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Village of Geneseo Mayor Richard B. Hatheway (left) and SUNY Geneseo President Christopher C. Dahl signed a village/college compact Dec. 5.
GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo and the Village of Geneseo have jointly signed a village/college compact renewing a commitment to a high quality of life for all who live, work and study in the village.
College President Christopher C. Dahl and village Mayor Richard B. Hatheway signed the compact Dec. 5, the result of recommendations from a task force convened last January to examine areas of mutual concern with the intention of strengthening existing strong town-gown relations.
Co-chairing the Task Force on Town Gown Relations were retired Livingston County Court Judge Jerry Alonzo and Chief Sal Simonetti from University Police. Also represented on the task force were representatives from village government, the village Police Department, the SUNY Geneseo student body and administration, the Livingston County District Attorney's Office and local landlords.
"The college's relationship with the village and community has always been a point of pride for Geneseo and I commend all who served on the task force," said Dahl. "Reinforcing mutual cooperation among all organizations on quality of life matters can only result in positive relationships and we're pleased to be sharing this responsibility."
Simonetti also had praise for task force members, emphasizing the importance of inclusiveness.
"What makes this compact strong is the collaboration among the task force members who made sure all interests were fully represented," said Simonetti. "The college and village have always enjoyed a professional, respectful relationship and the compact provides clear guidelines on making sure that continues into the future."
Alonzo noted in his remarks that he and his wife chose to live in Geneseo because of the vitality and opportunities the college offers to the community.
"There were occasional challenges as well," said Alonzo. "For instance, we lived for 28 years next to a fraternity house. But direct communication worked well - to make the young men feel welcome in the neighborhood and to keep us in touch with their lives. There are other things I would have liked to see in the compact, such as a statement welcoming students to community events, but this is a good start and certainly strengthens the lines of communication."
The Geneseo Town-Gown Relations Compact reads:
• Violations of the SUNY Geneseo Code of Conduct that affect the quality of life in the Village of Geneseo will be adjudicated through the procedures established in the code.
• The President of the college will communicate to all students and parents the expected standards of conduct in the community.
• The college will continue to mandate that students living off campus provide complete and accurate contact information, to include local address, phone numbers and emergency contact information.
• The Village of Geneseo will continue to provide landlord and property manager information upon request of the college.
• The Village of Geneseo Police Department will provide all reports involving SUNY Geneseo students to the college through the University Police Department.
• The University and Village Police Departments will mutually share information about where and how underage students are procuring alcoholic beverages and where and how all students are procuring illegal substances.
• The Village of Geneseo will continue its active village-wide enforcement of all housing and code complaints and infractions, and inform the college of complaints and infractions pertaining to SUNY Geneseo student conduct.
• SUNY Geneseo officials will, at minimum, communicate with and host an annual workshop for local landlords and/or property managers to provide information on campus/community expectations and actions the college will take to address student conduct issues. Similarly, village officials will, at minimum, sponsor an annual workshop for landlords on personal liability as it pertains to social hosts and other issues. It is recommended that these workshops be held jointly.
• SUNY Geneseo and village officials will, at minimum, co-sponsor an annual workshop with the college for student tenants on tenant rights and responsibilities.
• The Geneseo Town-Gown Relations Compact will be posted on a college website, along with information and resources specifically for community residents, including key telephone numbers at the college and the village, contact names for complaints and emergencies; and other timely messages that may affect residents of the local community.
• SUNY Geneseo will share with village officials the Student Conduct and Community Standards Log upon conclusion of each academic semester.
• SUNY Geneseo and appropriate municipal officials will work towards the development and creation of an educationally based Diversion Program to address select student conduct issues brought before local courts as a result of an arrest.
• SUNY Geneseo and village officials will continue to monitor the number of calls for village ambulance service to campus to ensure that the needs of both the campus and community continue to be adequately met.
Media Contact:
David Irwin
Media Relations Manager
(585) 245-5516


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Are spouses allowed to touch one another in public (when the wife is not a niddah) or is this a violation of tzniut? I am asking specifically regarding touch that is not in any way sexual or even affectionate.
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According to RaMBaM one should speak as little as possible to ones wife in public under the bounds of modest behavior, and from what I have learned, corresponding with my Mori's as well as students of Rav QafiH, it is not far off to render if speaking is to be avoided so, too, is touching.
"The guiding rule is that he should speak only words of wisdom or in connection with acts of kindness and the like. He should not speak to a woman in the marketplace, even if she be his wife, or his sister, or his daughter." Hilkhoth De'oth 5:13 (7 in the Vilna)
This should be obvious but this also indicates a conduct non-sexual in nature, due to the examples given of one's sister and daughter. But as far an actual statement in halakha that says one may not on the grounds of ssniuth, I know of none. Seems it would be a stringency fitting of a talmid hhakham.

subset: commoncrawl


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You are viewing information about Missouri Western State University which is located on 4525 Downs Dr in Saint Joseph, MO. You can contact Missouri Western State University in Missouri at their phone number 816-271-4200. If you are applying to this college to get your degree or diploma, whether it be undergraduate or graduate school, to visit the website of this university or college at http://www.mwsc.edu. You can get more information on the college's online website such as financial aid, application for admission, online college classes & courses, online degrees, majors, minors available and much more. In addition, you can view Missouri Western State University address and phone number above. The Missouri Western State University address is based on the main address the school provides.


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ASA South Africa Race - Racing In The HeartlandWritten by on May 7, 2010 The ASA Takes American Stock Car Racing To South Africa
It was a perfect day for racing. Big puffy clouds dotted a picturesque blue sky. A slight breeze kept the 80-plus degree temperatures at bay. The grandstands were full. Pop-up tents filled the grassy areas of Turn 4 and the track was in good shape. A field of 24 full-bodied stock cars sat quietly on the grid waiting for the most famous words in motorsports. You would have hardly guessed that we were more than 8,000 miles from home on the other side of the world, but that's exactly where we were, smack dab in the heartland of the Republic of South Africa.
You likely first read about this race in the very pages of this magazine (Feb. '10 issue). The announcement that the American Speed Association (ASA) was taking stock car racing halfway around the world to a 1.5-mile track in the middle of a country most Americans know only from news reports was met with surprise, in some cases disbelief and a high degree of interest.
The Country
In the U.S., the Republic of South Africa is well-known from the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela that effectively ended Apartheid, or what we in the States would call racial segregation. But South Africa is much, much more than the images portrayed on the nightly news of that era. It's an amazing country of culture, incredible landscapes, and as this writer was about to find out, racers and race fans-lots of 'em.
Located at the very bottom of the African continent, the country is home to more than 49 million people with just over 60 percent living in urban population centers like Cape Town and Johannesburg. The two primary industries are mining and agriculture. In fact, while South Africa is known for its diamond mines, the country is also the world's largest producer of platinum, gold, and chromium. Comprised of nine provinces (or states), South Africa has 11 different languages listed as "official" by the government, which is a constitutional multi-party three-tier democracy, just like the U.S.
Tourism is also a major industry for South Africa and will likely increase thanks to two major sporting events taking place there in 2010. The FIFA World Cup (soccer) tournament will be underway by the time you read this, while the UCI BMX (bicycle) World Championships takes place at the end of July. Those two events are thrusting the country onto a world stage.
They also had an influence on bringing the ASA race to the Free State province. The race would be the third international sporting event in the country, but was committed to and organized well after the first two. Interestingly, it would be the first major event to take place in 2010 and begin that world publicity push.
The Concept
The idea was to host an international stock car race that featured some of the best short-track racers in the U.S. against racers from not only South Africa but other countries as well. The invitation-only event would be designed to showcase American-style stock car racing to a whole new market, complete with green flag pits stops, three-wide competition, televised coverage for more than 100 million viewers worldwide, and live web updates.
ASA President Dennis Huth said that the motivation for taking ASA worldwide started with a simple need. "The Free State had a need; it had a world-class facility that had never seen an oval track race. There is also a tremendous market down there for stock car racing. We at ASA are ideally suited and well staffed to satisfy that need."
Ace Magashule is the Honourable Free State Premier of South Africa, akin to a governor here in the States. He explained the importance of the race, "We (the Free State province) recently concluded a very successful 2009 Soccer Confederation Cup Championship as a prelude to hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup Tournament. This stock car race will be another opportunity for the Free State Province to showcase our beautiful country on a worldwide stage."
The Track
More than 10 years ago a group of ambitious South African investors bought the design plans for Las Vegas Motor Speedway from Bruton Smith. The idea was to build a first-class multi-purpose motorsports facility outside the mining town of Welkom in the Free State Province. It was at a time when there was a lot of interest in NASCAR's push beyond U.S. borders. Japan, Mexico, and Canada had all hosted events. So why not South Africa? The track is in a relatively rural, but easily accessible area of South Africa that would remind you of Iowa or Nebraska except for the large number of mining shafts that dot the landscape.
The facility itself, the Phakisa (pronounced Pa-kees-a) Freeway contains a 4.2-mile road course, a 1.5-mile oval, suites, skyboxes, and a garage area that would fit right in at Charlotte, Atlanta, or, not surprisingly, Vegas. While the road course has been routinely used for Moto GP Superbike and Rally Car competitions, the oval sat idle until Huth's ASA showed up for testing in mid-December 2009. With veteran racers Geoff Bodine and Ron Barfield turning laps, it became apparent very quickly that the wide track and smooth transitions would make for a great race.
The Prep
"Putting on a race of this type is a mammoth undertaking," said Huth. "The people and resources you have to have in place in order to accomplish this is mind boggling. The success of the event really points to what a wonderful group of dedicated people who are in the ASA family."
Huth counts a number of South African dignitaries as members of his ASA family including Premier Magashule, Mr. Dan Kgothule, (a Member of the Executive Council for Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation in the Free State Provincial Government), and Dhilosen Pillay, the Chief Executive Officer of the Phakisa Major Sports Events and Development Corporation. In addition, the United States Ambassador to South Africa, the Honourable Donald H. Gips, joined the effort and would give the command to fire the engines on race day. "Through their combined efforts, we were able to be successful in bringing ASA racing to the Republic of South Africa," said Huth.
It's hard to conceptualize the volume of work that was required to move 24 teams, cars, and equipment halfway around the world. But Huth and his team pulled it off with nary a hiccup except for some tires arriving at the track late-just one day prior to the race. Many of the core people on Huth's team were part of his experience running the Japanese exhibition races for NASCAR in the '90s. But those races were somewhat different. In South Africa, Huth wanted to have local drivers competing alongside the American hot shoes. That in and of itself presented its own set of challenges.
Naturally, oval track racing is not common in South Africa, so local drivers are not familiar with things we take for granted, such as the weight and size of the cars, their handling, and those little race interruptions called pit stops. To that end, ASA's Official Racing School, Drivetech put on a series of classes to bring the local drivers up to speed on the big, heavy American stock cars. With classes complete, more than 20 South African drivers were then evaluated by a team of ASA officials as to their proficiency behind the wheel. Six of them made the cut.
The Race
The aptly named ASA Transcontinental Free State 500 would be a 207-lap (500-kilometer) race around the 1.5-mile oval. The starting grid featured 24 drivers; 6 of whom were South African, 16 Americans (2 of whom were women), 1 driver from the United Kingdom, and 1 from Australia. The lone African American in the field, Marc Davis, lost his father, Harry, just days before they were to board the plane for Johannesburg. Harry Davis was an integral part of getting the Free State 500 under way. "Harry was instrumental in getting this concept to a reality," said Huth. "We wanted to do something for him and are dedicating the race to his memory."
With every car sporting a decal honoring Harry Davis, the field took the green flag behind pole sitter Geoff Bodine. It wasn't really a surprise to see the 1986 Daytona 500 champion top the qualifying charts, nor was it a surprise to see him lead 86 laps, the most of any driver. But what was a surprise was seeing his car slow just two laps from the checkered flag. A fuel mileage miscue dashed Bodine's chances for victory. What happened next was the stuff fairy tale wins are made of.
Bodine's gas issues handed the lead to second place Toni McCray. McCray, daughter of longtime racer Rick McCray, is no stranger to racing but was experiencing a track bigger than a mile for the first time. She looked to be in perfect position to win but the lone Brit in the field, John Mickel, had other plans. He drove the wheels of his car and reeled in McCray. As the pair entered Turn 3 on the final lap, Mickel slid under McCray to grab the lead, ultimately beating her to the line by less than a second.
"I thought Geoff (Bodine) had the best chance to win and then, when he pitted on lap 205, I thought it would be Toni's race," said Mickel. "But I pushed hard on the final lap and managed to get underneath her in Turn 3 and beat her to the checkered flag." The magnitude of the win was not lost on Mikel. "To be the first Englishman to take a checkered flag in American-style stock car racing gives me chills!"
Despite not winning, McCray was all smiles, "I tried to hold John off but he was just too strong. Still, it was really exciting there at the end and I'm happy with our performance, it was a good, clean race."
The sentimental favorite in the field, Marc Davis, came home Third, 2.6 seconds behind Mickel. Davis had been one of the few cars during the race that seemed to be able to hang with Bodine, leading 24 laps, but had a problem midway through the race that would figure in the outcome.
"We had a flat tire during that long green flag run and dropped two laps down," explained Davis. In order to make up that deficit, Davis ran the car hard and stayed out when others pitted leaving the 19-year-old on worn tires in the waning laps of the race.
"We came up short at the end of the day, but we put on a great show and I had a blast here in South Africa," said Davis. "I definitely want to come back and win in the next South African race. When they announce the next race, I'll be the first in line to sign up!"
Behind Davis, Rick McCray came home Fourth with Cape Town's own Johan Spies finishing Fifth. Spies' colorful personality and trademark "Aaa-oooo-gaaa" yell could easily make him a crowd favorite, but even more impressive is his driving ability. Spies' Free State 500 adventure started with a catastrophic motor failure during qualifying. With no backup he was in danger of not making the race, but American racer Dustin Dudley stepped up to the plate and an arrangement was made for Spies to buy Dudley's car and race in the event.
"I've dreamt since I was a little boy of competing in one of these cars. I'm over the moon. It was my first time on a super oval and my first race in a real ASA stock car," exclaimed Spies. And with his impressive Top 5 in hand, the likeable South African has a new goal. "Now my dream is to go and race one in the United States."
Spies may have led the South African drivers with his Fifth Place finish but also worth mentioning was Welkom's Danie Correia Jr. finishing 10th followed closely by Gugu Zulu of Johannesburg in 11th. Johan Cronje also of Welkom finished 15th while fellow Welkommer Johan Coetzer finished 18th after suffering engine failure. Of all the South Africans, Jaco Correia, had the worst luck sustaining heavy damage in a single-car incident on lap 29.
In the end, the race featured 26 lead changes. That's impressive and competitive, especially for a first-year race on what amounts to a brand-new track that few of the competitors had ever seen before. And if you think the lead changes were impressive, well over 10,000 spectators jammed the grandstands to watch all the action unfold.
The Verdict
"The track got faster and faster today, all weekend long for that matter," said Marc Davis. "When we started the race it was really just a one-groove racetrack, but at the end of the race this place was amazing. We opened up to two- and three-wide racing in the end. I was trying to run the high side at the end and it was working. The more laps they run on this place it will be great. I look forward to coming back."
His words were echoed by numerous drivers. "The track is great, really racey, with multiple grooves and lots of room," said Arizona's Mark Shaffer. "We were getting three-wide all day long, especially toward the end of the race."
"It definitely has two grooves. There were a few times we ran three-wide and I raced side-by-side with John (Mickel)," Toni McCray said. "All in all, the track is really smooth."
Wisconsin's Chris Wimmer who previously raced at the old Las Vegas Speedway configuration said that Phakisa was similar but had characteristics of another, newer racetrack. "The transitions from the straightaway to the turns remind me of Iowa Speedway."
All racetracks have their nuances and Phakisa is no different. There are several bumps on the backstretch with the most notable one likely a result of the track surface settling over the tunnel just at the entrance to Turn 3. Hit it correctly and you'll be fine. Hit it wrong and you end up spinning into the wall. It's one of those little idiosyncrasies that will separate good drivers from great drivers.
Of course the track was just one part of the overall experience.
"We've fallen in love with this country," said Bodine. "We love the people, the climate, the wild animals. This race will go down in the history books."
John Luedtke Jr., crewman for Wisconsin racer Russ Blakeley, echoed Bodine's sentiments. "I'd come back next week," he said. "The attitude of the people was great. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. On and off the track, I had a great time."
"When I look back at our experiences in South Africa, I feel honored to have been part of bringing an ASA asphalt experience to a different part of the world," said Tim Olson, President of the ASA Midwest Tour. "I also will never forget our new bonds built between the racers from around the world and the end result being a win for everyone involved."
"If I had known the effect that one race, in a country where no NASCAR-style racing had ever taken place, I might have actually been nervous," said race winner Mickel, whose life since the victory has been a whirlwind of international interviews, broadcasts, and interest from a variety of professional racing teams in the States and abroad.
Local South African Jaco Correia, put it simply, "We've waited a long time for this kind of racing to come to South Africa, and I really enjoyed being a part of it."
While those are some pretty glowing endorsements, Huth has gotten the most telling response from all his competitors. "Each one of the teams we took over has already asked, and in some cases, pleaded to be invited back next year," said Huth. Begging the question, what is the plan?
The Future
"Obviously, if you commit to do something like this, you want to be able to build on it for the future. We are currently in discussions to do just that," says Huth. Adding an exclamation to that statement, during the post race press conference, Free State Premier Magashule announced that his government would support the return of the Free State 500 for 2011.
"Next year we will have you come back to Phakisa," said Premier Magashule. "Bring your families and bring your friends, please come and experience everything our country has to offer."
The Free State 500 had everything a fan or competitor could ask for, tight racing, fender-to-fender excitement, a ground-breaking format that allowed cars with different engine types to compete against one another, and much more. But the success of the race signals the start of what could be a whole new area of growth for short-track motorsports, an international oval track series, the ASA Transcontinental Series. A solid foundation proven by a strong car count and 10,000-plus fans in the stands has been established. Now the sky's the limit for the Free State 500K and the ASA Transcontinental Series.
|The Official Finishing Order
|Car #
|Name and Hometown
|John Mickel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
|Toni McCray, Highland, CA
|Marc Davis, Mitchelville, MD
|Rick McCray, Bloomington, CA
|Johan Spies, Cape Town, South Africa
|Gary Lewis, Bothell, WA
|Tiffany Daniels, Smithfield, VA
|Greg Barnhart, Oklahoma City, OK
|Geoff Bodine, Chemung, NY
|Danie Correia, Welkom, South Africa
|Gugu Zulu, Johannesburg, South Africa
|Mark Ebert, Tucson, AZ
|Ron Norman, Tucson, AZ
|Shaun Richardson, Noosa,Queensland,Australia
|Johan Cronje, Welkom, South Africa
|Russ Blakeley, Whitewater, WI
|Tim Olson, Hamel, MN
|Johan Coetzer, Welkom, South Africa
|Steve Carlson, West Salem, WI
|Chris Wimmer, Wausau, WI
|Jaco Correia, Welkom, South Africa
|Mark Shaffer, Peoria, AZ
|Lance Fenton, Tyler, TX
|Don Uhlir, Tucson, AZ
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
After the racing was done, the competitors and their families were treated to a couple of days of R&R at the Savannah Cheetah Foundation's Ranch in nearby Parys, South Africa where they got the opportunity to meet a cheetah up close and personal. Contrary to popular belief, the cheetah did not catch Ron Barfield, that's Springbok antelope in the his bowl.We at Circle Track have stayed in a lot of interesting hotels in our racing lives, but this one definitely had the best view. Typical landscape in this region of South Africa included Impala antelope roaming the plains.


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This apartment is currently off the market. Go to the building page to see availabilities.
Home › Central Park Terrace › 5-F
Central Park Terrace › 5-F
$2,6951 Bedroom, 1 Bath
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Available No Fee Apartments at Central Park Terrace
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65 apartments range from studios to 2-bedrooms.
With Central Park across the street, the Upper West Side's best shops and cafés around the corner, and Columbia University a short walk away, 461 Central Park West has it all. A stylishly renovated lobby welcomes you to the building, which also offers:
- A part-time lobby attendant
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Apartments feature freshly renovated bathrooms and kitchens with stainless steel appliances. Many units offer stunning views of the park.
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What is cold steeping specialty grains all about? How do I do it? What does 'cold' really mean? How long does it take? Advantages and disadvantages?
Cold steeping is supposed to give you a smoother taste from dark and specialty grains that can impart ashy, acrid flavors when steeped in hot water.
Cold steeping means actually steeping your grain at room temperature (not in ice water), and steeping it for 6-12 hours. The process is very similar to cold steeping coffee (and it's also done for similar reasons).
Also remember that hot water is more soluble than cool water, so you might need to use more water to dissolve as much sugar out as possible. This article recommends 5X the weight of your grain in water.
So I would summarize:
Here is info on cold steeping from the legendary Dr. George Fix...
"Question to Dr. Fix:
Dr. Fix:
The talk was in the NCHF at Napa in October. Those folks on the left coast really know how to do a beer festival! The cold steeping procedure was designed to maximize the extraction of desirable melanoidins, and at the same time minimize the extraction of undesirable ones. The former are simple compounds which yield a fine malt taste. The undesirable ones come from more complicated structures. Polymers with sulfur compounds tend to have malt/vegetable tones. Others yield cloying tones, which to my palate have an under fermented character. The highest level melanoidins can even have burnt characteristics. The cold steeping procedure was developed by Mary Ann Gruber of Briess. My version goes as follows.
Mary Ann has had good results by adding the steeped grains directly to the fermenter without boiling, however I have not tried that variation of the procedure.
The upside of cold steeping is that it works. The downside is that it is very inefficient both with respect to extract and color. In my setup I am using 2-3 times the malt that would normally be used. As a consequence I have been using it for "adjunct malts" such as black and crystal. I also am very happy with the use of Munich malts with this process when they are used as secondary malts. "


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Your order must total $99.00 before tax and shipping. Free Shipping on Ground Deliveries only going to one delivery location in the continental U.S. only, additional locations are $8.95 each. May not be combined with other coupons or promotional offers. Coupon not valid on our selection of Tervis or Louisville Slugger products. Offer not valid on previous orders.
Expiration: December 31, 2015 Code: SHIPPING99
Our personalized pet bowls are a must have for the sophisticated furry family members. They are made of a heavy ceramic. The imprint is baked into the ceramic so Fido or Socks can enjoy this designer dinnerware for years to come! Your choice of bowl size and typestyle. Imprint color, placement and design only as shown.
The design will not completely wrap around the entire bowl. See more images to view back side of bowl.


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Never Talk Politics
Posted in Nobody's JournalFebruary 24, 2009No comments
Why talk, when a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, the "Left Forum" is holding a conference at Pace University, April 17–19. I was reading on Panoptikon (a blog from Dubai supporting visual communications) that there is a call for submissions. They're going to have 10 tv monitors surrounding the conference attendees pumping the submitted/selected images. Cool (read here for more info)


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What set-theoretic assumptions are necessary and sufficient to ensure the existence of a nontrivial (i.e. not isomorphic to the identity) endofunctor of the category Set which is logical (i.e. preserves finite limits and power objects—hence also finite colimits and exponentials)?
On the lower end, Andreas Blass proved ("Exact functors and measurable cardinals") that there exists a nontrivial exact endofunctor of Set (that is, preserving finite limits and colimits) iff there exists a measurable cardinal. Since logical functors are a fortiori exact, the existence of a measurable cardinal is a necessary condition. On the upper end, any nontrivial elementary embedding j:V→V surely induces a logical endofunctor of Set, so the existence of a Reinhardt cardinal is a sufficient condition. But can it be pinned down more precisely?


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WHEELING - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to impose new greenhouse gas regulations by the end of this month that likely will make it impossible to build a new coal-fired power plant, according to published reports.
The news comes as voters across the nation head to the polls today for the 2012 general election.
The Washington Examiner and the Washington Times reported the new EPA regulations are to be in place by the end of November, and the new rules are strict enough to stop the building of any new coal-fired power plant.
In September 2011, the EPA had announced it would delay imposition of more strict greenhouse gas emissions until 2013.
Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said the news of greenhouse emissions possibly coming more quickly did take the coal industry by surprise.
"At the same time, it exemplifies the ... past behavior of this agency that knows no bounds," he said. "Their actions don't take into consideration people's livelihoods, jobs or the existing liability of energy companies.
"The (new rule) deals with the greenhouse gas emission standards. ... It will ultimately result in no new plants being constructed, and the initiative has raised questions whether existing plants have to be refitted to comply with the new regulations."
Hamilton said what makes the situation even more frustrating is that the technology and processes to control greenhouse gases as required under the new EPA rules are not yet available.
"They are requiring a controlled technology that doesn't exist," he continued. "Because of this, the new rule stifles and helps to prevent new construction of coal-fired power plants. The EPA set out on a mission several years ago to put an end to coal-fired power stations. I don't think they will deviate from that mission."
Hamilton added it was "pretty bold" of the Obama administration, on the eve of an election, to promulgate new greenhouse gas emission rules by the end of the month.
"From my perspective, it hurts his chances of re-election and appears to amplify his anti-coal bias," Hamilton said. "It's hard to believe this was calculated somehow to relate to national strategy. It's no secret, he is not doing well in major coal-producing states. Maybe they calculated this move could help them in other states."
Hamilton said the rule would hurt West Virginia's economy.
"This places another hurdle or obstacle in the West Virginia energy portfolio - there's no doubt about that," Hamilton said. "It also puts a burden on states that rely on coal-fired electricity."
Conrad Lucas, chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, said defeating Obama in today's election is only one part of the equation.
"This proposed new EPA regulation would effectively end construction of any new coal plants, ever," he said. "Worse, it would ensure that prices for any kind of power would necessarily skyrocket."
Requests for comment from the Obama campaign in Ohio were referred to the White House press office, which referred the inquiry to the national Obama campaign. The Obama campaign did not immediately respond Monday.
Requests for comment from the EPA also received no response Monday.


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I would like to optimize the way I manage my todo list. My tasks are, for a large part, related to
C++ coding but also include readings, presentations, research... Lately I discovered the
@todo command in doxygen, which is pretty cool for the coding part. I would like to keep a clear track of all my tasks in one big tool though. Any ideas ?
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I would like to optimize the way I manage my todo list. My tasks are, for a large part, related to
Avoid Task-Tags
Issue Trackers
In general, I'd say the best way to track tasks / TODOs is with an issue tracker (like JIRA, Bugzilla or Mantis, or more complete solutions like trac, or hosted ones that come with private repos like on BitBucket, GitHub or Assembla). It sounds heavyweight, but if you use a good one it works wonders, mainly because you get things like:
Hosted ones have the advantage that you'll have access to your tasks whereever you are, as long as you have an internet connection, and you can still export a list as text when you plan to be off-line.
Task Boards
Otherwise, task boards are becoming very popular with Scrum, Kanban and other methodologies. You can use dedicated task boards* (like Trello), or you can use a plugin for an issue tracker (like GrassHopper for JIRA).
* virtual or physical, though I prefer virtual ones for backup purposes obviously... you can always display them on a wall with a big screen or a cheap projector
We still have some task tags in my team though, but usually they are just short-lived reminders that we leave in the code in-between commits or as warnings for very fishy legacy code that we deal with very carefully. And to not lose track of them, we have presets for several IDEs to sort of enforce consistency in the task tags' naming convention, and we also integrate some tools in our build to detect them (for Java projects, Maven can produce a report with all detected task tags, which is handy to review them and convert them to actual tasks in your issue tracker if deemed relevant, and to keep an eye on urgent / critical FIXMEs and stuff like that).
Alternatives and Tips
A plain old text file used as a diary/journal works well for tracking both to-do items and anything else about a project that you want to remember. I try to add a line or two whenever I make a decision, notice something I want to get back to later, have an idea for an improvement, etc. Some items get called out with a first word like "BUG" or "TODO". I keep mine in reverse-chronological order: I enter items at the top of the file.
A development journal really isn't a replacement for a bug tracking system. It's more lightweight -- since I almost always have the file open, adding something is very quick. But it's not as easy to search, not as organized, not as powerful. It's a log, not a database. Still, it can be a good way to help yourself become a little more organized. If all you need right now is a way to avoid forgetting tasks, it can be a very helpful tool.
Many IDEs will let you add a file type or build rule that will ignore a given type of file, so you can add your project journal right to the project and have it available all the time. Remember to check it into version control for safe keeping!
What I generally do is to create some sort of include file that just has comments in it. It can be bugs, todos, testing criteria, whatever. That gets included in the project, and for each item I have a resolution, resolution date, my initials and if necessary, a brief description of what was causing the bug or unexpected behavior.
A couple of times it's saved me a lot of time later on, being able to go back and reference those lists when a similar weird situation occurs. Additionally, you can also look at the code in that project and cut/paste a ready made (or nearly) solution.
I use two quasi discrete systems for most todo items I follow the Getting Things Done process and use omnifocus to keep track of the items. I agree with the issue tracker suggestion above. I personally use redmine as my tracking system and then use MYLYN integration with my IDEs to track the items. I really like they way that I can understand specifically what files have been touched and focus via MYLYN.
TODO comments in code are still Ok (for personal projects). For anythying else: a kanban board, migrated from physical board to self-made software-based one. Look in my blog for details. There are also a lot of online options.


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In securing a state Alliance District grant for school reforms, the Waterbury Board of Education promised to hire additional administrators. The board soon will vote on a proposal to bring in eight "student behavior technicians." Chief Academic Officer Anne Marie Cullinan says these new administrators would investigate minor disciplinary issues; this would allow principals and vice principals to get more involved in academics.
The plan is a watered-down version of one Mayor Neil M. O'Leary killed in December because of cost concerns.
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First I would like to be clear: this is a noob question, I need a simple answer if such an answer exists.
In a three-dimentional space, how can I name this rotation?
Let's assume X is red, Y is blue, Z is green.
I need to know the direction of the rotation (+ or - 90°) and how can I name it: is it name depending on the Z axis which is the "static" axis of my box, or depending on the Y axis? I need to name this rotation for a physical sculpture documentation project.
I am sorry if I am a bit confused! Thanks for your help.


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As part of the Central Flyway, an established migration route for waterfowl through the Great Plains region, Kansas lays claim to some impressive waterfowl hunting opportunities. As the weather starts cooling down for the year and the migratory birds start flying south, the waterfowl populations in Kansas start growing.
Kansas: A Migratory Destination
Posted on December 13, 2012 2:06PM by Elizabeth Peterson


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South By Southwest 2014 is just around the corner and we're already getting excited for what is hands down our favorite week of the year. JanSport will be back in Austin with some great events (which we'll be announcing in the coming months), but in the meantime make sure to get your SX fix by checking out the first two waves of artists announcements here.
There's already a few names we're excited about, including a few of our favorite SXSW discoveries [...] Read More >


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The Arkansas baseball team defeated Mississippi Valley State 6-0 in game one of the doubleheader at Baum Stadium.
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I am having a problem with login. Its in a cycle login with password correct - > login -> login with password correct -> login.
I've seen a few threads about this matter but none helped.
I do ctrl+Alt+f2, when i log in it shows me two errors:
-bash: /home/imight/.profile: line 19 unexpected EOF while looking for matching
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NOTE: Shocks are listed as Special Order because each shock is custom built for the rider. Please be sure to answer the questions needed to build your custom shock under the instructions tab.
Upgrading to Ohlins suspension is the single greatest chassis improvement you can make to your motorcycle. You will immediately notice an improvement in ride quality, comfort and chassis feedback both on-road and off.
Besides being the best made shocks they are also a great value, since they can be rebuilt in the event you ride far enough to wear them out, a significant savings over a new shock. Touratech-sponsored rider Helge Pederson, who does more than 15,000 miles a year on his Ohlins-equipped BMW, has his shocks rebuilt annually to insure they never let him down when riding the Silk Road or through Swaziland.
Your Ohlins shock (built in Sweden) will be specifically sprung and oil-damped for your motorcycle and its intended purpose, for your weight as described in your suspension profile. Since riders are different weights, carry different loads and have different riding styles, we require information from you when you order regarding your weight and riding preferences to ensure that your suspension is not too firm or too soft but instead is just right for you and your bike.
The installation is "bolt-on", but the "built to spec" service is an essential component of a suspension upgrade, and should not be skipped for convenience. Build-time of your custom Ohlins shock is typically 10 business days.


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Speed is the larger concern, but a description of accuracy would be appreciated as well.
Autofocus Systems
Autofocus is a system. There is no single part that is particularly responsible for making an AF system perform well or achieve high accuracy. In modern cameras, components and software that support AF are found in both the lens and the camera body. In some cameras that are still based on legacy AF systems, these components may be inferior, even significantly inferior, to modern fully electronic AF systems.
From a general standpoint, electronic autofocus systems where the motor is housed in the lens provide the greatest performance and highest accuracy. However an AF lens with a focus motor is only part of the picture...you still need a something to drive that motor and make it do its thing. There are also different kinds of motors, some are cheaper and less effective while others are more expensive and more effective. In addition to mechanical and electrical components, you also need appropriate software...firmware, to operate an AF system. In a modern electronic AF system, firmware usually exists in both the lens and the camera body. In older systems, firmware will likely only exist in the camera body (potentially along with the AF drive motor, as some older designs included the motor in the camera body rather than in the lens.)
Autofocus Operation
Autofocus in the past used to be achieved with partial open-loop feedback systems, where the camera would initiate an AF drive movement, the lens would adjust, and the system would stop until you told it to perform another AF adjustment. Depending on the exact implementations, more than one lens movement may have occurred in response to a single AF command. This may have been due to limited or no firmware in the lens, preventing a proper feedback loop.
In modern AF systems, AF drive is achieved with closed-loop feedback systems. With a closed loop, AF adjustments are continuously performed until focus is achieved...at least to within certain tolerances. This is possible due to much richer firmware housed in autofocus lenses, allowing more complete two-way communication between the lens and the camera. The camera instructs the lens to make a certain move, and the lens can provide information about whether it made the requested move, and whether the move was by the requested amount, or not. The camera and lens can continually make adjustments in response to a single AF command from the user to achieve a more accurate focus.
Such closed-loop feedback is a more recent advent in AF systems, supported by newer lens technology, more advanced AF drive software in camera bodies, and more accurate phase-shift detection sensors. AF speed and accuracy are increasingly dependent upon AF sensor capabilities, the number of AF sensor points, the capabilities of AF drive software, and the speed of in-camera processors.
Autofocus Accuracy
When it comes to accuracy, there are several specific factors that play a role. The AF sensor is probably the most significant factor, however the firmware in the lens as well as the optical quality of the lens also count. Metering systems, particularly color metering systems, are also becoming tied into the AF system of modern cameras, offering increased capabilities not previously possible, or only possible on very high-end cameras. There are a wide variety of AF sensors on the market in current DSLR cameras, from basic 9-point sensors with a single high precision point to 61-point sensor with 41 high precision points, and a variety of options in between. The size of each AF point, their density, the orientation of phase-detect sensor lines, and even how sensor lines converge all affect the precision and accuracy of an AF system.
Naturally, the more complex the AF sensor is and the higher the number of AF points, the more complex the software that drives it must be. In modern "reticular" (net-like) AF systems, where there are a high number of points, as well as a high number of high precision points, the AF drive software is generally pretty advanced. A color metering sensor, either Olive/Teal (Red-Green and Blue-Green) or full RGB, may be involved in AF system decisions, allowing subject color, shape, and even identification based on libraries of known subjects can be used to assist in the selection of which AF points to use when determining focus.
The precision of an AF point depends on its structure. There are single line points, both horizontal and vertical sensors, cross type points, which involve both horizontal and vertical line sensors in a single AF point, and diagonal cross type points which involve two 45 degree line sensors in opposition to each other for a single AF point, and double cross type points that utilize both a standard and diagonal cross type set of sensors at a single AF point. The more line sensors, of any orientation, involved in the detection of phase-shift at a single AF point will increase the precision of focus detected by that point.
The design of each sensor also varies. Some line sensors are extremely high precision as they include more photodiodes per line, allowing phase shift to be detected in finer increments, yet requiring more light to do so. Others are lower precision as they use fewer photodiodes per line, sensing more light per sensor, therefor operating in lower overall light. Some AF points will only operate up to certain maximum apertures. The highest precision points tend to require f/2.8, and there are usually fewer points in an AF system that are this precise. Most AF points will require at least f/4 or f/5.6, operating in less light but also offering less precision. Some advanced AF systems support one or more AF points that will operate with lenses that have an f/8 maximum aperture (such as an f/5.6 lens with a 1.4x TC or an f/4 lens with a 2x TC). Most modern multipoint AF systems have f/2.8, f/4, and f/5.6 AF points, and a few include one or more f/8 AF points.
Autofocus Performance
When it comes to the speed of an AF system, this really boils down to two things: Light and processing performance. In almost all cases, the more light you get down the lens, the faster AF will be. This is due to the fact that an AF unit, a small package below the DSLR mirror that houses the AF sensor, utilizes only a fraction of the light that actually passes through the aperture. The mirror itself is half-silvered, and will allow about 50% of the light that reaches it through to a secondary mirror, which will reflect that 50% of light onto the AF unit. Further, only the area of the frame covered by AF points is actually half-silvered in the main mirror, so only a fraction of the total amount of light is involved in the first place...so were working with less than 50% of the total amount of light passing through the lens aperture. Furthermore, a special lens on top of the AF unit above the sensor is responsible for further dividing the light that reaches it. The light reaching the AF unit will be split by as many AF points, and for each AF point, light will be split again to reach the two, four, or even eight halves of each line sensor responsible for detecting phase shift for each AF point. An AF sensor has to work with less than 50% of the light passing through the lens, and each AF point works with a fraction of that light.
Assuming you have enough light to use the highest precision AF points, the key factor in performance is the efficiency of the AF drive software and the speed of the processor that executes it. An efficient algorithm operating on a fast processor, paired with a high quality lens that also includes a fast processor and efficient algorithms in its own firmware, will produce some of the best AF performance. In the case of the Canon 1D X, the AF and Metering system actually has a dedicated processor that is independent of the core image processors (a unique setup), providing continuous AF with uninterrupted processing power. High performance computing allows an AF system, both lens and camera, to perform closed-loop AF fine tuning several times in a fraction of a second, supporting extremely high precision, high accuracy continuous AF to be performed anywhere from 6 to 14 times per second.
That's a complex question because there are multiple ways of doing AF that span the body and lens, and the whole thing works together as a system. It depends on what mechanism is used to move the optics around.
Screw-driven focus speed depends partially on how fast the body can turn the cam that drives the lens and partially how much weight and friction there is in the focus mechanism of the lens. (On a side note, that's one of the reasons screw-driven AF lenses tend to feel "cheap" compared to older, manual lenses: they need to have low weight and friction so they'll focus quickly without forcing the motor to work harder. The drag that helps a human hand make fine adjustments isn't desirable when the lens is being turned by the body.)
In-lens motors tend to be faster (and quieter) than screw-driven AF, so how fast focusing happens depends almost entirely on the lens, which is just acting on commands from the body and perhaps providing feedback about how things went. The condition of the power source in the body may play some small role depending on how the body manages its power.
Accuracy is a function of how well the body can make decisions about how well the image is focused, how finely it can control the focus mechanism and how well the mechanism holds its position when not being moved.
Speaking for Canon equipment: The speed is primarily dictated by the lens, the accuracy by the body. However, the accuracy will also in part depend on the precision of the lens motor.
Basically the lens and the body work as a closed loop system. The computer in the body decides on the current state of focus. This information is gathered via its sensors. Number and type vary by body. For example low end models have one cross type sensor in the center and 8 other point type sensors. The computer then sends a request to the lens to rotate the focusing element over a 8-data-bit, 1-stop-bit SPI protocol.
Now the micro-controller on the lens takes a call on how long to run the motor to reach the requested position. This itself is an open loop system whose speed and accuracy solely depends on the lens. This is a open-loop process and the lens has no positional feedback at all. It simply turns as much as it thinks it should. This is where the precision of the lens motor comes into play. Once the requested position is attained the body checks for focus again. If satisfied with the focus, it sends an indication to the user or requests a correction on the position.
However in practice, the precision of the motor will not really affect focus accuracy. Age of the cross point sensors and dust will probably be a much bigger factor.
Comparing some of Minolta's first generation AF lenses on a first generation Maxxum 9000 body (pretty much the first real AF SLRs1) to a reasonably current (Sony Alpha A900) body indicates that even with exactly the same lenses, a new body improves speed dramatically, while a new lens on an old body improves speed only slightly (if at all). I haven't measured this objectively, but subjectively, I'd say old body with new lens gives, maybe, a 20-30% improvement, while old lens with new body is probably at least 5x faster.
I'd add that the speed improvement has been extremely non-linear over that time though. I also have a Maxxum 9 from 1998 or '99, which is pretty much on a par with the A900 -- if anything, it seems like it's marginally faster, though I'm not really sure of that.
I should add that age of lenses doesn't make a lot of difference in speed, but there can be (are) pretty substantial differences within lenses of exactly the same age. Just for example, I have a number of first-generation Minolta AF lenses -- 28, 35, 50, 135 and 28-135. The 135, for one example, focuses really fast. I also have an 85/1.4 that's much newer -- but the 135 still focuses quite a lot faster.
At least for still photography, accuracy depends primarily on the body. If focusing was done open-loop, then inaccuracy between the distance a lens was told to move, and the distance it actually moved would lead to focusing inaccuracy. Contrary to popular belief, I'm reasonably certain open loop focusing has never been the norm, nor probably used at all (e.g., Minolta's 1982 patent discloses a closed-loop system). Given that it is closed loop, more accurate lens movement mostly means less tweaking to get accurate focus.
On a slightly different subject, I'd note that with f/2.8 vs. f/4, f/5.6 (etc.) sensors, the real issue isn't the amount of light being used in most cases. The real issue is primarily the diameter of the lens (expressed as an angle) seen by the sensor. To explain that, I probably need to back up and explain a bit about how an AF sensor works in the first place. For the moment, let's stick to a simple single-line sensor. This starts with two prisms, much like the split-image at the center of most manual focus cameras' screens. Behind each prism is a line sensor. Much like with a split-image viewfinder, the camera finds focus by aligning the images coming through those two prisms.
The basic difference between an f/2.8 sensor and (for example) an f/5.6 sensor is the angle of those prisms. That determines the angle between two streams of that get "looked at" by the focus sensor. The wider the angle between the light being captured by the two prisms, the more misalignment there will be between the pictures captured by those two sensors for a given degree of mis-focus. This, in turn, makes it easier for the camera to determine the degree of mis-focus, and determine final focus more accurately.
Main point though: it's not about the amount of light, but about the angle of the light. An f/2.8 sensor indoors will still (easily) beat an f/5.6 sensor in full sunlight, even though the latter has more light to work with. Likewise, having a lens faster than the sensor's rating (e.g., f/1.4 lens, f/2.8 sensor) gives essentially no improvement at all.
As far as speed differences between having the motor in the body vs. the lens goes, I'm afraid I have to contradict the common knowledge yet again. Just for example, Minolta made 300/2.8 lenses in both both body-driven and in-lens (SSM) versions. The SSM version is (as expected) virtually silent, and "feels" like it's focusing faster -- but here I have done some objective measurements, and it turns out the SSM version is marginally slower than its mechanically-driven predecessor. By the time it came out, however, it no longer really mattered much -- mechanically driven lenses were "fast enough".
I should add, however, that for following focus, SSM/HSM/USM lenses seem to have an edge. I suspect this has less to do with focus speed than accuracy of movement. In an SLR, there's typically about an 80-100ms delay while the mirror flips up before the picture gets taken. The AF system looks at focus movement, and predicts where it will be when the shutter actually opens. Unlike normal AF, however, there's no question that this has to be done "open loop" -- as soon as the mirror starts to flip up, the AF sensor no longer receives any light, so it can't sense anything. So, for that duration, the AF system just continues moving the lens' focus with no way of checking how closely that movement reflects what it's asking to have happen.
Though I can't find a link to it right now, one site did a test a few years ago. As I recall, they mounted a target on a car and drove toward the camera, taking pictures until the car passed the camera.
Depending on how you want to interpret the results, you could read the results from that as favoring either Sony or Canon. The Sony A700 produced the highest percentage of in-focus pictures, but the then-current Canon 1D (I think the mark IV) produced a greater number of in-focus pictures, thanks to a higher frame rate.
Though I don't shoot video, I'd guess that it's enough like predictive focus that 3a probably applies to video as well.
There were a few attempts before this -- for a couple of examples, the Nikon F3AF and a Pentax whose model number I don't remember. Neither sold enough to notice. From a purely technical viewpoint, neither could honestly be considered any more than a proof of concept -- if you had enough patience, you could point them at something and find they would indeed find the correct focus point -- eventually. I, however, would rate both as completely impractical. Focusing was far too slow to be useful, and lens selection so limited it hardly mattered anyway -- Pentax had only one AF lens, and Nikon two.


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Let $\Bbb{R}^{+}\_{0}$ be the set of non-negative real numbers and $\Bbb{R}^{+}$be the set of positive reals. Let us say that a function $f \colon \Bbb{R}^{+}\_{0} \to \Bbb{R}^{+}\_{0}$ is eventually sublinear if $\ \forall r \in \Bbb{R}^{+} \ \exists x_0 \in \Bbb{R}^{+} \colon \forall x \geq x_0, f(x) < rx$. Let $S$ be the set of non-decreasing, eventually sublinear functions (we require no continuity). We define an equivalence relation on $S$: $f \sim g$ if and only if $f$ and $g$ are eventually boundedly close, i.e., $\exists K>0\ \exists x_0 \in \Bbb{R}^{+} \colon \forall x \geq x_0, |f(x)-g(x)| < K$. Denote the set of equivalence classes of $S$ under $\sim$ by $\ T$.
Question 1: What is the cardinality of $\ T$?
Question 2: Does this cardinality change if we drop the requirement that the functions are non-decreasing? What if the co-domain becomes $\Bbb{R}$?
Looking at the set of pairwise non-equivalent sublinear functions $\{f(x) = r*ln(x) \mid r \in \Bbb{R}\}$ shows that $|T|$ must be at least as big as the cardinality of the reals, $\beth_1$. Also, $|T|$ can be no bigger than the cardinality of all functions from $\Bbb{R}$ to $\Bbb{R}$, which is $\beth_2$, the cardinality of the power set of the reals. So there seem to be three options:
Option 1: ZFC proves $|T| = \beth_1$.
Option 2: ZFC proves $|T| = \beth_2$.
Option 3: This question is independent from ZFC (but perhaps not independent from ZFC + Generalized CH?).
Different proof ideas involving explicit bounds or forcing are failing me. So does anyone know of an answer and a proof? Thanks.


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Ideal for delicate red wines, each glass in this personalized set of Burgundy glasses boasts a thin, tapered rim and generous 22-ounce bowl. Crafted in Italy, this crystal glassware is produced with the purest of raw materials, exhibiting a high level of transparency and brilliance. Resistant to chipping and discoloration, each glass is hand-decorated with the monogram of your choice. Size of glasses are 8.75" tall x 2.875" in diameter. Positioning only as shown.
Dishwasher safe.


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- International Students
- Admitted International Students
- Current International Students
Maintaining Your Visa Status
What does it mean to "maintain your status"?
From the time your visa is granted, you must follow a set of requirements in order to keep your visa. Those who follow the requirements "maintain status" and ensure their ability to remain in the United States. Those who do not follow the requirements violate their status and are considered "out of status." If you do not maintain your visa status, you could be arrested, required to leave the United States and possibly not be readmitted to the country.
If you fall out of status for reasons beyond your control, you may be eligible to apply for a reinstatement of status. Contact the Office of International Services (OIS) to learn if that is an option for you.
To Maintain Your Status
- Attend International Student Orientation or visit OIS within the first week of classes to have your documents copied and to report your local address. You will be registered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) of the United States government to remain in legal status.
- Inform OIS when you move to ensure that your address and other information in the SEVIS database are accurate and up-to-date.
- Maintain a valid passport at all times.
- Take a full-time course load. (12 credit hours minimum for undergraduate, 9 credit hours minimum for graduate)
- Follow the rules for employment.
- Work with OIS to extend your I-20 or DS-2019 if you need additional time to complete your program of study.
- Notify OIS if you will transfer to a new program or school.
- Pay state and federal taxes (if you are employed).
- Report any dependents (spouse or children) to OIS.
- Obey state and federal laws.
Other Important Information
Travel. All International Students and Scholars must have their I-20 or DS-2019 signed by the Office of International Services prior to traveling outside the United States. Students need to complete a Travel Signature Request Form from the Office of International Services. The information required on this form includes banner number, local St. Louis address, as well as passport and visa expiration dates. The Travel Signature Request Form should be turned into the Office of International Services at least 7 days before traveling.
If you fail to turn in your Travel Signature Request Form at least 7 days before traveling you may be subject to a $35 service fee in order to have your signed I-20 or DS-2019 returned to you after your departure. The service fee can be paid here through SLU Marketplace under "FedEx Documents".
I-94 Card. When you enter the US, you are given a small, white card at the airport. This is your Arrival/ Departure Record, or 1-94 Card, on which the Immigration Officer usually has written D/S, meaning "Duration of Status". D/S means you are allowed to stay in the U.S. until the completion of your school program (for example, English Language Program, B.A., M.A., or Ph.D. degree). Do not lose your 1-94 card - it is very important!


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Healthy Muffin Tin Recipes (Slide 12)
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Recipe: Mini Greek Pizza Muffins
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Pineapple Coconut Bites
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Double Nut & Date Tassies
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Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes
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Blueberry Cupcakes
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Vanilla Cupcakes with Choco…
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I'm at a point where I have a gracious amount of free time that I'm not in school. I think I have a viable business idea (centered around a computer application) but it happens pretty often that I'm not able to push myself to do an appreciable amount of work! There's no external push for me to work (see context) - I have the option of sitting around doing nothing all day, and I could get along just fine doing so. The only motivation is that I'd like to see this program come into existence, and it could provide income.
Things I have tried/am trying:
- Do some busy work while planning what to work on next. this has helped me finish loads of chores, and that's it.
- Block common websites. I've done this to sites like youtube, and even my e-mail. Usually I still manage to get distracted by something on the internet, related to whatever I'm working on, but still sapping productivity. (By "block", I mean, log out, and make access difficult: partly just through a mental promise)
- Plan moves exactly before turning on the computer. This ends up failing, because I'm not dead certain on the layout of the code I'm trying to write! This, and an unfamiliarity with the library I'm working with, makes planning things out without my computer difficult.
- Logging time. I wrote a quick script to save date/time as well as a goal to a text file, but this winds up the same as the previous bullet point.
Things I'm considering or am about to try:
- Creating a separate account desktop, with a separate desktop background, to use solely for work. Sounds like a great idea, especially for building habits!
- Finding a meetup.com group nearby, to see people who might be interested in project progress. I can see this motivating me, but it doesn't seem very promising at all.
- Getting membership at a local coworking space. This would mean that I'd drive, and clock in/clock out of a workspace every day. It sounds like a great idea, except that it requires a decent (>$100) investment for membership. I'd also need a laptop, and that's a lot of money towards something with no short-term return on it!
- Applying programming plans (agile, XP). There are several questions on other stackexchange sites related to this problem, but after trying to boil away the unnecessaries, it seems to come down to details like "use git, log progress, track issues, write tests", which are great but not related to this site. I added this bullet point because related things (list/goal management, daily scrum) are more related to personal productivity. Nothing I read sounded like it was relevant to a single programmer, while at the same time helping motivation/organization, but I'd like to hear others' opinions.
Things I'm not considering:
- Moving my home workspace. My desk is in a crummy spot, it's where I've played hours of video games, and it's right next to my bed. On the other hand, it's also where I've spent hours studying math, and written at least 5,000+ lines of code. (? cloc on a few recent projects returns 20,000 lines of code but I don't know how much of that isn't original.) So I think the impracticality of moving my workspace outweighs benefits from moving it!
What other methods can I apply to get myself from the habit of lazing around, into a daily work schedule, in the absence of any external pressure?
(Examples of external pressure: classes, competitions [meaning Ludum Dare], and the phrase "do it or you're fired")
context: If I haven't given it away already (free time, providing for myself isn't necessary), I'm an almost not-teen year old college student living at home! This is definitely important; I figure it's either eight hours a day now trying to establish an income in something I'm interested in, or eight hours a day a year from now doing web development and Q&A. I am pretty sure that I'll get myself into a work schedule, just with elbow grease, but I'd like to hear new recommendations and feedback on what I've already tried.


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Internet Utilization by Radiation Oncology Patients
Heather Jones, MD
University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center
Last Modified: November 7, 2001
Presenter: J.M. Metz
Presenter's Affiliation: Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Type of Session: Scientific
Millions of people use the Internet daily. It is not unreasonable to postulate that many cancer patients are among these Internet users. This multi-institutional study evaluated the use of the Internet by radiation oncology patients presenting to academic (AC), community (CO) and veterans (VA) radiation oncology centers.
Materials and
Author's Conclusions
A significant number of cancer patients seen in radiation oncology departments at academic and community medical centers utilize the Internet to obtain information about cancer. Therefore, radiation oncologists must familiarize themselves with this resource because of the large number of patients using the Internet. It would appear Veterans lack access to the Internet and remain underserved by this important resource.
Clinical/Scientific Implications
Internet-based health information will enable members of the healthcare team to interact with many people despite distance and time constraints. Equally, the Internet allows the quick dissemination of misinformation. This study clearly demonstrates the need for healthcare provider to know the good ,the bad, and the ugly regarding Internet cancer information. Informational media by computer is expected to become an important factor that affects health behavior, and as in all aspects of healthcare, we must strive to make computer information accessible to all.
Oncolink's ASTRO Coverage made possible by an unrestricted Educational Grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology and Pharmacia Oncology.


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I've got various meetings on a variety of subjects. In some I take a lot of notes, in others, not so much.
How should I manage/organize these notes? I don't want to have a separate notebook for each subject (some subjects might only require 2 pages of notes per year or something, and there could be 10 different subjects or so). But I also don't want one notebook of random stuff.
What's the best way to handle this?


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Back to Previous Page | Curriculum Home
MAA401: Algebra II (2010-2011)
CURRICULUM PROGRAM: Mathematics
COURSE TITLE: Algebra II
COURSE LENGTH: 36 weeks
Major Concepts/Content: This course engages students in advanced algebraic concepts through the study of functions of functions, polynomials, complex matrices, and sequences and series. Students will make connections by integrating algebra into geometry, data analysis, and into other curricular areas. Student reasoning will involve linear equations and inequalities, systems of linear equations, matrices and determinants, quadratic equations and relations, functions and graphs, powers, roots, and radicals, exponential and logarithmic functions, polynomials and polynomial functions, rational expressions and functions, sequences and series, probability and statistics, and circular trigonometric functions.
Major Instructional Activities: Students will be involved in communicating ideas trough conjecture and validation of thinking involving linear and quadratic equations, and polynomial and rational functions. Included will be the use of technology and calculators to explore mathematical patterns and graphs as well as many methods of solving equations. Students will use properties, models, and transformations in interesting, authentic real-life applications. Students will be engaged in cooperative groups, whole-class settings, or individually to reinforce concepts in algebra, geometry, sequences, series, probability, and statistics. Students should have access to calculators at all times.
Major Evaluative Techniques: Many evaluative processes should be used to assess students' written and oral work. These include multiple-choice, short-answer, discussion, or open-ended interview; homework; projects; journals; essays; dramatization; and class presentations. Testing formats will include restricted-time written tests, two staged tests, take-home tests, oral tests and student produced tests. Assessment methods can be supplemented by student-produced analysis of problem situations, solutions to problems, reports on investigations and journal entries. Students will be provided the opportunity to do chapter projects that capture the concepts and skills presented throughout the chapter unit that emphasizes real world situations.
Course Objectives:
Essential Expectations: Upon successful completion of Algebra II course, the student should be able to:
- Carry out counting procedures such as those involving sets (unions and intersections) and arrangements (permutations and combinations)
- Use appropriate technology effectively and efficiently in carrying out complex calculations
- Define, use and manipulate expressions involving variables, parameters, constants, and unknowns in work with formulas, functions, equations, and inequalities
- Represent geometric curves and graphs of functions in standard coordinate systems
- Describe, generalize, and use basic types of functionsar, exponential, power, rational, square and square root, and cube and cube root
- Use arithmetic sequences and geometric sequences and their sums, and sees these as the discrete forms of linear and exponential functions, respectively
- Solve equations symbolically, graphically, and numerically and knows how to use the quadratic formula for solving quadratic equations
- Use equations to represent curves such as lines, circles, and parabolas
- Use functions to analyze patterns and represent their structure
- Identify conic sections and their properties to include parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas
- Interpret representations of data, compares distribution of data, and critiques conclusions and uses of statistics, both in school materials and public documents
- Explore questions of experimental design, use of control groups, and reliability
- Use relative frequencies based on empirical data to arrive at an experimental probability for a chance event
- Design simulations to estimate probabilities
- Works with the normal distribution in some of its basic applications
- Use matrix theory with graphics calculators to solve systems of equations, transformations, and finite functions
- Use technology to create graphs or spreadsheets that contribute to the understanding of a problem
- Evaluate and analyze formulas and functions of many kinds, using both pencil and paper and more advanced technology


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|This video demonstrates how to properly mount an outdoor housing.
When using box type surveillance cameras outdoors, it is necessary to install them inside a weatherproof housing. Some weatherproof housings are equipped with heaters to protect the camera from extreme cold environments.
Install an Outdoor Camera Housing
Written By: rabshear
One Response to "Install an Outdoor Camera Housing"
can you send me a video on conecting the dvr to the internet …


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It is a well-known fact that if an integer is a sum of two rational squares then it is a sum of two integer squares. For example, Cohen vol. 1 page 314 prop. 5.4.9. Cohen gives a short proof that relies on Hasse-Minkowski, but he attributes the theorem (without reference) to Fermat, who didn't have Hasse-Minkowski available. So my question is, how did Fermat prove this theorem? and part 2 of the question is, what is the simplest direct proof? I googled for this result and found a manuscript with a proof that doesn't use Hasse-Minkowski, but it's not very short.
This result is pretty shy of needing the full Hasse-Minkowski Theorem. Indeed, since Fermat already knew which integers were a sum of two integer squares, it would suffice for him to show that those that weren't (i.e., those with an odd power of some prime congruent to 3 mod 4 showing up in its prime factorization) could also not be written as a sum of two rational squares. But this is the easy direction of Hasse-Minkowski: To show that (let's say) a prime $p\equiv 3\pmod{4}$ can't be written as a sum of two rational squares, it suffices to check that it can't be a sum of two $\ell$-adic rational squares for some $\ell$. Of course, Fermat did not have the language of the $\ell$-adics, so this would have had been replaced with mod-$q^k$ conditions for various $k$.
Specifically, the modern Hasse-Minkowski proof boils down to the statement that a prime which is 3 mod 4 can't be written as a sum of two rational squares because it can't be done so 2-adically. Indeed, one can just compute the single Hilbert symbol $$ p\equiv 3\pmod{4}\Rightarrow (p,-1)_2=(-1)^{(p-1)/2}=-1, $$ showing that $x^2=pz^2-y^2$ has no $2$-adic, and hence no rational, solutions, which afte the substitutions $a=x/z$ and $b=y/z$, implies one cannot write $p=a^2+b^2$ with $a,b\in\mathbb{Q}$. Of course (again), Fermat did not have Hilbert symbols, but this is just a change of language away from Fermat's approach (I imagine). It would not be hard to unwind the above calculation into a single (probably lengthy) mod-8 calculation, since that's all that goes into deciding which elements of $\mathbb{Q}_2$ are squares, which in turn is essentially all that lives behind the Hilbert symbols.
In his early days, Fermat realized that a natural number that can be written as a sum of two rational squares actually is a sum of two integral squares, but he did not come back to this claim when eventually he discovered the proof of the Two-Squares Theorem. The result in question can be proved with the methods available to Fermat, as I will show here.
Theorem 1 If $n$ is a sum of two rational squares, then every prime $q = 4n+3$ divides $n$ an even number of times.
Theorem 2 Every prime number $p = 4n+1$ is the sum of two integral squares.
Now we invoke the product formula for sums of two squares $$ (a^2 + b^2)(c^2 + d^2) = (ac-bd)^2 + (ad+bc)^2. $$ It implies that every product of prime numbers $4n+1$ and some power of $2$ can be written as a sum of two integral squares, and multiplying through by squares of primes $q = 4n+3$, the claim follows.
Proof of Theorem 1 We will show that primes $p = 4n+3$ do not divide a sum of two coprime squares.
Assume that $p \mid x^2 + y^2$ with $\gcd(x,y) = 1$. Reducing $x$ and $y$ modulo $p$ we may assume that $-p/2 < x, y < p/2$; cancelling possible common divisors we then have $p \mid x^2 + y^2$ with $\gcd(x,y) = 1$ and $x^2 + y^2 < \frac12 p^2$.
If $x$ and $y$ are both odd, then the identity $$ \Big(\frac{x+y}2\Big)^2 + \Big(\frac{x-y}2\Big)^2 = \frac{x^2+y^2}2 $$ allows us to remove any remaining factor of $2$ from the sum, and we may therefore assume that $a^2 + b^2 = pr$ for some odd number $r < p$. Since $a$ and $b$ then have different parity, $a^2 + b^2$ must have the form $4n+1$, and therefore the number $r$ must have the form $4n+2$. But then $r$ must have at least one prime factor $q \equiv 3 \bmod 4$, and since $a^2 + b^2 < p^2$, we must have $q \le r < p$.
Thus if $p \equiv 3 \bmod 4$ divides a sum of two coprime squares, then there must be some prime $q \equiv 3 \bmod 4$ less than $p$ with the same property. Applying descent we get a contradiction.
Proof of Theorem 2
Lemma Assume that $pm = x^2 + y^2$ for coprime integers $x, y$, and let $q$ be a prime dividing $m$, say $m = qm_1$. If $q = a^2 + b^2$ is a sum of two squares, then $pm_1 = x_1^2 + y_1^2$ is also a sum of two squares.
Applying this lemma repeatedly we find that if every $q \mid m$ is a sum of two squares, then so is $p$ in contradiction to our assumption. Thus there is a prime $q = 4k+1$, strictly smaller than $p$, which is not a sum of two squares, and now descent takes over.
It remains to prove the Lemma. To this end, we have to perform the division $\frac{x^2+y^2}{a^2+b^2}$. By the product formula $$ (a^2+b^2)(c^2+d^2) = (ac-bd)^2 + (bc+ad)^2 $$ we have to find integers $c, d$ such that $x = ac-bd$ and $y = bc+ad$.
Since $q \mid (a^2 + b^2)$ and $q \mid (x^2 + y^2)$ we also have $$ q \mid (a^2+b^2)x^2 - (x^2+y^2)b^2 = a^2x^2 - b^2y^2 = (ax-by)(ax+by). $$ Since $q$ is prime, it must divide one of the factors. Replacing $b$ by $-b$ if necessary we may assume that $q$ divides $ax-by$. We know that $q$ divides $a^2 + b^2$ as well as $pm = x^2 + y^2$, hence $q^2$ divides $(ax - by)^2 + (ay+bx)^2 $ by the product formula. Since $q$ divides the first summand, it must divide the second as well, and we have $pm_1 = (\frac{ax-by}q)^2 + (\frac{ay+bx}q)^2$.
This is an easy consequence of the fact that if $p \equiv 3$ (mod 4) is a rational prime, then $p$ remains prime in the ring of Gaussian integers $\mathbb{Z}[i].$ Then it follows that if $a$ and $b$ are rational integers, the powers of $p$ dividing $a+bi$ and $a-bi$ (in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$ ) are equal. Hence if $n$ is an integer with $a^2 + b^2 = c^2 n$ for integers $a,b$ and $c,$ then the power of $p$ dividing $n$ is even. The fact that $p$ remains prime in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$ was (at least implicitly) known to Fermat. For if $p = (r +si)(t+ui)$ for integers $r,s,t$ and $u,$ then $p^2 = (r^2 +s^2)(t^2 + u^2).$ We can't have $p = r^2 + s^2$ since a sum of two integer squares is congruent to $0,1$ or $2$ (mod 4). Hence we must conclude that one of $r + si$ or $t +ui$ is a unit in $\mathbb{Z}[i]$, so $p$ does remain prime in $\mathbb{Z}[i].$
Dear Michael,
concerning your first question, I think that Franz's proof is really in the spirit of Fermat's techniques. Concerning the second question, here is a short, elementary proof, inspired by a theorem of Thue (cf. exercice 1.2 in Franz's book Reciprocity laws). I tried to write it using only notions known to Fermat.
We want to prove that if there exist positive integers $m,n,a$ and $b$ such that $$m^2n=a^2+b^2,$$ then $n$ is itself the sum of two integer squares. It is easily seen that it is sufficient to prove this assertion under the hypothesis that $a$ and $b$ (and therefore $a$ and $n$) are coprime and that $n$ is not a square. Let $t$ be the unique positive integer such that $t^2< n<(t+1)^2$. Since there are $(t+1)^2>n$ integers of the form $au+bv$ with $0\leq u,v\leq t$, it follows that $n$ divides the difference $a(u-u')+b(v-v')$ of two of them. Setting $x=u-u'$ and $y=v-v'$, we have the inequalities $|x|,|y|\leq t$. The integer $n$ then divides $a^2x^2-b^2y^2$; since it also divides $a^2y^2+b^2y^2$, it divides their sum, which is equal to $a^2(x^2+y^2)$. Now, the integers $a$ and $n$ being coprime, it follows that $n$ divides $x^2+y^2$. The inequalities $0< x^2+y^2<2n$ finally imply that $n=x^2+y^2$.
EDIT: there is an elementary trick to do this due to Aubry, it is Theorem 4 on page 5 of PETE.
The positive primitive binary forms which give the easy Aubry trick showing rational implies integral are: $$ x^2 + y^2, x^2 + 2 y^2, x^2 + 3 y^2, x^2 + 5 y^2, $$ $$ x^2 + x y + y^2, x^2 + x y + 2 y^2, x^2 + x y + 3 y^2, $$ $$ 2 x^2 + 3 y^2, 2 x^2 + x y +2 y^2, 2 x^2 + 2 x y + 3 y^2. $$ Note that these are all "ambiguous," that is, equivalent to their "opposites." This is not an accident.
Probably needs mention, for the property mentioned by the OP there is no difference between the sum of two squares and the sum of three squares...
Right, I don't know about Fermat, but this phenomenon happens often enough. The first mention on MO is Intuition for the last step in Serre's proof of the three-squares theorem
About my use of the word "phenomenon," it is necessary for the Aubry-Cassels-Davenport trick to work that we have Pete's "Euclidean" condition, Must a ring which admits a Euclidean quadratic form be Euclidean? which is usually, for positive quadratic forms, referred to as a bound on the "covering radius" of the integral lattice under consideration. It took me a year or so to prove that Pete's condition implied that there could only be one class in that genus, A Priori proof that Covering Radius strictly less than $\sqrt 2$ implies class number one
A complete list of positive forms that satisfy Pete's condition is at NEBE. A mild generalization of the condition, due to Richard Borcherds and his student, Daniel Allcock, applies to such forms as the sum of five squares.


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AIready a legendary performer in the music industry, Jewel has been writing poetry, short stories, and prose since she was young. She's also a bestselling author, poet, and actress. Now this uniquely talented artist opens the pages of her most intimate journals to give readers, fans, and friends a glimpse of her magical, turbulent life.
Drawn from life on the road during her Spirit World Tour, Jewel captures unforgettable moments from her childhood in Alaska, her beginnings as a struggling artist, and her challenges as a daughter, sister, and woman. With acutely observed, eloquent depictions of the musicians, lovers, bikers, strangers, celebrities, and characters that inhabit her world -- and illustrated throughout with candid, never-before-seen photos of Jewel and her own photojournalism and drawings -- Chasing Down the Dawn is more than a collection of vignettes, observations, and stories. It is a finely wrought mosaic in prose and poetry, set to the rhythms of life.
About the Author
A bestselling writer of poetry and prose, Jewel is also an actress and performer. She has recorded four bestselling albums and also starred in Ang Lee's film Ride with the Devil. Her first book, A Night Without Armor, was a New York Times bestseller. She lives in California.


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I think, because in the category of schemes, all finite limits exist, the commutative group objects with homomorphisms should form an abelian category. Is this true? And do you know anywhere to cite this?
The category of commutative affine algebraic group schemes over any field is abelian. More generally, the standard isomorphism theorems in abstract group theory hold in the category of affine algebraic group schemes over a field. See, for example, Chapt 1 of my online notes. Over other bases, this need not be true. If you are foolish enough to work with reduced algebraic group schemes (Borel, Humphreys, Springer, et al) then you run into all sorts of problems.
Added: In 1962, Cartier gave a conference talk in which he noted that the standard isomorphism theorems etc. fail with the usual definition of algebraic groups (no nilpotents), but then observed that the "preceding difficulties vanish" when one works with schemes. As far as I know, this is the first statement in print. Of course, it is all covered in the 1963-64 Grothendieck-Demazure seminar (SGA3).
Over arbitrary bases, you can still form kernels, but quotients are a problem because the subgroup need not be flat. As noted, there are also problems when you drop the condition "affine and finite type".
When you don't allow nilpotents (i.e., when you work in the category of reduced group schemes), the Frobenius map $\mathbb{A}^1\to \mathbb{A}^1$ (this is a homomorphism when $\mathbb{A}^1$ is regarded as the additive group scheme) is mono and epi but not an isomorphism (no inverse). In the full category of affine algebraic group schemes, it has a kernel, namely, the finite group scheme $\alpha_p$, so there is no problem.
This is not true.
It fails for essentially the same reason that the category of topological commutative groups fail to be an abelian category. For simplicity let's work over an algebraically closed field k. Consider the additive group over k, whose underlying scheme is the affine line $\mathbb{A}^1 = Spec \; k[x]$. Also consider the scheme X which is a disjoint union of points $Spec \; k$, where the disjoint union is over all points in $\mathbb{A}^1$.
There is a canonical map $X \to \mathbb{A}^1$ and this induces a group structure on X, making it a group scheme as well. The kernel and cokernel of this map are both zero, yet it is clearly not an isomorphism.
Note that X is not an affine scheme, so this does not contradict Milne's answer.
The Frobenius homomorphism $(Spec(\mathbb{F}_p[x]),+) \to (Spec(\mathbb{F}_p[x]),+)$ that sends $x$ to $x^p$ has a trivial cokernel. Yet, it is not an isomorphism.
Edit: Ah! I now understand my mistake: it's ok to have non-isomorphisms with trivial kernels.
I must have spent too much time thinking about triangulated categories: in a triangulated category, a map with trivial cofiber is automotically an isomorphism.
In characteristic zeroand for affine schemes, though, it does work. This is proved in Sweedler's book on Hopf algebras.
should be not true! What is the cokernel of the map $\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow A$ with $A$ an abelian variety and $\mathbb{Z}$ the constant group scheme represented by the ring of integers? But if you consider only commutative algebraic group scheme over a field $k$(i.e. of finite type over $k$), then it should be abelian.