'BranchStore' ],
26 Nov 2012 8:24 AM #3
Architect should be automatically populating that 'stores' array when you add the stores to the project. It shows up as a config when you select the Application node in the inspector. If your stores are not getting added to that array automatically, then something is going wrong internally. Did you add your stores in any special way? Did you rename them or take some other action on the stores once created? Any help you can give narrowing this down would be appreciated.
FYI attaching the .xds file isn't enough to open it, we need the rest of the project metadata too. Could you attach an archive of your project instead? (File->Archive Project)Jason Johnston
Sencha Architect Development Team
26 Nov 2012 11:49 AM #4
Hi Jason,
Thanks for your reply! To narrow it down is kind of hard. The only thing I know what I did different than otherwise is that I first created the layout of the screen (needed this to send to Sencha care for a performance issue in IE9). When I published the message came that stores needed to be connected to the combo's. I created these stores (did not rename them), also loading worked and then published again (without the warnings of the missing stores). Probably you will find something in the xda (by the way archiving does not work nor give a warning when you archive in the same folder as where the xds is in). RelationPerformance.xda
After I had the problem I created a new project and first created the stores before publishing and with that one (very simple form) I had no problems. I haven't tried to reproduce this because it is quite some work to build such a complex and large screen.
Thanks again!
P.s. The project is renamed but the same as shown in the initial ticket
Last edited by siebe vos; 26 Nov 2012 at 11:58 AM. Reason: typo
26 Nov 2012 12:39 PM #5
Thanks for the project archive. Nothing looks out of the ordinary, and adding new stores populates the array as expected.
We'll definitely keep an eye out going forward for cases where new stores aren't added to the stores array, but unfortunately I don't see anything here that will help us find it. Please let us know if you reproduce it again and can provide more info.
In the meantime, you can populate the 'stores' array on the Application manually as a one-time fix.Jason Johnston
Sencha Architect Development Team


text:
As the title suggests, what's the fastest (accurate) way of finding which lines of which files match a particular string.
Specifically, I'm searching
.cpp and
.h files.
Notepad++ has 'find in files' option, which is located in the 'Search' menu.. This will allow you to search multiple files in a folder (you can specify the folder) and will show you the line numbers of each file as well. You can toggle whether subfolders and hidden folders are included in the search, and it will also allow you to search with \t \n etc. and to search with regular expressions if you need.
Notepad++ is a Windows programmers editor (not an IDE) and is Open Source too.
(i realise that you have most likely heard of notepad++, but I'm just mentioning it here as an option incase you were unaware of this particular feature, and for others who stumble across this thread later on.
Cheers :)
Agent Ransack works like a charm. Download it here.
On Unix systems people would most likely use grep to do this, so why not use Windows Grep?
Here's a Powershell solution:
Perhaps you want to instantly open each file where a match is found? Well, the following small change to the above is quite useful, depending on what you have your default file association as:
while doing a localization of some SW I use DocFetcher to search the same strings in previously translated files. It is free and open-source, but needs to create index first. Just try it. :-)
Use "strings" provided by M$. They bought some very good utilities from Sysinternals a few years back. Doesn't require installation, just drop it on the box and run it for syntax. Easy to use and GREAT!
If you are happy on the command line/with Linux. Might I suggest looking at installing a version of grep for windows?
cygwin is a fairly handy way to got about that and will give you a full Linux environment, with bash shell and a rxvt terminal. Otherwise if you just want the tools there is gnuwin32 but then you will be stuck with the Windows cmd.exe prompt.
Microsoft actually have their own version of the Unix tools as a download, but they seemed fairly slow compared to the gnu ports when I tried them. They also going to scrap them with Windows 8.
This is how I search for text strings in the Windows Registry or files on my Windows XP machine. Let's assume I want to find the string "Enterprise" in a plain text file on the c: drive, then write the output to a file called search_result.txt in c:\windows\temp
Open a command prompt then type:
findstr "Enterprise" c:*.txt > c:\windows\temp\search_result.txt
The string you search for is case sensitive. "Enterprise" and "enterprise" will not find the same string.


text:
6 Cheap Acting Tricks That Fool The Critics Every Time
#3. The Outsider Who Inspires a Ragtag Group of Kids
Everybody needs a little inspiration from time to time. Some people (us) draw their inspiration from the magic of Jagermeister and truck stop speed. For those with slightly more concern for the well-being of their liver, nothing is quite as inspiring as a tale of long odds overcome, courtesy of a teacher or principal who is out of his element.
Also, for whatever reason, it seems to help if the teacher in question has his own naturally occurring dermatological challenge to overcome. Hey, we don't make up the rules people.
For Example:
Before making the leap to the silver screen, acne scarred Edward James Olmos was already pretty well respected as an actor. In 1985, he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of Lieutenant Martin Castillo, the only non-hilarious character on Miami Vice. But as Don Johnson would soon learn, it's a long road from television star to film star. That road is littered with bumps, potholes and unintentionally hilarious movie posters.
But Olmos was not fucking around. Olmos cemented his place as a respected actor with his role in the 1988 film Stand and Deliver. His portrayal of Jaime Escalante, a math teacher who turns a rebellious group of East L.A. school kids into calculus wizards, earned him a Best Actor nomination.
He would go on to enjoy a career filled with well respected roles in films like American Me, My Family/Mi Familia and Selena. Granted, it's no Nash Bridges, but it's a living.
Other Famous Examples Include:
Robin Williams's chest hair in Dead Poets Society
The weird stuff on Morgan Freeman's face in Lean on Me (the role which took him from soap operas to Driving Miss Daisy)
The Exception That Proves the Rule :
Like an inverted version of rule five, the less people want to have sex with you, the better this role works. Meryl Streep managed to get an Oscar nod for Music of the Heart, when she was well past the age that anyone wanted to see her naked. Antonio Banderas got laughed out of theaters in Take the Lead. Everybody was pretty sure Freedom Writers was terrible, which is about how certain most people are that they'd have sex with its star Hillary Swank. And the one objectively hot actress who tried it made Dangerous Minds, one of the most objectively ridiculous movies of the 90s.
It should be noted that, just as we expect our good looking actors to actually disfigure their bodies, we expect our ugly actors playing teachers to actually have weird shit going on with their skin.
"I will teach you to pay it forward with my face burns."
#2. Get Retarded!
Movie goers love the mentally challenged. Or rather, the quirky, innocent versions who show up in one inspirational movie after another. This is most likely because rooting for them on screen makes us feel better for avoiding them at all costs in real life.
For Example:
Before building a successful career playing himself in a string of blockbuster films, Billy Bob Thornton actually stretched a bit to play the role of Karl Childers, a mentally impaired man who befriends a young boy in Sling Blade. Not only did Thornton get nominated for Best Actor, he also won an Oscar for Best Screenplay and nailed Angelina Jolie. Repeatedly! And he didn't even have to adopt a fleet of kids to do it. Now that is success.
Meanwhile the annals of Academy Award history are littered with actors who earned buku actor cred by playing mentally handicapped characters. Dustin Hoffmann won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in Rainman. Tom Hanks did the same with his role in Forrest Gump. Even the women got in on the act when Jodie Foster was nominated for her lead role in Nell. You 'member dat?
Other Famous Examples Include:
Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Giovanni Ribisi in The Other Sister
John Malkovich in Of Mice and Men
The Exception That Proves the Rule :
In 2001's I Am Sam, Sean Penn swung for the retard fences and came up short. Was his portrayal of a mentally retarded man accurate? Hell yes. If you met him on the street, you'd be fooled. Come to think of it, if you met Sean Penn on the street out of character you'd get the same result. But that's beside the point. Even though he was nominated, Penn still went home with no award.
Why? As Robert Downey, Jr. famously warned in the comedy Tropic Thunder, taking on the role of a mentally handicapped person is tricky ("Never go full retard!"). To take home the gold you need to play the kind of mental handicap that just makes you quirky--or even better, gives you special powers somehow. You can't actually show audiences what life is like for these people. Who the fuck wants that?
#1. When All Else Fails... Go Gay
Being the kind of movie star who can do both blockbusters and award-winners means treading a fine line. You need to go edgy, in the sense that your roles will touch on controversial subjects, but not so edgy that it will turn off middle-America. So you can't do two hours of you in a dark room, shitting on an American flag while off in one corner a robot molests a child, for instance.
Or can you?
Instead, you need to hit that controversial sweet spot where you're challenging the beliefs of some people out there, but not so many that you can't still fill many theaters with people who agree with you (and who will purchase a ticket as a means of congratulating themselves for being so enlightened). Once upon a time it was racism, and then abortion. But right now, gay rights are where it's at.
For Example:
Who the fuck is Hilary Swank? That's probably what most people were asking when word of mouth spread that they should probably check out this Boys Don't Cry flick. Before that, Swank had a brief run on Beverly Hills 90210 and starred in Karate Kid Pt. 4, a film that we're pretty sure doesn't actually exist.
Except that there's evidence.
She was paid a total of $3,000 dollars for her work in Boys Don't Cry, but the notoriety gained by playing a homely looking dude was priceless. Overnight, Swank went from nobody to Academy Award winning actress. Her immediate success can be attributed to the fact that she is one of the first to stack the above techniques by going gay, biopic and ugly in the same role.
Holy shit, we're surprised they didn't just rename the Oscar after her.
The Exception That Proves the Rule :
Who are we kidding?
Adam hosts a podcast called Unpopular Opinion that you should check out right here. You should also be his friend on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
Want to be Internet famous? Cracked can help! Just go here and sign up. No experience necessary.
For careers that were destroyed after winning the big one, check out 5 Great Careers Destroyed By The Post-Oscar Curse. Or find out about some movies that were likely cursed, in The Insane True Stories Behind 6 Cursed Movies.
And stop by our Top Picks to see Swaim's first gay role (he didn't know the cameras were on).
And don't forget to follow us on Twitter to get previews of upcoming articles and trick your friends into thinking you're psychic.


text:
- 22 Resorts
- Consistent Snow
- Diverse destinations
- Resorts open before those of many other states
- Home to Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain
Related Regions: Sierra Nevada, Northern California, California, Season Pass Deals, United States, North America, Lake Tahoe
"plenty of snow. slightly mushy, but soft. enjoyed much."
"I was there Sun 4/3. Snow was great in the morning when it was colder outside. Once sun was out, snow started to get slushy. Still great enough to get some good runs in."
"Skied Thurs 3/31. Snow was okay in the am but turned to gloppy slush at 1pm. Had to get off the mountain fast. Suppose to be warmer on Fri. "
"Best snow of the season today! Surprise storm!!! Could not find a run that was less than great."
"sweet day, no crowd...expected couple inches, ended with at least 8 to 10. great day. "


text:
29 Apr 2013 1:23 PM #1
ListVIew drag and drop on itself - preview issue
I created a listView and added support for drag and drop so users could rearrange the items of the list the way they want.
The problem is that when I select an item from the list and start to drag it the visual preview/feedback keeps jumping to the end of the list making it difficult for the user to drop the list item in the desired position. Is anyone aware of this or I'm actually missing something here? Here is my code:
ListViewDragSource<OperationsListModel> source = new ListViewDragSource<OperationsListModel>(operationsListView);
ListViewDropTarget<OperationsListModel> target1 = new ListViewDropTarget<OperationsListModel>(operationsListView);
Please advise.
2 May 2013 10:51 AM #2
Thanks for the report - gathering a little more info before I file:
I can reproduce something like this at http://staging.sencha.com:8080/examp...ace:listtolist by using the second panel to drag from the left to the right. In some cases, the insert doesn't show up, and the listview gets scrollbars for no apparent reason, though the item still seems to be inserted at the correct location based on the mouse position. Is this what you are referring to?
2 May 2013 11:00 AM #3
Yes, this is what's happening. The way it manifests seems to be the same, though in my case I'm using a single list, so the source and target for the drag and drop operation is the same (list).
Thanks for looking into this and I'm hoping for a fix in the next release
2 May 2013 11:26 AM #4
Thanks for the clarification - this helps make it clear that the issue isn't related to have the same source as target, and lets us narrow down where to start looking.
I've raised this internally, and we will update this thread when we have a workaround or a fix to share.
16 May 2013 12:09 PM #5
This has been fixed for 3.0.5 and the fix is in the latest SVN source.
17 May 2013 8:29 AM #6


text:
5 Sci-Fi Technologies People Achieved By Hacking the Kinect
On June 1, 2009, Microsoft announced the Kinect, and with it, they promised the birth of a new generation of motion-controlled video games. Instead, we got a virtual puppy petting machine and awkward wedding-dance simulator. But some particularly handy people took a look at the Kinect and saw the true potential. Here's what they gave us ...
#5. Holograms
Holograms are a pretty big staple of science fiction universes. They replaced email in Star Wars, chess in Star Trek, television in The Jetsons and even revived the Jaws series in Back to the Future Part II.
The Hack:
Along with jetpacks, hoverboards and blow-job robots, holograms are one of those future cockteases that were promised to us long ago, but that nobody ever shows any sign of delivering. But now, using just a Kinect and an ordinary TV, this hacker has made himself a full-fledged helicopter hologram at home. The programmer himself admits that the hack isn't technically impressive, but it's the simplicity and novelty that are really jaw-dropping here: The Kinect uses its body tracking software to keep tabs on the user's head in three-dimensional space, telling the software which angle you're viewing the image from. The image adjusts on the fly, creating a cheap and dirty "hologram" effect using the same simple 2-D displays we all already own. It's what would happen if MacGyver was way into video games instead of helping people or saving the world or any of that stupid crap.
If it brings us one step closer to holo-porn, it automatically counts as altruism.
So What Does This Mean for Gaming?
It's still technically a 2-D display, so it might not mean holographic games quite yet (at least not beyond the puzzle variety, though it would make a sweet-ass Jenga simulator). But it could mean the end of all camera issues. No more bullshit auto-centering right as you're about to make a key jump, no more getting stuck in corners, no more awkward, clumsy controls. It looks where you look and shows you what you would see from that angle. Do you know what that means, console gamers? We get an entire analog stick back! We could use it for anything: Aiming independent of the camera, movement control of AI partners or just swinging a virtual arm around like a total spaz!
Or just spending the whole day flipping out your cats.
And yeah, we know, the hack isn't exactly beaming images out into the center of your living room or anything, so maybe it's cheating to call it a hologram. But think about it: You know you're going to use this shit to upskirt that busty video game heroine at some point, and a 2-D image is a hell of a lot easier to hide than a translucent ghost ass hovering in the middle of your living room.
#4. Hunter Killer from The Terminator
The Terminator franchise focuses on the eponymous death-delivering machines that plague humanity. But the giant Austrian robots were not the only variety: There were spiders, tanks, boats and even Hunter Killer drones, which were tiny, lethal unmanned scout aircraft. Hey, they might be among the less impressive deadly robots, but that's better than no deadly robots at all, right?
"When you can snatch the trachea from my throat, your training will be complete."
The Hack:
In this clip, some UC Berkeley professors basically glued a Kinect to a quadrotor, then programmed the Kinect to fly the copter while avoiding obstacles. What's the difference between this and those army UAVs? There's no human control here. The whole thing is self-contained. There's an onboard computer that does the software heavy lifting and even backup sensors in case the Kinect malfunctions. Although the video doesn't specifically mention it, the next step is obviously duct-taping a Glock to the thing and seeing how well it pops off headshots.
Dear God, don't taunt it!
So What Does This Mean for Gaming?
If the future is Augmented Reality Gaming -- the practice of overlaying video games on the real world -- then cheap, autonomous gaming drones are going to be invaluable. They could keep score for you, track your progress through the game/world or even stand in for virtual enemies. And when they inevitably become self-aware and the game becomes horribly real, hey, at least you'll die doing what you loved: being shot by robots.
Honestly, we all have it coming.
#3. Real-Time Tracking AI
HAL 9000 was the intelligent piloting system that went haywire and took over Dave's ship in 2001: A Space Odyssey. HAL's primary abilities were tracking humans with its cameras, learning and speaking in an unsettling hushed monotone like a registered sex offender.
"Dave, I'm required by law to inform you when I enter the neighborhood."
The Hack:
We haven't compiled all of HAL's killer aspects into one single Kinect hack yet. You'd probably know if we had, as you'd be reading this from inside the blast furnace you'd been tricked into. But we sure are working on each individual trait separately: Here's a Kinect hack that doesn't just track movement, but also recognizes human forms and where they are in real space. Free bonus! It comes in creepy eyeball form.
Here's one that's learning object-recognition and speech:
Via yankeyan
And here's another whose only purpose is to ask where you are, and what exactly you think you're doing:
Via KinectHacks
"Your penis appears to be .0428 standard deviations below the mean human length."
And if your name happens to be Dave, this is all sounding terribly familiar to you right now ...
So What Does This Mean for Gaming?
Just in general, a learning machine will mean an end to clumsy, unrealistic AI. Enemies could learn which weapon you favor, which eye is dominant and even your preferred play style -- whether to be on guard for stealth attacks or a rocket-slinging death charge, for instance. But that's probably giving "camera software that recognizes stuffed giraffes" a little too much credit. The most this particular program could aspire to is a kind of futuristic R.O.B. the Nintendo robot -- a novelty peripheral that knows your name, interacts with you and plays games based on scanning real-life objects. But honestly, that's all we ever wanted out of the future: A wacky robot sidekick. If that's somehow not good enough for you, well, then you've either suffered serious trauma to the imagination lobe or you yourself are already a cold, heartless robot and see no need for the redundancy.
In which case, hey -- wanna be our sidekick?
Wait, you don't have skull-crushing strength, do you?


text:
Riyadh King Khaled International Airport
PO Box 12531, Riyadh 11483, Saudi Arabia
Telefon: (01) 221 1000
Website: www.gaca.gov.sa
Riyadh King Khaled International Airport is situated 35km (22 miles) north of Riyadh.
How to get there
Major roads to Riyadh King Khaled International Airport are King Fahd Road, Al-Takhassousi Road and the East Interstate Highway.
Information about parking possibilities at the Riyadh King Khaled International Airport
Access by public transport
Taxis are the only mode of public transport available to/from the airport and must be paid for in advance. Authorised taxis marked with the airport logo are available 24 hours a day to the city centre (journey time: 30 minutes). By law, taxis must have a meter and passengers should check this before setting off. Average prices start at SAR60.
Information desk
Each terminal has an operations office, which provides passenger information.
Further travel information
- Back to the overview


text:
Doomtree Performs Live in the UBS Forum
Doomtree's members have all been featured in the spotlight for their solo projects, but it has become a rare sight to see the collective perform together in recent years. So when their newest album No Kings was announced, people in the Twin Cities were understandably buzzing about the idea of more group collaboration in a live setting.
They stopped by the UBS Forum to kick off the release, on the heels of major nationwide recognition. Mashing together their individual fortes and genre-crossing, Doomtree has solidified their reputation for hard-hitting and smart lyrics and beats.
You can check out some additional content with our slideshow of the performance as well as a video of Mark Wheat interviewing the collective.
Songs performed: "The Grand Experiment," "Beacon," "Little Mercy," "Bolt Cutter," and "Bangarang."
- Doomtree
Related Stories
- Slideshow: Doomtree live in the UBS Forum The entire Doomtree gang performed live in the UBS Forum on December 1, debuting much of their new album "No Kings."
- Doomtree Performs Live in The Current studio The local hip-hop collective and record label Doomtree have been combining beats and MCs for the last five years. In addition to the collaborative EPs, several members including P.O.S., Dessa, Sims, and Cecil Otter have released solo albums.
- Doomtree Performs Live in The Current Studio Doomtree is a record label. Doomtree is a rap crew. Doomtree is a family. Over the past five years, Doomtree has become one of the most highly regarded hip-hop collectives in the Midwest, thanks to their innovative recordings, explosive live shows, and tireless work ethic.


text:
Around these parts, the aphorism "A gentleman never chooses a basis," has become popular.
Is there a gentlemanly way to prove that the natural map from V to V** is surjective if V is finite dimensionsal?
As in life, the exact standards for gentlemanliness are a bit vague. Some arguments seem to be implicitly pick basis. I'm hoping there's an argument which is unambigously gentlemanly.


text:
I usually wait until Wednesday evening to write this column for Sunday's edition, electing to figure it out from week to week in the comfort of my own home - the beauty of computers and e-mail that weren't part of this job when I started.
The column needs done on Wednesdays because this Valley Life section in which it runs goes on the press on Thursdays.
So I choose to put this column on the Janice do-it-at-home list sometime Wednesday evening, knowing that somehow, some way, at day's end inspiration will strike, ultimately, eventually.
Take last week's column for instance.
I didn't really have a handle on what topic I was going to decide the Sunday reading public needed to know to persevere onward and upward for the week until I glanced over at Better Half.
I'm usually sitting on one couch where I'm balancing my laptop while he's sitting on another couch engrossed with the Herald-Star's crossword puzzle or Celebrity Cipher or watching the Pirates or a political news analysis show.
This particular Wednesday was no different, but as I watched him savor the second of three chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream cones, completely oblivious to any other life forms around him, I heard the "bingo!" sound in my head loud and clear.
I know - I'll write about ice cream, Moose Tracks ice cream!
And so I did, mentioning how I can't seem to get enough of it, so I've been doing my best not to deny myself.
Apparently a lot of readers feel the same way because the column generated quite a response, including this nice letter from a lady named Marilyn, who so sweetly wondered how I stay "so slim and trim" despite being hooked on Moose Tracks.
Thank you for that, Marilyn, but the truth is everything comes at a price, and I'm already realizing that I need to make tracks around a track because of Moose Tracks.
And now comes the busy season post Labor Day holiday where organizations and clubs start meeting, and that means food, food, food everywhere. Between Moose Tracks and buffets to come, I almost need a mouth security system to keep my food intake in check.
I'm contemplating that as I write this column not on Wednesday evening but in the wee hours of Thursday morning as I sit here at my kitchen table.
My Wednesday, incidentally, got later and later thanks to three horses named Coffee, Fortune and Karma. (I'll blame it on them.) By the time I got home from the barn and sat with the laptop balanced before me, Mr. Sleepy paid a visit, and I welcomed the diversion.
The next thing I knew, after a night of dreaming that I was writing my column, I awakened in the middle of the night to discover I hadn't written anything at all, which explained the blank screen.
But I'm here, hoping that as you read this, you'll be enjoying summer's last hurrah.
Happy Labor Day.
(Kiaski, a resident of Steubenville, is a staff columnist and features writer for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times and community editor for the Herald-Star. She can be contacted at email@example.com.)


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Teltane Farm has been growing increasingly high quality crops since 1979 in Monroe Maine. Starting with market gardens that delivered fresh 2-3 times a week to restaurants and storefronts in Waldo County and occasionally as far as Hancock and Penobscot counties. Some herb and vegetable crops were dried and shipped as far as New York City and Hawaii.
In 1982 the farm started to develop a nursery business, growing fruit trees, vine fruits, nut trees, perennial plants and numerous ornamentals.
Custom grafted trees were a specialty for us. Eventually wholesaling to Fedco Trees, part of the Fedco Seeds Group of worker owned businesses.. We developed our own catalog and sold independently for some years and then shifted the nursery business slowly over to a developing orchard that now produces several hundred bushels of apples, pears, stone fruits, kiwis and berries. Under the tree canopy grows a wide selection of medicinal perennial herbs, many of them rare adaptogens.
The farm is transforming itself into a mature orchard with open plots and 2 larger annual crop fields to service a growing seed garlic business, now sold mostly on our website, www.teltanefarm.com . The farm also serves increasingly as a trial ground for field training interns and journey persons in many levels and methods of agriculture, gardening and horticulture.
Classes and workshops have become very popular for groups or individuals coming to see what can be done on a small farm to grow exceptional tree, grain, vegetable and medicinal crops of all kinds. The focus is always to meet and exceed the parameters of organic practices and standards, which we see as a starting place needing increased focus on methods and nutrition to maintain optimum soil, plant, animal and human health.
Although we no longer seek organic certification, we like to give our produce and fruit customers, students and consulting clients the open book, so they can decide for themselves.
Working and consulting abroad in other parts of the US, and countries overseas, has given great insight on how crops can be grown better with more nutritionally focused productivity by fine tuning methods and inputs for building soil reserves and simultaneous crop intensification.
The economic and politically unstable times we live in have effected local and country wide systems enough, that farmers, gardeners seek changes in practice and consumers who don't even grow their own food, are interested in the whole picture. Food shoppers are increasingly purchasing from farmers markets, farmer-owned CSA's and have become gardeners and farmers themselves. The most direct field to table path is best.
The focus of innovative farming methods and our services goes beyond soil and crop nutrition. We need to rethink and retool how we control our food and medicine supply at home, taking matters back into our own hands. Downsizing and upgrading the quality of smaller diversified farms rather than chase too distant markets in a competition fashion. Although this goes against the grain of " business growth", it is what can be sustained in difficult times when resources are less available.
The need to come up with solutions for small-scale grain production, especially in a less stable climate. Considerations of home food processing have gone way beyond canning and freezing. Root cellaring, pickling and fermenting are more appropriate in many cases.
Homebuilt coolers rigged with energy saving systems, solar and wood fired food dehydration units made at home, non-electric water pumping and season extension are all a part of the focus to transition our society towards a friendlier, more cooperative phase.
Our work is aimed at standards of excellence by design rather than by label. Every year soils and crops are evaluated both by multiple testing methods, the response of quality conscious customers, crop reliability in increasing extremes of weather and resistance to diseases and insect pressure. The soil is amended using complex recipes of minerals and biological enhancement products, minimizing tillage and cover crpping. Field crops are further fortified with nutritional drenches and foliar sprays, feeding and supporting the plants above and below.
Opening up the farm abundance directly to the customer without a middleman makes us all winners. It creates a stronger community and localizes the economy.
Using the models of community supported agriculture (CSA) and online farmers market (OFM), we invite you to be a participant, more than just a shopper.
~ Teltane Farm and friends


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This apartment is currently off the market. Go to the building page to see availabilities.
Beautiful NO FEE Soho One Bedroom with Elevator and Concierge
$3,0951 Bedroom, 1 Bath
Available immediately
One Year, Market Rate Lease
301 Elizabeth Street
Manhattan, NY 10012
Cross streets:
E. Houston Street, Bleecker Street
Manhattan, NY 10012
Cross streets:
E. Houston Street, Bleecker Street
Leasing Office
Available No Fee Apartments at Soho Court
|Unit # (click to view)
|Date Available
|Last Updated
|1 Bedroom
|1 Bath
Apartment Features
Beautiful NO FEE Soho One Bedroom with Elevator and Concierge
Building Features & Amenities
- Elevator
- Concierge
- Laundry in Building
- Fitness Center
- Residents Garden
- Mid-rise (7-25 Floors)
- Built 1997
- Rental Property
Pet policy: Pets OK
Minimum 1 Year Lease
Soho Court, located on East Houston and Elizabeth Streets, is a 12-story, luxury property set in the heart of Manhattan's most energetic and vital neighborhood. Offering a variety of unique studio, one and two bedroom layouts, Soho Court's superior apartment amenities include 9' ceilings, contemporary kitchens, ceramic tile floors, oversized granite dining counters and maple wood designer cabinets and bathrooms with tri-view mirrored medicine cabinets and matching maple wood vanities. The Penthouse level apartments feature terraces, skylights and fireplaces.
The building also provides the unique feature of an in-house exercise room with adjacent laundry facilities allowing tenants the convenience of completing both of those arduous tasks simultaneously. There is also an on-site attended garage and a peaceful, private, landscaped and furnished courtyard.
Soho Court's ultra-central Downtown location presents the best of three great neighborhhods: Soho, Greenwich Village and Nolita (north of Little Italy). While retaining their own unique characteristics, each neighborhood offers a delightful mix of art, antiques, terrific food and a multitude of entertainers and shopping choices. The building is only two blocks from both the IRT and BMT subway lines.
Building Features:
Studios, 1 and 2 Bedroom residences
Granite Kitchens
PH Apts. with Wood Burning Fireplace, Private Outdoor Space and Skylights.
Sky's The Limit Concierge Services
Private Landscaped Garden
Attended Garage
Complimentary Fitness Center
On-Site Resident Manager
Convenient Bike Parking
Brixity.com Online Tenant Service
Application and Move-in Information
- Insurent Accepted
Owner / Manager / Leasing Information for Soho Court
For more information on this listing, contact:
Property Management:
Manhattan Skyline Management Corp.
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I am trying with humidity sensors and want to build a simple humidity circuit myself, I already got a USB humidifier dissembled, now I need a dehumidifier.
Can I make a small DIY dehumidifier with old computer cooling fins and fans?
If it is a silly choice, what would you suggest that I can build one from common backyard scraps?


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1969 Dodge Super Bee Framerail Replacement - Properly FramedWritten by on November 1, 2007 Replacing Framerails In A '69 B-Body
None of us like to think about this, but most of our favorite musclecars are rapidly approaching 40 years old. even though it's getting harder and harder to find complete original cars, and even though the prices for what we do find aren't going down, it's actually easier than ever to restore the car of your dreams. There are more parts and services available now then ever before.
However-and there is just no getting around this-we are starting to run out of some of the rarer versions of the cars we love. Guys are restoring cars today that just a few years ago would have been considered too far gone to fix. Cars that would have been crushed and scrapped for the steel, or at best used for parts, are now being fully restored.
The 69 1/2 Super Bee you see here is a prime example. As an original A12 car, it's a rare find. The "Catch 22" is these cars are still around because they are rare, but too far gone for most guys to deal with. This one was straight and mostly complete, but had extensive rust damage. In addition to the usual rust prone areas, this one also had to have new rear framerails-a job a lot more demanding than tacking on some new quarters.
Still, this sort of thing is not beyond many do-it-yourselfers. You'll need to be proficient with welding sheetmetal, have a large clean work space, two or three extra pairs of hands, and plenty of patience, but with some expert tips to help keep you out of trouble, we know you can do this.
When it comes to advanced restoration metal work, we don't know of anyone more experienced than the guys at Muscle car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Owner John Balow got his start working on Mopars when there weren't the resources available like there are today. he and his team have been doing this kind of thing for almost two decades, and they know where to find the donor cars to supply the needed parts.
In a nutshell, the critical part of this kind of job is keeping everything square. We don't have to tell you the kind of drivetrain/tracking problems one could create if the frame isn't plumb with the rest of the body. While the guys at MCR use a professional frame rack that easily allows them to weld-in all the braces and supports needed to keep everything in place and provide reference points for reassembly, this job can be done on a flat concrete floor if one takes the time to fabricate the necessary supports and measure several times.
If there is a trick to this kind of work, in addition to properly supporting and bracing delicate areas, it's in taking and recording a lot of measurements and marking key reference points so you have a way of verifying that the new rails are in exactly the right place. This assumes your car is straight to begin with. If it's not, you'd better back up and get that issue straightened out first (pun intended). Another key tip is to replace both the rails as a unit with all their factory bracing intact. That way you won't be as likely to get the rails skewed with each other, and your rear suspension will bolt-up perfectly.
When we showed up at MCR for photos, the car had already been dipped to remove the many years of rust and other crud, and a lot of the prep work was underway. The framerails are not usually the first things to come out during a project like this. Removing the quarters and the trunk floor makes access to the attachment points much easier. the inner rockers on both sides were already replaced, so there would be solid mounting points available when the new rails were fitted in place.
Now, we may be doing this job to a B-Body, but the steps shown here can be used on any Mopar's rear frame if it needs replaced. Ok, are you ready? Take a deep breath and let's have at it. By the time we're done, you'll know what you are doing.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
Another area you'll need to support is the tops of the quarters and the trunk lid opening. A simple support system can again be made using square stock. Once you're sure the car is sufficiently supported, you can start measuring.When measuring for frame re-alignment, make sure to measure from points that are usable on both the old rails and the replacements. Again, MCR has a jig, but if you are doing this at home, a string and plumb bob can be used to mark for re-alignment. If using a plumb bob, hang the string from a location on the old rails that is perfectly repeatable when the new ones are in place. Simply hang the plumb bob, and then mark the location on the floor. Always remember to measure several times before cutting.The front of the rear frame attaches to the inner rocker panel under the back-seat area. Both inner and outer rockers were replaced ahead of time so the new rails would have solid mounting points available to them. This is important because this is a key locating point for the entire frame assembly.If rust has eaten up your frame, it's a good bet that the trunk floor and rear quarters will also be bad, so go ahead and remove them first. You don't need to be neat with the trunk floor. You're just getting it out of the way to make it easier to access the various spot welds and other attachment points, and to remove some weight from the assembly to make it easier to handle later since it will be done as one unit.With the body properly supported, put a brace under each of the four corners of the frame and mark them so you have reference points for the new frame. Obviously, you can't weld these in place or you wouldn't be able to remove the frame. These will also support the rear of the car after the new frame is in place while you are finishing the rest of the repairs.Measure, measure, and measure some more. Make measurements to the floor, from side-to-side, and in a crisscross pattern; carefully record them with drawings so you will be able to repeat them with the new frame.Referencing the front frame is especially important because that is perhaps the most critical relationship if you want the car to track straight down the road. If the new frame is straight, then all these measurements will just confirm that you have everything in right.
A 3/8-inch Blair plug-cutter drill bit works great. Referencing the donor frame will help you locate them all.Even after you drill all the spot welds, you may need to run a chisel under each of the spot welds. That way the frame will separate cleanly from the rest of the car.Your donor frame will likely not come ready to install. This one-from a four-door car-came from a salvage yard with the rest of the back half of the car still attached. You'll need to remove everything you don't need. Since our car needs a new rear panel and this one is good, we decided to install them as a unit.Don't be surprised if your donor trunk floor is bad. just install it like it is and plan on replacing it later. Leaving it in place for now helps to keep everything square and rigid.Here's where it helps to have an extra pair of hands. You'll need to lift the old frame section out of the car.There sure isn't much left, but this really shows the importance of lots of support for the rest of the shell. Because nothing moves, every part will fit like new.Here you can see we had some rust to deal with that wasn't part of the repair we're working on. Might as well fix it now. You can see the repair made to the top of the lip and the side rust is just about fixed.With the old frame out of the way, hammer and dolly all the mating surfaces of the remaining material flat. It's difficult to do this with the donor frame in place, and it will make welding the new frame in place much easier.Even with a body that has been completely stripped, there will still be rust left over inside the factory seam locations. Clean off every seam, and then spray 3M's Weld Through Primer on all the mating surfaces. Also, it's a good idea to paint the inside of your new frame with a rust neutralizer such as POR 15.
Now is the time to call in some of those favors your friends owe you. It is going to take a few buddies to make sure you get the frame in place without causing more damage that you'll need to repair later.Remember the marks you made on the support pieces? Use the marks on the four corners to line up the frame, and then start retracing your earlier measurements on the new frame the same way you measured and recorded the old ones. If your donor is good, then it should drop in just as if you were putting the old one back in.There is one bolt that goes through each framerail to the body. They come through from the back seat area. Seeing these two points line up right away is a good sign.Let's fire up the welder. Start at the front of the new frame where it attaches to the inner rocker panels. Once both sides are secure, tack the rear of the frame to its rear supports to help prevent anything from moving as you are working around the car. Check your measurements again.As you begin welding all the holes you drilled to remove the old frame, be sure to clamp or at least hold or push the parts together as you do. Don't allow any gaps in the panel seams or in-between the frame and the sheetmetal. Also, jump around the different parts of the frame as you go. Don't do one whole side first as that can cause things to shift and move even if they are well braced.One area to pay particular attention to is the rear quarter extension. Hold that part in place as you clamp and weld the quarter to the rear panel so it fits perfectly.
Now that you have the rear frame replaced, it's time to tackle the quarters and other sheetmetal. Get busy and get that Mopar back on the road.


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No. 99 - New Source Review: An Evaluation of EPA's Reform Recommendations
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On June 13, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency released New Source Review: Report to the President, describing the need to reform that part of the Clean Air Act regulating emissions from new or substantially modified factories and power plants. EPA followed the report with seven reform recommendations. We believe these reforms represent progress in bringing one of the nation's least effective environmental regulations up-to-date.
1. Origins of the controversy
"New Source Review" (NSR) refers to a permitting program whose basic requirements were established in 1977 under Title 1 of the Clean Air Act. According to EPA, the purpose of the program is to ensure that when new sources are built or existing sources undergo major modifications: (1) air quality improves if the change occurs where the air currently does not meet federal air quality standards; and (2) air quality is not significantly degraded where the air currently meets federal standards."
The NSR program attempts to achieve its mission by requiring best available control technology (BACT) or lowest achievable emissions rate (LAER) technology be installed when new units are built or when major modifications are made to existing plants that would lead to a significant increase in emissions.
Since 1980, EPA has released some 4,000 pages of "guidance" and produced many (often conflicting) letters and several proposals for NSR revision, none of them finalized. Some commentators contend EPA has frequently and substantially changed its enforcement policies without going through the formal (and legally required) rulemaking procedure.
2. What the Report to the President says
EPA's Report to the President summarizes extensive public comments and previous EPA reviews of NSR enforcement policies, and it summarizes case studies showing how current NSR enforcement policies have had negative effects on businesses, workers, consumers, and the environment. EPA identified three areas where reform is needed:
- EPA's uncertain and increasingly narrow interpretation of the "routine maintenance, repair and replacement" exclusion. Consistent with Congress's intent, EPA until 1999 generally excluded "routine maintenance, repair and replacement" (RMR&R) activities from the NSR permitting process. As early as 1988, though, EPA began to challenge the meaning of "routine," subjecting or threatening to subject more activities to NSR than before.
The Report to the President concludes that "concern about the scope of the routine maintenance exclusion is having an adverse impact on [utility] projects that affect availability, reliability, efficiency, and safety." Concerning nonutility companies, EPA says "concern about the scope of the routine maintenance exclusion is having an adverse impact on industries outside the energy sector. It also is credible to conclude that projects have been discouraged that might have been economically and/or environmentally beneficial without increasing actual emissions."
- EPA's substitution of "actual-to-future-potential" for "actual-to-future-actual" in estimating likely changes in emissions. In 1996, EPA changed the way it estimates the effect of facility modifications on emissions for nonutility emitters from "actual-to-future-actual" to "actual-to-future-potential," which means the decision to apply NSR is determined by the emitter's "potential to emit" rather than the actual change in emissions likely to occur.
In its Report to the President, EPA concluded "the current NSR program is having an adverse impact on energy efficiency by discouraging projects that may improve energy efficiency, or may increase capacity and reliability without actually increasing pollutant emissions. In some cases it may be discouraging projects that decrease emissions because of the 'actual-to-potential' test used for these industries."
- Emissions from de-bottlenecking and aggregation. Originally, EPA ruled that only the direct effect on emissions from the unit being modified would be considered in determining whether an NSR permit was required. More recently, EPA has moved to a more expansive definition under which ancillary increases in emissions from unmodified but "de-bottlenecked" units must be included. EPA is also combining separate projects and claiming the aggregate effect on emissions is sufficient to trigger NSR.
3. EPA's reform recommendations
When it released its Report to the President, EPA also issued seven recommendations for NSR reform. The first four were proposed by the Clinton administration in 1996 but never implemented:
- Plantwide Applicability Limits (PALs). Regulated emitters would be allowed to modify their plants without obtaining a major NSR permit provided their emissions do not exceed a plantwide cap based on an actual emissions baseline. Such "Plantwide applicability limits" (PALs) would effectively expand the RMR&R exclusion and resolve conflicts over de-bottlenecking.
- "Clean unit" exclusion. Regulated emitters who achieved federal BACT or LAER control levels or comparable state minor source BACT since 1990 would be entitled to a "clean unit exclusion" from NSR. A clean unit would trigger NSR only if permitted allowable emissions increase.
- Exclusion for pollution control and prevention projects. Modifications that result in a net overall reduction in air pollutants, including when an emitter switches to a cleaner-burning fuel, would be excluded from NSR, subject to certain conditions. Caps on emissions under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards program and other programs would remain in place.
- Return to actual-to-future-actual methodology. The "actual-to-future-potential" emissions test would be replaced with the previously used (and still used for utilities) "actual-to-future-actual" test, which is a more realistic calculation of future emissions. Only emission increases caused by a given modification would be considered. The baseline for calculating current actual emissions would be the highest consecutive 24-month period within the immediately preceding 10 years.
Three additional reforms of NSR recommended by EPA would need to go through the formal rulemaking procedure (including public comment) before being implemented. They are:
- More objective definition of the RMR&R exclusion. EPA proposes to set cost-based thresholds below which projects would automatically qualify for the RMR&R exclusion. The thresholds would be set on an industry-by-industry basis and would exclude costs incurred for installing and maintaining pollution control technology.
- De-bottlenecking. EPA proposes to clarify that, when calculating actual emissions associated with a modification, emitters generally will need to look only at the unit undergoing the change. Emissions from units "upstream" or "downstream" of the unit being changed would be considered only when the permitted emissions limit of the upstream or downstream unit would be exceeded or increased.
- Aggregation. EPA proposes to consider modifications to be separate and independent projects unless they are dependent upon another project to be economically or technically viable or the project has been intentionally split from other projects to avoid NSR. EPA says it "generally would defer to the States to implement the Agency's aggregation rule."
4. Evaluation of EPA's recommendations
EPA's proposals would fix some of the biggest problems encountered by an aging, inefficient, and expensive environmental regulatory program. Replacing the program outright as it affects utilities with the "Clear Skies Initiative," as also proposed by the Bush administration, would be a further step in the right direction, though judgment must be reserved until legislation for the Initiative is made public.
Case studies summarized in EPA's Report to the President present clear evidence that NSR needs to be improved. Uncertainty over the scope of the routine maintenance exclusion, for example, is discouraging plant modifications that would improve efficiency of energy and resource use and often benefit the environment. Such projects ought to be outside the scope of NSR.
The NSR policy changes recommended by EPA, if put into practice, would not compromise air quality. We are skeptical that NSR has had a major positive effect on air quality since 1977, so predictions that EPA's proposed reforms would result in substantial increases in emissions strike us as partisan rhetoric, not analysis. The air quality goals and standards for protecting public health and the environment remain intact, and those aspects of the current program that unintentionally increase emissions by discouraging investments in energy efficiency would be avoided.
The country would be better served if NSR were changed to clarify and make more certain the scope of the routine maintenance exclusion and the method used to measure future emissions. Even better would be a move away from the costly and often counterproductive style of end-of-the-pipe regulation represented by NSR.
5. Conclusion
The failure to apply common sense to the New Source Review program has burdened American consumers and American industry with higher economic costs and higher levels of pollution than were envisioned by Congress when it wrote the Clean Air Act amendments of 1977. It is entirely appropriate, at this time in U.S. history, to re-examine the rules and regulations known to be ineffective or damaging to the manufacturing sector of the country's economy. EPA's recommendations and the Bush administration's "Clear Skies Initiative" are good places to start, but they do not mark the end of the need for reform.
Based on Joseph L. Bast, Jary Lehr, Ph.D., and James Taylor, "New Source Review: An Evaluation of EPA's Reform Recommendations," Heartland Policy Study #99 (Chicago, IL: The Heartland Institute, July 2002). Printed copies of the 24-page study are available from The Heartland Institute for $10 each; the full text is also available on The Heartland Institute's Web site in HTML and Adobe Acrobat PDF formats.
Copyright 2002 The Heartland Institute. Nothing in this Heartland Executive Summary should be construed as reflecting the views of The Heartland Institute, nor as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of legislation. Permission is granted to reprint or quote from this Executive Summary, provided appropriate credit is given.
Questions? Contact The Heartland Institute, 19 South LaSalle Street #903, Chicago, IL 60603; phone 312/377-4000; fax 312/377-5000; email email@example.com; Web http://www.heartland.org.