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Reducing the moral hazard posed by systemically important financial institutions. FSB Recommendations and Time Lines
- Chrystal Burke
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1 Reducing the moral hazard posed by systemically important financial institutions FSB Recommendations and Time Lines 20 October 2010
2 Table of Contents I. Overall policy framework to reduce moral hazard risk... 1 II. Global SIFIs should have higher loss absorbency... 2 Recommendations... 3 Processes and timeline for implementation... 3 III. SIFI resolution must be a viable option... 3 Recommendations... 4 Processes and timeline for implementation... 6 IV. Strengthening SIFI supervision... 7 Recommendations... 7 Processes and timeline for implementation... 8 V. Strengthening core financial infrastructures... 8 Recommendations... 8 Processes and timeline for implementation... 9 VI. Ensuring effective and consistent implementation of national policies for G-SIFIs... 9 Recommendations... 9 Processes and timeline for implementation Annex: Summary of processes and timelines ii
3 20 October 2010 Reducing the moral hazard posed by systemically important financial institutions FSB Recommendations and Time Lines I. Overall policy framework to reduce moral hazard risk This report recommends a policy framework for addressing the systemic and moral hazard risks associated with systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs) whose disorderly failure, because of their size, complexity and systemic interconnectedness, would cause significant disruption to the wider financial system and economic activity. The report sets out recommendations for improving the authorities ability to resolve such institutions in an orderly manner, without exposing tax-payers to loss, while maintaining continuity of their vital economic functions. This will require changes to resolution regimes and tools at national levels, and legislative changes to enable resolution authorities to coordinate in cross-border resolutions. The report recommends that in particular financial institutions that are clearly systemic in a global context (G-SIFIs) should have higher lossabsorbency capacity than the minimum levels agreed in Basel III. These institutions must also be subject to more intensive co-ordinated supervision and resolution planning to reduce the probability and impact of their failure. SIFIs vary in their structures and activities, and hence in the nature and degree of the risks they pose to the international financial system. Judgement is therefore needed both in determining the group of G-SIFIs to which this framework is to be applied, and for each of these institutions, the magnitude and combination of added loss absorbency measures that will deliver the necessary risk reduction. The FSB and relevant national authorities will exercise judgment on the former drawing on quantitative and qualitative indicators developed by international standard setting bodies and input from national authorities. With regard to the latter, the FSB will establish a process of peer review to assess whether the measures are being applied consistently on a country-by-country basis and commensurate with the risk posed on a G-SIFI-by-G-SIFI basis. As experience is gained, the FSB will review how to extend the framework to cover a wider group of SIFIs, including financial market infrastructures, insurance companies and other non-bank financial institutions that are not part of a banking group structure. 1
4 Recommendations 1. All FSB jurisdictions should put in place a policy framework to reduce the risks and externalities associated with domestic and global systemically important financial institutions in their jurisdictions. 2. The policy framework for SIFIs should combine: - a resolution framework and other measures to ensure that all financial institutions can be resolved safely, quickly and without destabilising the financial system and exposing the taxpayer to the risk of loss; - a requirement that SIFIs and initially in particular global SIFIs (G-SIFIs) have higher loss absorbency capacity to reflect the greater risks that these institutions pose to the global financial system; - more intensive supervisory oversight for financial institutions which may pose systemic risk; - robust core financial market infrastructures to reduce contagion risk from the failure of individual institutions and - other supplementary prudential and other requirements as determined by the national authorities. 3. Additionally, home jurisdictions for global SIFIs (G-SIFIs) should: - enable a rigorous co-ordinated assessment of the risks facing the G-SIFIs through international supervisory colleges; - make international recovery and resolution planning mandatory for G-SIFIs and negotiate institution-specific crisis cooperation agreements within cross-border crisis management groups (CMGs); - subject their G-SIFI policy measures to review by the proposed Peer Review Council. Processes for implementation 4. Resolution regimes and supervisory frameworks and policies will be the subject of FSB thematic or country peer review assessments for all member jurisdictions. They will also be assessed as part of the IMF/World Bank FSAP. 5. FSB member countries that are home to G-SIFIs commit to participation in the G- SIFI Peer Review Council process. II. Global SIFIs should have higher loss absorbency Global SIFIs are institutions of such size, market importance, and global interconnectedness that their distress or failure would cause significant dislocation in the global financial system and adverse economic consequences across a range of countries. Standards for large global financial firms should be commensurate with the system-wide expected losses that their failure would produce. 2
5 Recommendations 6. G-SIFIs should have loss absorption capacity beyond the minimum agreed Basel III standards. They should have a higher share of their balance sheets funded by capital and/or by other instruments which increase the resilience of the institution as a going concern. 7. Depending on national circumstances, this greater capacity could be drawn from a menu of viable alternatives and could be achieved by a combination of a capital surcharge, a quantitative requirement for contingent capital instruments and a share of debt instruments or other liabilities represented by bail-inable claims, which are capable of bearing loss at the point of non-viability, i.e. within resolution, thus enabling creditor recapitalisation and recovery while maintaining vital business functions. 8. In some circumstances, the FSB may recognise that further measures, including liquidity surcharges, tighter large exposure restrictions, levies, and structural measures could reduce the risks or externalities that a G-SIFI poses. Processes and timeline for implementation 9. The Basel Committee is asked to complete by mid-2011 a study of the magnitude of additional loss absorbency that G-SIFIs should have, along with an assessment of the extent of going-concern loss absorbency which could be provided by the various proposed instruments. 10. The FSB and its members, will examine the legal, operational, market capacity and other issues bearing on the viability of contractual and statutory bail-in (see para 25 Section III on resolution below), and monitor the ongoing capacity of markets for these instruments. They will report on their findings by mid Drawing on the above analyses, the FSB, in consultation with the BCBS, will recommend an additional degree of G-SIFI loss absorbency and the instruments by which these can be met by December III. SIFI resolution must be a viable option Any effective approach to addressing the too big to fail problem needs to have effective resolution at its base. Such a regime must be able to prevent the systemic damage caused by a disorderly collapse without exposing the taxpayer to the risk of loss. To do this, the national regime must, as a basic starting point, provide the authorities with the tools to intervene safely and quickly to ensure the continued performance of the firm s essential financial and economic functions, including uninterrupted access of depositors to their funds wherever they are located, and to transfer and sell viable portions of the firm while apportioning losses, including to unsecured creditors, in a manner that is fair and predictable and so avoids panic or destabilization of financial markets. While some jurisdictions have enacted or are considering legislative changes, most existing arrangements do not yet meet those objectives. Internationally, impediments to cross-border resolution derive from major differences in national resolution regimes, absence of mutual recognition and agreements for joining up 3
6 home and host regimes, and lack of planning for handling stress and resolution. The complexity and integrated nature of group structures and operations, with multiple legal entities spanning national borders and business lines, make rapid and orderly resolutions under current regimes virtually impossible. Recommendations Comprehensive resolution regimes and tools 12. All jurisdictions should undertake the necessary legal reforms to ensure that they have in place a resolution regime which would make feasible the resolution of any financial institution without taxpayer exposure to loss from solvency support while protecting vital economic functions through mechanisms which make it possible for shareholders and unsecured and uninsured creditors to absorb losses in their order of seniority. 13. Each country should have a designated resolution authority responsible for exercising resolution powers over financial institutions. The resolution authority should have the powers and tools proposed in the FSB note on Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes and in the BCBS Cross-border Bank Resolution Group (CBRG) Recommendations and the flexibility to tailor resolution measures to the specific nature of financial institutions domestic and international business activities. 14. National authorities should consider restructuring mechanisms to allow recapitalisation of a financial institution as a going concern by way of contractual and/or statutory (i.e., within-resolution) debt-equity conversion and write-down tools, as appropriate to their legal frameworks and market capacity. Such mechanisms require that a robust resolution regime be in place. Effective cross-border coordination mechanisms 15. The mandates of resolution authorities should be framed so that they are fully obliged to seek cooperation with foreign resolution authorities. Jurisdictions should provide resolution authorities with the capacity in law to cooperate and to share information across borders. They should review and, where appropriate, eliminate those provisions in national laws that hamper fair cross-border resolution such as depositor priority rules within resolution that give preferential treatment to domestic depositors over those of foreign branches, or that trigger automatic action in the domestic jurisdiction as a result of official intervention and/or the initiation of resolution or insolvency proceedings in another jurisdiction, while reserving the right to act on their own initiative in the absence of effective cooperation and information sharing. When resolving a SIFI, home authorities should take into account the effects on host countries. 16. For each G-SIFI, there should be institution-specific cooperation agreements between relevant home and host authorities. These agreements should provide for clarity as regards the roles and responsibilities of home and host authorities in planning for and managing the resolution of the institution, and should be 4
7 underpinned by national law that provides both the mandate and the capacity to cooperate and share all relevant information among home and host supervisors, central banks and resolution authorities. Authorities should explore avenues to formalise these agreements and over time make them more binding. The agreements should, inter alia: - establish the objectives and processes for cooperation through crisis management groups, and provide for holding at least annual meetings including top officials of the home and relevant host authorities to assess the robustness of the G-SIFIs Recovery and Resolution Plans; - define the roles and responsibilities of the authorities at all appropriate stages of a crisis; and - set out the legal bases in the respective national laws and the modalities for information sharing during good times and in crisis, including sharing with any key host authorities that are not represented in the crisis management group. Sustained recovery and resolution planning 17. All financial institutions should be resolvable in an orderly manner and without taxpayers solvency support under the applicable resolution regimes in the jurisdictions in which they operate. Recovery and resolution plans that assess G- SIFIs resolvability should be mandatory. Recovery and resolution planning should be a continuing exercise. 18. Authorities should have the powers, exercisable under clear criteria, to require a financial institution to make changes to its legal and operational structure and business practices to facilitate the implementation of recovery and resolution measures. Should operations in other jurisdictions be affected by such proposed changes, there should be adequate coordination with the relevant host supervisors. 19. Resolvability under existing resolution regimes and cooperation agreements should be an important consideration in host authorities determination of any changes to be required in a hosted institution s operations. Host jurisdictions may wish to decide, in light of the systemic significance (or otherwise) of the hosted foreign institution for their financial system and economy, and in light of the applicable resolution regimes and cooperation agreements, whether to permit a branch presence, or to permit a subsidiary presence, so that resolution is a local responsibility, but with co-ordination with the home (or group) regulatory and resolution authority Where a SIFI has multiple significant legal entities, it should maintain information on a legal-entity basis; minimise any undue intra-group guarantees, in particular undue use of blanket guarantees; ensure that service agreements are appropriately documented and cannot be abrogated by the service provider in resolution; and ensure that significant global payment and settlement services are legally separable and continued operability is ensured. 1 For members of the European Union, the term jurisdiction will, as appropriate, refer to the European Union as one jurisdiction, and the freedom for institutions to establish branches and subsidiaries is guaranteed by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and cannot be restricted in a way that contravenes the Treaty. 5
8 Processes and timeline for implementation 21. By end-march 2011 all FSB members, using the CBRG Recommendations and the FSB draft Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes, will report their assessment of: - their capacity to resolve SIFIs operating in their jurisdictions under their existing resolution regimes; and - the legislative and other changes to national resolution regimes and policies needed to accomplish effective resolution; this includes in particular changes needed in order to (i) eliminate provisions that hamper cross-border cooperation or trigger automatic consequences as a result of interventions in other jurisdictions, (ii) to oblige seeking cooperation with foreign resolution authorities and (iii) to provide the powers to require changes to an institution s structure and business practices. 22. The FSB will set out by mid-2011 criteria for assessing the resolvability of SIFIs, which should be taken into account in determining the systemic risk of a G-SIFI, and the attributes of effective resolution regimes, including the minimum level of legal harmonisation and legal preconditions required to make cross-border resolutions effective. The work will draw on available principles and recommendations and be undertaken in close cooperation with the BCBS CBRG, IMF, IAIS, IOSCO and other bodies to take account of the nature of financial activities in different sectors, and be subject to public consultation. 23. Jurisdictions should use these criteria and attributes to set out their plans to address areas where legal or regulatory changes or improvements to their resolution policies are needed, by end The FSB, in consultation with the Basel Committee s Cross-border Bank Resolution Group (CBRG), will undertake a thematic peer review on the implementation of the attributes of effective resolution regimes in A working group will be established to examine the legal and operational aspects of both contractual and statutory bail-in mechanisms providing for debt to equity conversions and/or write-downs in resolution. Building on the work of the BCBS, the working group will consider the market capacity and impact of such mechanisms and the legal requirements and contractual terms for their use in group structures and in a cross-border context. The working group will present its findings and recommendations by mid By end-2011, relevant home and host authorities should have drawn up for all G- SIFIs institution-specific cooperation agreements that specify the respective roles and responsibilities of the authorities at all stages of a crisis. 27. The FSB will assess and report by end-2011 on the progress in the development of institution-specific recovery and resolution plans for G-SIFIs. It will report on practical measures taken to improve resolvability, addressing obstacles associated with booking practices, global payments, intra-group guarantees and information systems. 6
9 IV. Strengthening SIFI supervision Every country must have a supervisory system that is up to the task of ensuring that the regulations, including the new regulations coming out of Basel III, are backed up by effective risk assessments and enforcement, especially as it relates to SIFIs. Supervisors are expected to detect problems proactively, and intervene early to reduce the impact of potential stresses on financial institutions and therefore on the financial system as a whole. Given lessons learned from the crisis, improvements are necessary in four key areas: i) unambiguous supervisory mandates and independence as well as access to the appropriate quality and quantity of resources; ii) a full suite of powers available to all national supervisors to execute on their mandate; iii) an improved set of standards for supervisors, the quality of which must reflect the higher complexity of the financial system and the firms that comprise it, including the integration of better micro and macro risk detection processes; and iv) a stricter assessment regime that consistently drives supervisors to high quality work, and alerts authorities to potential weaknesses in their oversight processes earlier. Recommendations 28. All national supervisory authorities should have the powers to apply differentiated supervisory requirements and intensity of supervision to SIFIs based on the risks they pose to the financial system. 29. All national supervisory authorities should have appropriate mandates, independence and resources to identify risks early and intervene to require changes within an institution, as needed, to prevent unsound practices and take appropriate countermeasures to safeguard against the additional systemic risks. 30. The FSB SIFI Supervisory Intensity and Effectiveness Recommendations should be taken into account in updates of BCBS, IAIS and IOSCO Core Principles, implementation standards and assessment methodologies, including in the upgrading of additional criteria to essential criteria (and therefore to be taken account of in the ROSC compliance assessment grading) as appropriate. 31. National authorities should review supervisory methodologies in the light of the lessons and improved techniques set out in the FSB SIFI Supervisory Intensity and Effectiveness Recommendations and make changes as needed. 32. FSAPs/ROSCs should take into account assessments against all essential and additional criteria of the existing Basel Core Principles as it relates to the supervision of SIFIs, and should make recommendations to address any weaknesses that are identified relative to the additional criteria. 33. Jurisdictions should provide for a national supervisory framework that enables effective consolidated supervision by addressing ambiguities of responsibilities, impairments related to information gathering and assessment when multiple supervisors are overseeing the institution and its affiliates. 34. For G-SIFIs, the quality of information exchanged in supervisory colleges should be adequate to enable a rigorous co-ordinated assessment of the risks facing the institution. 7
10 Processes and timeline for implementation 35. FSB members should conduct a self assessment against the relevant Core Principles, including essential and additional criteria, and identify deficiencies and corrective actions in a letter addressed to the FSB Chair, covering: - Supervisory mandates and independence; - Supervisory powers; and - Comprehensive consolidated supervision. These letters should be issued by mid-2011 for BCBS Core Principles and by early 2012 for IAIS Core Principles. A thematic peer review will be undertaken to assess the actions taken to address identified deficiencies. 36. The relevant standard setting bodies should take into consideration the recommended enhancements set out in SIFI Supervisory Intensity and Effectiveness Recommendations in the next revision of their Core Principles. Before the revised Core Principles are issued, they should provide a report to the FSB on how those recommendations will be reflected in the new principles, assessment methodology and criteria. This process should be completed by end The standard setting bodies should report to the FSB on how to improve the operation of supervisory colleges to ensure a more rigorous co-ordinated assessment of the risks facing the institution by end The FSB s group of senior line supervisors of SIFIs should continue to discuss the special needs and challenges of SIFI supervision. This group should before year-end 2011 prepare a status report for the FSB on whether further steps should be taken to implement or complement the recommendations set out in SIFI Supervisory Intensity and Effectiveness. V. Strengthening core financial infrastructures The recent financial crisis demonstrated the potential for contagion arising from the interconnectedness of significant market participants and the limited transparency of counterparty relationships. Robust financial market infrastructures make an essential contribution to financial stability by reducing what could otherwise be a major source of systemic risk. At the same time, authorities must take steps to ensure that a core or critical financial infrastructure does not itself become a source of systemic risk. Recommendations 39. International standards for core financial market infrastructures, including payment systems, securities settlement systems, and central counterparties, should be updated and strengthened in light of the lessons learned from the recent financial crisis and changes in markets to ensure resilience under stressed conditions 40. National authorities should implement: (i) the G-20 commitments that all standardised OTC derivatives contracts should be traded on exchanges or electronic trading platforms, where appropriate, and cleared through central counterparties 8
11 (CCPs), and OTC derivatives contracts should be reported to trade repositories; and (ii) the recommendations set forth in the forthcoming report of the FSB OTC Derivatives Working Group. Processes and timeline for implementation 41. CPSS and IOSCO should review and enhance their standards for financial market infrastructure, publishing a consultative report on revised standards by early 2011, and a final report by end The FSB OTC Derivatives Working Group should provide regular assessments of progress, with an initial report no later than end-march VI. Ensuring effective and consistent implementation of national policies for G-SIFIs Recommendations 43. The FSB and national authorities, in consultation with the BCBS, CGFS, CPSS, IOSCO and IAIS, drawing on relevant qualitative and quantitative indicators, will determine by mid-2011 those institutions to which the FSB G-SIFI recommendations will initially apply. 44. A Peer Review Council (PRC) will be established, comprising senior members of the relevant national authorities having G-SIFIs operating as home or host in their jurisdictions, with a mandate to assess and report to the FSB as to whether: - the national G-SIFI policy measures adopted constitute reasonable choices from amongst the available set of policy options and potential trade-offs, on the basis of an evaluation framework agreed upon by the FSB in consultation with the standard setting bodies; - the G-SIFI Recovery and Resolution plans and institution-specific cooperation agreements are robust and likely to be effective; - the national G-SIFI policy measures are globally consistent and mutually supportive. - additional loss absorbency measures have been implemented. 45. The PRC will periodically review, for consideration by the FSB, whether other significant institutions should be considered as (or no longer considered as) globally systemic. 46. Arrangements, with appropriate safeguards, will be made for the sharing of confidential data and information necessary for the PRC to perform its functions. The modalities for PRC follow-up in cases where it may assess G-SIFI policies to be inconsistent with the agreed global approach will be defined. 47. The PRC will report annually to the FSB on the adequacy and global consistency of national G-SIFI policies. 9
12 Processes and timeline for implementation 48. The BCBS should propose to the FSB by end-2010 a provisional methodology comprising both quantitative and qualitative indicators to assist the FSB and national authorities in assessing the systemic importance of financial institutions at a global level. FSB members will evaluate this methodology and provide feedback to the BCBS, which should finalise the methodology in early The FSB, in consultation with the standard-setters, should complete by end-2011 an evaluation framework for the application and review of G-SIFI policies, including: i) the ways in which higher loss absorption capacity can be created in G-SIFIs; ii) other prudential measures, such as liquidity surcharges, large exposures restrictions; or systemic levies; and iii) structural measures such as restrictions on activities and legal form that could improve an institution s resolvability. 50. The FSB will establish a PRC comprising senior members of the relevant national authorities with G-SIFIs in their jurisdiction to be in operation by end The FSB Steering Committee will draw up a framework for the operation of the PRC. 51. The PRC will conduct its initial assessment of national G-SIFI policies by end
13 Annex Summary of processes and timelines Action Responsible Completed by Higher loss absorbency Study on additional loss absorbency (para. 9) BCBS Mid-2011 Assessment of legal, operational, market capacity and other issues relating to contractual and statutory bail-ins (para. 10) Recommendations on additional degree of loss absorbency and instruments (para.11) Resolution FSB and members FSB in consultation with BCBS Mid-2011 December 2011 Assessment of SIFI resolvability and needed legal and regulatory reforms (para. 21) FSB members March 2011 Formulation of resolvability criteria and key attributes of effective resolution regimes (para. 22) Assessment on the basis of resolvability criteria and key attributes of needed changes and improvements of national resolution regimes and policies (para. 23) Thematic peer review on key attributes of effective resolution regimes (para. 24) Recommendations on the legal and operational aspects of contractual and statutory bail-ins (para. 25) Institution-specific cross-border cooperation agreements for global SIFIs (para. 26) Report on progress on institution-specific recovery and resolution plans for global SIFIs (para. 27) Strengthening SIFI Supervision Self-assessments against relevant BCP on effective supervision (para. 35) FSB in consultation with BCBS CBRG, IMF, IAIS, IOSCO FSB members FSB in consultation with BCBS CBRG FSB working group (to be established) Home and key host authorities of G-SIFIs FSB Cross-Border Crisis Management Group (CBCM) FSB members Mid-2011 End-2011 End-2012 Mid-2011 End-2011 End-2011 Mid-2011 Self-assessments against relevant ICPs on effective supervision (para. 35) FSB members Early 2012 Review of relevant Core Principles relating to supervisory powers, mandates and consolidated supervision (para. 36) BCBS, IAIS, IOSCO End
14 Action Responsible Completed by Strengthening SIFI Supervision (con td) Report on improvements of supervisory colleges (para. 37) Status report on implementation of SIFI supervisory Intensity and Effectiveness Recommendations (para. 38) BCBS, IAIS, IOSCO FSB group of senior line supervisors End-2012 End-2011 Strengthening Core Financial Market Infrastructures Review of standards for financial market infrastructure (para. 41) Assessment of progress on implementation of FSB OTC Derivatives WG Recommendations (para. 42) CPSS, IOSCO Early 2011 (consultative report) End-2011 (final report) FSB OTC Derivatives WG March 2011 Peer review of G-SIFI policies Determination of those institutions to which the FSB G-SIFI recommendations will initially apply (para 43) Provisional methodology for assessing systemic importance (para. 48) Evaluation framework for G-SIFI policies (para. 49) Establishment of Peer Review Council PRC (para. 50) Initial assessment of G-SIFI policies (para. 51) FSB and national authorities, in consultation with the BCBS, CGFS, CPSS, IOSCO and IAIS BCBS FSB in consultation with standard-setters FSB FSB PRC Mid-2011 End-2010 (draft) Early-2011 (finalised) End-2011 End-2011 End
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• Technical Support Specialist
• Pharmacy Technician
• Legal Assistant
• Marketing Coordinator
• Teacher
• Registered Nurse
• Clerk
• Customer Service Associate
• Associate Attorney
"What is so unique about CareerBliss is that we can evaluate not only what jobs are making a comeback, but also what trends are impacting overall happiness in the workplace," Heidi Golledge, CEO and co-founder of CareerBliss, said. "Real estate agents have definitely weathered quite a financial storm over the past few years, but, right now, rates are between 2 to 3 percent and inventory is low, making it a real estate agent's dream as new homes hit the market and are getting multiple offers in the first week. Realtors say that the way they work, and the rewards they are seeing with a growing market has helped boost overall happiness for those in this career."


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Renner Robert Estabrook, age 4 days, passed away on August 3, 2017 at Sanford Children's Hospital in Fargo, ND.
Services will be 11:00 AM Saturday, August 12, 2017 at Mitchell Wesleyan Church, with a visitation an hour prior. Burial will be at St. Scholastica Cemetery in Letcher.
Renner Robert Estabrook was born on July 30, 2017 in Thief River Falls, MN to Tod and Amber (Bartscher) Estabrook.
He leaves behind a loving family, including his parents Tod and Amber Estabrook, Thief River Falls, MN; grandparents Damon and Debbie Bartscher, Mitchell, SD, Mike and Lisa Green, Denver, CO, Cheri Shank, Sioux Falls, SD, and Bob Shank, Mitchell, SD; aunts and uncles Austin Bartscher (fiancé Nicole Bosma), Rapid City, SD, Josh (Alexis) Green, Denver, CO, Tawny William, Mitchell, SD, Nicole Green, Denver, CO, and Zach Green, Grand Junction, CO; cousins Amelia, James, and Emersyn Green and Cloe and Robin Williams.


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Welcome to SocketStore-UK
Socket Mobile's DuraCase™ is a one-handed solution, combining both the Samsung S7 and 800 Series attachable scanner. The 800 Series is your mobile device's attachable scanning tool while the DuraCase is a safeguard for both phone and scanner. Without compromising the convenience of your S7, the DuraCase fits like a rubberized glove, coupling your scanner and Samsung phone into one. Featuring RAM® IntelliSkin™ with GDS technology, DuraCase is designed for on-the-go workforces requiring handheld devices. DuraCase helps prevent scratches and bacteria from tainting your phone and scanner. A stumble wouldn't hold you down, and with the DuraCase, a fumble isn't about to stop your devices from getting the job done.
*Charging options not included. DuraCase requires a charging option to charge your mobile device and 800 Series scanner simultaneously.
Learn more about our DuraCase charging options.
Note: Without one of the DuraCase charging options you will have to charge your mobile device and 800 Series separately.
No thanks, I'll stay on this site.


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Honestly I have no problem with Sheldon's love of trains. No really I don't. If it gives Mr. GS a tickle to love trains too, well that's fine with me. In fact, "love of trains" has made the transition into his graduate program in NYC go all the more smoothly. See, Mr. GS has to commute in by train and if Sheldon loves trains then Mr. GS without too much bother can handle the commuter train. Also, interestingly, the para told me that apparently today my son decided that he had to take the subway to class instead of a cab. A subway is a train afterall.
We (his very protective parents) had been concerned about him taking the subway because of all the sensory issues involved. Plus how much transition was he supposed to go through in such a short period of time? Commuter train, new school, new people, new regime and the New York City subway system too? Well on ward and upward, or should I say, down into the bowels of Manhattan they went. Mr. GS and the para rode the subway. And yes the subway ride not only went well, Mr. GS loved it. So not bad, not bad at all. Kudos to Mr. GS.
However, the train thing does get a little dicey when we talk about going to visit my mother in Florida. Luckily last year we had frequent flier miles and one thing Mr. GS does understand is to be a little economical. Well sort of...maybe...in some way.... even though I don't really think he understands the value of a dollar. But if we tell him we can economize on something he goes with it. It seems that being frugal saved a character in one of the books he had to read for his Holocaust minor and the thought stuck with him.
Meanwhile in discussing another trip to Florida for over the upcoming Christmas break, the idea of the car-train on Amtrack came up. Again I have nothing against trains, but 24 hours with all of us cramped together in one small compartment is not what I call a vacation. Heck, the boys have their moments of sibling disillusion in our house and they have their own offices into which to retreat.
So I get this rather silly idea to tweet Bill Prady, one of the creators of The Big Bang Theory. I follow him on twitter and I thought what the heck. So I sent this out: "son identifies with Sheldon. Now insists on only going by train to Fla from NY. Plz have Sheldon fly w/o incident. Tyvm"
and I immediately received this reply:
@LibertysSpirit Tell him that Sheldon has no fear of flying; he flies back home to Texas. He does love trains, though.
— Bill Prady (@billprady) June 27, 2013
I doubt Mr. Prady understood that the son in question is an almost 23 year old graduate STEM student, but you never know considering the show's familiarity with aspergers. All I can say is a big THANK YOU. I had forgotten that Sheldon did fly back and forth without incident to visit his mother in Texas. Now at least I have some ammunition to tell Mr. GS if he thinks about going by rail to Florida. I know for a fact that Sheldon would have flown.
Wish me luck.
Update: After Mr. Gs returned home from school, I offhandedly mentioned to him about how Sheldon traveled by air to see his mother in Texas. He needed me to explain which episode that was from. But once he remembered he was fine. In fact he responded "good to know." Looks like I get to fly back and forth from NY to Florida during Christmas...Hoorah.


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I've combined all the various staff (manuscript) paper that I've posted over the years into one handy document. This will make it easier to locate a quick piece of staff paper when you need it. Plus, you can scroll through the PDF to find the size you want to print.
There are 6 different sizes of staff paper in this document for all ages and a size for teachers with good eyes. (not me!) There is even a giant version with only 2 staves in landscape position for drawing clefs and notes.
I also included some staff paper that has really helped my beginning composers. It has the grand staff already drawn in. One page even has the bar lines drawn in. This helps young students to be less intimidated about writing their own music, because it looks familiar and gives them some structure. I tell my students they don't have to use both clefs just because they are there! I also put lines for the name, date, and page number, because, well, every teacher knows why!
If you only want to print one size of staff paper and you're not sure how to do it, please review my FAQ and scroll down the page until you find it. Save ink and paper and only print what you need. 🙂
This is the same staff paper I've always had on my site, but I've moved the location. There are 6 pages, and it is all in ink-saving black and white.


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Discover the intoxicating city of Colombo with a cosmopolitan stay at the Movenpick Hotel Colombo, a glittering tower soaring into the Sri Lankan skyline and boasting its own infinity pool with rooftop bar. Enjoy either panoramic views of the Indian ocean or of the dazzling metropolis below from your luxurious rooms, and sink into your sumptuous bed before waking up refreshed and energised for a day of adventuring!
A variety of trips and tours can be found within a short distance of the hotel.
The Movenpick Hotel Colombo is approximately 36km away from Bandaranaike International Airport.
Robata Grill


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Desktop Systems Guide
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Shuttling to AM2
Shuttling to AM2
It's been a while since we last had a Shuttle XPC small form factor (SFF) in our labs. Not that the folks over at the SFF specialist company haven't been busy; in fact Shuttle was as usual one of the first SFF makers to jump on the Viiv bandwagon with the XPC SD36G5M. Now, it seems that it was AMD's turn to get a SFF refresh in conjunction with the shift to the new Socket AM2 and DDR2 platform. Yes, the AM2 has arrived for the SFF in the compact package that is Shuttle's XPC SN27P2.
The new Socket AM2 platform was launched in May, the big change mainly being the move to a new DDR2 memory controller as AMD has decided that the numbers for the supply of decent speed DDR2 memory are finally significant enough to warrant the move. NVIDIA, having largely won the AMD motherboard chipset segment, was naturally in the thick of the action with its latest nForce 500 series chipsets for these new AM2 processors. The Shuttle XPC SN27P2 uses a chipset from the mid-range model in the series, the nForce 570 Ultra, which thankfully has most of the useful new features like FirstPacket and DualNet technology. The exclusive features on the highest end nForce 590 seem to have little performance impact so it was a good tradeoff. You can also read more about these new motherboard chipsets here.
Officially launched at Computex, the Shuttle SN27P2 is yet another pioneer in the SFF niche, not only in terms of the new AM2 platform, but also in an updated chassis that seems to have some rather major changes under the hood. All these make for some excitement.
You can expect the usual quality Shuttle package in the XPC SN27P2. However, the tool-free accessories are gone and surprisingly, replaced by screws. Most of the accessories are enclosed in zip-lock bags for neatness. Another thing we didn't like is the fact that the user manual is now in CD format, so you'll need a computer to read it. To its credit though, you shouldn't need to refer to the manual to get the SFF up as the Quick Guide and its comprehensive instructions and pictures should lead you through the installation process painlessly. Here then is the complete list of items in the box:
- 1 x Floppy Ribbon Cable
- 1 x Serial ATA Cable
- 1 pair of plastic feets (to elevate the front for improved airflow)
- Shuttle SN27P2 Quick Installation Guide
- SN27P2 User Manual (on CD)
- NVIDIA RAID User Guide
- NVIDIA nForce 570 MCP RAID Driver Diskette
- Driver CD for both 32-bit and 64-bit (Chipset and Audio drivers)
- Shuttle Extras CD (including software like Trend Micro PC-Cillin 2004)
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What makes Rare Drams unique?
Rare Drams:
Grabbing our scotch says a great deal about you. You value excellence, and cherish the craftsmship that goes along with specialization. You like things unique. You appreciate the finer things in life. You are a true rare drams drinker.
To match your expectations, we carefully select our retail partners and ensure that the staff are aware of the distinct tastes and flavours in our drams. We also set up a Rare Drams tasting for their most valued customers, YOU, and with over 100 unique malts to choose from, we hope to have our partners for quite some time
Enjoy our unique selection.
Romance and The Single Cask:
There is a romance to a Douglas Laing scotch. Each bottle you drink derives from a single cask. Unlike Distillery bottling which brings together several hundred casks at a time, Douglas Laing's Malts come from only a single cask. Matured and bottled when they feel that particular whisky has reached it's perfection. This means we have unique vintages such as 11, 13, or 17.
Each Douglas Laing release, even from the same distillery brings with it a unique taste. No one cask is the same as another. The Malt whisky retains the individual flavours and nuances extracted from their maturation. All of our Malts have limitted quantities, unlike the thousands you can expect from a large distillers production run.
No drink epitomizes history quite like scotch. To develop a taste that is exactly right some casks take ten years, some eleven, others seventeen or twentyfive. Can you imaginge drinking a forty year old dram? In the first forty years of entering the cask, Neil Armstrong made his first 'step for mankind'. Or perhaps you are enjoying a thirteen year old Laphroaig. Celebrating nothing but the drink's uniqueness.
As we grow we are continually on the lookout for unique, quality products. This is why we have been selected to represent 2 new brands.
PLEASE CHECK OUT www.raredrams.ca for more updates and follow us on twitter @raredrams


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"Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." – Albert Einstein
Depending upon where you are in your financial lifespan, it may be appropriate for you to have a certain portion of your assets at risk in the marketing within your investment portfolio. Not every person is the same, and accordingly, each financial product recommended to you will be based upon your risk tolerance, age, and goals moving forward. When necessary, clients will be referred to unaffiliated third-party broker-dealers, mutual fund companies, insurance companies, banks, and their custodians to purchase or sell securities products.


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What Top Employers say about themselves
Dow combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions.
The research
Our comprehensive independent research revealed that Dow Industrial Chemical Products Nigeria Ltd provides exceptional employee conditions, nurtures and develops talent throughout all levels of the organisation and has demonstrated its leadership status in the HR environment, always striving to optimise its employment practices and to develop its employees.
We help your organisation adapt to the rapidly changing HR environmentHow we certify


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What Are the Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards in My Business?
If you are running a business and are not accepting credit card transactions, you may wish to consider whether you can improve sales and efficiencies by rethinking your decision on credit. Whether you have an offline or online business, accepting credit cards will produce positive results for your business. Although accepting credit cards will cost you some money up front, oftentimes its benefits will outweigh all the service fees.
Allowing credit card transactions will help establish your status in the industry. By providing clients with more options, they will be more pleased and satisfied with your business, making you satisfied as well. This will help your business grow more quickly, attaining a stronger placement in the market. It will also contribute to a positive image on the business as well as your clients. Accepting credit cards will also give your business a level of legitimacy and can help instill rapport and trust with your customers.
Easy Sales
Customers do not like wasting time when making purchases. When shopping, they want their transactions completed immediately. Having a credit card facility will help you achieve this. Customers who are allowed to use credit cards may be more engaged in shopping and will tend to look positively at your business. With more convenient payment options, more customers will be attracted to the efficient and reliable services of your business.
Time Savings
If you have an online business, accepting credit card payments will save you a lot of time. Payments through credit cards can quickly be authorized, unlike money orders and checks, which take days and weeks to clear. Accepting credit card payments can thus have a tremendous positive effect on your cash flow. Even if your sales are not increasing, your business will still benefit from the convenience of having your profit from the credit card sale delivered to your bank account instantly.
Higher Sales
If you do not accept credit cards, you run the risk of losing hundreds of potential customers who are not willing to pay in cash or who do not have other means to make their payments. There are people who only use credit cards to make particular types of purchases, especially online. People do not want to carry large amounts of cash when they shop or they like to use credit cards for the security of a credit card no-fraud guarantee and the rewards points. So if customers are provided with advanced payment options, they are more likely to make more purchases, which will lead to increased product sales.
Photo Credits
- number image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com


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The Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team claims its first podium in the Superbike class of the FIM Endurance World Championship while Pekka Päivärinta/Kirsi Kainulainen defend the overall lead in the FIM Sidecar World Championship courtesy of a double podium in Oschersleben, Germany. Meanwhile, Ian Hutchinson and Taylor Mackenzie secure a one-two for the RR in the British Superbike Championship and Maximilian Scheib steps onto the podium twice in the FIM CEV Superbike European Championship.
FIM Endurance World Championship in Oschersleben, Germany.
The "8 Hours EWC Oschersleben" (DE) marked the season finale for the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). It was the home round for several BMW teams, including the Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team of team principal Rico Penzkofer (DE) – and the squad had reason to celebrate. Riders Kenny Foray (FR) and Lukáš Pešek (CZ) secured the first ever podium finish for the number 13 BMW S1000RR in the highest category, the Superbike class (EWC SBK). After eight hours, they crossed the line in third for a podium. The Penz13.com team has only contested a few EWC races in the highest class so far, and with this success it proved to be competitive among the strong and established factory endurance teams. Team Lukoil BMW Motorrad CSEU also scored a strong result: Roland Resch (AT), Fabrizio Lai (IT) and Julian Mayer (AT) crossed the line in seventh with the number 52 BMW S1000RR.
In the Superstock class (EWC STK), officially named the FIM Endurance World Cup, the Völpker NRT48 by Schubert-Motors team came to Oschersleben as the overall leader. The squad, however, experienced a difficult season finale just a few miles away from its team base. In qualifying, rider Dominik Vincon (DE) crashed and suffered fractures to his femur and arm. We wish Dominik a speedy recovery. The BMW sister team Penz13.com helped out and loaned them its third rider, Matthieu Lussiana (FR), to stand in for injured Vincon and race the number 48 BMW S1000RR along with Bastien Mackels (BE) and Stefan Kerschbaumer (AT). Unfortunately, the race was over for them after two hours through no fault of their own. A massive oil spill on the track caused a number of riders to crash, including Mackels who had no chance of controlling the RR on the oily surface. The bike was too badly damaged to continue the race. In the championship standings, Völpker NRT48 ended the season in third overall.
FIM Sidecar World Championship in Oschersleben, Germany.
The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (DE) also hosted the penultimate round of the 2016 FIM Sidecar World Championship (SWC) last weekend. Finnish duo Pekka Päivärinta / Kirsi Kainulainen (44-Racing) continued their streak of success with another double podium. In the sprint race on Saturday, they were third, while they finished the gold race on Sunday in second with their sidecar powered by an S1000RR engine. With this result, they defended the overall lead in the world championship standings: With only one more round to go, Päivärinta/Kainulainen have an advantage of 23 points over their closest rivals. Mike Roscher/Anna Burkard (DE / Roscher-Burkard Penz13 Racing) finished the two races in seventh and fifth respectively.
British Superbike Championship in Cadwell Park, Great Britain.
Round eight of the 2016 British Superbike Championship (BSB) was held at Cadwell Park (GB) last weekend. In the first race for the Superbike class (BSB SBK), Richard Cooper (GB / Buildbase BMW Motorrad) was the highest placed BMW rider, crossing the line in eighth. He was followed by Jake Dixon (GB / Royal Air Force Regular & Reserve) in ninth and Michael Laverty (GB / Tyco BMW) in tenth. In race two over the hilly circuit, Dixon was the best-placed BMW rider in tenth.
The race for the Superstock class (BSB STK) saw another one-two for the BMW S1000RR and, in total, eight RRs crossed the line in the top ten. In front, it was Ian Hutchinson (GB / Tyco BMW) who celebrated his second win of the season in this series. Taylor Mackenzie (GB / Buildbase BMW Motorrad) was second this time. Adam Jenkinson (GB / NEI Motorsport) crossed the line in fourth, while places six to ten went to Joshua Elliott (GB / Tyco BMW), Dominic Usher (GB / ONE7R / Formwise), Billy Mellor (GB / Able Engineering), Barry Teasdale (GB / Green Chem / Bob Henderson Racing) and Ashley Beech (GB / Jones-Dorling Racing). In the championship standings, Mackenzie leads with an advantage of 23 points over second placed Hutchinson.
FIM CEV Superbike European Championship in Portimão, Portugal.
After a longer summer break, the 2016 FIM CEV Superbike European Championship (CEV) resumed in Portimão (PT) last weekend. BMW racer Maximilian Scheib (CL) once more finished both races on the podium. He claimed second place on both occasions with his Targobank EasyRace SBK Team BMW S1000RR. His new teammate Marcos Solorza (AR), who stood in for injured Santiago Barragán (ES), ended the races in sixth and fifth respectively. Roberto Blazquez (ES / ARC Competicion) was 11th and tenth.
South African SuperGP Champions Trophy in Aldo Scribante, South Africa.
The South African SuperGP Champions Trophy (RSA SBK) held its sixth round of the season at Aldo Scribante (ZA) last weekend. BMW S1000RR rider Lance Isaacs (ZA / Lance Isaacs Racing) finished the two races in fifth and sixth respectively. Ronald Slamet (ZA / Bavarian Motorcycles & Danie Maritz Racing) and Garrick Vlok (ZA) also claimed top-ten finishes, with Slamet being tenth in race one and Vlok taking this position in race two.
2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.
Status: August 31, 2016
|Name (Nat.)
|Series / Class
|Jordan Szoke (CA)
|Vincent Lonbois (BE)
|Michael Dunlop (GB)
|Ian Hutchinson (GB)
|Michal Prášek (CZ)
|Sébastien Le Grelle (BE)
|Pekka Päivärinta / Kirsi Kainulainen (FI)
|Taylor Mackenzie (GB)
|Didier Grams (DE)
|Maximilian Scheib (CL)
|Kenny Foray (FR)
|Benjamin Colliaux (FR)
|Lukáš Pešek (CZ)
|Ben Young (GB)
|Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FR)
16. Jan Bühn (DE/IDM STK/194.15), 17. Danilo Lewis (BR/BRSBK/191.56), 18. Raffaele De Rosa (IT/STK1000/189.04), 19. Michael Leon (CA/CSBK/186.00), 20. Joshua Elliott (GB/BSB STK/184.55), 21. Stefan Kerschbaumer (AT/EWC STK/180.62), 21. Bastien Mackels (BE/EWC STK/180.62), 21. Dominik Vincon (DE/EWC STK/180.62), 24. Lance Isaacs (ZA/RSA SBK/175.43), 25. Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM STK/169.69), 26. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/158.80), 27. Michael Rutter (GB/BSB STK/158.73), 28. Mathieu Gines (FR/IDM SBK/156.11), 29. Jordi Torres (ES/WorldSBK/151.00), 30. Mike Roscher/Anna Burkard (DE/SWC/147.63), 31. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/142.40), 32. Michel Amalric (FR/FR EU/137.80), 33. Miloš Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/132.80), 34. Richard Cooper (GB/BSB SBK/130.40), 35. Matteo Ferrari (IT/CIV/128.40), 36. Christian Iddon (GB/BSB SBK/121.60), 37. Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR/FR EU/120.31), 38. Colin Butler (CA/MSC SBK/110.00), 39. Martin Tritscher (AT/AARR STK/108.80), 40. Petr Bičiště (CZ/IRRC/104.00), 41. Santiago Barragán (ES/CEV/99.49), 42. Marek Hartl (CZ/AARR STK/98.80), 43. Hernani Teixeira (FR/FR EU/96.00), 44. Marco Nekvasil (AT/IDM STK/94.00), 45. Madjid Idres (FR/FR EU/93.23), 46. Hudson Kennaugh (ZA/BSB STK/88.00), 47. Garrick Vlok (ZA/RSA SBK/87.71), 48. David Datzer (DE/IRRC/84.00), 49. Denni Schiavoni (IT/CIV/83.60), 50. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/80.00), 50. Markus Reiterberger (DE/WorldSBK/80.00), 52. Marc Neumann (DE/IDM STK/76.46), 53. Steve Rapp (US/AMA SBK/74.93), 54. Joshua Brookes (AU/WorldSBK/74.20), 55. Roberto Blazquez (ES/CEV/73.60), 56. Nasarudin Mat Yusop (MY/MSC STK/72.80), 57. Lee Johnston (GB/BMW RRC/71.00), 58. Julien Brun (FR/FR EU/69.38), 59. Luca Vitali (IT/STK1000/69.25), 60. David Bouvier (FR/FR EU/69.19), 61. Arnaud Friedrich (DE/IDM STK/66.31), 62. Bertrand Boyer (FR/FR EU/64.00), 63. Adam Jenkinson (GB/BSB STK/62.55), 64. Camille Hedelin (FR/EWC SBK/54.53), 64. Clive Rambure (FR/EWC SBK/54.53), 66. Leon Jeacock (GB/BSB STK/53.82), 67. Chrissy Rouse (GB/BSB STK/52.91), 68. Léon Benichou (FR/FR EU/52.31), 69. Karel Abraham (CZ/WorldSBK/51.90), 69. Alastair Seeley (GB/BMW RRC/51.90), 71. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/49.67), 72. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/49.33), 73. Ronald Slamet (ZA/RSA SBK/48.00), 73. Sam West (GB/BMW RRC/48.00), 75. Rob McNealy (GB/BSB STK/43.45), 76. Alex Olsen (GB/BSB STK/42.18), 77. Björn Stuppi (DE/IDM STK/37.69), 78. Rene Skalicky (CZ/AARR STK/35.80), 79. Michal Bidas (CZ/AARR STK/35.20), 80. Ricky Lee Weare (ZA/RSA SBK/33.71), 81. Yuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/33.67), 82. Manu Dagault (FR/FR EU/32.00), 82. Barry Teasdale (GB/BSB STK/32.00), 84. Dominic Chang (SG/MSC STK/31.60), 85. Michal Šembera (CZ/AARR SBK/31.20), 86. Martin Jessopp (GB/BMW RRC/30.00), 87. Davo Johnson (AU/BMW RRC/29.80), 88. Nicolas Senechal (FR/EWC SBK/29.77), 89. Eric Vionnet (CH/STK1000/28.75), 90. Dominic Herbertson (GB/BMW RRC/28.00), 91. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR STK/27.60), 92. Ben Godfrey (GB/BSB STK/27.09), 93. Maxime Bonnot (FR/FSBK SBK/27.08), 94. Dominique Platet (FR/EWC SBK/24.77), 95. Lim Ho Gon (KR/MFJ/23.00), 95. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/23.00), 97. Derek McGee (IE/BMW RRC/22.40), 98. Evert Stoffberg (ZA/RSA SBK/20.86), 99. Jakub Smrz (CZ/BSB SBK/20.00), 99. Etienne Nelson (ZA/RSA SBK/20.00), 101. Adrián Bonastre (ES/CEV/19.00), 102. Justin Gillesen (ZA/RSA SBK/18.86), 103. John Krieger (ZA/RSA SBK/17.71), 104. Gauthier Duwelz (BE/STK1000/17.25), 105. Daniel Cooper (GB/BMW RRC/16.00), 106. Janez Prosenik (SI/EWC SBK/15.65), 107. Michal Filla (CZ/IDM STK/15.54), 108. Pedro Rodriguez (ES/CEV/12.60), 109. Matthieu Lussiana (FR/WorldSBK/12.20), 110. Heinrich Rheeder (ZA/RSA SBK/11.86), 111. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/7.60), 112. Federico D'Annunzio (IT/STK1000/7.50), 113. Pierre Bezuidenhout (ZA/RSA SBK/6.57), 114. Thomas Toffel (CH/STK1000/5.75), 115. Jacques van Wyngaardt (ZA/RSA SBK/5.71), 116. Pascal Meslet (FR/FR EU/4.92), 117. Valter Patronen (FI/CEV/4.80), 118. Matej Smrz (BSB SBK/ 4.60), 119. Eric Dagault (FR/FR EU/3.69), 120. Elwyn Steenkamp (ZA/RSA SBK/1.14), 121. Christophe Costes (FR/FR EU/0.00), 121. Stefan Dolipski (DE/AMA STK/0.00), 121. Ryan Farquhar (GB/BMW RRC/0.00), 121. Marcel Irnie (CA/CSBK/0.00), 121. Aaron League (US/BSB STK/0.00), 121. Joan Sardanyons (ES/CEV/0.00), 121. Tomas Svitok (SK/AARR STK/0.00)


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We're back from our long weekend at Harmony College East. We had excellent coaching this year in singing, interpretation, and presentation and we can't wait to work some of this into our next performances. We were lucky enough to share our coaches with The Corner 4, a quartet from the Sons of the Severn Chorus. These guys are going places!
We'll be singing with the chorus at the Sons of the Severn NCEON benefit show this Sunday. Stop by to support a great cause.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Flag Day, Fort McHenry
We'll be singing at Fort McHenry for the Flag Day celebration on June 14th. This is part of a free concert sponsored by the American Flag Foundation. Come for the singing and stay for the fireworks.
Posted by 3 Wise Men at 3:59 PM No comments:
Labels: Flag Day.
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Vibrant Kids Ministry
Power Source is a place where all children can meet Jesus Christ!
Power Source Ministries is our program for kids Pre-K through 5th grade. We offer a fun and powerful atmosphere for children to grow in their relationship with the Lord and make new friends along the way! Each Sunday our children meet to worship Jesus, play games, watch skits, and hear a powerful message on their level. There are many opportunities for kids to get involved in ministry themselves! Your kids will definitely not want to miss out on all of the fun going on in "Power Source"!
At Power Source, principles of truth are taught in a fun and creative way. Key elements of every service include:
Most importantly, Power Source is a place where all children can meet Jesus Christ!
Sunday 10am
Wednesday 7pm
1245 Sixth St.
Marysville, MI 48040
Nursery – infant upto 3yrs
Toddlers – 3yrs to pre-k
Power Source Kids Ministry – Kindergarden to 5th grade
Vibrant Jr. High – 6th & 7th grade
Vibrant Sr. High – 8th – 12th grade
Single Young Adults & Married Adults
Young at Heart – Seniors 55+


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Stairs vs. Elevators
A conversation with my boss yesterday has convinced me to finally commit to taking the stairs at work. (Thanks, Rob.)
This was easier in our old building. Walking up the carpeted, brick-walled stairwell was a much nicer experience than making small talk with the security guard while waiting for the single elevator. Then, when we moved, not only was the stairwell a depressing institutional concrete, but the door to our floor had a combination lock that the security guard wouldn't reveal. And there were four elevators; there always seemed to be one waiting in the lobby. So I started walking down, but taking the elevator up. When I found out the combo from one of the Berkleemusic guys, I was already in the habit and had a hard time breaking it. What can I say? I'm lazy.
From an environmental standpoint, it's not the end of the world. Elevators don't actually use a crazy amount of energy per person per day. The figures change depending on a lot of different variables (type of elevator, how many floors in the building, how many people are riding with you, etc.), but various calculations have estimated it at 0.012 kWh to 0.3 kWh per day. That's the equivalent of using your laptop for fifteen minutes (or six hours).
But you wouldn't leave on a light that you didn't need just because it didn't use much power, would you? Actually, I'd liken it to not turning off a light that's shining in your eyes at night. Sure, it's not wasting much energy, but if it prevents you from sleeping, it's worse for you than turning it off. Similarly, taking the elevator prevents me from burning calories, and is therefore worse for me than taking the stairs.
So I'm making the commitment now. If you see me in the elevator, you have permission to give me a hard time about it. Maybe shame can do what good intentions haven't.
Oh, and if you aren't willing or able to take the stairs all the time, but still want to save a little energy, here's some info. Hydraulic elevators are generally found in buildings seven stories or less, and those use a lot more energy going up than coming down. Traction elevators are in taller buildings, and they use a counterweight system, which expends about the same amount of energy either way. However, if the elevator weighs more than the counterweight on the way down, or less going up, gravity helps it along. So to be more efficient you could choose a full elevator going down and an empty one going up.
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Posted: September 10th, 2009 under Energy Use.
Comment from Daniel
Time September 18, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I like your thinking! I've always felt that the stairs were a free way to get a quick quad workout, burn a few calories and avoid pointless small talk with coworkers. I've used the stairs in every building I've ever worked in–even when I had a job on the 56th floor of a midtown Manhattan building.
Of course in that particular case I would cheat a little and take the elevator to the 52nd floor.
Casual Kitchen
Comment from Brenda Pike
Time September 18, 2009 at 3:41 pm
It definitely helps that my office has been on the 4th floor of both buildings. Any higher and I might choose the elevator instead.
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Time January 4, 2010 at 9:06 pm
[…] Taking the stairs – Once I got into the habit, it was easy to keep up. […]
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Retirement Wishes, Retirement Messages, Retirement Verses for your handmade retirement cards.
For a work collegue, friend, husband, wife who is leaving work to live a life of relaxation. Send some wishes their way
You are free to use any of the Retirement Wishes in your cards, scrapbooks, text messages whether they are for personal use or for someone else, without requesting permission from Verses Poems Quotes
Early to Bed
Sleep in late
Collect your pension
Ain't life great!
Retiring yes…but
It is the beginning of
another exciting chapter in your life.
May it bring greater personal fulfillment
Than you ever thought possible.
Enjoy & Congratulations
Retirement: World's longest coffee break
Retirement is the time when you never do all the things you intended to do when you were still working
May you pursue what you truly want out of retirement, and not what others want you to pursue or what other retirees are pursuing
Retirement gives people the opportunity to think about and reconnect with themselves and their neglected dreams or the forgotten pleasure of activities that bring joy
The worst thing about retirement is having to drink coffee on your own time.
Congrats on retiring
Now you can do as you please
You're out of the rat race
…but you've got less cheese


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Plugable uses DisplayLink chips in all our USB 3.0 universal docking stations and graphics devices. DisplayLink's chip and drivers can provide an extra display or two, along with audio and networking ports, all via one USB cable. For users seeking an affordable way to expand their Mac, this can both simplify connecting everything and increase the number of devices you are able to use – especially for thin and light Macs and MacBooks with few expansion ports.
Unfortunately, at the moment there are significant limitations, especially for USB 3.0, that will require fixes from both Apple and DisplayLink to solve. We list these limitations and known workarounds below.
Click the categories listed to the right to skip ahead for the status of open issues on OS X 10.8.4, however please note that older OS X versions may have different and unique issues as described below.
OS X Versions
Because of important Apple fixes in 10.8.3 that solve login screen problems and others, applying all available OS X updates prior to installation is recommended. OS X versions 10.8.1 and 10.8.2 are not supported, and must be updated before driver installation.
The latest updates for of 10.6 Snow Leopard and 10.7 Lion are also required for installation.
Older OS X versions such as 10.5 Leopard and 10.4 Tiger have a totally different beta-quality driver which is no longer supported: as a result, we do not recommend our USB display adapters for Macs running these OS X versions.
UPDATE: As of OS X 10.8.5, audio is working well over both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connections.
As of 10.8.4, OS X does not support USB 3.0 audio, so connecting via USB 2.0 instead of USB 3.0 is the only way to use the audio features on devices like the Plugable UD-3000 docking station or USB3-HDMI-DVI graphics adapter.
This issue is due to Apple not yet having a USB 3.0 audio class driver in OS X. However, we have reason to believe OS X update 10.8.5 may add this support. Resolution of this issue is dependent on future Apple OS X updates, so we cannot estimate a timeframe to resolve this issue.
If audio is important, our UD-160-A Universal Docking Station avoids this issue, since it is USB 2.0 only.
For our USB 3.0 DisplayLink based products with Ethernet, like our Plugable UD-3000 docking station, there are special USB Ethernet issues on OS X. To date, we are aware of two issues:
- IPv6 related kernel panics on OS X 10.8.4 (workaround available below).
- Network disconnects on OS X 10.8.x (ethernet detected as unplugged even when connected, or no network access when a valid IP is reported).
To date, all cases of IPv6 related kernel panics have been resolved by disabling IPv6 support only for the UD-3000's ethernet port using the following command at a terminal window:
networksetup -setv6off "Plugable UD-3000"
For the command to complete, an administrative users password must be entered.
If you are experiencing issues where your UD-3000's ethernet network connection is plugged in, however the connection is listed as cable unplugged in Network Preferences, please submit the output from the DisplayLink support tool, available here:
DisplayLink Support Tool
For basic use scenarios like working with documents, web browsing, managing media libraries, or even streaming video, most users shouldn't see any issues – however it is important to note some expected limitations of USB graphics devices. On OS X, any displays that aren't "traditionally" attached via DisplayPort or Thunderbolt, users should be aware that a systems GPU will NOT be available to the USB attached displays. Since USB attached displays are reliant on CPU power alone, any additional load on the system (running additional programs, etc) may reduce video performance.
For a real world example, it is entirely reasonable to expect that a system would have enough CPU power to drive a USB attached display, and to update it quickly enough to reveal no issues when simply streaming video from YouTube or Netflix. If the same system is also running other CPU intensive processes (things like video editing, working with large 3d CAD files, or gaming) the performance on the USB attached display might drop- even when the "traditionally" attached displays are running well thanks to their access to the system's GPU. This is why we recommend USB graphics only for "productivity" and "light video" usage on secondary (not primary) monitors. For a list of specific known issues and available workarounds, read on.
Some other specific issues arising from this limitation are:
- Disabling hardware acceleration in both Firefox and Chrome is sometimes necessary to avoid issues with mouse cursor lag or with items being rendered in odd shapes/sizes onscreen. For instructions on disabling hardware acceleration, go here.
- Using a USB attached display as the primary is neither supported or recommended – although users can avoid most issues with this scenario by using Spotlight to launch applications instead of Launchpad. For further details click here.
- "Coherence mode" in Parallels 8 will not work when a DisplayLink adapter is in use, although it does after unplugging the adapter.
- Full screen video does not work in Adobe CS6 applications when USB displays are attached. Removing the USB display devices will allow this feature to work.
- Safari's frequently visited sites new tab screen may flicker on USB attached displays. Using Chrome or Firefox with GPU acceleration disabled is a recommended workaround.
- CoverFlow view in finder may flicker on USB attached displays.
- HDCP is not supported. While Netflix works in a Chrome browser window- so trying other applications may help in case of HDCP related playback issues- applications like iTunes that require HDCP will fail on USB attached displays..
Disabling Hardware Acceleration in web browsers on OS X
Because USB attached displays cannot benefit from the system GPU hardware for graphics acceleration, disabling these features in web browsers used on USB attached displays will actually improve performance. We've seen noticeable differences doing this in both Chrome and Firefox. Safari does not have global options to disable hardware acceleration, so using other browsers on USB attached displays is recommended.
To disable hardware acceleration in Chrome:
- Open Chrome preferences by using the keyboard combination "Command" (AKA Windows) key + , (comma). Alternatively, from the menu bar for chrome, select preferences, as pictured here:
- Next, scroll to the very bottom of the preferences page. Find and select "show advanced settings" as shown to the right. More options will be revealed:
- Scroll to the bottom of the newly revealed settings, and uncheck the box pictured below to disable hardware acceleration:
- Last but not least, restart chrome to apply the changes (close and re-open the application, or click the pictured option to "restart" Chrome.
To disable hardware acceleration in FireFox:
- Use the keyboard combination "Command" or "Windows" key and , (comma) to launch FireFox preferences. Alternatively, select preferences from the FireFox menu bar as shown here:
- Click the gear icon to access the "Advanced Settings" for Firefox, then make sure the hardware acceleration option is de-selected as shown below:
Using an external display as primary on OS X
The only recommended method for using an external display as primary on OS X (using an external monitor for your menu bar, dock, and core OS X features like Launchpad) is to use a display output built in to your Mac or MacBook. Setting a USB attached display as primary is neither supported nor recommended.
This is because LaunchPad may have substantial delays when used on a USB attached display set as the primary display. For MacBook owners, this means that whatever display you want to use to launch programs in LaunchPad MUST be attached using one of the DisplayPort or Thunderbolt outputs on your Mac for normal operation.
While it is possible to use several external displays on OS X (as this user photo shows, there are several limits on the USB attached displays that are not present on the "traditionally" attached displays)- keep this in mind when designing your workspace.
Have questions, or an issue that you don't see listed here? Please let us know – email email@example.com anytime, and we welcome your comments below. Thanks!


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See The Story
During this one hour tour you will receive an overview of our ministries, meet our staff, and hear stories of young lives that God has changed (lunch is included)!
- An RSVP is very important as we have limited seating.
- Please contact the office at 388-3888 or use the form below
- Lunch is at East Main Church of Christ
- 2528 E. Main St Kalamazoo MI 49048
- Use the main church parking lot and entrance
- We encourage you to arrive at noon to get parked and get your plate together - program starts at 12:10.
- We will finish by 1:15 for anyone that needs to leave, but are available after for questions or discussion.
Here are a few quotes from people who have attended See the Story recently:
"[YFC] is not just a program, but is really about the kids." -BL
"[See the Story] was comfortable, welcoming and warm. I could hear the pride in what God is doing." -GD
"I loved hearing how the ministry has grown over the years." -SD, wife of a former board member
Please complete the form below to reserve your place on a tour. A member of our staff will call to confirm your attendance. If you prefer, you may call our office directly at (269) 388-3888.


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We believe the best wines in the world can only be reached by being stewards of our environment – by pursuing high-quality ingredients & simple processes, blending old ideas & new techniques.
Our 'vini'
A new chapter
in an ancient story
Our finest expression to date, this elegant and exclusive wine is rich in dark fruit with subtle tannins and boasts a long, enduring finish.See more details
Saletta Giulia
Named for our patroness, this is an elegant blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to produce a profile of spice and toasted oak, fused with aromas of berry fruit, liquorice and violets.See more details
Saletta Riccardi
This is an exercise in pure Sangiovese, a single variety wine that presents aromas of leather and tobacco along with ripe red fruit and quinine.See more details
Chiave di Saletta
A blend of lots, separately fermented and aged, masterfully blended for a powerful and penetrating wine with notes of berries and dark chocolate.See more details
The archetypal Tuscan wine, our expression marries the classic Sangiovese tannin structure with the softness and floral freshness of Merlot and Cabernet Savignon.See more details
What began as an experiment is now our meticulous blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, to produce a wine with a bright, cherry hue, scents of ripe red berries and a balanced minerality.See more details
A Rosé spumante made from 100% Sangiovese and harvested from a single plot in the estate — a dry, lightly structured wine for an elegant aperitivo.See more details
Past Vintages
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Merlot.
Borgo Saletta
A beautiful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
A soft blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon: a smooth, drinkable Tuscan red.
La Rocca
The estate's Chianti Riserva DOCG is 85% Sangiovese, fused with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.


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$ 170.00
50 ml
She looks out her window and watches the spinning jungle. Her tears suggest that she is either laughing or crying.
Notes: Indian tuberose, Indian jasmine, palo santo, coconut, sunscreen, musk
Ingredients: alcohol, fragrance
Also available as a 10 ml oil
*Our alcohol-based fragrances can only be shipped within the US & Canada


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In addition to surfing courses or as an alternative to surfing, in the event of a momentary lack of waves, we offer individual or group classes in skateboarding. We have all the necessary facilities to safely enjoy this sport: various types of skateboards, packages of protectors and experienced teachers, under whose eye you start the adventure with a skateboard or improve your skills. We offer:
- skateboarding courses, equipment rentals
- extreme rides, night chill longboard tours
- medical support in the case of abrasions, bruises etc.


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Once upon a time, kids had to wait a whole year for The Wizard of Oz to air on TV; now you can pop in a DVD of any show you want any time. Books show up on our Kindles in an instant, as do songs on our iPods. Churches can be different, inviting people to wait and hope, both as a spiritual discipline and also as a recognition of what psychologists are learning about human happiness. Happy people wring as much positive emotion from experiences as possible by spending time anticipating them.
Easier said than done, of course. "The desire to open Christmas presents early is very strong, even for adults," Kathleen Pluth says. But ideally, Advent services can make people revel in the joy of anticipation "" of singing Joy to the World in a few weeks' time.


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Need advice about safety legislation for outdoor events? back to listing
Compiled by experts in the field, our guide Safety Guidance for Street Arts, Carnival, Processions and Large-Scale Performance is an essential point of reference for anyone involved in planning and producing an outdoor arts event.
This book has been fully revised in line with current licensing legislation and provides specific guidance for the street arts and carnival sectors. The book also contains advice pertaining to planning, risk assessment, assembling an events team, consultation and liaison with the relevant authorities, stewarding, special effects and much more.
Text by David Bilton et al.
First published in 2004 and revised second edition published in 2009. ISBN 987-0-9544892-5-0.
Price: £12.50


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We were asked by Darren at Do Creative to print this stunning silver anniversary invitation for The Royal Oak Furniture Company. The cover has the simple but extremely effective idea of age rings of a tree surrounding the '25'.
Darren wanted this image debossed deep into the paper but we suggested we run a very, very, very faint tint rather than no ink at all. So we ran a few test prints with no ink and also some varying tints. We felt this tint gave the impression an warmer feel.
The invitation details were printed inside with the same tint and a second colour taken from the PMS supplied. The #EasterEgg fine delicate detail of the logo held well under the extreme pressure of our printing press and the debossed tint was a strong contrast to the second colour.
The invitations were printed on our 1969 Heidelberg platen onto 300gsm 100% cotton paper, 2 sides. Dimensions: 290 x 145 with a centre crease.


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Pines: drawings and descriptions of the genus Pinus.
Netherlands: Brill, (2005. second edition). Quarto, laminated boards, black and white illustrations. Farjon's (scientist/taxonomist, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) love of pine trees is apparent in this oversize (9x12.75") volume, particularly in his detailed, finely rendered drawings of the trees, their needles, branches, and cones. This second edition begins with an..... More