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The Art Of Creating A Successful Blog – Tips From The Pros [Feature]
In an effort to understand the magic ingredients that make up the recipe of creating a successful blog, I went out in search of successful bloggers that have formed popular, profitable websites. The fruits of that search turned up two big names in the blogosphere – Vitaly Friedman of Smashing Magazine, and Joshua Topolsky of The Verge.
Writing is such a personal, private thing. On the other hand, the act of blogging is such a public and transparent thing. When you put the two together, you have this highly visceral, raw act of casting ideas out into the Internet.
It's hard to imagine that those ideas could ever grow into something highly successful, popular and dare you hope – profitable?
There are a lot of very cool stories out there about how some of the world's most popular blogs and websites got started. Look at the story of Arianna Huffington. She began her online writing career with a website called Resignation.com, where she burst onto the scene calling for the resignation of President Bill Clinton. From the founding of The Huffington Post in May of 2005 to its acquisition by AOL on February 7, 2011, Arianna and her team of journalists established one of the most popular news blogs on the Internet.
Then you've got a site like the Daily Beast, founded in 2008 by Tina Brown and Barry Diller. It eventually grew and merged with Newsweek to become the "online home" of Newsweek Magazine. Then there's the story of Darren Rowse, one of my favorite bloggers, who quit his job working as a laborer to try and earn a living through blogging. He founded b5media in 2005 with fellow bloggers, he founded the extremely popular site ProBlogger, and openly admits that today he comfortably earns a six-figure income through blogging.
It doesn't end there. You've got Gizmodo, Gawker, TechCrunch, Mashable, SmashingMagazine, TMZ, The Verge…the list goes on, and I'm sure many readers here have their own personal favorites.
So, what's the secret to creating a successful blog? How do certain sites do so well, while so many others fall by the wayside?
Why I Turned to Blogging
According to WordPress.com, there are over 60.6 million WordPress.com hosted blogs across the entire world. That's right. Million. There are over 100,000 new WordPress sites created every single day. It's difficult to get an accurate picture of just how many websites are created on the Internet every day, but if just the WordPress stats are any indication, the number is massive.
Much like Darren Rowse, I turned to blogging more out of necessity than anything else. We were due to have our first child, my wife would no longer be working, so we needed income. I attempted to buy and sell antiques on Ebay to make extra income. That effort was moderately successful – I did manage to establish a Powerseller status with 100% positive ratings – but the work was enormous and the resulting profit was miniscule.
So, I turned to a passion that I've had since I was just a kid – writing. I've always had an overwhelming love for the written word, and the joy created by a well-crafted sentence. At the time in 2006, I didn't think it was possible to really earn anything by writing, but I started doing it online just for the joy of it. I loved crafting articles, and if I could earn a few pennies in the process, all the better.
My story was a long road of countless late nights writing blog entries and articles for peanuts, and an endless search for newer, better-paying clients. Of course, there was also lots and lots of coffee. Probably too much coffee.
Fast forward to 2012. I now write for one of the top technology blogs on the Internet, I am an editor and writer for an educational technology site, and in 2009, I founded by own blog called TopSecretWriters – my first endeavor independently publishing my own work, which would provide no immediate income in return at the start.
No – TopSecretWriters was different. It wasn't work. It was less about making money Monetization Manual: Your No-Nonsense Guide To Making Money Blogging Residual income streams from a website have motivated bloggers for years. I will share with you the knowledge and experience I've gained from years of making money blogging. Read More , and more about having lofty goals and ideas to share that I am passionate about. It was my way of tossing my message in a bottle into the vast ocean of the Internet, hoping that someone would eventually read those words, and that it might inspire them to bring friends.
Today, I would consider myself to be a moderately successful blogger. I earn a comfortable income writing for others, and my own site is what I would consider to be an on-the-rise new blog, on the cusp of breaking through into that magical area of financial self-sufficiency. It's an exciting time.
Considering that I'm about halfway up this mountain that so many before me have climbed, I decided to take a breather and take a closer look at those explorers that have come before – co-founders of their own websites that are wildly popular today. Both of these writers are passionate about the work they do, and they both lead websites that nearly everyone reading this article will recognize.
I am speaking of none other than Vitaly Friedman of Smashing Magazine, and Joshua Topolsky of The Verge.
Both of them have agreed to give us a little bit of insight – and dare I say some inspiration – into what it takes to create and grow popular and extremely successful websites on the Internet today.
The Verge – Editor in Chief Joshua Topolsky
The Verge is listed around the web as one of the top 10 technology blogs out there. It is unique in that it covers not just tech news, but focuses holistically on the entire culture of technology and science in the world today. Its rise to fame has been astonishingly quick – the site was only founded in 2011 and began making it on the top 10 lists shortly thereafter.
Joshua Topolsky, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Verge, agreed to sit down and chat with us about the founding of the Verge, and what he felt gave it the ability to grow so quickly, so fast.
Of course, my first question was exactly that – what made the site so popular? His response – repeated throughout the interview – was actually rather simple. His secret to success is teamwork.
"The two people that founded the site were myself and Marty Moe. We kind of cooked up the idea and co-founded the site, but we have a group. Even though we're the founders, there's a group of editors that were here from the very beginning that built the site into what it is."
That's fantastic, however, your about page also mentioned a partnership with Vox Media, was that from day one as well?
"It was originally a site called SB Nation, which is a network of sports blogs. When Marty and I brought the idea for Verge to them, we sort of decided that we needed to form a new company. That new company became Vox, and now Vox is The Verge, SB Nation, and then Polygon, which is a games site that we launched in the middle of 2012."
Joshua told me that Jim Bankoff, the CEO of SB Nation, decided to fund the founding of The Verge, and in collaboration with him and Marty, they founded the site while also creating a new company called Vox Media.
Getting a Seed Investment Will Propel Growth
Of course, in my search for elements in the founding of The Verge that could have contributed to the rapid success of the site, my next question seemed obvious.
I asked whether the support of SB Nation meant he and Marty had outside investors seeding The Verge.
"That's right, in the sense that SB Nation is a privately funded – venture capital funded business, and now that has grown into Vox Media. So we are privately funded by venture capital."
Do you think that contributed to the speed that the Verge grew and become popular so quickly?
"There's certainly no question that having an established platform and having money is always good, but we obviously had a great editorial team to start with, and we broke a lot of news early on.
A lot of these editors came from Engadget, where I was editor-in-chief. Most of the senior staff left there to start a new site. So, we had a following to start with, and it was actually kind of surprising that when we started the first site This Is My Next, we got a little bit of a groundswell from that. No money, no advertising – it was pretty much a WordPress site, very basic. We started to see pretty huge traffic on it. That was our first indication that we were on the right track, just doing something independent and on our own.
I think we brought a bit of an audience who knew us from our previous work. And, you know, I think we came out of the gate really big, and that's thanks to the platform and the investment, and the team.
From the start, my thinking was, it's very hard now just to start a small blog with a couple of people working at it. In our sphere, in the world of technology culture, there's a lot of competition. It's very hard to start something small and grow it very big in a short amount of time."
I asked Joshua whether The Verge is intentionally very news-focused.
"Very news focused, and very culture focused. You look at our front page right now, we've got this in-depth exclusive piece on the design of Google; we have a piece on how scientists found this giant squid that the Discovery Channel is doing a documentary on. If you look at everything at the top of our site right now, it's a real mixture of culture coverage, science coverage, and tech coverage. So, that's right where we wanted to be from the get go. It was kind of like biting off a lot. We knew that we couldn't do that if we were just starting a WordPress site and having just a few people writing for it. It would be very difficult to capture everything we wanted to capture."
So, how did you manage to make the linkup that you needed with venture capital at the beginning?
"We knew the CEO of SB Nation. He's a guy named Jim Bankoff, who used to be at AOL. Jim was actually the guy who was responsible for bringing weblogs [Weblogs Inc.], which Engadget was part of, to AOL when he was there. He had been working on SB Nation, and he was the CEO.
He actually reached out early on when he heard that some other people and I were leaving. Essentially, we had a conversation and we decided that this was a partnership that we wanted to get into. It was just a good fit. He understood where we were coming from, and he knew the troubles that we had had – trying to make something work at AOL, because he had been there."
What this feedback from Joshua made clear is that there is a lot to be said for how much investment you have up front when starting a blog. While there are lots of things that can lead to success – like a great editorial team, brilliant content ideas and a beautiful layout – ultimately the principle of "money talks" still holds true in the world of blogging.
At the very least, it can dramatically improve your odds of success in a shorter period of time.
The Importance of Telling a Good Story
Still, when you look at The Verge, it's obvious that the team there really has an edge up on the competition. The stories jump out at you, the layout pops, and the writing is high-quality and clearly carefully done. News articles are carefully researched, and the technology updates are quick and timely.
It was obvious to me, just from exploring the site, that there was a lot more to the success of the site than just a bunch of venture capital.
I asked Joshua, what, if anything, he felt were the top one or two things that helped The Verge stay above the competition? Joshua said that funding was important, but it became more apparent during the course of our phone conversation that what lies at the heart of The Verge's success is a close-knit, highly professional team of editors.
"I think the investment and the great editorial team is the number one thing. I mean, we've done a lot of things that are different and new in terms of our site design, the way we wanted to do features and the way we wanted to do reviews. That all comes from a huge collaboration among editors. In my opinion, you're only as good as the team that you have. My goal, and the goal of every editor here was, let's bring the best people together to collaborate.
And so, the number one thing that I am thankful for and that I think we did right is we found great people to work together. We pushed them, and they pushed us and collectively we came up with big stories and scoops and really good stuff that we put in front of an audience."
That actually brings up a good point. Do you think that it could have been those big stories you hit on early that might have sky-rocketed your growth?
"I'm going to say that it was a combination of factors. You start to tell a story when you make something for yourself and when you put it out into the world. There's a narrative that's created. And I think there was a narrative about us, and people were like, 'Hey, what's going on with these guys? It might be interesting to find out what they're doing.'
But then, not only having that, but actually delivering on stuff that is interesting is very important."
Are there any early stories that really stand out in your memory as, "Hey this is the first big story that we hit on and it was huge?"
Joshua laughed a bit before answering. After he recovered a little, he explained:
"We had a big appetite for doing long-form stories, with big layouts and a big video component – really dutifully produced video. One of our first big features was called 'Condo at the End of the World', which was a piece about these people building survival condominiums in the middle of the desert. And, you know, the reaction to that was huge. People really got it, and the video was really intense.
That was the first week we launched I think, and when I saw the reaction to that – people saying 'Woah, look at this layout and look at this story', and it was shared in all kind of places. It's then that I thought that our idea, what we had, was really going to work and that people got it, immediately."
Long Form is the New Form
One of the long-standing "rules of thumb" in the world of blogging is that people are not interested in sitting at the computer and reading through a long blog post. The general rule was that the perfect length for an article was an average of 600 to 1200 words, and any longer than that you would lose the reader.
What you'll find at The Verge is that while there are certainly plenty of short and quick news entries or blog updates, you'll also find a great many long-form features of well over 2,000 words. Many of them also feature huge, beautiful photos or well-created video clips.
It's clear that – true to its name – The Verge is staying right on the verge of the next big thing in blogging.
Joshua explained this change in strategy – going against the grain of the "old way" of blogging.
"Before that, before we started publishing these long-form, investment pieces, there was this sense that people didn't want to read big stories, or that they wouldn't want to read long stories, or that they weren't interested in spending the time.
In the summer of 2011 when we launched, it was really a strong sentiment. People want it fast, cheap and dirty, right? But when we started publishing this stuff, there was an immediate, clear appetite for it. That was a big indicator to me that things were actually going to work."
Are there any moments that you would have done differently – something that today you would consider to be an amateur mistake?
"The hardest thing has been allowing ourselves to break old habits, and let ourselves experiment more, and let ourselves get into uncomfortable places in the sense that, 'Hey maybe this will work and maybe it won't, but we're gonna give it a shot because we believe in it.' That's one of those things that takes a little while when you're coming from a world of, 'Hey, you gotta crank out a post every twenty minutes.'
When you come from that world, your brain just works a little bit differently. So, something we work on every day is trying to break all those old bad habits of just straight blogging, and instead thinking about the bigger picture and the bigger story."
What if You Could Do Anything You Want?
One unique feature of The Verge is that it utilizes its own custom platform. It isn't WordPress-based. I asked Joshua whether that was actually limiting at all in any way, since there weren't the library of ready-made tools available to "add-on" to the base platform.
Joshua didn't hesitate to point out that the Vox platform was an advantage, not a disadvantage, because it allows The Verge team to create in ways that were previously not possible in the former old-style "blog" format.
"I think the platform is just a blank page. I think our platform now is just a big, open book. The trick is figuring out how to draw on the page, you know? When you start to remove the limitations, when you say well I used to only be able to do this single column blog post but now I can do these big, beautiful features; when I have a video team and I can do these sort of mini-documentaries; or I want to put a new show on our site and crank up a new podcast or crank up a new weekly or monthly video show – you start to go, man I can kinda do whatever I want.
You have to start to get into the mindset of how do you sculpt that? If you could do anything you want, it can be very chaotic when you don't know exactly what you want to do or how you want to do it. I think a lot of our past year of launch has been building our structure and how to make each page really beautiful and valuable."
Joshua's approach is actually very unique in today's "search-focused" world of blogging, where bloggers are constantly tracking their page stats and looking for ways to boost those stats. Joshua says that he decided to throw that whole mindset out the window, and return to what many would view as the old-school magazine-editing approach of, if you build something interesting and beautiful, the readers will come.
"From day one, my number one mandate to everyone has been, don't chase page views. Don't chase what you think people will like, chase the stuff that you think is really cool. Go after that. We've trusted our instinct a lot, and our instinct has been right a lot. That gives me a tremendous sense of excitement about going forward.
I've just found that if you have a team that you trust, and everybody is working together, you can make assumptions, you can make calls where you might be nervous in other situations. You can say, hey lets go with our gut on this. If you think it's good, let's run it. Let's tell the story. That's been really great for us."
One key message I kept hearing from talking with Joshua was the importance of thinking big and stepping outside of the box – going outside the comfort zone. It's certainly easy for bloggers to get into the daily routine of making posts and sticking to a site design that everyone says is "right", but Joshua's message is about being different.
It's about standing out and doing things that make people look at you and say, "Wow, check out what this blogger's up to." That's when the magic happens.
Smashing Magazine – Editor-in-Chief Vitaly Friedman
I was very excited to have an opportunity to chat with Vitaly Friedman, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the ever-popular technology blog – in fact one of the leading web-design blogs on the Internet – Smashing Magazine.
The rise of Smashing Magazine wasn't quite as fast as The Verge. It was founded in 2006 by Sven Lennartz and Vitaly Friedman. The site has been a favorite for web designers from the very start, but it also does focus on other areas of technology like software and web tool reviews.
Much like MakeUseOf, Smashing Magazine has a staff that spans the globe and comes from many different nationalities and religions. The site has been ranked across the Internet as one of the top 10 tech blogs, and easily one of the top 10 web design blogs in the world.
So, it was a real honor to talk with Vitaly Friedman about what he felt made Smashing Magazine such a smashing success.
Growing a Site from Scratch
I started the interview asking Vitaly about the first year that he and Sven founded Smashing Magazine, and what their hopes and dreams were for the site.
"To be honest, we didn't have any big plans or ambitions when we launched the site back in 2006. It was all a random experiment. We hadn't really planned anything at that point. I didn't have any hopes or dreams or fears about the site, it just felt like something we did on the side. Something that didn't really matter much.
I still love this feeling of creating things that aren't perfect, aren't quite right, aren't permanent. It gives me a reason to go and change them, optimize them, improve them, make them different. I used to be a perfectionist, but I don't strive for perfection any longer — it's meaningless."
Smashing Magazine was founded in September of 2006, and three years later in 2009, WebDesignDev voted Smashing as one of the top 30 web-design blogs, and in 2012 Daily Tekk listed Smashing as one of the top 10 for creativity and design. IncomeDiary listed it as the 5th best income-earning blog on the Internet.
From that first day, to the success of 2012, what would you say went as expected, and what turned out completely different than you had imagined?
"Well, since we didn't have any expectations, things ran quite smoothly, to be honest. We had ups and downs of course, but it was a matter of doing the right thing properly. It has always been very important for me to create something tangible and valuable for designers and developers to use. Just like I learned so much from the numerous blog posts back in 2002-2004, I wanted to give back, and I wanted to create something that would help me in my daily work as a freelancing designer as well.
What I didn't know is that at some point we'd take a very different editorial route, moving from 'pop/masses' articles like '50 Fantastic Grungy Wallpapers', to a respectable, professional publication in which every article goes through a number of reviews to make sure that it meets the high quality standards that we set for our publication. It surprises me how things have changed over the years, and I am truly proud of this change."
If You Build It, They Will Come…Eventually
Was there a lot of up-front investment and loss required to get that early growth started? Can you share at what point that Smashing Magazine became profitable, and what that felt like?
"To be honest, we didn't have any investment at all apart from the time investment for writing the articles and publishing them online. We started out without advertising, because we had no idea that someone would be interested in what we did. But then, as we saw more and more traffic coming in, we added Google AdSense ads to at least cover the traffic costs. It worked pretty well quite quickly.
Because we had no huge costs and worked as a two-and-a-half-people-team, everything was quite straightforward. It was only in late 2009 that we finally founded a company and hired people to work on our Smashing Books and eBooks. Smashing Magazine itself became profitable around 8-12 months after it went live."
Here, Vitaly describes a completely different path to success, not much unlike that of MakeUseOf, in fact. No major external investment, just a couple of guys working had at building the site from the ground up. This is almost a direct example of the scenario Joshua described above as a "very hard" task.
What the story of Smashing Magazine reveals is that the job isn't impossible – it just takes longer, and it requires a big dose of drive, motivation and perseverance.
Is there anything you would have changed about how you managed the website through the years? Were there lessons learned that you would love to go back and do better?
"I don't regret my decisions, and I think that growing traffic in the very beginning was the absolute right decision to make. We did have a very weird and unpleasant reputation for a while due to that. Quality control, proofreading and the editorial guidelines weren't quite developed yet, which caused a quite strange phase in the evolution of the site. With the history of the site and the poor level of grammar, the articles did feel a bit… personal and humane, but it didn't help us in building a good reputation, so I might want to revise that phase in our history.
I would also not take too many projects at once, and would prefer to work on just a few projects to make sure that they are done/built properly. It's really very important. Also, make sure that you learn how to give up full control over your work. At some point, you'll realize that you can't do it all alone, and you have to learn to communicate your values and your philosophy. It's not as easy as one might think."
Are you able to offer start-up bloggers out there some tips and advice about what it really takes to build a successful website like Smashing Magazine on the Internet today?
"There is no magic recipe for that. I believe it's often a matter of writing about something that's important to a group of people at the right point in time. If you are an expert in your field, you already have something to say, so this could be your niche to write for. Don't be afraid to go niche, that's a fantastic opportunity to start something small that can then grow into something bigger.
And don't think about actually building something huge and successful. Care deeply about your little creation, let it flourish and grow slowly, curate it, and you will see that it will reap fruits that you could only hope for. You just have to care and put your heart into your creation. But, the chances are that it won't work at all if you see it as a job or as work. You have to be personal, honest, authentic, transparent, and write about what you love doing. Then people will find you, and they will come back to you."
The Secret Recipe of Success
Smashing Magazine and The Verge are two of the best success stories on the Internet over the last few years. What I love about these two successes is that their paths to get there are so different.
In the one case, you have a site that grew to fame in less than three years, with strong financial backing and a crack editorial team. In the other case, you have a website started out by two guys as a labor of love, that eventually grew to become rated as one of the highest-income tech sites online.
Two widely different paths to a place of success that countless bloggers and website owners out there are envious of. So what are the common ingredients in the recipe of blogging success? What are those key elements that brought more and more readers to both Smashing Magazine and The Verge?
When you're talking success, and just taking these two success stories into account, it looks like there are three major factors.
The first is writing about what you love. The Verge editors left one place to launch a new site in a format and style that they loved. Vitaly and Sven focused on a niche that they loved to write about.
The second is quality. Joshua explained that The Verge had an expert team of editors from day one – offering a major advantage in quality from day one. Vitaly described evolving Smashing Magazine through an awkward stage of growth into a place where published pieces that go through several stages of review.
Finally, the third element is finding a way to be unique and new. Vitaly describes the value of getting a foothold into a niche of your own and then growing your position there. Joshua describes the importance of getting away from the "old way" of doing things, and instead allowing yourself to get into uncomfortable places, to experiment with new things.
Both of these stories – that of The Verge and of Smashing Magazine – are success stories, but what's important to remember is that they are also very different stories. They reveal that regardless of the path you take, success comes to those that – in Vitaly's words – write about something that's important to a group of people at the right point in time.
Now is always the right point in time. The only question is what you believe is important enough to write about, and then make it happen.
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Related topics: MakeUseOf Features, Web Development.
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Minority women can flex their political muscle, but will they?
Conservatives refuse to give up their fight to pass legislation that affects women's health, bodies, and civil rights, and after an election year when women of color turned out in force for Democrats, electing more of them to state offices.
Restrictions on abortion and voting rights are the two most high-profile instances of Republican-supported policies that end up having devastating effects on women, and it's impossible to ignore the fact that the governors signing these laws are white men. As host Melissa Harris-Perry and her guests discussed on Saturday's show, combating these policies will require a push to recruit and promote women in politics. As Louisiana state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson said on the show, while only four of the state's 39 senators are women, "we wonder why policies that come out of bodies like this are so horribly impactful for women."
The situation in Louisiana is similar to that in North Carolina, a state that just passed a series of restrictions on abortion, cut social services medical benefits, and education funding; there are only eight women in the 50-member state Senate there.
The fact that the demographics of state governments aren't more diverse doesn't mean there are no representatives fighting against conservative policies. Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner has been a fierce opponent of efforts by Republican Governor John Kasich and his fellow conservatives to put into place some of the nation's most draconian abortion restrictions.
In Wisconsin, Democratic state Sen. Lena Taylor has been a key player in the fight against right-wing attacks on unions, voting rights, and reproductive rights. During a speech she gave before voter ID restrictions passed in 2011, Taylor said, "This is voter suppression. It's voter disenfranchisement. This is voter confusion. This is voter restriction. This is [a] voter discouragement bill. That's what it is."
msnbc host Alex Wagner pointed to one possible reason why there are so few elected officials like Turner and Taylor: women too often wait to be asked to run instead of just doing it. How does that change? Start small and local.
""We need more women elected to carry the torch," Karen Carter Peterson told Harris-Perry. The wide variety of women's experiences should also be an asset, Anthea Butler said, because "Republicans are going to put women out there that are a lot of show and no tell," but the experiences of single mothers like Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis "are pluses, not minuses."
See the second half of the discussion below.

subset: commoncrawl


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No lineups yet but I believe the Reds are undefeated when I start a game thread so I figured I'd throw caution to the wind and get this started.
I'm superstitious about this stuff. Good luck Chip.
(Yes, I'm a nerd. We've established that).
I have a good feeling about tonight. And here's why:
I was watching the Yanks and Twins and fell asleep on the couch last night. I got into a deep enough sleep to have a dream. In the dream it was game two of Reds and Phils and my favorite player Orlando Cabrera had just hit his second HR of the game, a grand slam no less. Just before I woke up I saw his grand slam made the score 17-7 Reds in the top of the 8th inning. Cabrera's first HR was apparently a 3-Run shot. So if he drives in 7 runs tonight, I will never bring up Paul Janish again.
When I woke up I realized that I had my dream during the same time that Orlando Hudson had hit his HR for the Twins, so I think that may have influenced my dream.
I swear to God that's all true.
"I know a lot about the law and various other lawyerings."
Hitters who avoid outs are the funnest.
A little nostalgia.
We need some hits, so I changed my avatar to Pete for tonight's game.
"The players make the manager, it's never the other way." - Sparky Anderson
Phillips 4
Cabrera 6
Votto 3
Rolen 5
Nix 7
Bruce 9
Stubbs 8
Hanigan 2
Arroyo 1
"I know a lot about the law and various other lawyerings."
Hitters who avoid outs are the funnest.
Why must Bruce bat below Gomes/ Nix? At least we have a playoff lineup though.
I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou
Victorino CF
Polanco 3B
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Werth RF
Rollins SS
Ibanez LF
Ruiz C
Oswalt P.
Bruce behind Nix = epic fail
Don't want anybody clogging the bases I guess.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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From NWChem
Effective Core Potentials
Effective core potentials (ECPs) are a useful means of replacing the core electrons in a calculation with an effective potential, thereby eliminating the need for the core basis functions, which usually require a large set of Gaussians to describe them. In addition to replacing the core, they may be used to represent relativistic effects, which are largely confined to the core. In this context, both the scalar (spin-free) relativistic effects and spin-orbit (spin-dependent) relativistic effects may be included in effective potentials. NWChem has the facility to use both, and these are described in the next two sections.
A brief recapitulation of the development of RECPs is given here, following Pacios and Christiansen. The process can be viewed as starting from an atomic Dirac-Hartree-Fock calculation, done in jj coupling, and producing relativistic effective potentials (REPs) for each l and j value, . From these, a local potential is extracted, which for example contains the Coulomb potential of the core electrons balanced by the part of the nuclear attraction which cancels the core electron charge. The residue is expressed in a semi-local form,
where L is one larger than the maximum angular momentum in the atom. The scalar potential is obtained by averaging the REPs for each j for a given l to give an averaged relativistic effective potential, or AREP,
These are summed into the full potential.
The spin-orbit potential is obtained from the difference between the REPs for the two j values for a given l, and may be represented in terms of an effective spin-orbit operator,
The spin-orbit integrals generated by NWChem are the integrals over the sum, including the factor of 2 / (2l + 1), so that they may be treated as an effective spin-orbit operator without further factors introduced.
The effective potentials, both scalar and spin-orbit, are fitted to Gaussians with the form
where Alk is the contraction coefficient, nlk is the exponent of the r term (r-exponent), and Blk is the Gaussian exponent. The nlk is shifted by 2, in accordance with most of the ECP literature and implementations, i.e., an nlk = 0 implies r − 2. The current implementation allows nlk values of only 0, 1, or 2.
Scalar ECPs
The optional directive ECP allows the user to describe an effective core potential (ECP) in terms of contracted Gaussian functions as given above. Potentials using these functions must be specified explicitly by user input in the ECP directive. This directive has essentially the same form and properties as the standard BASIS directive, except for essential differences required for ECPs. Because of this, the ECP is treated internally as a basis set. The form of the input for the ECP directive is as follows:
ECP [<string name default "ecp basis">] \ [print || noprint default print] <string tag> library [<string tag_in_lib>] \ <string standard_set> [file <filename>] \ [except <string tag list>] <string tag> [nelec] <integer number_of_electrons_replaced> ... <string tag> <string shell_type> <real r-exponent> <real Gaussian-exponent> <real list_of_coefficients> ... END
ECPs are automatically segmented, even if general contractions are input. The projection operators defined in an ECP are spherical by default, so there is no need to include the CARTESIAN or SPHERICAL keyword as there is for a standard basis set. ECPs are associated with centers in geometries through tags or names of centers. These tags must match in the same manner as for basis sets the tags in a GEOMETRY and ECP directives, and are limited to sixteen (16) characters. Each center with the same tag will have the same ECP. By default, the input module prints each ECP that it encounters. The NOPRINT option can be used to disable printing. There can be only one active ECP, even though several may exist in the input deck. The ECP modules load "ecp basis" inputs along with any "ao basis" inputs present. ECPs may be used in both energy and gradient calculations.
ECPs are named in the same fashion as geometries or regular basis sets, with the default name being "ecp basis". It should be clear from the above discussion on geometries and database entries how indirection is supported. All directives that are in common with the standard Gaussian basis set input have the same function and syntax.
As for regular basis sets, ECPs may be obtained from the standard library. Some examples of names of the sets of ECPs available in the standard library (their coverage is described in Appendix A) are
- "Hay-Wadt MB (n+1) ECP"
- "Hay-Wadt VDZ (n+1) ECP"
- "Stuttgart RLC ECP"
- "Stuttgart RSC ECP"
The keyword nelec allows the user to specify the number of core electrons replaced by the ECP. Additional input lines define the specific coefficients and exponents. The variable <shell_type> is used to specify the components of the ECP. The keyword ul entered for <shell_type> denotes the local part of the ECP. This is equivalent to the highest angular momentum functions specified in the literature for most ECPs. The standard entries (s, p, d, etc.) for shell_type specify the angular momentum projector onto the local function. The shell type label of s indicates the ul-s projector input, p indicates the ul-p, etc.
For example, the Christiansen, Ross and Ermler ARECPs are available in the standard basis set libary named "crenbl_ecp". To perform a calculation on uranyl () with all-electron oxygen (aug-cc-pvdz basis), and uranium with an ARECP and using the corresponding basis the following input can be used
geometry U 0 0 0 O 0 0 1.65 O 0 0 -1.65 end basis U library crenbl_ecp O library aug-cc-pvdz end ecp U library crenbl_ecp end
The following is an example of explicit input of an ECP for H2CO. It defines an ECP for the carbon and oxygen atoms in the molecule.
ecp C nelec 2 # ecp replaces 2 electrons on C C ul # d 1 80.0000000 -1.60000000 1 30.0000000 -0.40000000 2 0.5498205 -0.03990210 C s # s - d 0 0.7374760 0.63810832 0 135.2354832 11.00916230 2 8.5605569 20.13797020 C p # p - d 2 10.6863587 -3.24684280 2 23.4979897 0.78505765 O nelec 2 # ecp replaces 2 electrons on O O ul # d 1 80.0000000 -1.60000000 1 30.0000000 -0.40000000 2 1.0953760 -0.06623814 O s # s - d 0 0.9212952 0.39552179 0 28.6481971 2.51654843 2 9.3033500 17.04478500 O p # p - s 2 52.3427019 27.97790770 2 30.7220233 -16.49630500 end
Various ECPs without a local function are available, including those of the Stuttgart group. For those, no "ul" part needs to be defined. To define the absence of the local potential, simply specify one contraction with a zero coefficient:
<string tag> ul 2 1.00000 0.00000
Spin-orbit ECPs
The Spin-orbit ECPs can be used with the Density Functional Approach, but one has to run the calculations without symmetry. Note: when a Hartree-Fock method is specified the spin-orbit input will be ignored.
Spin-orbit ECPs are fitted in precisely the same functional form as the scalar RECPs and have the same properties, with the exception that there is no local potential ul, no s potential and no effective charge has to be defined. Spin-orbit potentials are specified in the same way as ECPs except that the directive SO is used instead of ECP. Note that there currently are no spin-orbit ECPs defined in the standard NWChem library. The SO directive is as follows:
SO [<string name default "so basis">] \ [print || noprint default print] <string tag> library [<string tag_in_lib>] \ <string standard_set> [file <filename>] [except <string tag list>] ... <string tag> <string shell_type> <real r-exponent> <real Gaussian-exponent> <real list_of_coefficients> ... END
Note: in the literature the coefficients of the spin-orbit potentials are NOT always defined in the same manner. The NWChem code assumes that the spin-orbit potential defined in the input is of the form:
For example, in the literature the Stuttgart potentials are defined as ΔUl and, hence, have to be multiplied by 2 / (2l + 1). On the other hand, the CRENBL potentials in the published papers are defined as and, hence, have to be multiplied by 2 / l (Warning: on the CRENBL website the spin-orbit potentials already have been corrected with the 2 / l factor).


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Miscellaneous thoughts about miscellaneous matters
During most of my life so far I lived in rather safe areas, places where the general populace was well-behaved, and there was a local police force that was adequate. Unfortunately, the place where I presently live is becoming progressively less safe. Eight years ago, I moved back to Amherst; unfortunately, Amherst has gone from being a pleasant and friendly place to a place where people are in fear of violent crime, and with good reason, a significant part of the towns population has become unreliable,
Updated 04-06-2019 at 07:23 PM by PeterL


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For those of you who do not have Europeana and Trove on your list of favorite websites, perhaps this is due to lack of knowledge of these resources. For example, Trove.nla.gov.au has, today, 337,385,875 Australian and online resources: books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more. If you look around a bit, you will realize how really large this site is and how valuable it is, even if you don't live in Australia. What about Europeana.eu? Here is their description from the website:
Explore millions of items from a range of Europe's leading galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Books and manuscripts, photos and paintings, television and film, sculpture and crafts, diaries and maps, sheet music and recordings, they're all here. No need to travel the continent, either physically or virtually!
Found something you like? Download it, print it, use it, save it, share it, play with it, love it
Europeana is the trusted source of cultural heritage brought to you by the Europeana Foundation and a large number of European cultural institutions, projects and partners. It's a real piece of team work.
Ideas and inspiration can be found within the millions of items on Europeana. These objects include
Images - paintings, drawings, maps, photos and pictures of museum objectsSo where does the newly minted DPLA stand? Actually pretty good due to the partners putting their collections on the new site. The list and number of digitized items is impressive even at this early date. But does this huge collection have anything to offer genealogists? What do you want? Books? Manuscripts? Histories? Yes, they are all there gathered in with all the other resources. Will this online library continue to grow? Let's wait and see?
Texts - books, newspapers, letters, diaries and archival papers
Sounds - music and spoken word from cylinders, tapes, discs and radio broadcasts
Videos - films, newsreels and TV broadcasts


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360-degree Super Dynamic Dome Network Camera
The WV-SF438 IP dome provides FULL HD quality images and a wealth of features packed into a compact housing.
Using a newly developed 3.1 MOS sensor, the SF438 provides 1080p HD images across multiple H.264 and JPEG streams. Using Super Dynamic technology to deliver 128x dynamic range, the simple day/night image quality of the SF438 is ideal in all conditions.
Packed with features, the SF438 is the most intelligent camera to date. Face detection allows the camera to adjust product focus to capture a person in shot and also use the XML data to trigger an alarm upon detection if using a compatible recorder. VIQS (variable image quality on specified area) is the latest innovation to the Smart HD range, allowing the camera to have higher resolution only on specified areas of the image, meaning lower bandwidth.
The WV-SF438 provides all the latest Smart HD innovations in a compact housing. Ensuring is fit for all indoor needs. Also, ONVIF compliant the dome is a must for a wide range of applications.
Offering a wide range of image modes
・Double Panorama Mode
When the camera is installed on the ceiling, the entire area under the camera is displayed as two 180° panoramic images.
・Panorama Mode
When the camera is installed on a wall, the 180° area in front of the camera is displayed as a panoramic image. Blind spots that occur at the left and right sides of the image when using a 104° horizontal wide-angle camera (WV-SW155) are captured clearly.
・Quad PTZ Mode
4 VGA size (640 x 480 dot) images can be displayed on one screen whereas Images in all four directions from the camera installation location are displayed on one screen. You can click on areas within images that you want to see, display a 360° fisheye image at the side of the display, and move to positions that you want to see simply by clicking.
・Single PTZ Mode
Displays one quad VGA size (1280 x 960 dot) image where the display area can be changed by clicking the area you want to see in the image.
・Fisheye Mode
Displays full 360° fisheye images, enabling monitoring without blind spots. Shooting in all directions means that the path of everyone walking beneath the camera can be monitored. Images can be displayed in 3Mbps or 1.3 Mbps modes.
・4 Stream Mode
Four VGA size (640 x 480 dot) images are transmitted. The operator sets the orientation beforehand.
Intelligent Resolution Technology
With the Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas - outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas - are automatically detected and optimum signal processes are performed to each area.
Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result,images are naturally clear and crisp suitable for all surveillance applications.
Smooth PTZ operation without mechanical action
You can change the display area within the 360° image captured by the lens to achieve the same effects as those obtained by a pan or tilt function. But because these operations are not performed mechanically, the image operation is far smoother than conventional mechanical pan or tilt functions. Additionally, changing the orientation of the lens on conventional pan and tilt cameras affects the recorded images and areas displayed for other users, whereas such operations on this camera do not affect the monitoring images of other users and enable continuous recording.
In the Quad PTZ Mode, you can set one of the screens to auto pan mode for "endless panning" (displaying the full area while rotating the shooting range). You can also set up to 16 preset positions for rotational patrolling.
To download the SAE100 or SAE200 software for this product, please refer to the table below. Please ensure to check the model number against each firmware version to ensure that there are no compatibility issues.
For installation instructions, please click here.
|Firmware Version
|1 Series - SF138/SW158
|1.05 or later
|1 Series - Others
|1.05 or later
|3 Series - SW395/SW396/SW395A/SW396A
|1.80 or later
|3 Series - SFN311L/SFN311/SFN310
|1.80 or later
|4 Series - SF438/SF448/SW458/SW458M
|1.40 or later
|5 Series - NP502/NW502S/SW598/SC588
|1.40 or later
|5 Series - SPN531
|1.40 or later
|5 Series - Others
|1.40 or later
|6 Series - SFN631L/SFN611L/
|1.40 or later
|6 Series - SPN631/SPN611
|1.40 or later
|4K Series - SFV481/SFN480
|1.11 or later
|Encoder - GXE100/GXE500


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Gen Y workers in higher education retirement plans tend to be as conservative as their older counterparts a Fidelity survey released Monday found. Fidelity surveyed approximately 600 higher education employees and found that Gen Y, Gen X and boomer workers share similar asset allocation strategies.
The 2011 Higher Education Generational Survey, conducted by Versta Research for Fidelity, found that Gen Y workers typically allocate 50% of their portfolios to stocks, 35% to bonds or annuities and the remainder to cash. By comparison, baby boomers' typical allocation was 47% to stocks, 39% to bonds or annuities and 14% to cash.
John Ragnoni, executive vice president for Fidelity's Tax-Exempt business, cautioned against such conservative strategies for young investors.
"Time until retirement is one of the biggest factors that should be considered when determining asset allocation," he said in a statement. "While we recognize many investors are feeling cautious in these uncertain markets, the asset mix of a participant with decades until retirement should look very different from that of someone who is on the verge of tapping into his or her retirement savings."
Overall, nearly half of respondents said they are conservative investors and 55% said they are "beginners" at investing. Gen Y workers were especially likely to describe themselves as beginners (71%), while similar percentages of boomers and Gen X workers were likely to do so (51% versus 50%).
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they were concerned that they would not be able to live comfortably in retirement, and 60% are concerned about having enough for long-term care. Forty-seven percent say they are concerned about having enough for medical needs. Just one-quarter say they are concerned about paying for basic living expenses.
More than half of respondents said they were overwhelmed by retirement planning and "wished they could get more guidance," but boomers were most likely to rely on financial advisors for advice. Gen Y typically turned to their friends and family members or to online planning tools for guidance. Gen X workers also showed a preference for online help, but their primary source of financial advice is from their employers.
Less than a quarter of higher education workers said they had a formal plan for retirement, and just 27% of boomers said they had a formal plan. In fact, for many respondents, their retirement plan seems to be not to retire. Forty-six percent of respondents said they will delay retirement or won't retire at all. Despite not having a plan in place, 82% of respondents said they check their retirement accounts at least once a year.
Annuities continue to be a source of confusion for investors young and old. Half of all respondents said they would choose an annuity plan over a mutual fund if they had to choose just one product for their retirement plans, but more than half are laboring under some misconception about the products. Thirty-eight percent believe investors can choose the investments within a guaranteed fixed annuity. Twenty-seven percent believe they can withdraw income from a fixed annuity at any time without paying a penalty and 26% believe that younger investors should have a higher percentage of fixed annuities in their portfolios.
Fidelity's results are in line with an earlier survey of advisors and investors by MFS Investment Management, which found that investors' willingness to take on risk, both in domestic and international investments, has declined since February, said William Finnegan, senior managing director and head of U.S. marketing for MFS. In particular, he noted a surprising shared pessimistic conservatism between Generation Y investors under the age of 31 and baby boomer investors between the ages of 46 to 64.
Calling Gen Y investors "recession babies," Finnegan said that many young people moved in with their parents during the financial crisis and watched them struggle with layoffs, unemployment, the credit crunch and the housing market crash.
"Advisors have an opportunity to tell Gen Y clients and prospects about how to invest for their retirement years, which are 30 to 35 years away," Finnegan told AdvisorOne. "Recession babies have a tendency to think of themselves as savers, rather than as investors, but you can be too conservative as much as too aggressive."


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Boy Wonder a.k.a Eddy Souza - I Have A Story [Label Submitted]
The 1-Der Corporation Presents Boy Wonder's latest video from the Highly Anticipated "Eddy For Mayor" Album entitled "I Have a Story" the video is Directed by P.K. Sellers . Follow Boy Wonder as his story begins to unfold. Instrumental is "Drinking Life" from Apollo Brown's "Clouds". Check out all Boy Wonders videos out at The1dercorp.com . Twitter @boywonder813 ... Peace, Love & Unity are the keys to success!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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I had thee best time Wednesday! Sit down a spell and I'll tell you all about my pretty darned awesome experience riding with the Mystic Krewe of Nyx.
My riding experience actually began Tuesday with float loading. All of the floats are pulled out of the barn and brought to a place undisclosed to the public. We're given a 3 hour window to load and/or check our throws. You could feel the excitement around the floats as the sisters were busy getting their throws ready for the big night. The men were just as awesome as ever….checking to see if anyone needed help carrying throws or putting bike hooks up (we use them to hold throws). We just needed the rain to hold up.
The weather wasn't looking all that great for us. It rained Tuesday and light showers were expected around our time to roll.
But remember, I said it wouldn't rain on Nyx the year I rode with them.
And the rain held up!
Wednesday morning began with a light breakfast at home. I had some last-minute float things to do which took some time so I stayed pretty close to home until it was time to leave. Around 10:30 a.m. I dressed in full gear and headed out to the float loading area once again to drop off my decorated purses.
The pre-party began at noon. I arrived around that time and checked in to enter the hall. Security is very tight at the pre-party and you have to show identification to enter. Once checked in, I received my wristband and I was good to go! The pre-party was off the chain! It was held at Generations Hall … they did a wonderful job. The staff was excellent and there was more than enough food and spirits to keep over 1200 women happy!
Mardi Gras music filled the hall as the ladies talked, laughed and enjoyed being around other nyx sisters.
After a while, we could hear the sound of brass in the building. Well, with a brass band in the house, only one thing was going to happen…
time to second line!
Did you notice all the different color wigs and headdresses? That's because every year, there is a headdress competition. Each float comes up with an idea that's related to the theme of their float and create headdresses to wear. There were some pretty spectacular headdresses…there's a lot of creativity in the krewe.
The pre-party was about 4 hours long. I enjoyed every last-minute of it. It was wonderful being around so many happy women who were eager to spread that happiness on to the City of New Orleans. Shortly after the headdress competition, we were called to board the floats. Each float had a designated sister holding a sign and we followed that person to the float.
That's when it really hit me!
The waiting patiently to receive an invitation to join, all the hard work and dedication it takes to create purses..its all been for this moment,
Once boarded up and ready to go, we were escorted by the New Orleans Police Department to the staging area. During this time riders began organizing more of their throws or just took a minute to take it all in.
I took it all in.
Here's a short clip I created of the ride and how the floats move to the staging area.
This is where the bands and dancing troupes are waiting to "fall in line" with the floats.
Once we reached the staging area and the band scheduled to march in front of us fell in line,
Here's a clip of the parade coming down the street
We began to throw like crazy to the crowd! You go through sensory overload with so many people screaming for throws for 5 miles, but I enjoyed every single second of it.
The joy that you see when you give someone a throw is priceless. I particularly loved giving decorated purses to those who did not think they would get one from me.
The crowd was very gracious!
Posters for purses were everywhere! It was spectacular!
A sinus attack kicked in on me around Lee Circle and by the time I made it to the end of the route, I was toast.
I'd do it all in a heartbeat though…sinus attack and all.
It was just that fabulous!
Thanks to all my wonderful friends,family and readers who came out in the cold to support me and the krewe. It means so much to me that you were there for my inaugural ride.
The city showed the Krewe of Nyx so much love that night.
I'm looking forward to many years of riding
with this wonderful krewe,
in this fabulous city.


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University of California Berkeley
(510) 642-6000
Facts at a glance: Student-body makeup, campus statistics, tuition and fees.
National rankings and awards held by faculty: Berkeley ranks first nationally in the number of graduate programs in the top 10 in their fields. There are 7 Nobel Laureates, 28 MacArthur Fellows, and 4 Pulitzer Prize winners among its active faculty.
History of UC Berkeley: Historical highlights, arranged by topic, following the campus's development — from UC's founding in 1868 to a turn-of-the-century building boom, a research explosion in the 1930s, the Free Speech Movement of the '60s, and Berkeley's key role today in science and technology revolutions.
Traditions of Cal: Who was the Angel of Death? What's with the "Big C" up there in the hills — and why is it sometimes green? Who wears Oski's jolly bear head and size 54 yellow sweater?
Tours and webcams: Check out what's happening on Sproul Plaza, the campus's true heart. See stunning live views of the Bay Area from the Lawrence Hall of Science's perch in the Berkeley hills.
Chancellor and administration: Information on Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George W. Breslauer, and how the university is organized. Organizational charts are included.
UC System overview and links: On the campuses, laboratories, and medical centers that comprise UC's public educational system, as well as UC's K-12 partnerships, economic impact, and agriculture and environmental resources.
The website will be permanently closed shortly, so please retrieve any content you wish to save.


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- Discover CSUB
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- Academics
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- Admissions & Aid
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- Student Life
- ASI (Student Government)
- Antelope Valley Campus
- Bookstore
- Campus Dining
- Campus Programming
- Career Education & Community Engagement (CECE)
- Children's Center
- Counseling Center
- Graduate Student Center
- Health Center
- Housing & Residence Life
- Services for Students with Disabilities
- Student Financial Services
- Student Organizations
- Student Recreation Center
- Student Rights & Responsibilities
- Student Union
- Vice President for Student Affairs
- Wellness
- |
- Athletics
- |
- News & Information
Campus Information
At the institutional level, California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), is accredited by the Senior College Commission of the Western Associate of Schools and Colleges (WASC). WASC is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States, as well as the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Additionally, individual CSUB programs may have their own accreditation. Please refer to our four schools: Arts & Humanities, Business and Public Administration, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering, and Social Sciences & Education for specific program accreditations.
Student Support Services
CSUB offers a myriad of student support services to help students succeed, persist, and graduate. Many of these resources are located in the following areas:
- Division of Student Affairs
- Division of Enrollment Management
- CSUB Ombudsman
- CHAMPS/Life Skills Program
- Title V: Oasis Tutoring Center
Campus Map
The CSUB Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is located in Building 10 on the CSUB Campus Map. Visitors may purchase daily parking permits or park in metered parking. Permits are required 7-days per week.
Antelope Valley Campus
CSUB maintains a satellite campus in Antelope Valley that serves the students from the Lancaster and Palmdale region. The Financial Aid Counselor assigned to assist students attending the Antelope Valley campus is Cristina Alexander, who may be reached at email@example.com or (661) 654-3248.
Extended University & Regional Programs
The University provides access to higher education and lifelong learning beyond the traditional patterns of campus-based programs supported by taxpayers. This responsibility is assigned to the Extended University Division (EUD). It administers a variety of self-supported degree programs, courses, workshops, seminars, and conferences for members of the community who seek to expand their interests, to improve and broaden their professional preparation, or to further their University degree aspirations. Financial Aid eligibility for Extended University courses is limited to those students who are:
- admitted as a regular CSUB student;
- enrolled at least half-time in coursework that counts for their CSUB degree objective
Please note: Extended University fees are charged on per unit basis. Students enrolled in Extended University courses are not eligible for State University Grant.
CSUB offers limited regional programs through Extended University in the following locations: Santa Clarita, Hanford, Lancaster, or online.
Academic Calendar
CSUB's Academic Calendar is a summary of important dates and events during the University's academic year. These dates and event typically include:First Day of Classes;Holidays;Last Day to Add Courses;Last Day to Withdraw without a "W" being recorded;Census Day;Last Day of Classes;and the final Examination period.
Class Schedule & Campus Catalog
A Class Schedule is a publication containing a listing of all courses scheduled to be offered during a specific term, as well as other important important registration information. The schedule is available on the web and is updated daily with any changes.
The University Catalog is the official document of the university which includes information on all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate academic programs and their requirements, courses offered by each academic department, lists of faculty, policies and procedures related to admission, financial aid, all registration activity, and tuition and fees. A student's degree requirements are based on the University Catalog in effect the year he or she enters CSUB, or another catalog year as approved with a petition.
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
Phone: (661) 654-3016
Fax: (661) 654-6800
Email: email@example.com
Federal School Code: 007993
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Big B gets conscious when wife Jaya on the sets
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who will be seen with his wife Jaya Bachchan in Bhojpuri film Ganga Devi, says there is lot of restriction when your wife is on the sets and he gets conscious in her presence.bollywood Updated: Sep 01, 2012 17:26 IST
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who will be seen with his wife Jaya Bachchan in Bhojpuri film "Ganga Devi", says there is lot of restriction when your wife is on the sets and he gets conscious in her presence.
"When your wife is on the sets with you, then your behaviour also changes, there are lots of restrictions, there is always a discipline on the sets or else when you go back home, the situation goes out of control," a laughing Amitabh told reporters during the music launch of the film here Friday.
"I hope you all will promote 'Ganga Devi' and the audience likes it," he added.
Amitabh played a key role in his makeup man-turned-producer Deepak Sawant's film, which is about reservation for women in elected bodies.
He acted earlier in Bhojpuri "Ganga" and "Gangotri", which did well at the box office. Amitabh says Sawant is like a family member.
"I am glad to be part of this film. Deepak is like family and when he approached me for this film, I did this film without any hesitation. I know him now for 30 to 35 years."
"He is my makeup man, he takes care of my face and it was my duty to give him something in return. The best part of working with them (Sawant) is that they finish shooting for 30 to 35 scenes in a day so that I don't have any problem."
Produced by Sawant and directed by Abhishek Chaddha, Ganga Devi also features Dineshlal Yadav Nirahua, Pakhi Hegde, Girish Sharma, Awadhesh Mishra and Vinay Bihari. The music director is Madhukar Anand.
The film is slated for Sep 14 release.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2005 News Releases > August 2005 > Wayland to offer homeschool science program again
Wayland to offer homeschool science program again
PLAINVIEW -- Wayland Baptist University's science department will once again offer the Plainview Area Homeschool Science Enhancement Program for the school year, with the focus on chemistry for high school students.
Beginning Sept. 23, students participating in the program will attend monthly lab sessions at Wayland that are tailored to supplement and enhance the science curriculum being studied at home. Using the resources of the Wayland chemistry lab, students are able to get hands-on science experience to enrich their learning.
"As with all Wayland classes and programs, the tone and content of all the program material will be unapologetically Christian," said Dr. Joel Boyd, who helped found the program four years ago and serves as instructor. "The careful and scientific study of creation can provide a unique insight into the Creator. Hands-on laboratory experience is invaluable in provoking students to ask 'why?' and 'how?' while giving them the tools to pursue these answers themselves."
Specifically, labs will be offered one Friday each month, with two meetings in October. Material augments the A-Beka curriculum, chosen because it is most commonly used.
Cost for participation in the program is $80 per student, which covers the year of labs and all materials. The complete schedule of classes, along with covered material, may be found on the Wayland website.


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Commande en ligne ou appelez-nous
9am-5:30pm PST 1-888-966-2299
Our Customers speak out!
A real Canadian Company for over 17 years.
Send an e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
if you don't see your Scooter UPS model listed or try finding the same
battery at UPS Battery.
UPS Batteries Home Page
Copyright © 2020 Battery Canada All Rights Reserved.


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Thank you for your interest in the BSO
We value your feedback and are happy to answer many of your questions relating to the BSO. Before submitting a question via the web form below, please take a moment to review some of our Frequently Asked Questions. If the FAQs do not address your question, please use the form below and a member of the BSO staff will respond within 48 hours. If the matter is urgent, please call during normal business hours.


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Shelf Road was closed for a couple of hours early Wednesday morning after the Fremont County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a possible armed man on the run in that area.
Capt. Don Pinover said the FCSO received a call from Teller County at about 5:20 a.m. saying a man believed to be responsible for a "shots fired" fired call in Cripple Creek had escaped in a truck that he wrecked on Shelf Road.
Officials considered the man to be armed and dangerous and believed he was headed into the Cañon City area.
The unidentified man was taken into custody and the road was reopened about 8 a.m.


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The last BMW Z8 was built 10 years ago, but people are still coming up with new ways to crash these beautiful Bimmers. One of the only 5,703 Z8s ended up on its roof by the side of the road near Rambach, Germany last week.
According to German Police a 30 year old man was driving the Z8 last Monday when he lost control of the car and left the road. The car hit an embankment and flipped over into the ditch where you see it above.
Police did not have a cause for the crash, but the red German license plates on the car—usually dealer plates used for test drives—suggest the 400 horsepower S62 aluminum V8 might have been too much for someone who didn't own the car. We're sure the summer tires on the car didn't make things any easier on the wet winter roads.
Regardless of exactly how the driver came to be behind the wheel of the Z8, they were lucky enough to escape this crash without injury. Police have estimated the damage to car somewhere around € 50,000.
Photo Credit: Sebastian Stenzel
[Wiesbaden112.de via GTspirit]


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I titled this post The Daube Dilemma because I couldn't muster up much excitement about having "a great beef stew" in my "cooking back pocket." My interest was piqued when I read the recipe called for an entire bottle of red wine, splash of Cognac, bacon, and whole head of garlic. Sounded a bit like Boeuf Bourguignon... which I do enjoy. But what's the difference between daube and bourguignon?
This could have easily turned into a comparison study, as with my French Fridays with Dorie French Onion Soup post, but I chose to keep it relatively simple. Since Dorie admits her Go To Beef Daube is not truly daube but bouef aux carottes, I consulted Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julia's Daube de Boeuf, defined as casserole of beef with wine and vegetables - hot or cold, is made with lean stewing beef, carrots, onions, garlic, and herbs, all marinated in red or white wine and a splash of brandy for 3 hours. It is then layered in a covered casserole (called a daubière) with strips of bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes, and braised for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon, defined as beef stew in red wine, bacon, with bacon, onions, and mushrooms, and proclaimed to be certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, omits the marinating process. The braising liquid is more complex with a full-bodied young red wine, beef stock and tomato paste, although I did like the addition of Cognac to Dorie's daube. After the meat has braised for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, Julia adds sauteed mushrooms and pearl onions that have been braised in stock to the casserole. The stew is served on a platter surrounded with boiled potatoes, buttered noodles, or steamed rice, and garnished with parsley.
|Dorie's Go To Beef Daube
Another dilemma arose when I realized I looked at the wrong daube recipe and bought the wrong ingredients. I shopped for My Go-To Beef Daube when I should have shopped for Beef Cheek Daube with Carrots and Elbow Macaroni. I could have switched gears without too much of a problem - because the correct recipe allows for substitution of the beef cheeks for beef chuck roast, but I would like to try beef cheeks in the future. So, I stayed with the Go-To Beef Daube which uses beef chuck roast, bacon, onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, parsnips, Cognac, a full bottle of fruity red wine, and herbs. I did prepare it the night before, but must say I preferred the taste and tenderness of the meat when it first came out of the oven on night one. I served it over mashed potatoes with a small side of green beans.
We enjoyed Dorie's daube, but I still prefer bourguignon. However, as with daube - where each region of France has its own version, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon!
French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!


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Cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection are being seen in the largest numbers since the disease first was detected in the United States in 1999, according to an Aug. 14 update(www.cdc.gov) from the CDC.
West Nile virus (WNV) (pictured) can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and other mammals. Twenty-six people have died from WNV infection in the United States this year.
So far this year, 43 states have reported WNV infections in people, birds or mosquitoes, the agency notes.
"A total of 693 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 26 deaths, have been reported," says the CDC. "Of these, 406 (59 percent) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 287 (41 percent) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease."
It's worth noting that not only is that case total the highest reported to the CDC since 1999, 80 percent of those cases come from only six states: Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and California. Moreover, almost half of all cases -- including nine deaths -- were reported from Texas, prompting one judge to declare a state of emergency in Dallas. In response, the state recently began spraying insecticide from crop-dusting planes in certain areas to kill WNV-infected mosquitoes.
- The current number of cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection is the highest since the disease first was detected in the United States in 1999.
- Forty-three states have reported WNV infections in people, birds or mosquitoes, according to the CDC.
- Of the 693 human WNV cases confirmed, 26 deaths have been reported through Aug. 14.
Clinical Presentation Is Often Nonspecific
Because the signs and symptoms of WNV infection are similar to those of other viral infections, physical examination may not yield any specific findings. However, says the CDC, as many as half of patients with the infection may have a rash.
The most efficient diagnostic method is detection of IgM antibody to WNV in serum collected within eight to 14 days of illness onset or cerebrospinal fluid collected within eight days of illness onset. One caveat, however, is that serological tests for WNV cross-react with other closely related flaviviruses (e.g., Japanese encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, dengue).
CT is not useful in the diagnosis of severe WNV infection but can help exclude other etiologies of acute meningoencephalitis. Brain MRI is often normal but will sometimes display leptomeningeal enhancement or parenchymal signal changes. The CDC website(www.cdc.gov) offers more information about diagnostic testing, including instructions for submitting specimens for lab analysis.
Generally, mild WNV infections have good patient outcomes, but severe disease cases (i.e., West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) can be fatal. Roughly one in 150 people infected with WNV develop serious illness, with potential symptoms, including
- high fever,
- headache,
- neck stiffness,
- stupor,
- disorientation,
- coma,
- tremors,
- convulsions,
- muscle weakness,
- vision loss,
- numbness and
- paralysis.
According to the CDC, these symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Unfortunately, no specific treatment is available for WNV infection. In severe cases, management consists of supportive care that often involves hospitalization, intravenous fluids, respiratory support and prevention of secondary infections.
Academy Has Tools to Help Answer Patients' Questions
AAFP's FamilyDoctor.org website provides a complete overview on West Nile virus that you can share with your patients, including information on
Although most patients with milder symptoms of WNV infection can be reassured that they do not need medical attention -- many, in fact never know they are infected -- pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to talk with their physicians if they develop symptoms that could indicate WNV infection. Adults older than 50 also are more likely to develop serious symptoms if infected.
Prevention Is Key to Avoiding Disease
Mona Bomgaars, M.D., M.P.H., of Honolulu, past chair of the AAFP's Disaster Preparedness Member Advisory Panel, said that avoiding mosquitoes by using DEET-infused spray, covering arms and legs, and emptying standing water containers goes a long way toward preventing WNV infection.
"Prevention is the best, only way to avoid the disease," she said. "Also, people are advised not to touch dead birds. FPs may find it helpful to log into their state or local health departments(www.cdc.gov) to get specific information."
The CDC offers the following tips to prevent mosquito bites:
- when outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient;
- use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants when outside, or consider staying indoors;
- ensure screens on windows and doors are in good shape;
- empty standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels;
- change the water in pet dishes frequently, and replace the water in bird baths weekly;
- drill holes in tire swings so water drains out; and
- empty children's wading pools and store them on their sides when not in use.
Additional Resource
CDC: West Nile Virus: Information and Guidance for Clinicians (www.cdc.gov)
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text: Ready to start creating your Duffle & Gym Bags? Promotique is proud to make designing your customised product easy. Below, we've included some customer favourites for Duffle & Gym Bags – you can choose one of these options or explore our full collection. Once you've found the right product, you can use our intuitive design studio to add your logo and specific touches. Then we'll take care of the rest: Your Duffle & Gym Bags will be professionally printed, packaged and delivered – all ready to help set you apart.


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In 1972, Sony's U-Matic was still a relative newcomer to the commercial VCR market. Few people who weren't a TV studio could justify the expense, so consumer adoption was slow. So, Sony courted the institutional / industrial market, by suggesting that their "little" machine could help cure cancer and basically save the world (see complete ad copy below). This is the same company that demanded $700 for the Playstation 3 and generally lost out on the current round of console wars when the price of their game machine dropped just slightly slower than the public's desire to own it. Sony BMG was the record company behind the Rootkit debacle a few years ago. Remember that? When overactive copy protection software on pre-recorded audio CDs infected the computers of millions of people? That's our Sony. Always humble. Never a misstep.
Sony's argument for the cancer curing potential of the U-Matic is that a doctor with a new treatment can doesn't need to wait to prepare a paper and present it at some stupid medical convention. That's the peer review process, and it's dumb! No, the doctor (assuming he's a super genius and that he's made not a single mistake in his theory and the scientific process is an annoying burden to him anyway), can just make a video tape demonstration and mail it directly to other doctors with possibly less experience than him who may be unable to spot flaws in his new treatment. In a perfect world, instant communication would allow absolutely anybody to spew their ideas and opinions throughout the world, possibly via some kind of web that is world wide. Only then would the very best ideas and knowledge be heard.
Aaaanyway, eventually the VCR became cheaper and as it found it's way into American homes, the film industry threw a fit. The new technology was horrifying to the entertainment industry, and they hoped to sue the VCR out of existence. This is because at the time, there was no room in the MPAA's philosophy for the idea of recording programs or movies. They couldn't imagine a world in which giving control to the consumer could possibly be good for business. Jack Valenti, head of the MPAA in 1982, testified that the VCR would destroy Hollywood and kill creativity, the seas would boil and the moon shall be as blood.
As it turned out, rentals and sales of videotapes became a gold mine for the entertainment industry. So, Valenti was either a liar or stupid. Previous to the VCR issue, the RIAA freaked out when people were recording albums onto cassette tapes at home. They said it would destroy the industry. It didn't. The RIAA came back in The Eighties to rage about home recording on digital media. The government told them to shut up. Now, the MPAA is throwing another tantrum about online file sharing. It will be interesting to see how history views the present disagreement. Odds are that the entertainment industry won't be destroyed by online piracy, and a new market will be born with someone other than the studios cashing the checks... again.
In my opinion, if a movie is good enough, people will want to see it in a theater, and own a real commercial copy on disc. If a movie or album is not great but just interesting, I'll record it from TV onto a DVD and call it a day. Most people have enough disposable income to buy or rent a movie they think is worth it, as long as it's good enough. Hollywood should concentrate on not making so much shitty content and make it worth our time and money to do things their way. A compressed MP3 file isn't worth money, to me. I buy the disc and then rip and re-rip it in whatever format I want, or at higher and higher bitrates as file storage becomes ever cheaper. This is my gold standard of music collecting. My CDs are my Fort Knox of music. I find it odd that the RIAA is losing their hair over people trading music online, while still bemoaning declining CD sales, which is a format that basically has no copy protection at all.
By the way, the very best way to rip bit-perfect duplicates of your CDs is by using Exact Audio Copy, available here. Rip to WAVs and then burn with the software of your choice. Enjoy. That way, you can have one copy for your three year old to scratch all to hell, and the "master" can be safe and sound in your musical panic room.
When the anti-VCR thing was happening, the movie studios could have immediately responded by embracing rentals or aftermarket videocassette sales, but it's always easier to just try and sue all your problems away. It would be refreshing, just once, to see the a group like the RIAA or MPAA find a way to work with the new technology as soon as it develops. There's always money to be made if someone with a little vision thinks of it.
|Click for big.


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In a Bloomberg interview, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said the agency would issue a proposed fiduciary rule in 2012 that would be "business-model neutral" and allow brokers working with retail investors to sell proprietary products and charge commissions. Industry officials say exactly how the SEC crafts this business-model neutral approach will be crucial to determining whether the agency actually ends up putting brokers under a fiduciary mandate.
"If by 'business model neutral' the intention is simply to make provision for commissions and proprietary product, I am neither surprised nor too concerned," says Harold Evensky, president of Evensky & Katz Wealth Management in Coral Gables, Fla., and a member of the Committee for the Fiduciary Standard. "That is assuming that the core elements of a fiduciary relationship are included" in the final fiduciary rule." However, Evensky continued, "if by 'business neutral' the result is the one sought by many in the brokerage and insurance industry; i.e., redefine 'fiduciary' as enhanced 'suitability' with opt-out provisions, then we will end up with the worst of all worlds."
Yet others say that taking a "business model-neutral" approach is the "balanced" way to go. While there's no doubt that the SEC is "trying to walk a fine line given the political and economic realities" as it develops the fiduciary rule, says Brian Rubin, a partner in the law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, "promoting a 'business-model neutral' formulation is a very balanced approach," and is "consistent with what [Schapiro] has been saying for a while." By contrast, Rubin said, a strict fiduciary standard "would have called into practice and likely prohibited" practices such as selling proprietary products.
Section 913 of Dodd-Frank allows principal-trading and proprietary products as well as charging brokerage commissions, says David Tittsworth (left), executive director of the Investment Adviser Association, and "It's no secret that Section 913 of Dodd-Frank represented a compromise among competing interests." The question of whether brokers should have the same fiduciary duty as investment advisors has been and "continues to be very controversial," Tittsworth says, and "Section 913 reflects that controversy."
Indeed, Knut Rostad, president of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, adds that while Dodd Frank "states clearly that commissions and proprietary products 'in and of themselves' do not presumptively breach the fiduciary standard," Section 913 "does not state that any particular commission transaction and its facts and circumstances are 'protected' from fiduciary requirements." Like a non-commission transaction, Rostad continues, "it needs to be evaluated on its own merits. In this sense, there is less than meets the eye in applying 'business-model neutrality.'"
Section 913 creates a "fairly complicated roadmap" the SEC must follow in crafting a fiduciary standard, Tittsworth adds. For example, "it gives the SEC explicit authority to issue rules that would apply the same standard of conduct that investment advisors have. But it also states that the receipt of commissions and sale of proprietary products will not, in and of themselves, be a violation of that standard. And it would apply when brokers are providing "personalized investment advice about securities to a retail customer."
Other industry executives were encouraged by Schapiro's comments that a fiduciary rule will be business-model neutral. Dale Brown (left), president and CEO of the Financial Services Institute, says that FSI "has been calling for a uniform fiduciary standard since the beginning of the regulatory reform debate," and that the independent broker-dealer group is still working "to ensure the proposal creates a new uniform fiduciary standard while maintaining client choice and client access to affordable advice." With Schapiro's comments, he said, "the SEC is showing a real willingness to understand our industry and our clients' needs, which is refreshing."
Dan Barry, the Financial Planning Association's managing director of government relations, said Schapiro's reported comments "are consistent with the language in Dodd-Frank and with what has been expected," in preserving proprietary products and commissions. What will be important, he said, is setting up rules that allow for proprietary products and commissions while "making sure that investors are getting advice that is in their best interest."


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Polar Multifunctional Headwear
BUFF® Headwear's Polar Multifunctional Headwear is the Original Multifunctional Headwear sewn to a cylindrical piece of Polartec® Classic 100 fleece. In cold weather, the Polar Multifunctional Headwear maintains body temperature and prevents heat loss, thanks to the combination of microfiber and Polartec®. The result is headwear that delivers powerful warmth at the neck, then extends the performance with full multifunctional headwear versatility, breathability and coverage.
Polygiene® Technology
Available with this style of Polar Multifunctional Headwear, Polygiene®, an anti bacterial, anti odor technology. Polygiene® technology, based on natural silver salts and recycled silver, is incorporated into the fabric, not just the individual fibers or panels. Polygiene® protects against odor and degradation from odor causing bacteria,thus ensuring freshness and comfort no matter how hot the conditions may be. Silver has a natural ability to prevent the growth of bacteria and has been known as an antibacterial for thousands of years. Preventing bacteria growth means you'll also prevent body odors from being produced by sweat.
Polygiene® qualifies for the OEKO-TEX standard 100 and has undergone dermatological testing. It will not cause skin irritation, and the active ingredient has been proven to stay in the fabric, no matter how many times you may wash your garment.
BUFF® Headwear's Polar Multifunctional Headwear can be worn as a neckerchief, headband, wristband, mask, hairband, balaclava, scarf, bonnet, saharine, pirate cap, and an amazingly soft beanie. Maybe you can create a new use of your own? If you do, please let us know!
Technical Features
- Material: 100% Polyester Microfiber w Polartec® Classic 100 fleece
- Weight: 2.0 ounces
- Dimensions: 29.0 inches long by 9.75 inches
- Sizing: One Size fits most adults.
- Seam Free: There are no irritating seams or hems.
- Easy Care: Machine washable-Do not use bleach or fabric softeners-Do not iron-Do not machine dry
Additional Information


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Would it kill the whole concept to encapsulate the weight and learning rate within the link between 2 nodes? I think(very unsurely) that it would make it more versatile, and enable nodes to seem to adapt to individual connections to other nodes rather than as a whole.
I've been thinking about NNs a lot lately, and my brains kinda overflowing with ideas. As I stupid-check them, if they pass, I'll dump them here.


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Miami's kings of the hardcourt were honored at the White House by President Obama on Monday for winning the 2012 NBA Championship title after falling short just a year before.
"Today, I am honored to welcome a little up-and-coming basketball team to the White House, called the world champion Miami Heat," Obama said. "For many teams to come here, this is a lot of cameras in one place. This is a little overwhelming, but for the Heat, this is what practice looks like. This is normal."
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the team were part of the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.
"Everybody doing their part, is what finally put the Heat over the top," Obama said.
U.S. & World
Obama said a few of the players had previously visited him for a pick-up game on his birthday.
"Now, I'm not trying to take all the credit ..., but I think that its clear that going up against me prepared them to take on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook," Obama said.
The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the NBA Finals last June.
The president also recognized the franchise's work off the court. He thanked them for supporting military service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Obama said one of the things he's proudest off is that many of the team members— including LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade— "take their roles as fathers seriously."
"For all the young men out there who are looking up to them over time, for them to see somebody who cares about their kids and is there for them, day in, day out, that's a good message to send," Obama said.
"This team inspired a lot of passions on both sides, and I am just talking about their dance moves now," Obama said.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team hopefully will serve as an inspiration to the nation of what can be done "when you come together and sacrifice your egos for a greater goal" and "hard-hat work ethic."
LeBron James came up to podium and gave Obama an autographed basketball and asked the president if he could say something.
"You can if you want. It's your world man," said Obama.
James thanked Obama and ended his comments by saying: "We're in the White House right now, which is like, like 'mama I made it,'" James said, as the audience laughed and cheered.
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade presented Obama with a team jersey with a president's last name and the number 44 on the back.
The crowd of well-wishers included actress Gabrielle Union, U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The Heat last visited the White House after winning the 2006 title.


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Living on Campus
The Tompkins Cortland campus is located in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, with sweeping vistas and a progressive populace in a comfortable rural setting. Our campus is home seven residence halls housing approximately 800 students. The residence halls feature "suite style" living in a peaceful setting that is a three-minute walk from the College's main building. Each suite is furnished and includes private bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bathroom.
A campus community
The residence life concept is based on the idea of students living together as a community. Students strive to recognize and appreciate diversity, others' living habits, and issues affecting everyone. The director of residential life and resident assistants will help facilitate this atmosphere and offer programs during the academic year on topics ranging from how to cook to life-style issues to careers.
Part of the local community
As a Tompkins Cortland student, you are part of a wonderful community in a beautiful part of the world. The cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities available in Ithaca and Cortland are countless. Taking advantage of what the area has to offer is easier than you might think, thanks to the many transportation options available. There are full-service banking options in Dryden, Ithaca and Cortland, and great restaurants are all around. Wonderful experiences are available in whatever direction you go from campus.