text:
Here are some of my answers to frequently asked questions for low heart rate training, generally pertinent to Maffetone's approach.
Disclaimer: read at your own risk. Author is not responsible for any health conditions, reduction in performance, injuries, death, or humiliation that results from reading or following this advice. For professional advice, see a physician and get a coach.
1. What might indicate that I could really use some low heart rate training?
You have poor aerobic fitness, which doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't a good or a fast runner. You can be running 2:45 marathons and have poor aerobic fitness (which means perhaps you're capable of 2:15 or faster marathons and hence you can probably run a 5k in about 14 minutes). Maybe you run a 20 minute 5k, but a 4 hour marathon. Here are some possible indicators:
a. There is no pace "relationship" between your shorter distance races and your longer distance ones. What does this mean? There's a good explanation in Hadd's article below, but there are some rules of thumb to the effect that, if you assume you are properly trained for the distances you are racing, your pace will decrease by the same amount, each time you double the distance of your race, usually somewhere between 12 and 16 seconds, depending probably on genetics. Therefore, on the lower end, one who runs 5 miles at an 8 min/mi pace would run 10 miles at 8:16/mile, and 20 miles at 8:32/mile. The relationship may degrade some, particularly as the distances get longer in between (say 5k to marathon, or even half to marathon), but you should still see a relationship. If the math is getting too messy for you, you can use a common pace calculator, such as that at McMillan Running and see whether your short distance times project out to long distances. If your marathon is more than 20 minutes slower than what your half predicts, then there's a good chance you have an aerobic problem, assuming (1) you completed a full training program for the marathon and (2) the marathon was not in abnormally high heat and/or humidity or had other significant environmental factors.
b. You are incapable of running at low heart rates, for example, you find you have to walk at a heart rate of 180-your age.
c. You always burn out somewhere between mile 16 and 22 in a marathon, no matter how much carbohydrate you take in.
d. You have difficulty completing your long training runs and your pace slows down in the last several miles, just in order to finish them.
e. You are completely shot at the end of your long training runs, or even your short runs. (You probably will be after most forms of speed work, that's expected, to a degree).
f. You are sore most of the time and possibly plagued by minor injuries frequently, or you get sick quite often.
g. Your race times are not improving – it seems as though you are working harder and harder in training and nothing's getting better.
h. You are very reliant on carbohydrates to get you through training runs.
2. What are some of the relevant websites?
Mark Allen on Ironman Live
Mark Allen - duathlon.com
Matt Russ
Pfitzinger on basebuilding
Pfitzinger on fat utilization
3. What benefits might I reap from low HR training?
a. You'll train your body to use fat for fuel at a reasonably fast running pace (reasonably fast means different things to different people). With enough of this training, this means that you can preserve your precious carbohydrate stores throughout very long races. You can avoid "the wall" and "bonking" in marathons and longer races.
b. Running at a much lower level of effort, aerobically, will be much less taxing on your body, even if you end up as fast as or faster than your original training pace.
c. You will strengthen your legs and hips tremendously.
d. You will be adding an additional fuel tank that you didn't realize that you had.
e. You will develop significant aerobic speed, which means you may reach speeds that you were doing before low HR training at very high level of effort, with ease.
f. You will eliminate as strong of a reliance on carbs during most races, and certainly training runs.
4. Scientifically, what is happening with this approach?
You are training your aerobic system, which includes using more fat (vs carbohydrate) for fuel and using slow-twitch muscle fibers as well as building mitochondria.
5. Will this make me a faster runner?
It may not make you faster, but it will help you build aerobic speed, converting much of the capability of your anaerobic system to your aerobic system. Since your anaerobic system cannot sustain you for very long, this means that you will be able to sustain higher speeds for longer periods of time.
6. How many miles per week do I need to do? Can I obtain success at very low mileage?
There's no set answer and it all depends on your goals – what distances of races you want to do, etc. The more aerobic volume you do, likely the faster and more significant progress you will see. There is some question as to what kind of progress you can make on only 10-15 miles per week. However, at that volume, you may be better off just taking it easy on most of your runs, rather than following a strict heart rate regimen. This type of mileage is not enough to support speed work nor to gain optimal race performance, so pace capability should not be an issue. If you are just trying to solve some of the other problems about fatigue and pains mentioned above, you can probably just find a heart rate 10 or 15 beats above MAF and stick with that for a while. (MAF stands for "maximum aerobic function" and it is defined in the Maffetone and Mark Allen articles. It is similar to "aerobic threshold" although there are many ambiguous definitions for aerobic threshold. It is not dependent on maximum heart rate.) If you are just doing low mileage because "your body can't take it," following this method carefully should enable you to increase your mileage.
7. Do I have to control my heart rate in other activities, such as biking and swimming? How about in my spin class or weekly swim interval session?
Yes, you have to stay under the MAF heart rate for all activities, which certainly can be difficult, if not impossible in spin class, master's swim class, etc.
8. Is age a factor in low HR training?
Yes, in many ways. The MAF heart rate is a function of age and it makes the 1 beat/year decay assumption as in the age-predicted max heart rate formula (which is all but worthless). However, more importantly, it seems as though runners under 25 or over about 55 may either have not been a significant sample or may not have seen the same type of progress during Maffetone's testing as those in that range. Nonetheless, there have been many successful cases outside of the 25-55 range.
9. Can I mix a race in once or twice per week?
No, you shouldn't during the basebuilding period. Any racing will interfere with and possibly set back progress. Wait until basebuilding is complete first.
10. What kind of progress might a "real" person see?
The attached "photos" show a "real" person's progress in MAF training pace (mine).
11. At what distance races will this form of training help to make drastic improvements in?
The most significant improvements will be seen in races that will bring people with poor aerobic fitness to glycogen depletion, such as the marathon and longer and the half ironman and longer. This may make the difference between a 3:50 marathon within an ironman and a 6:30-7:00 26.2 mile death march, as an example.
12. If I take medications, stimulants, etc., that raise my heart rate, do I reset my MAF value to a higher heart rate?
No, and in fact, Maffetone says you should target a lower heart rate if you are on medications.
13. Do I reset to a higher heart rate to account for illness or significant heat and humidity?
No, you always need to stay under no matter what is causing the rise.
14. My max heart rate is very high – should I use a higher MAF heart rate?
No, not unless your max is over 300. Why? Because there can be a lot of heart beats between your anaerobic threshold (the point where you become fully anaerobic) and your maximum heart rate, none of which will give you much to work with for endurance.
15. My max heart rate is very low – should I use a lower MAF heart rate?
Quite possibly. It's always safer to stay on the low end. If you know that you have a very low max heart rate, I'd recommend you take a look at the Hadd article,
section 6, to select a low heart rate target.
16. How many beats do I let my heart rate climb when I go up steep hills?
None – you need to stay strictly under. This means that in the early stages you may have to walk even gentle hills or you may want to stay on the treadmill until you build your conditioning. Or you may want to experiment with how you can slow yourself down and control heart rate up hills.
17. How could this be better than something more personalized, such as %max heart rate?
In many cases, the numbers will be similar, but % max heart rate doesn't take fitness into account at all, whereas this method does, and furthermore, for those with high max heart rates but low to moderate fitness, the anaerobic threshold will most likely occur at lower heart rates than those with high fitness and low max heart rates (at a given age).
18. Is this the same as running at x% of heart rate reserve or of max heart rate?
Since max heart rate doesn't account for fitness, it is not the same. It is somewhat the opposite from using heart rate reserve (HRR) because an HRR approach will have someone running at a higher heart rate if he/she were ill or less well-conditioned (with higher resting heart rate), while this approach does the opposite. Also, for many people the HRR lower limit will be at a heart rate high enough to where more of the anaerobic than the aerobic system is used.
19. Do I need to eat "low carb" to be successful at this? Is this a promotion of "low carb" eating?
No to both. The key is to avoid carbs prior to training runs or races. Better results may be obtained by avoiding carbs during training runs, but there's no solid evidence.
20. Will I get slower at short races by doing this?
Initially, in the first few weeks, while you are transferring your speed from your anaerobic system to your aerobic, you may slow down. Ultimately, you should get faster at every race that uses the aerobic system, from the 400 or 800 higher. You may get slower at anaerobic races such as the 100, but after the base is built, you can get back to speed work for the anaerobic system and you will be much better prepared.
21. I've been running all of my runs at 75% max heart rate and I'm seeing no progress. Doesn't that mean that this approach doesn't work for me?
This approach does not involve running at 75% max heart rate. It might for some individuals, but for most, it will be much, much less than that. For most people, 75% HRMax will be right in between the anaerobic and aerobic systems.
22. Is there any way to use this approach with a more personalized formula for me?
Yes, but it may be costly and burdensome and you may not get a better bottom line training zone. You can have a vo2max test done, find the heart rate where your RQ (or RER) value is 0.78, which corresponds to 25% carb burn/75% fat burn and use that as your max training zone. Or you can use 80% of your anaerobic threshold heart rate. These should be close to the MAF values.
23. Is there any way to follow this approach in a simple way?
Yes. Do all of your running and other activities strictly below MAF, never letting it go above, for at least 12 weeks. Do not take in carbohydrates within the three hours prior to your run. Avoid significant weightlifting. That's it.
24. What kind of running schedule do I need to follow?
This is not a "running schedule" program. That's based on your goals, mostly what races you want to run. However, it seems as though individuals who run the same distance runs every week do not see the progress that those who change things around, add longer runs, etc.
25. I have not made any progress – what's wrong?
First, make sure you have given it enough time. You may see no results for even 8 or 12 weeks for the first time, depending on your running history. Next, make sure you are following all of the rules, including staying under MAF for everything you are doing, including swimming, biking, etc. Those with exceptionally poor aerobic conditioning may have to use an even lower heart rate. Last, but not least, make sure you are getting some downhill running in where you have to speed up to keep your heart rate up at MAF and sustain it for more than a few seconds. This will help you maintain leg turnover and improve running economy. You're unlikely to see much improvement if you always run the same pace.
26. I was making progress, but I am no longer progressing, so what do I do now?
Consider how long you have been at it and what kind of aerobic problems you had before starting. It's possible that you've done all you can for now and the next step is to add some speed workouts as a small percentage of overall volume. Also, be sure you are tracking everything, including temperature, humidity, and hills, and that they are not varying, causing you to slow down. Lastly, be sure you are getting in some good periods of downhill running at a higher pace at the MAF heart rate. Any testing you do on a periodic basis should be in virtually the same conditions, such as on a treadmill in the same gym where the temp and humidity are well-controlled. If you've already spent a good 12 weeks at it and you've peaked out, then it's time to start adding speed work in small quantities. See Mark Allen's recommendaions for an approach. Personally, I like the "fast-finish" long run as McMillan suggests for a first step.
27. What should I do if I have to walk 90% of the time to keep my heart rate below MAF?
First, make sure you have actually given the slower running " the college try." If you say you cannot run slower than a 10 minute mile, I don't believe you. If someone who runs a 5:30 mile can "run" a 17 minute mile, then anything's possible. With that said, you probably need to either just run for a while and not worry about heart rate, or add 10 points for a while and see if your heart rate will eventually come down. This process will take much longer. This is a sign that you have basically no aerobic fitness.
28. I have a new type of soreness after doing this for a couple of weeks. Is something wrong?
No, this is natural. The initial slow down will be effectively a new form of cross-training. After a couple of weeks your body will get used to it and shortly thereafter your pace will start to improve.
29. Is this going to make me slower overall and break down my stride, doing permanent damage?
No, just 8-12 weeks of running at a slower pace will not damage your running forever. However, if there is no progress after 6-8 weeks whatsoever, you need to start analyzing what's going on.
30. I like to lift weights – do I need to stop?
Weightlifting is anaerobic, so in theory it can interfere. I kept up my upper body weightlifting, with somewhat heavy weights and still saw great progress. Lower body may be more of a problem.
31. What about the popular statement "run slowly and you will become a slow runner"?
Well, if you always run the same slow pace, you will probably always run the same slow pace. The first element of this approach is basebuilding – getting running in using the most of your aerobic system and hence developing fitness in your aerobic system. The second is increasing pace at the low heart rates as your body allows. After a few weeks, your pace should steadily start increasing at the low heart rates and you may eventually be running at faster training pace than you were beforehand.
32. I am 17 years old and this sounds appealing to me – what's your advice?
There's a big question as to whether this low heart rate stuff is really relevant to someone under 18 or so, at least with regard to the heart rate formulas. My suggestion would be to just run easy pace basebuilding in the offseason without concern about specific heart rates. Just take it easy and don't be driven by having to run at some minimum pace, nor should you go home and analyze your pace performance after your training runs.
33. Does this contradict the advice of many of the renown coaches and physiologists, such as Pfitzinger, Lydiard, Daniels, McMillan, Hal Higdon, etc?
Some elements might, but for the most part, this training will prepare you well to start any of their programs because many assume you already have a strong aerobic base before starting.
34. Won't the slowing down and lack of speedwork for a while erode my VO2Max?
On the contrary, it will increase your VO2Max. As it will your anaerobic threshold. My vo2max went from 54.3 to 62.5 over my 5 month period of strictly low heart rate running with no speed work. Nonetheless, you need not be too fixated with VO2Max for marathon performance. It's not a great predictor if you don't have the strong aerobic base to go with it.
35. When do I know that it's time to start into my race-specific training program with "quality workouts"?
You'll know when you don't have to ask. Either you have built the capability to run well at low heart rates and you are no longer making progress or you have run out of time and you need to jump into, for example, your 18 week marathon program. It is quite possible that in your first time doing this, you will plan to jump into a "quality phase" after 3 months or so at some specified time before your race, but you'll see such good progress using low HR training alone that you'll just want to keep it up until race day. If you keep it up season after season, year after year, eventually you won't likely improve further without some form of speed work. However, many runners can be competitive (to the extent of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, the Western States Endurance Run, the Hawaii Ironman, etc.) just doing low heart rate training, running the periodic races, and very minimal speedwork. There's little doubt that eventually to compete with the elites in marathon and shorter, low heart rate alone will not be sufficient.
36. Aren't these just junk miles that you are saying to run?
Junk miles are really miles that have little training value - not high enough for any tempo, speed, or "interval/recovery" value, and not low enough for aerobic value - somewhere right in between the aerobic and anaerobic systems. (Really, it's hard to say that any miles are junk miles.) This element of an overall training program is focusing on the aerobic system and the more mileage you put in, the stronger the base you build, and the faster you get at low levels of effort. This will amount to better race times than you had before and bigger smiles late in the race, especially at the end. We all like that.
37. Once I've built a strong aerobic base, am I done?
Sure, as long as you don't race. Once you go through a number of races for the season, you will wither away your aerobic base, which is fine and expected. In the off-season, after your recovery, you start to rebuild. Each time you do, your buildup should be shorter and your base should become stronger.
38. Which formula should I use for MAF? Should I try to be as high or as low as possible?
You should be as conservative (low) as possible, especially for your first few times doing this type of basebuilding. After several times, your body will become trained to burn fat at higher heart rates and you can move up a notch. For me, when I tried to stay 5 beats below MAF, I saw better and faster progress.
39. My heart rate rises during runs, especially long runs - how much should I let it rise?
Everyone's heart rate will rise during a run due primarily to the body's heating and dehydration. Properly rehydrating will reduce the amount of heart rate drift you see, but you cannot eliminate it. In order to stop it from rising, you have to reduce your speed, so you either need to start at a low enough heart rate such that it doesn't drift above your MAF by the end or you need to slow down your pace with each subsequent mile as needed. As your aerobic conditioning develops, you will notice that your heart rate drift rate will reduce, but it will never go away.
40. Will this help train me to reduce my dependence on electrolytes or fluids during runs?
Absolutely not. In fact, it will train you more to understand your requirements for fluids in your runs. Electrolytes are more complex. This will help you learn your body's running better than you have ever known.
41. During my last long run, I could not keep my heart rate under control for the last 5 miles, I was about 10 beats over most of the time. Have I sabotaged all of the aerobic work I have done?
This will happen, especially in the early stages and your first few runs of 15 miles or more. Forget about it and move on - it's not going to do any significant damage to your training and next time it will get easier.
42. Isn't this basically Lydiard's basebuilding approach? Do I really need to use a heart rate monitor and adhere to all of these rules?
This can be an approach for Lydiard's basebuilding. Many people certainly don't need a heart rate monitor to do this, but without one, it's very difficult to identify how low the level of effort has to be in order to maximize the use of the aerobic system while maintaining some kind of running speed. As Hadd states in his article, many people have drastically different interpretations of what "easy" means. Perceived level of effort and talk tests do not always ensure that one is using mostly the aerobic system, especially for those who have very poor aerobic fitness. Some people stay very much in the aerobic regime naturally, particularly after several years of running. Others spend too much time at too high of a level of effort, and either get injured or hit a roadblock on performance improvement.
43. I have a high heart rate. My pace is too slow at the MAF heart rate. Is it ok if I run at 15-20 beats higher?
Sure. Of course you're always welcome to run however you want. But you won't develop your aerobic system or see any of the progress described within these articles. If your heart rate is very high when you run at what you consider an easy pace, it means you have poor aerobic fitness. The slower you are at the low heart rates, the poorer your aerobic fitness, and the more you need it. Insult to injury? Maybe.
44. Are you saying that this approach alone is superior to that of most or all of the respected coaches and physiologists?
Not at all. This will give you the preparation and build your endurance that will make a more aggressive training program much more effective.
45. Will this approach all but assure me that I'll be winning races or compete with elites?
The only thing that it will ensure you is that if you currently have times that fall off significantly when the distances get longer, if you stick with it for long enough and don't cheat, you will get faster at long distances. It's all relative to what you were able to do before and it says very little about how you compare with others. If you want to win races and compete with elites, this will be a good pre-season preparation. After that point you'll have to work hard and if you're running the marathon, you'll need to learn how to run as close to your lactate threshold for as long as you possibly can without boiling over. Combine that ability with 4 minute mile speed and you'll be winning a lot of races!
46. Can I do speedwork with this approach?
If you are in the basebuilding phase, most forms of speedwork are likely to interere with or set back progress, particularly if you have a poor aerobic base to start. However, one form you can do is downhill running (still keeping heart rate below MAF). Carefully. If you're not used to downhill running, you need to ease into it, a little bit at a time. Focus on short strides, fast turnover. Don't just let yourself go, nor should you be fighting gravity to try to slow down. Either of these will put a lot of pounding on your quads and could make you susceptible to knee and hip injuries. Some treadmills also have negative incline settings, which can allow you to run at a faster pace while still below the MAF heart rate.
47. How would you describe the first few weeks of doing this?
Miserable. Unbearable. Painful. An exercise in futility. An exercise in patience. Pride-depleting. Although there are a few who find the slow-down refreshing. Most will be miserable at first.
48. I've got a race coming up in 6 weeks. If I start doing this will that be enough time to give me a good improvement in time?
Most likely not. Six weeks is not likely enough for any significant improvement. The best time to start training like this is in the off-season, when you've got at least several months until your next race and when you won't be tempted to sneak in a race right in the middle.
49. Is low heart rate training just preparing for running races at low heart rates?
Absolutely not. You can condition yourself to run fast at low heart rates, which will enable you to run very fast at higher heart rates. On the one hand, you can do all of your training at low heart rates and you will still be able to sustain much higher heart rates during short and long races much better than you did before. However, if you want to do your absolute best and reach your ultimate performance capability, you'll have to add more aggressive workouts to your training after you've built your base. But, you will be much better prepared for them and more capable to run them at much higher paces with a developed aerobic system.
50. Will running all runs below MAF make everyone faster?
No. Someone who already has a very well-developed aerobic system will
most likely have to do more intense running to get faster.
51. What kind of pace can I expect to run in races for a given pace
I'm capable of below MAF?
Combining Maffetone's pace table and McMillan's pace calculator and
making the following assumptions: (1) MAF pace is calculated for
a relatively flat area at least several miles into a run, (2) conditions and
running environment (hills, wind, temperature, humidity, etc.) are
comparable between MAF test and the race, (3) you are well-conditioned
aerobically (otherwise, the 5k prediction may be good, but the others
MAF 5K 5K HM marathon
min/mile race pace time time time
10:00 7:30 23:18 1:48 3:47
9:00 7:00 21:45 1:41 3:32
8:30 6:45 20:58 1:37 3:24
8:00 6:30 20:12 1:33 3:17
7:30 6:00 18:38 1:26 3:02
7:00 5:30 17:05 1:19 2:47
6:30 5:15 16:19 1:16 2:39
6:00 5:00 15:32 1:12 2:31
5:45 4:45 14:45 1:08 2:24
5:30 4:30 13:59 1:05 2:16
5:15 4:20 13:28 1:02 2:11
5:00 4:15 13:12 1:01 2:09
52. What are your qualifications for this? Where do you get your information from?
I am only qualified in that I have gone through this type of training "half-way" (which didn't work out well) and I've done it in a dedicated fashion for over about 2 years now and I've seen remarkable results: improvement in marathon time by just about an hour, improvement in 50 mile race time by over 2 hours, and improvement in 10k race time by over 6 minutes, just by establishing a strong aerobic base and with no speed work. Simply put, I fixed an endurance problem I had, just as many runners have. I'm just a regular guy and this has helped me move from middle of the pack to the top 10 or 20% in many races. I've just pulled information from most of the websites above, "Training for Endurance" by Phil Maffetone, "Slow Burn" by Stu Mittleman and through discussions with many others that have gone through this form of training and have contributed to this list.
53. When do I add speedwork?
Ah, yes, one of the most common questions. Too bad there's not a simple answer. After much pondering over this, I would say the optimal time to add speed work is the point at which you have to really push to keep your heart rate up at the MAF level. That's a sign that either your aerobic system has surpassed your speed and strength or that you may be getting complacent.
54. Is there a short synopsis you can provide?
Yes. Make sure you have a reason for doing it. Some are given above in #1. Give yourself a good 12 weeks or more running strictly below the MAF value as defined in Maffetone or Mark Allen's articles (180-age +/- 5 or 10). Do not let it go over on hills or in adverse environments. Get in a good percentage of your mileage, at least 10% or so, on downhills and be sure to pick up your pace to keep your heart rate up at the MAF value. It doesn't so much matter what the average pace of your training runs is or how slow you have to go at times, but you should be getting some time in at higher paces. If you are in your low 20s or over 50 or 55, you may have to make some adjustments.
Above all, keep it simple. If you make things too complex or question things too much, you will just drive yourself crazy. Expect a lot of frustration when first trying this and swallow your pride. A good majority of people quit early on using this approach because of how slowly they have to go. Think of this as a diet. If you periodically cheat, depending on how much, you may deter your progress. Those who need it the most will have the hardest time and the most frustration. Once you binge (i.e., start racing), you will lose a lot of what you built up and when you finish racing, you'll have to do it again, but some of it will stick with you from last time and you will be wiser this time around. The main difference is that you're dieting in preparation for a binge. Just make sure you save your binge for the races, not the training course.


text:
Forbes Magazine
March 29, 2012
Jeff MacMahon
Exelon's 'Nuclear Guy': No New Nukes
Nuclear power is no longer an economically viable source of new energy in the United States, the freshly-retired CEO of Exelon, America's largest producer of nuclear power, said in Chicago Thursday.
And it won't become economically viable, he said, for the forseeable future.
"Let me state unequivocably that I've never met a nuclear plant I didn't like," said John Rowe, who retired 17 days ago as chairman and CEO of Exelon Corporation, which operates 22 nuclear power plants, more than any other utility in the United States.
"Having said that, let me also state unequivocably that new ones don't make any sense right now."
Speaking to about 50 people at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, Rowe presented a series of slides comparing the economic viability of various energy portfolios, including the "King Coal" scenario favored by Republicans, the "Big Wind" scenario favored by Democrats, and a "Playing Favorites" scenario that shuffles and selects from various energy sources.
All were trumped by a portfolio that relies heavily on America's sudden abundance of natural gas, which has flooded the market since the boom in hydraulic fracturing of shale gas. Natural gas futures dropped to a 10-year low today—$2.15 for 1,000 cubic feet—on abundant supply, the Associated Press reported.
"I'm the nuclear guy," Rowe said. "And you won't get better results with nuclear. It just isn't economic, and it's not economic within a foreseeable time frame."
Nuclear power remains a favorite of the Obama Administration, particularly in the form of small and modular new reactors. But Rowe's pessimism about nuclear power reinforces statements made by other nuclear experts since the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan.
However, Rowe did not touch upon the political vulnerability of nuclear power since the Fukushima accident. His argument was economic and, he added, paints a picture that Exelon itself does not savor.
Former ComEd CEO Tom Ayers built Exelon's reactor fleet because, Rowe said, he thought they were best for the environment. But Ayers was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease by the time the reactors broke even on their initial cost. He died in 2007.
"I'm not fond of investments that don't pay off before I'm incapable of comprehending it," said Rowe, who took over as chairman and CEO of Exelon in 2003.
Rowe also served on the president's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The first lecture I went to was one given by the LAC's Sara Chatfield on "The Canadian Genealogy Centre in 2009".
Sara Chatfield of Library and Archives Canada
Credit: J.M. Lapointe, CD
First, the room was too small, with all the people that were there. Exta chairs were needed to take care of those that came to this very popular session, and for those that popped in after it began. Luckily for those left standing, OGS volunteer Heather Oakley—ever cheerful—came through with a bunch of chairs, and they were very much appreciated!
So we settled down to hear her talk on the Centre and what was new for 2009.
Sara said that since the large databases have already been put online, they are busy now putting on the smaller ones, and filling in the gaps in the databases already online.
When asked about newspapers, she said there weren't any plans to put them on right away, which left a few of us with a somewhat unsatisfied feeling.
She also said that "tagging" was becoming more important (adding your own comments to photos and videos on YouTube.com and MySpace.com, for example) on the new Web 2.0.
There were lots of questions, especially about how to get in touch with the LAC through email. People also seemed to be a bit confused as to the available hours, and how to use the website correctly.
I then took a break (I will write about whom I visited tomorrow) until just before one o'clock, and then I went to hear Mel Wolfgang talk about "Getting the Most from City Directories ...", in which he traced the development of the directory throughout the ages.
Mel Wolfgang, owner of Jonathan Sheppard Books of Albany, New York
Credit: J.M. Lapointe, CD
In Canada, you can go to the Canadian Directories, 1790-1987: a Bibliography and Place-name Index. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1989 (3 vols) and it will give you the complete listing of directories in Canada.
Directories are very useful in the "in-between" census years, for it can tell you where they were living, what they were doing, etc.
Mel said to take the time to discover the various sections of the directories because you can learn about local government, churches, and fraternal groups. He says that you can learn much by "digging deep down" in directories.
At the end of the day, it was time to hear Terry Findley talk about "Cold Case: Hot Tips" where he discussed several instances in his own family history where he thought he had a "cold case", but through the use of "hot tips", was able to solve the mystery.
Some of the points he made were -
• Review your notes - you may have copied down the wrong placename
• Think the process - the process of seaching for someone
• Believe that the information is there - you just have to look for it
• Be aware of oral family history - often times itis folklore
• Always be aware of unsourced family histories - where did they get those dates from
• Always check the back of pictures - is there anything written on the back of it


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NATO signals no new members for the present
BRUSSELS (AP) — Faced with a newly aggressive Russia, NATO has been mulling how to react, but it is ruling out one option: rapid expansion.
Four would-be members, including the former Soviet republic of Georgia, have been informed that admission to NATO isn't in the cards anytime soon. For some, that means dashed hopes. Macedonia's foreign minister told The Associated Press in a statement it was a "step backward."
The bottom line: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, celebrating important anniversaries this year of a dozen nations joining its ranks, will welcome no new members when President Barack Obama and other leaders convene for a summit in Wales in early September.
Analysts say that NATO members are worried about granting, or being perceived as granting, security guarantees that could quickly be tested by Russia. That's particularly true of Georgia, which has been waiting since 2008 for the U.S.-led military alliance to make good on its promise of admission.
Before taking over Crimea from Ukraine, Russia invaded and occupied two regions of Georgia nearly six years ago — and NATO is reluctant to take any action that might provoke a riposte from Moscow.
"The conflict over Ukraine has made it clear to them at NATO they have to be careful, both about security commitments and credibility," said Liana Fix, an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations. "If you give Georgia their membership action plan but don't defend them if something happens, what does it say about your credibility?"
NATO won't publicly hang up the "No Vacancy" sign.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance's secretary general, proclaimed recently that "NATO's door remains open. And no third country has a veto over NATO enlargement."
But even before Crimea's annexation, some NATO countries were experiencing "enlargement exhaustion" and had become reluctant to increase the alliance's membership rolls, said Jorge Benitez, senior fellow for trans-Atlantic security at the Atlantic Council, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Post-Crimea, "the issues are much bigger," Benitez said. "The question is, how much insecurity would you add to the alliance versus how much security would you bring to the alliance?"
To try to tilt the balance in its favor, Georgia has been an enthusiastic NATO partner, and until recently, had been fielding the largest non-NATO contingent of soldiers in alliance-led operations in Afghanistan.
In Wales, Georgia had been hoping to receive a formal action plan for membership, but instead will be given a "substantive package" to help move it closer to NATO, Rasmussen said. He declined to give details. But Fix said the package was likely to include stepped-up training programs, increased military cooperation and advice, and a detailed checklist of what NATO wants Georgia to do to qualify for membership.
The small Balkan nation of Macedonia was also assured of a membership invitation by NATO leaders six years ago, but will have to wait for the foreseeable future. The deal-breaker is an unresolved conflict over the country's name, which duplicates that of a Greek region. Since Greece is a NATO member and all 28 members must give their assent to admit a new nation, Athens has effective right of veto.
"Greece is acting from a position of power because it is a full member state," Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said in the written statement. Lamenting the "step backward," he said Macedonia will keep trying "to introduce sense into the Greek-Macedonian dialogue."
Another former Yugoslav republic, Montenegro, is widely considered the candidate closest to achieving membership. Rasmussen said that by the end of 2015, NATO foreign ministers will assess whether "the time is ripe" to invite Montenegro to join. That deadline was the only one to come out of the July 24-25 Brussels meeting of foreign ministers that reviewed NATO's "open door" policy.
What was not spoken about publicly was the reason for NATO's delay: the reported penetration of Montenegro's intelligence service by the Russians.
"That was the sticking point," a NATO official told AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. He estimated the number of Montenegrin intelligence agents with links to Russia at between 25 and 50. Steps are already under way to neutralize their activities, he added, but that "it will take some time to manage."
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic told his country's parliament that the decision on enlargement had been postponed because of "geopolitical reasons Montenegro cannot influence."
Drasko Djuranovic, an analyst, predicted a rise in anti-Western feeling in the small Balkan country.
"The majority of people who support Montenegro's membership in NATO will feel betrayed," he said.
The fourth country classified as a NATO aspirant, Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been unable to pass a key condition set by the alliance: transfer of 63 defense facilities from local authorities to the central government, NATO officials said.
At a Monday news conference, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes encouraged the would-be alliance members to "stay on that track," even it if takes time.
"There's a reason that NATO is the best and strongest alliance that we've had in history, and the reason is that there's a very high standard of membership and there are very strong commitments that come with membership," Rhodes said. "So it's natural that there be an extended period in which nations work through those issues."
AP correspondents Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili in Tbilisi, Konstantin Testorides in Skopje and Predrag Milic in Podgorica contributed to this story.


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One of the original 70s movie brats and a populist with a sneaky subversive streak responsible for a string of classics like Carrie, Scarface, and The Untouchables, Brian De Palma is one of those directors who never seems to get his due. Particularly when working in his personal brand of self-conscious thrillers, the filmmaker is almost destined to be equally revered and criticized for making tongue-in-cheek odes to stylized entertainment. Movies like Body Double, Raising Cain, or Femme Fatale are practically dark comedies when viewed in a certain way, while also being designed to operate as straightforward thrillers for audiences not interested in film-literate in-jokes.
His latest thriller Passion stars Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace as a pair of manipulative advertising executives whose competitive work relationship escalates into a war of public humiliation. This being a De Palma movie, sexual mind games and violence are of course not far off. Almost inevitably, the film has premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival to an equal mix of praise from followers and condemnation from critics who just can't seem to get past the sensationalism to see the knowing laughs. Collider recently got a chance to chat with the director about his latest film, the split reactions it caused, his controversial legacy, that long delayed Untouchables prequel Capone Rising (including who he was going to cast), and his upcoming feature with Jason Statham. Hit the jump for more.
Collider: I haven't seen Alain Corneau's Love Crime which Passion is based on, but from what I've read the set up is at least identical. So what was it about that film that made you want to remake it?
Brian De Palma: Well, I thought there were many good ideas and character relationships in the original film, but it was sort of a younger woman and a more experienced woman in the Corneau version. I made them the same age and they are very competitive. There's the leader of the company and then the ideas person who Noomi plays. In the original version you see Isabelle kill Christine and once you know that she's done it there's not much mystery in the second half of the film. You basically see how she confesses and then leaves a lot of clues that the police pick up on and then ultimately find out are phony clues, which gets her out of it. Then it ends with the assistant saying, "I know what happened." That didn't seem to me to be very dramatic. So I knew there were some ways that I could change the movie to make it more exciting.
What was it about Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace that made you think they would be right for those parts?
De Palma: Well that was basically serendipity and good luck. I was trying to cast an older and younger woman and I couldn't get an older woman to play this kind of very dark, manipulative she-devil, basically. I was in New York and ran into another director friend of mine who was talking to Noomi about doing a film for him and he had all of her Swedish movies that she had made before the Millenium series. I saw them all and I said, "wow, this one is something." She's an extremely good actress. She's very mysterious and potentially dangerous. So I had my producer get in touch with her and she read the script and she wanted to do it. Fortunately she had just worked with Rachel on Sherlock Holmes 2 and they wanted to work together again. They're both represented by the same manager, so it came together almost immediately. When my producer asked me, "what do you think about Rachel McAdams for the other part?" I said, "Are you kidding me? I would be overjoyed."
It was interesting that there were two very strong female characters at the center of this given that you're often mistakenly criticized for being misogynistic. Was that something you were actively interested in exploring?
De Palma: Not really. I love working with women. I think they're beautiful. I like to photograph them. I like the way they interact. I'm used to dealing with groups of women. When I was in high school I used to hang out with the girls. When I went to graduate school, I was in an all girls school. So it's something I'm very familiar with and quite fascinated by.
I really enjoyed the successful ad in the film, which is quite funny and very much in the same in realm of the satirical pop culture voyeurism that you've played with as far back as the Candid Camera spoof in Sisters. Where'd that come form?
De Palma: It's a real ad.
De Palma: Yeah, two girls did it on the internet. They put a phone in one of their back pockets and walked around the streets to see who was looking at her ass. Then the video went viral. Everyone said, "wow, who are these girls?" And it turned out that they were two advertising executives in New Zealand.
Had you discovered that before Passion and wanted to use it in something?
De Palma: No, my first idea was to make a very elaborate commercial based on Inception which goes through three dream levels to finally open a safe and find the phone. But, my director friends who read the script said, "no, no, no you don't want to do Inception. You want to do something original." I said, "But, I love Inception." They said, "yeah, we love it too, try to find something else." So that's when I started to look around the internet for phone commercials and stumbled onto this.
Another touch that I found really amusing and wanted to ask about was the mask that Rachel McAdams' character has of herself that she makes other people put on during sex. Again, very perversely amusing and true to you. What was the inspiration there?
De Palma: Well, the mask kind of evolved. I had to put a mask on Noomi later on, so I had to establish that Christine [McAdams] uses masks in her sex play. So I set that up in beginning where she's masked and her lover is wearing a mask. Then the question was who is the mask of? That's when I came up with the twin sister idea. She's in love with herself, she's in love with her twin. So we made the mask that's basically of Rachel's face.
I couldn't help but notice that the financing for this came entirely out of European sources, so I was curious if you've pretty well given up on working within the studio system?
De Palma: Well, even the studios are internationally financed now. They are constantly selling territories and making deals with companies to pick up part of the financing. It's sort of happenstance. Every film gets put together a different way. My last big studio picture was Mission To Mars. Femme Fatale was financed by a Tunisian producer working in Paris. The Black Dahlia was an Israeli group. Redacted was an internet billionaire who gave $5 million dollars to certain established directors, Soderbergh made a few of them, to make a movie about anything as long as it was shot digitally, so that's how that emerged. And this one was a French/German co-production.
Do you even bother trying to pitch to the studios anymore?
De Palma: Well, you get offered stuff by the studios, but I haven't gotten anything that particularly interests me. They're making all of these movies about Hitchcock now, needless to say that they were all sent to me first, but there wasn't anything that interested me.
Obviously you've done many types of movies, but there is a certain type of thriller that's distinctly your own like Dressed To Kill, Body Double, or Femme Fatale and Passion certainly falls into that category. Do you approach those movies self-consciously, aware that there are certain things you do well and like to play with?
De Palma: Well, you don't want to fall into the rut of recreating your last hit no matter what the genre happens to be. You don't want to make four Batmans or ten Spidermans just because you can get a huge audience to come see it and make a bit more money that you don't need. So, I managed to stay away from that basically because I try to go out in different areas and look for different situations, different locations, different types of stories. I try to avoid making the same genre, but of course I have made a few of these. They mostly come out of my student study of Hitchcock and using a lot of the Hitchcock story forms and grammar in the 70s to learn how to do this.
Yeah, obviously the Hitchcock connection comes up a lot, but who I always curious to ask you about was Dario Argento. Certainly his early movies very much remind me of your work in that he takes that Hitchcock grammar and heightens it to a European sensibility with certain extra flourishes like unmotivated camera moves for atmosphere.
De Palma: Actually, the only Dario Argento movie that I really know is The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. That's the only one that I remember seeing. I think that was in the 70s right?
Yeah, I think even 69.
De Palma: Right, that's the one. I'm not a big follower of Dario Argento. I know I get compared to him, but the giallo cinema I'm not a student of at all. I know that they think I look at all these films and take ideas from them, but believe me, the only one that sticks in my mind is The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. And Mario Bava, I remember Marty [Scorsese] showing me some of his movies in the 70s and I couldn't even tell you what titles are now.
The elevator scene in Dressed To Kill always really reminded me of the elevator sequence in The Bird With The Crystal Plumage.
De Palma: I don't even remember the elevator scene. Could be from it. Who knows? I haven't seen that in 30-40 years.
I really loved the split screen sequence in Passion and have always enjoyed those in your work. I always wondered because they sync up so perfectly, do you have to time that out almost like a dance while shooting?
De Palma: Absolutely, that's very important. On this one in particular there were certain things like not being able to use the shot of Noomi's eyes the entire time. When she goes up the steps in the point of view shot, you can't use the close up on the left side of the screen anymore, so it had to be timed out very carefully against the ballet and create action on the right side of the screen to juxtapose against the ballet so that you could get to the section at the end of the sequence with the throat slash.
Can that be tweaked in editing at all or do you need to have that all nailed down during shooting?
De Palma: This was something that was all very carefully storyboarded and timed because it was connected to the ballet of the Afternoon Of A Faun. That choreography never changes, so it's like a clock. You know exactly where you are at any time because of that and have to choreograph the images on the right side of the screen to match it.
I really enjoyed Passion and know a lot of people who do as well, but for those who didn't it's almost like the copied and pasted comments a review of Dressed To Kill from 1980.
De Palma: That's exactly how I always feel.
That must get irritating to hear the same thing over and over.
De Palma: Yeah, it's disappointing because I've had it my whole career. There are all the DePalma tropes that they list. You know, Hitchcockian, overdramatic, whatever it is. They go down the list and it's like, "what's that got to do with this movie?" If anyone doesn't see the beauty in this movie, I don't know what they are looking at. I love when they say, "shoddy" or "trashy." What movie are they seeing?
There's one moment of violence in the film.
De Palma: Not only that, but there's nothing trashy about anything in this movie. The locations. That beautiful building where the business takes place is by a classical architect. The cloths these women are wearing. The way they're photographed. The ballet. How "shoddy" and "trashy" gets into this, I'll never know.
What I always love about these thrillers is that to me they seem to work on multiple levels. You can watch them as a straightforward thriller, but also you being well schooled in these types of movies are also aware of certain absurdities in the genre and have a tongue-in-cheek about the material. Is that fair to say on your end?
De Palma: Yeah, if you watch the movie with an audience there are many laughs. This stuff is funny. Some of the things that Rachel does and says are so outrageous, you have to laugh. They are just so cutting and vicious. When she attacks Dani and shouts, "I think I've been sexually assaulted!" [laughs]. Watching these girls is hysterical. When they kiss each other, holy mackerel!
The humor is so deadpan at times. It makes me wonder if you enjoy that it's not necessarily obvious for everyone to pick up?
De Palma: No, I quote these lines of Rachel back all the time and burst out laughing.
And with melodrama, is that something that you like to tweak to the point absurdity?
De Palma: Well, I'm a very stylized director, so the shots are stylized, the lighting, the colors. It's very vivid. It's operatic. That's what I like to watch. I like it to be larger than life and very pleasing to the eye.
And playful.
Yes, very playful all the time. That's who I am. I find humor in the darkest of subjects.
Since you're someone who likes to play with homage and references, how do you feel when you get referenced in other movies yourself, like that sequence in Kill Bill?
De Palma: Fabulous. I mean when you take something from another filmmaker, build on it, and make it your own, I think it's terrific. Tarantino's obviously done it many times and I'm fascinated to see that evolves in other filmmakers.
I've heard you say before that you get very bored by the visual style you seen in many filmmakers now. So, I was wondering who are the people that you find interesting?
De Palma: There are many talented filmmakers that work in completely different forms that I do that I admire. Wes Anderson has a visual style that's totally unique and his characters are totally unique. The Coen Brothers, again very visually oriented directors with idiosyncratic stories. And PT Anderson. These kinds of guys are fascinating. I love their movies.
How about Michael Haneke? He always struck me as someone up your ally.
De Palma: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. I remember seeing Benny's Video in the 80s and becoming very interested in him. I went to a film festival in Europe where met him and we went to a private screening room together and he showed me a couple of his films. I've made sure to see all of them since.
The Untouchables was a huge favorite of mine growing up and I was always excited the few times your prequel Capone Rising would move forward before fizzling out. Is there any chance of that happening at this point?
De Palma: I don't know. We've had it cast many times, but we've just never been able to get everything together at the same time. It's owned by Paramount so there's nothing I can do.
Who did you plan to cast in that?
De Palma: At one point I think I had Nicolas Cage playing Capone. Gerald Butler was going to do the Sean Connery part. I think we even had Benicio Del Toro as Capone at one point. We had so many great people attached. It's one of those legendarily great scripts that actors would die to play, but we've just never been able to get it all together with Paramount.
And what's next for you? I heard maybe something with Jason Statham?
De Palma: Yeah, it's based on an old William Goldman script and a novel called Heat. It's about an enforcer in Vegas in the 70s. It was made with Burt Reynolds initially, I think in the 70s. I think that Burt Reynolds slugged the director on the first day of shooting, so the movie ended up being directed by no one and it's kind of a mess. But it's got some really good ideas in it. So we took the Goldman script and since Vegas doesn't exist like it did in the 70s anymore, we've moved it to Nice.


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On the whole Mount of Olivet there seems to be no spot higher than that from which the Lord is said to have ascended into the heavens, where there stands a great round church, having in its circuit three vaulted porticoes covered over above. The interior of the church, without roof or vault, lies open to heaven under the open air, having in its eastern side an altar protected under a narrow covering. So that in this way the interior has no vault, in order that from the place where the Divine footprints are last seen, when the Lord was carried up into heaven in a cloud, the way may be always open and free to the eyes of those who pray towards heaven.
For when this basilica, of which I have now made slight mention, was building, that place of the footprints of the Lord, as we find written elsewhere, could not be enclosed under the covering with the rest of the buildings. Whatever was applied, the unaccustomed earth, refusing to receive anything human, cast back into the face of those who brought it. And, moreover, the mark of the dust that was trodden by the Lord is so lasting that the impression of the footsteps may be perceived; and although the faith;of such as gather daily at the spot snatches away some of what was trodden by the Lord, yet the area perceives no loss, and the ground still retains that same appearance of being marked by the impress of footsteps.
Further, as the sainted Arculf, who carefully visited this spot, relates, a brass hollow cylinder of large circumference, flattened on the top, has been placed here, its height being shown by measurement to reach one's neck. In the centre of it is an opening of some size, through which the uncovered marks of the feet of the Lord are plainly and clearly seen from above, impressed in the dust. In that cylinder there is, in the western side, as it were, a door so that any entering by it can easily approach the place of the sacred dust, and through the open hole in the wheel may take up in their outstretched hands some particles of the sacred dust.
Thus the narrative of our Arculf as to the footprints of the Lord quite accords with the writings of others–to the effect that they could not be covered in any way, whether by the roof of the house or by any special lower and closer covering, so that they can always be seen by all that enter, and the marks of the feet of the Lord can be clearly seen depicted in the dust of that place. For these footprints of the Lord are lighted by the brightness of an immense lamp hanging on pulleys above that cylinder in the church, and burning day and night. Further in the western side of the round church we have mentioned above, twice four windows have been formed high up with glazed shutters, and in these windows there burn as many lamps placed opposite them, within and close to them. These lamps hang in chains, and are so placed that each lamp may hang neither higher nor lower, but may be seen, as it were, fixed to its own window, opposite and close to which it is specially seen. The brightness of these lamps is so great that, as their light is copiously poured through the glass from the summit of the Mountain of Olivet, not only is the part of the mountain nearest the round basilica to the west illuminated, but also the lofty path which rises by steps up to the city of Jerusalem from the Valley of Josaphat, is clearly illuminated in a wonderful manner, even on dark nights, while the greater part of the city that lies nearest at hand on the opposite side is similarly illuminated by the same brightness. The effect of this brilliant and admirable coruscation of the eight great lamps shining by night from the holy mountain and from the site of the Lord's ascension, as Arculf related, is to pour into the hearts of the believing onlookers a greater eagerness of the Divine love, and to strike the mind with a certain fear along with vast inward compunction.
This also Arculf related to me about the same round church: That on the anniversary of the Lord's Ascension, at mid-day, after the solemnities of the Mass have been celebrated in that basilica, a most violent tempest of wind comes on regularly every year, so that no one can stand or sit in that church or in the neighbouring places, but all lie prostrate in prayer with their faces in the ground until that terrible tempest has passed.
The result of this terrific blast is that that part of the house cannot be vaulted over; so that above the spot where the footsteps of the Lord are impressed and are clearly shown, within the opening in the centre of the above-named cylinder, the way always appears open to heaven. For the blast of the above-mentioned wind destroyed, in accordance with the Divine will, whatever materials had been gathered for preparing a vault above it, if any human art made the attempt.
This account of this dreadful storm was given to us by the sainted Arculf, who was himself present in that Church of Mount Olivet at the very hour of the day of the Lord's Ascension when that fierce storm arose. A drawing of this round church is shown below, however unworthily it may have been drawn; while the form of the brass cylinder is also shown placed in the middle of the church.
This also we learned from the narrative of the sainted Arculf: That in that round church, besides the usual light of the eight lamps mentioned above as shining within the church by night, there are usually added on the night of the Lord's Ascension almost innumerable other lamps, which by their terrible and admirable brightness, poured abundantly through the glass of the windows, not only illuminate the Mount of Olivet, but make it seem to be wholly on fire; while the whole city and the places in the neighbourhood are also lit up.
Excerpts by St Adamnan of Iona of the description of the Imbomon Church at the peak of the Mount of Olives, site of the Lord's Ascension, written by a certain Bishop Arculf, who visited Jerusalem, who also drew the original of the above diagram circa 670 AD. A translation of all the excerpts from Arculf is here. The reconstruction plan is from Jerome Murphy O'Connor, The Holy Land: And Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 (Oxford University Press, 1998), p. 124. I've rotated both images, so that north is to the top. The dashed octogon in the reconstruction drawing indicates the outline of the currently standing dome illustrated below.
Such was the beauty of the ancient Imbomon Church. The victory of the Muslim Saladin led to the church being transferred to the ownership of some of his retainers, who stripped it of its beauty, covered it with a dome and added a mihrab to the south wall (visible in the interior photo), making it a mosque, which it is to this day, unfortunately. The following pictures date to between 1900 and 1920, and are from the online Library of Congress collection of the Matson Photo Archives.
Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit; and they were assured by the blessing that Thou art the Son of God and Redeemer of the world.
Troparion, fourth tone, for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord


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Marbella Lakes, FL Real Estate
Located off Livingston Road just South of Pine Ridge Road, this master-planned community has over 450 homes and is just minutes from Naples' famous white sand beaches, golf courses, downtown, Waterside Shops, the Mercato, 5th Avenue, and 3rd Street shopping. Residence options include single-family or carriage homes. Families, retirees, and even singles will enjoy the activities and active living opportunities offered in the community. Residents enjoy an 8,000 square foot club house, a resort size pool, indoor sports complex, fitness center, game room and social hall.
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This is a sequel of this question where I asked for which positive integer $n$ the set of primes of the former $x^2+ny^2$ was defined by congruences (a set of primes $P$ is defined by congruences if there is a positive integer $d$ and a subset $A$ of $\mathbb{Z}/d\mathbb{Z}$ such that a prime $p$ is in $P$ if and only if $p$ mod $d$ is in $A$, up to a finite number of exceptions). I was taught there that the answer was "exactly when $n$ is idoneal", that there is finitely many idoneal numbers, and that all are known but perhaps one.
When is the set of primes of the form $x^2+ny^2+mz^2$ ($x,y,z \in \mathbb{Z})$ defined by congruences?
My motivation is not just an idle ternary generalization of the binary case. I really met this question while working on a problem concerning modular forms, and also the slightly more general question, given a fixed positive integer $a$: when is the set of primes $p$ such that $ap$ has the form $x^2+ny^2+mz^2$ ($x,y,z \in \mathbb{Z})$ defined by congruences?
I am well aware that since the set of integers represented by a ternary quadratic form is not stable by multiplication, it is much less natural to ask the question for prime numbers instead of all positive integers than in the case of a binary quadratic form. Yet this is really the question for primes that appears in my study (for about a dozen specific ternary forms, actually).
I have found a very interesting paper by Dickson (Ternary quadratic forms and congruences. Ann. of Math. (2) 28 (1926/27), no. 1-4, 333–341.) which solves the question for the integers represented by $x^2+ny^2+mz^2$: there is only a finite explicit numbers of $(n,m)$ such that this set of integers is defined by congruences (in the obvious sense). But the proof does not seem (to me) to be easily generalizable to primes. Other mathscinet research did not give me any more informations.
When I try to think to the question, I meet an even more basic (if perhaps slightli more sophisticated) question that I can't answer:
When is the set of primes of the form $x^2+ny^2+mz^2$ ($x,y,z \in \mathbb{Z})$ Frobenian? (Is it "always"?)
A set of primes $P$ is called Frobenian (a terminology probably introduced by Serre) if there is a finite Galois extension $K/\mathbb{Q}$, and a subset $A$ of Gal$(K/\mathbb{Q})$ stable by conjugacy such that a prime $p$ is in $P$ if and only if Frob${}_p \in A$, except for a finite number of exceptions. A set determined by congruences is a Frobenian set for which we can take $K$ cyclotomic over $\mathbb{Q}$, which is the same by Kronecker-Weber as abelian over $\mathbb{Q}$. For a quadratic binary quadratic form (for example $x^2+ny^2$), the set of represented primes is always Frobenian ($K$ can be taken as the ring class field of $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-n}]$, and $A=\{1\}$, as explained in Cox's book). But I fail to see the reason (which may nevertheless be trivial) for which the same result would be true for a general ternary quadratic form. I should add that for my specific ternary forms, I can show that the set is Frobenian, but I am not sure how to extend the argument to all ternary quadratic forms.
Finally, let me say that I would be interested in any book, survey or references on this kind of question (which surely must have been studied), and that I am also interested in analog questions for quaternary quadratic forms (which might be easier, because of multiplicative properties related to quaternions).


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"Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast members Teresa and Giuseppe ("Joe") Giudice have 39 problems and Caroline Manzo ain't one.
In a 39-count indictment filed Monday by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the married couple has been accused of exaggerating their income while applying for loans and then hiding improving fortunes after filing for bankruptcy. The counts include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and making false statements on loan applications.
The fraudulent mortgage and loan applications are for the years 2001 through 2008. Joe has been charged with not filing tax returns for 2004 through 2008, while Teresa has been accused of lying about her employment when applying for a mortgage loan in 2001, as well as submitting fake W-2 forms and pay stubs.
A full list of the charges has been posted online by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances on Tuesday at 10 a.m. edt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark, NJ, federal court.
Teresa is represented by New Jersey-based lawyer Henry E. Klingeman, who issued the following statement over the indictment, "Teresa will plead 'not guilty.' The judicial process that begins today ... is a search for the truth. As it moves forward, we look forward to vindicating her."
In a statement issued by her lawyer, Giudice wrote, "Today is a most difficult day for our family. I support Joe and, as a wonderful husband and father, I know he wants only the best for our lovely daughters and me. I am committed to my family and intend to maintain our lives in the best way possible, which includes continuing my career. As a result, I am hopeful that we will resolve this matter with the Government as quickly as possible."
A rep for Bravo, the NBC Universal network that airs the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" has "no comment."
Now this seems like something really worth flipping a table over!
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Should I be concerned about bugs being in a tree?
Although extremely rare, a number of different insects and spiders have been found in Christmas trees after setup. Cleaning and shaking trees before setup are valuable preventive actions. If troublesome after setup, the first thing to do is to vacuum. If necessary, household insect sprays specifically labeled for use indoors on ornamental plants and evergreens may also be used, following label directions. It is important to turn off and unplug all tree lighting before any sprays are applied to your Christmas tree.
What is the best species of Christmas tree?
The best species is the one YOU like best. Read through the tree varieties section of our website and find the one that has the most characteristics you desire, then go to a tree lot or farm and have fun shopping for just the right tree!
What type of tree smells the best?
The sense of smell is very subjective. Different people smell things differently. If you go to tree varieties section of our website, you will get general descriptions about the fragrance of the tree species.
I can't seem to find the tree that I want. It is often referred to as a Charlie Brown Tree because of its sparse look with short needles. I love these trees and don't know what they are or who might have one for sale.
The sparse look is dependent somewhat upon the genetics of the tree, but mostly through the shearing practices of the grower. The more open, less dense look is starting to become more popular among consumers, so the Christmas Tree farmers will be working to meet that demand; however, the average tree takes 7 to 10 years to get to 6 or 7 feet high and the majority of consumers still want a full, thick tree. Check with farms in your area and ask them if they have a "less sheared" tree or one that would be graded a "cull." The grower will understand what you are looking for.
Isn't it bad for the environment to cut down a tree and use it for Christmas?
It is much better environmentally to use a natural agricultural crop and recycle it after the holidays. Real Christmas Trees are a renewable, recyclable, natural product grown on farms throughout North America. Unfortunately many people have the misconception that Christmas Trees are cut down from the forest. Real Christmas Trees are grown as crops, just like corn or wheat, and raised on a farm. Once they are harvested, new seedlings are planted to replace harvested trees. These would NOT have been planted if trees hadn't been harvested the previous year. Fake Christmas Trees however are a non-renewable, non-biodegradable, plastic and metal product most often made in overseas factories.
I thought I'd buy a living tree with its roots intact and plant it after Christmas. How do I do that?
If you need landscape trees anyway, then a rooted tree may be a good option. Whether "balled & burlapped" trees or potted, you can find care tips here for trees with its roots still intact.
Where can I recycle my tree after Christmas?
Successful tree recycling programs are coordinated on a local basis. In most communities, the news outlets (TV stations, newspapers and radio) will provide the info on drop off locations and dates for any curbside pick up programs.
How do I get information on how to start my own tree farm?
Many good books and guides have been published on how to start a tree farm; your local library or an Amazon.com search should yield plenty. One example is "Christmas Trees for Pleasure and Profit" by Robert Wray.


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DOVER — A well-kept secret in Dover is the Film Education Class provided by Dover Adult Learning Center of Strafford County.
For 10 year, film viewers have screened a wide variety of current, classic, foreign, cult and documentary films. Attendance at all films is open to the public free of charge. A discussion follows each film. There is no obligation to attend on a regular basis.
Films are screened the first Wednesday of every month at the Dover Middle School Renaissance Room theater - a fully equipped theater-style setting with large screen and digital Dolby stereo sound. Films begin promptly at 7 pm.
Director Joe Hill comments that this years' 2013 schedule again offers Dover's public a great variety of films. This coming year's selected titles have all won awards or honors at various film festivals.
Beginning on Jan. 2, the film "Bedazzled" (1967) will be shown. Starring Dudley Moore and Raquel Welch, it's a tale of the 1960s in grand bawdy and entertaining style. All Film Education Class films are shown free of charge.
A sampling of other films to be screened this year is 1964's John Frankenheimmer classic, "The Train" starring Burt Lancaster; "King of Masks," a Chinese drama, "Un Coeur En Hiver," a French film and Australia's "Red Dog."
For a full schedule or more information please call 603-969-2968.
Follow the film class and other cinematic events on Facebook. Just type in Dover Community Cinema Newsletter
Quality films to screen In Dover for another year
DOVER — A well-kept secret in Dover is the Film Education Class provided by Dover Adult Learning Center of Strafford County.


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China Tightens Rules for Internet Users
China enacted new rules on Friday that beef up disclosure requirements for Internet users, in Beijing's latest move to get a tighter grip on its voluble and increasingly restive online community.
Senior members of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament, approved the rules Friday as part of an effort to strengthen personal privacy laws, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. The rules, unveiled Monday, received a slew of positive coverage in state-run media and were widely expected to be enacted.


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S.P. Richards Company – North America's Premier Business Products Wholesaler.
Not many companies doing business today can claim a heritage that predates the Civil War, but that's us over 160 years old and still going strong. We're a company that's proud of where we came from, but even more importantly, excited about where we're going. Today we're a part of Genuine Parts Company, a Fortune 250 business that specializes in distribution, logistics and value added services. The company's four major segments include NAPA the automotive replacement parts division; Motion Industries industrial replacement parts; EIS electrical/electronic materials; and S.P. Richards Company (that's us) office products.
We serve a critical role in the office products industry supply chain:
- Providing our resellers with the inventory, logistics, sales and marketing support they need to support their business customers
- Providing our vendor partners with the marketing and distribution expertise that helps promote and sell their products
- Providing the industry system providers with the data and online content and product information necessary to equip our mutual customers with tools to operate efficiently and profitably


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The Des Moines Register rang in 2012 tonight with a new poll that shows a tight race between Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum with just three days to go before the Iowa caucuses.
The survey, which was conducted between Tuesday and Friday, gives Romney a slight lead with 24%, with Ron Paul not far behind at 22%. Santorum comes in third with 15%.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story. In yet another sign of how fluid the 2012 GOP race remains, Santorum surged ahead to 21% during the last two days of polling, with Paul falling behind to third place with 18% support, according to the Register.
The survey also shows that the rest of the field is not far behind. Newt Gingrich holds 12%, and Rick Perry isn't far behind with 11%. Michele Bachmann rounds out the field with 7%. (Jon Huntsman is not competing in Iowa.)
But hope is not lost for the second tier of candidates — four in 10 likely caucus-goers still say that there vote is up for grabs.


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by Tom Utescher
Charles Dickens began "A Christmas Carol" by making sure the reader understood, without a doubt, that Scrooge's former business partner Jacob Marley was "as dead as a door-nail."
Four our purposes here, the reader must be fully aware that Germantown Academy's standout senior guard, Alexa Gallagher, did not play for a single second in either of the Patriots' two games against Episcopal Academy last week.
In the first one, the Pats prevailed 49-38, to clinch their 13th straight Girls Inter-Ac League championship, but the Churchwomen won the second clash on Friday, 63-60. It was one day short of the anniversary of GA's last league loss, a 1999 setback at the Academy of Notre Dame that forced the Patriots to share the Inter-Ac crown with both the Irish and Shipley School.
Throughout this season, the feeling was that Penn Charter was the team with the best chance of ending GA's streak of Girls Inter-Ac victories. The Patriots won a January meeting between the teams, 65-46, and in last Tuesday's rematch, GA overcame a one-point deficit at the three-quarter mark to pull out a 54-46 victory over the visiting Quakers, who would finish as the league runner-up.
In a practice before that game, Gallagher felt some pain in her right knee, where she'd suffered an ACL tear in July of 2008. She played against Penn Charter, matching PC senior Aleesha Powell's 17 points in the contest. However, the troubled knee was swollen once more, and although a physical exam did not point toward another ACL injury, Gallagher was taken off active duty by Germantown coach Sherri Retif until she'd had an MRI scan.
In the Penn Charter game, seven points from Gallagher and six from sophomore Kiernan McCloskey propelled the Patriots to a 20-7 advantage with 6:40 remaining in the first half.
A short baseline jumper from senior Kendall Stokes and back-to-back drives by junior Brianna Butler revived the visitors, who avoided an early rout but still trailed 26-18 at the interlude. Powell began the third round with a score off a steal, and a few minutes later a baseline drive by Stokes made it a four-point affair at 30-26.
After that the score slowly rolled to 33-30, then with 47 seconds left in the period Butler stole the ball from the Patriots and broke away to score, making it 33-32. Another PC steal, by Stokes, allowed the Quakers to hold the ball for the last shot of the quarter. Powell drove in from the right side and her lay-up rolled in at the buzzer, providing Charter with a 34-33 lead going into the final frame.
Over the next three minutes, a score off a steal by McCloskey, along with two free throws by Gallagher and one by senior Dana Lotito, put Germantown back in the lead for good, 38-34. Charter's junior center, Dianna Thomas-Palmer, fouled out on a charging call with 2:41 left to play, but as the two-minute mark approached it was still a four-point game, 40-36. Over the next minute or so, the score rose to 44-38 exclusively on free throws.
At the end of this stretch, GA's McCloskey grabbed the rebound of a teammate's missed foul shot and scored while being fouled herself. She made the free throw to give GA a 47-38 lead with 62 seconds left, but PC's Powell answered with a trey from the left wing. After junior Jaryn Garner put in a free throw for the Patriots, Powell made three from the line when she was fouled on another three-point attempt.
It was now 48-44 with 41 seconds left. Charter had to start fouling to keep GA from swallowing seconds off the clock. Up to this juncture, GA had missed seven of 16 foul shots in the fourth quarter, including the front end of a one-and-one.
Now in the foul double-bonus, the Pats did better the rest of the way, going six-for eight on the line as Gallagher made all four of her attempts and Garner made both of hers. Before the GA junior stepped to the line, the Quakers' Butler drove the lane with eight seconds left for a 52-46 tally, but Garner had the last word with 1.8 ticks to go.
"It was a game that could've turned out differently if just a few little things had gone our way on certain plays," commented Penn Charter coach Diana Caramanico. "We definitely struggled with our outside shooting. We played well enough to win; I don't know if we shot well enough to win."
In addition to Gallagher's point production, GA received 14 from Garner, nine from McCloskey, eight and four points from seniors Monica Schacker and Lotito, and two from sophomore Angela Upright. Backing up PC's Powell were a dozen points from Butler, nine from Thomas-Palmer, six from Stokes, and two from junior Danielle Sienko.
With Gallagher out of action from this point on, Wednesday brought the first of GA's back-back games with Episcopal. The Patriots went up 14-3 in the first quarter and ended up winning by an 11-point margin, as well.
Lotito's 16 points, along with nine from McCloskey and seven from Schacker, fueled the victory while EA received 20 points from 6'2" center Megan Quinn and 10 from guard Meghan Hubley, who are both sophomores.
The following afternoon, Penn Charter was seeking its first ever home/away sweep against the Academy of Notre Dame after splitting with the Irish last winter and then beating them in the Pa. Independent Schools tournament.
In its season opener back in December, Charter jumped ahead of Notre Dame by 16 points during the first quarter and won by 18, but last week the Irish were much tougher at the outset. Down 25-23 at halftime, the Quakers once again made a major move in the third quarter (as at GA and also at Springside the week before), and this time it paid off with a convincing victory.
After that 20-5 third frame for PC, the teams matched points in the fourth round and the Quakers won 58-45, with Butler scoring 18 points and Thomas-Palmer 14. On defense, the Irish devoted a lot of attention to PC's Powell, but while she scored five points in the game, Sienko found herself uncovered on many occasions and stepped up to register 16 points for the visitors. Megan McGurk (14 points) and Molly Borghese (nine) paced Notre Dame.
In Friday's Inter-Ac contests, the Quakers squashed last-place Baldwin, 44-11, to finish as the league runner-up with a record of 10-2, while on the Main Line, Notre Dame knocked off Agnes Irwin to cement its Inter-Ac record at 7-5. Even though the Irish beat Episcopal twice head-to-head, the Churchwomen were able to tie Notre Dame for third place thanks to their win over GA in another Friday contest.
As in the first EA-GA meeting two days earlier, Episcopal's Quinn was the high scorer, this time with 23 points, while sophomore classmate Kristen Hinckley added an even dozen. This time the Churchwomen dominated the opening period, 18-9, and they continued to gain ground in each of the next two periods, taking a 47-32 advantage into the final eight minutes.
The Patriots fought back fiercely in the fourth quarter but came up three points short in the end. The sidelined Gallagher ducked under the bleachers to change into her uniform late in the game, but Coach Retif held firm in her decision not to let the senior play until her she was cleared to perform following a thorough evaluation of her knee.
"Not having Alexa creates a big gap," admitted the Patriots' mentor. "It's not just the points, rebounds, and steals; it's the intangibles – the communication, the leadership. It gave our other players a chance to see what additional things they need to do when Alexa isn't able to play."
Schacker scored 20 points and McCloskey and Garner had 13 apiece for the Patriots, who fell to Cardinal O'Hara a day later, 63-56. It was not the way the Patriots had wanted the regular season to end, but at least their string of Inter-Ac championships remained intact.


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Building Climate Equity
Creating a New Approach from the Ground Up
For more than two decades, crafting global actions that all nations believe to be equitable has been a central challenge for international climate policy.
A new approach is required to resolve this challenge. Building on the experiences of 23 countries, this report demonstrates...


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Lemurs have identifiable personality traits that are consistent from situation to situation, and those tendencies may have evolutionary implications, according to a new study conducted at the Duke Lemur Center.
Ecologist Jennifer Verdolin tested captive gray mouse lemurs, small, large-eyed primates native to Madagascar's forests, to see how they reacted to unfamiliar objects and foods.
She placed items such as a tiny chair, a wooden ladybug, and a stuffed toy frog, as well as new foods such as mango and papaya, into the animals' enclosures. After classifying individual lemurs' reactions, she monitored how agitated they became during routine handling for cage cleaning and health measurements.
Bolder lemurs—those who spent more time interacting with the new objects—were less likely to urinate, defecate, bite, or otherwise protest when handled, compared with their counterparts who had avoided the unfamiliar objects. (The study didn't find a measurable difference in their reactions to the new foods, perhaps a sign that the lemurs did not perceive them as unusual.)
Verdolin explained that these protest reactions likely reflect fear, and that the bolder lemurs responded with more confidence in the stressful situations. Bold lemurs may be more likely than shy ones to adapt to uncertain or changing environmental conditions, and boldness and shyness may run in families.
"There's actually evidence of heritability in these traits," Verdolin explained, which would have implications for the evolution of the species.
"Of course natural selection can't work on something that's not heritable," said Verdolin.
Since the time of her study, the lemurs have had offspring.
Up next? Verdolin says she would love to return to explore whether the traits have been passed down.
"If you have a bold mother, are you going to be bold too?" she asked.Three gray mouse lemurs peek out of a nook in their enclosure at the Duke Lemur Center. Photograph by David Haring, Duke Lemur Center
The idea of studying animal personalities has experienced a bit of a boom in the last decade, countering the prevailing tendency by animal researchers to treat individual variation in animals as statistical noise. Some work in the early 20th century with chimpanzees explored the idea of animal personalities, but research has really taken off since an influential paper on the subject was published in 2004.
Many scientists still shy away from even using the term personality when talking about animals, favoring the less anthropomorphizing term "behavioral syndromes." But both terms refer to individual animals reacting in the same way under different circumstances. "I personally don't have a problem with using the term personality," Verdolin said.
Verdolin sees the recognition of animal personalities as key to our understanding of species. "We have to remember we can't just blankly categorize an entire species as being one way," she said.
—Brad Scriber
Follow Brad Scriber on Twitter


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Industrial themed and styled PowerPoint backgrounds improve any business presentation with an industry theme. For a PowerPoint background with undertones of industry, labor, power, metals and hard materials you'll want an industrial themed background. Animation Factory has over 500 industrial themed Power Point backgrounds alone. All of the backgrounds and templates are royalty-free so you can download and use our PowerPoint backgrounds as much as you'd like. Sign up as Pro member or Platinum member to get access to download presentation backgrounds.


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Schools & Colleges
A-Z Index | Find a Health Care Provider
Contact Us | Maps and Parking
Robert Sclafani, Ph.D. Research One South(RC1-South), Room 9100 email@example.com Phone: 303-724-3271
THE MAIN AREA OF FOCUS of the laboratory is the regulation of the G1 to S phase transition of the cell cycle in yeast and human cells. Most cells coordinate growth and division in this phase of the cell cycle. Elucidation of the mechanisms of cell cycle control and cell commitment to DNA replication is important for determining the etiology of a number of diseases, especially cancer, in which the regulation is altered. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), as an eukaryotic microorganism is an excellent model system to study the cell cycle because facile molecular genetic techniques can be used in combination with classical biochemical and genetic methods. We use human cells in culture as a way to study the defects that are present in the cell cycle of cancer cells.
Yeast: Our current studies focus on the regulation of the yeast Cdc7/Dbf4 protein kinase, which regulates the initiation of DNA replication during the somatic cell cycle. Our current model is that Cdc7 kinase is activated by binding the Dbf4 protein during the G1 to S phase transition (Sclafani, 2000). Dbf4 protein levels are regulated by Rad53 protein kinase, which is also involved in DNA-checkpoint regulation, and by the APC (anaphase promotion complex). Active CDC7 kinase then phosphorylates the MCM complex, a multi-subunit protein complex found at origins of DNA replication, to initiate the S phase. Both Cdc7 and Cdk1 proteins are needed for mtuliple steps during initiation (Sclafani et al., 2002). We have begun structure-function studies of the MCM complex with Dr. X. Chen by comparing Archaea MCM to Yeast MCM (Fletcher et al., 2003; Sclafani et al., 2004).
We have also defined a role of Cdc7/Dbf4 kinase in error-prone tyranslesion synthesis, which is important for mutagenesis (Pessoa-Brandão and Sclafani, 2004).
Humans: Our human studies are focused on the deregulation of the cell cycle which occurs in cancer cells. We are determining the mode of action of several drugs found in natural products that function in cancer chemoprevention. We have shown that the target of silibinin from Milk Thistle is CDK-inhibitors (Agarwal et al., 2003). We are also investigating the action of drugs that activate the DNA damage checkpoint pathway such as Reseveratrol from red grape skins/wine (Tyagi et al., 2005). These studies are in collaboration with Dr. Rajesh Agarwal of the UCHSC School of Pharmacy.
© The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Thursday the Ohio Valley Conference announced that the Tennessee State University men's and women's teams are the recipients of the 2013-14 Team Sportsmanship Awards for tennis.
Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans.
"Without sportsmanship there are truly no meaningful victories," said Beth DeBauche, OVC Commissioner. "The recipients of the OVC Team Sportsmanship awards should accept this award with great pride for their fellow competitors have made it clear their teams exemplify the best in intercollegiate athletics. In receiving this prestigious honor other competitors are saying these student-athletes compete with class, respect their opponents and value fair play. That is quite a compliment as those are all traits that will lead to true victories throughout the course of life."
The 2013-14 school year marks the ninth year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. It marks the third time the TSU programs have swept the awards, also doing so in 2007-08 and 2011-12.
Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator. Five years later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.
In 1995, the Ohio Valley Conference implemented a first-of-its-kind "Sportsmanship Statement," a policy promoting principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent. The statement answered the challenge of the NCAA Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in collegiate athletics, and has become a model for others to follow across the nation.
Courtesy OVC Sports Information