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A recent guest post by Douglas Harper at Old Virginia Blog challenges the notions "that the Southern Confederacy was a nation based on, and fighting for, slavery," and that "the Civil War was 'about' slavery." The Upper South, as he notes, "was willing to stay, till it saw the course of the Lincoln Administration with regard to force, not to slavery." In other words, Union coercion of the Deep South is what drove the Upper South out of the Union, so slavery wasn't the only factor. The Upper South left after Ft. Sumter and Lincoln's call for troops.
It seems to me that this argument is missing something. Harper quite rightly draws our attention to the role of Lincoln's call for troops in convincing the Upper South to secede. He reminds us that there were different periods of secession—before the outbreak of war, and then again after. And therein lies the problem. When Lincoln called up volunteers to defeat the rebellion, it marked the outbreak of war. If the war had already started, then we're no longer talking about causes of the war. We're talking about the Upper South's decision to secede, which came after the war was already a going concern. This line of thought adds another layer to the issue of secession, but not to the causes of the war, which came about as a result of previous secession movements that had already taken place.
It's sort of like the case of a woman who spends too much time in the tanning bed and develops skin cancer as a result. The cancer spreads to her internal organs, and the doctor tells her, "Well, Mrs. Jones, your tanning habit has finally caused you to develop cancer inside your body."
She replies, "Don't give me that nonsense. It was the skin cancer spreading that did that." In the same way, explaining secession and the war by looking at the Upper South's withdrawal seems to be an argument that secession and the war caused themselves.
The original Confederate states in the Deep South didn't need Ft. Sumter or Lincoln's call for volunteers to convince them to leave the Union. They seceded on the election of Abraham Lincoln—the first president from a party made up of a coalition to stop the spread of slavery. The issue of the Upper South's secession still leaves this matter of the Deep South open, and therefore it doesn't really address the causes of the actual shooting war. We're still left with the original Confederacy and the role of slavery in their decision to secede.
Mr. Harper offers what looks like a persuasive challenge to the role of slavery in decision-making: "And if you insist that every slave-holder, or slave-holding state, must make choices solely on the basis of interest in slavery, then I will argue that the Border State [sic] that remained in the Union did so to protect their slaves. Why else would slaveholders fight for the Union?"
But who's arguing that every slave-holder, or slave-holding state, made every decision solely on the basis of an interest in slavery? We're talking about a single (but momentous) decision on the part of the original Confederate States to withdraw from the U.S., and the contention of most historians is that a desire to safeguard the institution of slavery was the primary cause.
Mr. Harper also argues that, from a rational point of view, the Upper South's slaves should have led these states to remain in the Union, not secede from it:
Virginia, Tennessee, even North Carolina, with a hostile anti-slavery United States on their frontier, could never hope to maintain slavery as a viable economic and social institution. Their pre-war complaints about fugitives prove they knew it. The mere presence of 'free' states nearby in the 1850s exerted an economic pressure that was rapidly draining slavery out of the Border States.
All excellent points, all reasonably argued. But, as historians like Bernard Bailyn and Richard Hofstadter have demonstrated, political decisions aren't made solely on the basis of reason. Mr. Harper draws an analogy to the American colonies: "What moved the colonists to break the ties with the 'mother country?' Taxes? Tea?" In a sense, yes. These were the issues at hand. And on the face of it, they seem minor. But they're not as minor when your prevailing political rhetoric leads you to see them as conspiracies by government officials who are bent on expanding their own power and enslaving you. This was, in fact, what American colonists thought was happening. The problem wasn't the nature of the immediate issue at hand, but the colonists' interpretation of the issue, and England's response.
In the same way, there was more than cold, rational, political calculation at work when the Deep South seceded. And so even while Lincoln was repeatedly assuring the Deep South that he had no intention to take away their human property, many southerners argued that Lincoln was out to do exactly that, and to implement racial equality in the bargain. Reams of secession-era speeches, letters, essays, editorials, articles, and other material invoke these convictions. Mr. Harper isn't very fond of this sort of evidence, arguing that it denotes laziness in research. It allows the historian to assemble "a hatful of quotes and you're done. The Confederate leaders and documents supply them in abundance." This strikes me as a little odd. If you can't use contemporary sentiments to get a sense of what people were thinking, what in the world can you use? Harper, in fact, employs a number of quotes in the post, and also cites Republicans' "private correspondence."
Drawing attention to the role of the war's outbreak in convincing the Upper South to secede is a worthwhile endeavor. But it still leaves an important question unanswered. Why was there a Confederacy in place for the Upper South to join?
(Broadside from Armed Forces History, Division of History of Technology, National Museum of American History)

subset: commoncrawl


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Download Much Ado About Nothing Study Guide
Sample Essay Outlines
The following paper topics, each with a sample outline, are designed to test your understanding of Much Ado About Nothing.
Each deals with the play as a whole and requires analysis of important themes and literary devices.
Topic #1
Shakespeare interweaves two love stories in Much Ado About
Nothing, the Claudio-Hero plot and the Benedick-Beatrice plot. Write an analytical essay on the ways in which they parallel or counterpoint each other in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure.
I. Thesis Statement: The Claudio-Hero and the Benedick-Beatrice love stories are interwoven in Much Ado About Nothing through a series of parallels and contrasts in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure.
II. Characterization
A. Parallels
1,. Hero and Beatrice are kinswomen and good friends and Claudio and Benedick are comrades-in-arms and good friends
2. Both couples knew each other in the past
3. Both couples are learning to discriminate properly and to estimate each other's true value
4. Both couples' ability to love will be tested
B. Contrasts
1. Claudio and Hero are slaves to convention and Benedick and Beatrice are free spirits
2. Claudio seeks a wooing intermediary and Benedick woos directly
3. Claudio and Hero rely on knowledge, and Benedick and Beatrice rely on their intuition.
4. After professing their love, Claudio and Hero are easily derailed, but nothing will stop Benedick and Beatrice
III. Dialogue A. Parallels
1. Both couples are educated aristocrats
2. Both couples talk about marriage
3. Both Claudio and Benedick speak about their fears of cuckoldry
4. Both couples will learn to speak more directly
B. Contrasts
1. Claudio and Hero usually speak inverse and Benedick and Beatrice usually speak in prose
2. Claudio and Hero comply with social superior's voices and Benedick and Beatrice challenge social superior's voices
3. Benedick and Beatrice radically change their speech patterns and Claudio and Hero do not
IV Plot structure A. Harmony of plots
1. The Claudio-Hero plot and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are harmonized because they are friends
2. The Claudio-Hero plot and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are harmonized because they are both love stories
3. The Claudio-Hero and the Benedick-Beatrice plot are both harmonized by their gaiety until crisis occurs
B. Polarization of plots
1. The polarization of the plots begin when reflective Benedick will no longer play court jester for Claudio and Don Pedro
2. The crisis in the Claudio-Hero plot, the refusal and accusal of Hero, precipitates an extended crisis in the Benedick-Beatrice plot
3. The crisis in the Benedick-Beatrice plot, Beatrice's demand that Benedick kill Claudio, accelerates the polarization between the two plots
4. The two plots are completely polarized when Benedick agrees to, and then challenges, Claudio
C. Reconciliation of plots
1. The Claudio-Hero plot is reconciled with the Benedick-Beatrice plot when Benedick releases penitent Claudio from his challenge
2. The Claudio-Hero plot is reconciled with the Beatrice-Benedick plot as both couples prepare for their double-wedding
V. Conclusion: Shakespeare uses parallels and counterpoints to interweave two love stories, one based on convention, the other on invention, in a pattern that begins in harmony, splits in crisis, and resolves in reconciliation. Sample Analytical Paper Topics 109
Topic #2
Appearance versus reality is the major theme in Much Ado
About Nothing and the lesson of the play is to learn to discriminate properly and to estimate everything at its true value. Write an analytical essay on misnotings that take place in this play, as well as the way in which they are resolved; include the motifs, imagery, dialogue, and theatrical devices that Shakespeare employs to explore this theme.
I. Thesis Statement: In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare explores the theme of appearance versus reality and its lesson—proper discrimination and true value estimation-through a series of deceptions, emphasized by mask motifs and fashion imagery,...
(The entire section is 1,575 words.)


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Butterfly art, Butterfly print, Butterflies print, Butterfly painting, Butterfly watercolor, Fashion illustration, Fashion art print
This archival print is a color reproduction of my watercolor illustration, it is a part of a LIMITED EDITION prints. Signed and dated on the back bottom by me. Printed on high quality archival Canson fine paper with nice texture that gives the feeling of a real watercolor artwork. It gives the excellent result in print quality with rich, vibrant colors and archival ability that will last for generations. Available sizes: - 8 x 12" (20 x 30 cm) A4 All items are shipped with care, carefully...
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Technical details
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|CERS Class
|Families List Genes List
The CERS (or LASS) homeobox gene class is highly unusual and encodes proteins that seem to be transmembrane in nature (Mizutani and Kihara 2005; Pewzner-Jung et al. 2006). The function of the homeodomain in these proteins is unknown. There are six CERS (ceramide synthase) genes in the human genome, but only five of these include a homeobox sequence and are therefore included in the CERS homeobox gene class (Holland et al. 2007). Amphioxus has a single CERS homeobox gene.
Mizutani Y, Kihara A, Igarashi Y (2005) Biochem J 2005, 390:263-271.
Pewzner-Jung Y, Ben-Dor S, Futerman AH (2006) J Biol Chem 281:25001-25005.
Holland PWH, Booth HAF, Bruford EA (2007) BMC Biology 5:47.
|Families List of Class CERS :


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Home > News & Events > Speeches & Testimony
Speeches & Testimony
Chairmen Garrett and Capito, Ranking Members Waters and Maloney, and members of the Subcommittees, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on the proposed regulations to implement section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), also known as "the Volcker Rule."
Last November, the FDIC, jointly with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) requesting public comment on a proposed regulation implementing the Volcker Rule requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act. On December 23, the four agencies extended the comment period for an additional 30 days until February 13, 2012. The comment period was extended as part of a coordinated interagency effort to allow interested persons more time to analyze the issues and prepare their comments, and to facilitate coordination of the rulemaking among the responsible agencies. In addition, on January 11, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved the issuance of its NPR to implement the Volcker Rule, with a substantially identical proposed rule text as the interagency NPR. We look forward to receiving comments on the NPR.
In recognition of the potential impacts that may arise from the proposed rule and its implementation, the Agencies have requested comments on whether the rule represents a balanced and effective approach in implementing the Volcker Rule or whether alternative approaches exist that would provide greater benefits or implement the statutory requirements with fewer costs. The FDIC is committed to developing a final rule that meets the objectives of the statute while preserving the ability of banking entities to perform important underwriting and market-making functions, including the ability to effectively carry out these functions in less-liquid markets.
My testimony today will include a brief overview of the statutory provisions, a description of the rulemaking process undertaken by the Agencies, an overview of the proposed Volcker Rule, and a discussion of our efforts to identify the potential impact of the proposed rule.
Overview of the Volcker Rule Statutory Provisions
Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, also known as the Volcker Rule, is designed to strengthen the financial system and constrain the level of risk undertaken by firms that benefit, either directly or indirectly, from the federal safety net provided by federal insurance on customer deposits or access to the Federal Reserve's discount window. Specifically, section 619 amends section 13 of the Bank Holding Company Act (BHC Act) to prohibit banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading activities and to limit the ability of banking entities to invest in, or have certain relationships with, hedge funds and private equity funds.
The challenge to regulators in implementing the Volcker Rule is to prohibit the types of proprietary trading and investment activity that Congress intended to limit, while allowing banking organizations to provide legitimate intermediation in the capital markets. In general terms, proprietary trading occurs when an entity places its own capital at risk to engage in the short-term buying and selling of securities primarily to profit from short-term price movements, or enters into derivative products for similar purposes.
While section 619 broadly prohibits proprietary trading, it provides several "permitted activities" that allow banking entities to continue to provide important financial intermediation services and to ensure robust and liquid capital markets. Most notably, section 619 allows banking entities to take principal risk, to the extent necessary to engage in bona fide market making and underwriting activities, risk-mitigating hedging, and trading activities on behalf of customers. Other permitted activities include trading in certain domestic government obligations; investments in small business investment companies and those that promote the public welfare; trading for the general account of insurance companies; organizing and offering a covered fund (including limited investments in such funds); foreign markets trading by non-U.S. banking entities; and foreign covered fund activities by non-U.S. banking entities.
To prevent banking organizations from engaging in otherwise prohibited proprietary trading through one or more of the permissible activity exemptions described above, section 619 provides at least three prudential safeguards. First, section 619 requires the federal banking agencies, the SEC, and the CFTC to issue regulations that may include restrictions or limitations on the permitted activities if appropriate. Second, section 619 states that no transaction, class of transactions, or activity may be a permitted activity if it would: involve or result in a material conflict of interest between the banking entity and its clients, customers, or counterparties; result, directly or indirectly, in a material exposure by the banking entity to a high-risk asset or high-risk trading strategy; or pose a threat to the safety and soundness of the banking entity or the financial stability of the United States. Third, section 619 contains anti-evasion provisions that, in part, require the Agencies to include internal controls and recordkeeping requirements as part of their implementing regulations. In addition, the appropriate federal agency has the authority to order a banking entity to terminate any activity or dispose of any investment, after due notice and opportunity for hearing, if the agency has reasonable cause to believe that a banking entity has engaged in an activity or made an investment in a manner that functions as an evasion of the general prohibitions under section 619.
FSOC Study
Section 619 required the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to study and make recommendations for implementation of the Volcker Rule within six months after the effective date of the Dodd-Frank Act. Staff from the FSOC member agencies, including FDIC staff, actively participated in the development of the study.
Prior to developing the study, the FSOC solicited public comment and recommendations on implementation through the issuance on October 6, 2010, in the Federal Register, of a notice and request for information (RFI).1 In response to the RFI, the FSOC received more than 8,000 comments. Of the comments received, approximately 6,550 were substantially identical and supported robust implementation of the Volcker Rule. The remaining 1,450 comments were unique and provided the individual perspectives of banking organizations, trade associations, members of Congress and the general public. In addition, as part of the study, staff from the FSOC member agencies met with representatives from a variety of organizations with a broad spectrum of perspectives on the implementation of the Volcker Rule.
On January 18, 2011, the FSOC published its Volcker Rule study.2 The FSOC study recommended that the Agencies' rulemaking and implementation efforts should be guided by five fundamental principles:
The FSOC study further recommended that the Agencies adopt a four-part implementation and supervisory framework consisting of (1) a programmatic compliance regime, (2) analysis and reporting of quantitative metrics, (3) supervisory review and oversight, and (4) enforcement procedures for violations.4 The remainder of the study provided the Agencies with a variety of recommendations and considerations regarding the implementation of each provision contained in section 619 as well as an extensive listing and discussion of various quantitative metrics.
The Rulemaking Process
Consistent with the requirements of section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC participated in a coordinated interagency rulemaking effort with the FRB, the OCC, the SEC, and the CFTC. This mandated rulemaking effort was coordinated by staff from the Department of the Treasury, representing the Chairperson of the FSOC.
As part of this rulemaking effort, agency staffs carefully considered the recommendations of the FSOC study and separately reviewed and analyzed the public comments received on the study. In addition, agency staffs met with a variety of banking organizations and other interested parties to listen to their views regarding the FSOC study, including concerns and recommendations related to the study's proposed implementation framework and quantitative metrics.
In formulating the proposed rule, the Agencies have tried to carry out the statutory mandate to prevent banking entities from engaging in prohibited proprietary trading and the statutory restrictions on the extent to which a banking entity may sponsor or invest in hedge funds or private equity funds. The Agencies have tried to implement the statutory restrictions in a way that ensures that permitted activities, such as providing essential client-oriented financial services and capital markets intermediation, continue in a manner consistent with statutory intent. However, given the complexities and challenges surrounding proprietary trading and hedge fund and private equity fund activities, the Agencies have requested comment on the potential economic impacts that may arise from the proposed rule and its implementation.
As mentioned earlier, on November 7, 2011, the FDIC, together with the FRB, the OCC, and the SEC, published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to implement the provisions of section 619 with a public comment period ending on January 13, 2012.5 On January 3, 2012, the Agencies extended the comment period on the NPR until February 13, 2012.6 Further, on January 11, 2012, the CFTC approved its notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the Volcker Rule, with a substantially identical proposed rule text as the interagency NPR.
In accordance with the statute, the provisions of the Volcker Rule will become effective on July 21, 2012. The statute provides a two-year period for a covered entity to bring its activities and investments into compliance.
Overview of the Proposed Rule
The NPR's proposed rule contains three main elements related to (1) proprietary trading restrictions, (2) covered funds and activities related to hedge funds or private equity funds, and (3) compliance and data reporting. Below is a brief description of each element.
Proprietary Trading Restrictions
The proposed rule describes the scope of the prohibition on proprietary trading and defines a number of terms related to proprietary trading, subject to certain exemptions. In general, a banking entity is prohibited from engaging in proprietary trading unless an activity is specifically permitted under the exemptions.
The proposed rule defines a number of key terms, including "proprietary trading" and "trading account" that define activities and financial products subject to the prohibition on proprietary trading. Proprietary trading is defined as engaging as principal for the trading account of a banking entity in any transaction to purchase or sell certain types of financial positions. The term "trading account" then delineates which positions will be considered to have been taken principally for the purpose of short-term resale or benefiting from actual or expected short-term price movements, which ultimately defines the scope of accounts subject to the prohibition on proprietary trading.
As mentioned earlier, the statute includes certain exemptions. For example, the proposed rule articulates a number of requirements that must be met in order for a banking entity to rely on the underwriting and market making-related exemptions. These requirements are designed to ensure that the activities, revenues and other characteristics of the banking entity's trading activities are consistent with underwriting and market making-related activities and not prohibited proprietary trading.
Other key statutory exemptions that are defined in the proposed rule include: (1) risk-mitigating hedging, (2) trading in certain government obligations, (3) trading on behalf of customers, (4) trading by a regulated insurance company, and (5) trading by certain foreign banking entities outside the United States.
The proposed rule also requires banking entities with significant covered trading activities to furnish periodic reports to the relevant Agency regarding a variety of quantitative measurements related to their covered trading activities and maintain records documenting their preparation and content of these reports. These proposed reporting and recordkeeping requirements vary depending on the scope and size of covered trading activities. For instance, a banking entity must comply with the requirements of Appendix A of the proposed rule only if it has, together with its affiliates and subsidiaries, trading assets and liabilities greater than $1 billion. If its trading assets and liabilities are less than $5 billion, it would only be required to report for trading units that are engaged in market making-related activities. A banking entity that, together with its affiliates and subsidiaries, has trading assets and liabilities of $5 billion or more would be required to calculate a more complex series of quantitative measures and would be required to report them for all trading units with activities covered under the proposed rule. These thresholds are designed to reduce the burden on smaller, less complex banking entities, which generally engage in limited market-making and other trading activities.
The quantitative measurements required are designed to reflect characteristics of trading activities that appear to be particularly useful in differentiating permitted market-making-related activities from prohibited proprietary trading and in identifying whether trading activities result in a material exposure to high-risk assets and high-risk trading strategies. In addition, the proposed rule contains commentary to help banking entities identify permitted market making activities and distinguish such activities from prohibited proprietary trading.
Finally, the proposed rule also prohibits a banking entity from relying on any exemption to the prohibition on proprietary trading if the activity would involve or result in a material conflict of interest, result in a material exposure to high-risk assets or high-risk trading strategies, or pose a threat to the safety and soundness of the banking entity or to the financial stability of the United States.
Covered Fund Activities and Investments
Another element of the proposed rule is the statutory prohibition on acquiring and retaining an ownership interest in, or having certain relationships with a hedge fund or private equity fund, subject to certain exemptions. In general, the proposed rule contains the core prohibition on covered fund activities and investments and defines a number of related terms, including "covered fund" and "ownership interest."
The proposed rule also includes several statutory exemptions. Some notable exemptions include:
Compliance Program Requirements
While most proprietary trading has been conducted by the largest bank holding companies, the FDIC and the other agencies have carefully considered and taken into account the potential impact of the proposed rule on small banking entities and banking entities that engage in little or no covered trading activities or covered fund activities and investments. Accordingly, the Agencies have proposed to limit the application of certain requirements, such as reporting and recordkeeping requirements and compliance program requirements, for those banking entities that engage in less than $1 billion of covered trading activities or covered fund activities and investments. Further, the Agencies have also requested comment on a number of questions related to the impact associated with particular aspects of the proposal, as well as on any significant alternatives that would minimize the impact of the proposal on smaller banking entities.
For a banking entity with significant covered trading activities or covered fund activities and investments, the compliance program must meet a number of minimum standards that are specified in the proposed rule. The application of detailed minimum standards for these types of banking entities is intended to reflect the heightened compliance risks of large covered trading activities and covered fund activities and investments and to provide clear, specific guidance to such banking entities regarding the compliance measures that would be required for purposes of the proposed rule. These types of banking entities must, at a minimum, establish, maintain, and enforce an effective compliance program, consisting of written policies and procedures, internal controls, a management framework, independent testing, training, and recordkeeping, that:
However, for banking entities with less than $1 billion in covered trading activities or covered fund activities and investments, these minimum standards are not applicable, although the Agencies expect that such entities will consider these minimum standards as guidance in designing an appropriate compliance program.
Regulatory Impact
Overall, the Agencies seek to develop a proposed rule that would impose the lowest cost, while achieving the statutory requirements of section 619. For example, when developing the proposed provision that the sale of securities outside of a banking entity's trading book would be presumed a proprietary trade if the sale occurred within 60 days of the purchase of the security, the Agencies carefully considered instances where banking entities frequently and legitimately dispose of securities within that timeframe. As a result, the Agencies excluded bona fide liquidity management activities, securities borrowing and lending activities, and repurchase agreements from this "rebuttable presumption" requirement. By doing so, the Agencies greatly reduced the burden associated with the basic definition of "proprietary trading." However, the Agencies did not ignore the potential that prohibited proprietary trading could occur in these activities. Rather, the Agencies chose to impose conditions for purposes of the definition of key terms, such as liquidity management, and to ensure that the banking entities' compliance framework monitored for prohibited proprietary trading. Therefore, banking organizations would not be required to explain on a transaction-by-transaction basis why buying and selling securities to manage their liquidity to meet their near-term funding needs is not prohibited proprietary trading.
In addition, the Agencies have recognized that there are economic impacts that may arise from the proposed rule and its implementation. Therefore, we have requested public comment on several questions on this issue. Some examples of the types of economic impact questions that the Agencies have requested comment on relate to: the services or products that banks offer to clients, customers, or counterparties; operational costs or benefits; benefits and costs associated with the underwriting exemption; material conflicts of interest; costs associated with compliance; and recordkeeping requirements.
The Agencies have also requested comments on whether the proposed rule represents a balanced and effective approach to implementing the Volcker Rule or whether alternative approaches exist that would provide greater benefits or involve fewer costs. Moreover, the Agencies have encouraged commenters to provide quantitative information with respect to the proposed rule's compliance costs and benefits and effect on competition, and any other economic impact.
In terms of the proposed rule's impact on banking entities, compliance costs are likely to be higher for those banking entities that are significantly engaged in covered trading activities or investments. But as mentioned earlier, the proposed rule takes into consideration the size, scope, and complexity of a banking entity's covered activities and investments in developing the compliance program requirements. Accordingly, entities with less than $1 billion in covered trading activities or covered fund activities and investments would be subjected to greatly reduced compliance requirements.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Agencies have made initial estimates of the paperwork burden of the proposed rule on entities affected by the rule. In developing the final rule, the Agencies will take into account all comments received on the paperwork burden estimates. Once the final rule is ready for publication, the FRB will submit to the Office of Management and Budget information on the burden for all of the Agencies' supervised institutions, including the FDIC.
The Agencies have also taken an initial look at the potential economic impact on small banking entities as required under the Regulatory Flexibility Act and concluded that the proposed rule will not result in a significant economic impact on small banks. The Agencies based this conclusion on two primary factors: (1) while the proposed rule, per statutory requirements, covers all banking entities, significant reporting and recordkeeping requirements apply only to banking entities with trading assets and liabilities and aggregate covered fund investments greater than $1 billion, respectively; and (2) the compliance program requirements under the proposed rule are established in a manner that mainly impact entities engaged in covered trading or fund activities – activities that are not typical of small banks. Nevertheless, the Agencies have encouraged public comments on this issue and have asked commenters to include empirical data to illustrate and support the potential impact on small banks.
The FDIC is subject to the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, which, among other things, requires agencies to submit to Congress for review rules which have been determined to be "major" under the Act. A rule is considered to be "major" if it results in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers or individual industries; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, investment, or innovation. The FDIC will complete this analysis in the final rulemaking in part based on the responses to the questions raised in the NPR.
The proposed rule is intended to carry out the statutory requirements to prohibit proprietary trading and establish prudent limitations on interest in, and relationships with, hedge funds and private equity funds consistent with section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The proposed rule is intended to allow banking entities to continue to engage in permitted activities, including bona fide market making and underwriting activities, risk-mitigating hedging, trading activities on behalf of customers, and investments in covered funds consistent with the statutory mandates. As such, the intended goal of the proposed rule is to allow banking organizations to continue to provide important financial intermediation services and to facilitate robust and liquid capital markets.
Further, the FDIC and its fellow Agencies recognize that there are economic impacts that may arise from the proposed rule and its implementation and therefore, we have specifically requested public comment and information on this issue. The Agencies will analyze the potential impact of the rule based on the comments received through the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and work to minimize the burden on the industry and the public while meeting the statutory requirements set by Congress. This approach is consistent with our longstanding policy of ensuring that our regulations will meet the requirements and objectives of the statute while minimizing the costs to the industry and the public.
We look forward to comments on the NPR and will carefully consider them in finalizing the rule.
1 75 FR 61758 (October 6, 2010).
2 Financial Stability Oversight Council, "Study & Recommendations on Prohibitions on Proprietary Trading & Certain Relationships with Hedge Funds & Private Equity Funds," January 18, 2011, available at: http://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/Documents/Volcker%20sec%20%20619%20study%20final%2018%2011rg.pdf.
3 Id at 4.
4 Id. at 5.
5 76 FR 68846 (November 7, 2011).
6 77 FR 23 (January 3, 2012).
|Last Updated 1/18/2012


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A Short Note on Resolving Singularity Problems in Covariance Matrices
In problems where a distribution is concentrated in a lower-dimensional subspace, the covariance matrix faces a singularity problem. In downstream statistical analyzes this can cause a problem as the inverse of the covariance matrix is often required in the likelihood. There are several methods to overcome this challenge. The most well-known ones are the eigenvalue, singular value, and Cholesky decompositions. In this short note, we develop a new method to deal with the singularity problem while preserving the covariance structure of the original matrix. We compare our alternative with other methods. In a simulation study, we generate various covariance matrices that have different dimensions and dependency structures, and compare the CPU times of each approach.
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I cannot wait for mine! I feel like its been Years XD ooh wait it has I still think TOXIKK that you are far behind the curve for current games and current "gamer needs" mentality, you def need to setup a "Match Making" system as well as get some Loot Boxes going,
I def don't want to see Micro Transactions but chances to get Loot boxes, aside from just earning XP and getting the same thing everyone else has. This would offer more incentives to keep playing, as well as offer incentives for people to come back and play.


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If you go
What: 27th annual Boulder Creek Festival
When: The festival begins with a concert from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday; then runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 11.a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday. The "duck event" is set for 3 p.m. Monday at the Central Park Bandshell.
Where: Downtown Boulder, between Ninth and 14th streets and Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue
More info: 303-449-3137 or bceproductions.com
Eight months after the fact, September's flood has washed out the Boulder Creek Festival's beloved rubber duck race as organizers on Thursday announced it will take place in an inflatable pool.
The signature event of the 27th annual Boulder Creek Festival will, apparently, be decided by pluck, luck and buoyancy — rather than speed. Concerns over the safety of racing the ducks in a newly unpredictable waterway have beached the race for at least this year.
Imagine that the Bolder Boulder, scheduled for earlier in the day Monday, was to be decided on 50,000 treadmills; that's what a seismic shift Thursday's decision signifies for possibly the most popular feature of the creek festival.
An email from the Boulder Parks and Recreation EXPAND program, the beneficiary of the charitable race, announced that the event is now set instead for 3 p.m. Monday at a kiddies' pool to be set up by the Central Park Bandshell.
In a normal year, several thousand rubber ducks are dropped into the creek from the Ninth Street bridge, and the many race fans can put $5 on a specific duck, with winners determined by whose ducks meander, bob or swirl first to the finish line in a yellow blaze of glory.
"With all factors considered, e.g. the river's unpredictability, the river's current speed, possible weekend weather, and more water coming from Barker Dam, we have decided to cancel the duck race at 4 p.m," stated the message from Cory Lasher, therapeutic program coordinator for EXPAND.
Using a children's pool instead is an option that was also required 18 years ago, Lasher said.
Characteristics of creek have changed
The weekend weather forecast shows a 60 percent chance of rain Friday, possibly heavy at times, and a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms remains in the forecast through Saturday.
The city of Boulder on Thursday advised that Barker Reservoir, outside Nederland, is expected to "fill and spill" in the coming days, due to the combination of seasonal snowmelt flowing into the reservoir and the chance of heavy rain.
Barker Reservoir provides drinking water to Boulder. Because storage space there is limited, once the reservoir is full, any excess inflow passes over the spillway and continues flowing downstream into Boulder Creek.
Boulder Fire Chief Larry Donner said Boulder Creek's flow upstream from Broadway on Thursday was at about 220 cubic feet per second. The expected spilling from Barker Reservoir could raise that to about 500 cfs.
"And, with the unsettled weather that might add to that volume, with the flood and all the repair work that has been done, the basic characteristics of the creek have changed," Donner said.
"It's like an unfamiliar body of water. The degree of uncertainty and unknowns have increased the risk to the point where it would be better to keep people away from the creek banks, and out of the creek itself."
Fishing derby is relocated, too
The duck race is not the only festival feature disrupted by the flood. The Kids' Fishing Derby, due to flood damage at the Evert Pierson Kids' Fishing Pond — scheduled to be repaired by 2015 — has been relocated for this year to Viele Lake in south Boulder. It is set for 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
And instead of the duck race, what is now billed as the "duck event" will happen at the bandshell at 3 p.m. Monday, where EXPAND's "Quacky Duck" will pull numbered ducks from a children's pool to determine the winners.
At four booths through the festival area in the days and hours leading up to the event, those feeling lucky about the duckies can "adopt" a duck. Those holding winning tickets will collect from an assortment of 114 prizes set to be awarded, including a year's family membership to Boulder's recreation centers.
"It's still a game of chance. They just don't float down the river," Lasher said.
Proceeds from the duck float will go to EXPAND, which provides recreational opportunities for children, youth and adults with disabilities.
Meg Denbow, spokeswoman for Boulder Creek Events, which stages the creek festival, stressed that despite the "nontraditional" approach to this year's duck event, "We're looking forward to the dozens of other events, exhibits and performances happening in conjunction with the festival this weekend.
"We want to stress that this year is no different than other years; the safety of our community is, and always has been, our top priority."
Denbow also said, "In no way do we expect to have to postpone or cancel the event; however, in the event of an emergency, Festival Director Chris Dailey, as well as representatives from the Boulder police, Boulder fire department and city risk manager's office, will meet to discuss the potential evacuation of the event."
Lasher said it is too soon to know whether the luck of the ducks will be determined in the creek again next year, or in a children's pool.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Charlie Brennan at 303-473-1327 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Sharp Vision See What Others Can't See ZenFone 2 Deluxe's 13MP PixelMaster camera with its f/2.0-aperture lens captures stunning, high-resolution photos with zero shutter lag. The industry-leading Low Light mode employs pixel-merging technology to capture up to 400%-brighter photos at night or in low-light scenes, without the need for a flash. Backlight (Super HDR) mode lets you see clearly through daytime shadow and Super Resolution mode helps you to capture detailed images at resolutions of up to 52MP! 13 MP Rear Camera 5 P Largan Lenses ƒ/ 2.0 Aperture Toshiba Sensor Blue Glass Filter Dual LED Real Tone Flash 5 MP Front Camera ƒ/ 2.0 Aperture 85 ° Wide Angle Tame The Brightness with Backlight (Super HDR) Mode PixelMaster Backlight (Super HDR) mode automatically captures multiple shots of the scene in the viewfinder, and processes these using ASUS Pixel Enhancing technology. This expands the dynamic range by 4 times to give the final picture up to 400% more brightness, along with improved color contrast and detail to ensure the photos you capture in any scene with strong back-lighting look totally natural. 4 X Brightness & Color contrast ZenFone 2 Deluxe Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C Competitor D Competitor E Our unique technology improves all shots captured in under-lit environments, and then wide dynamic range (WDR) post-processing further enhances clarity and richness, for flawless photographs that look just incredible — every time. Auto Mode with Zero Shutter Lag Zero shutter lag means you'll capture the photo you want without missing a moment. With ZenFone 2 Deluxe everything you shoot is caught in real time, so you'll snap the bright sparkle of the most beautiful firework, the cheeky smiles of the wriggliest infant and the shooting star that's passes by in the blink of an eye. ZenFone 2 Deluxe Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C Competitor D Competitor E PixelMaster technology automatically adjusts the ratio of maximum contrast (the brightest point to the darkest point of the image) to enhance the ability of framing features and shapes of the subject, improving the detail of darker areas. With WDR, you capture clear photos even under the most challenging lighting conditions. Unrivaled Low Light Mode Through a combination of pixel-merging technology, which joins four adjacent pixels to form a new pixel, and advanced image-processing algorithms, Low Light mode increases light sensitivity by up to 400%. It also enhances noise reduction and boosts color contrast by up to 400%, for clear and bright low-light shots with no need for flash. *Test environment: Brightness < 1lux 4 X Light Sensitivity & Noise Reduction ZenFone 2 Deluxe Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C Competitor D Competitor E By merging adjacent pixels, PixelMaster increases light sensitivity by up to 400% and contrast up to 200%, resulting in clear and bright low-light shots without the need for a flash. Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) improves low-light performance even further resulting in sharper, non-blurry photos. Capture 4X More Detail withSuper Resolution Capture 4X More Details with Super Resolution ZenFone 2 Deluxe's Super Resolution mode uses special image-processing techniques, known as Multiframe Fusion technology, to create incredibly-detailed photos. ZenFone 2 Deluxe captures and combines four 13MP photos to create a single image of with exceptional 4X of clarity. Light or dark, you'll enjoy more detail and less noise — a super resolution equivalent up to 52MP! Don't Leave Anyone Out withSelfie Panorama Don't Leave Anyone Out with Selfie Panorama With this special wide-angle mode, ZenFone 2 Deluxe f/2.0-aperture lens and 85-degree field of view, you can capture panoramic selfie to up to 140 degrees. Snap yourself and all your friends together. Simply follow the instruction to slightly rotate your ZenFone 2 Deluxe from left to right which up to 140 degrees of your surrounding can be captured. Selfie with more than 10 friends at once is as simple as that. DSLR in The Palm of Your Hand DSLR in The Palmof Your Hand In ZenFone 2 Deluxe we are introducing the Full Manual Mode, in which you can adjust all the settings of the camera manually by yourself. In total there are 13 professional settings and controls that you can manually adjust. See The True Colors in Every Photo See The True Colorsin Every Photo ZenFone 2 Deluxe's dual-LED Real Tone flash creates the most natural illumination for indoor shots. The moment you press the shutter button, ZenFone 2 Deluxe delivers the perfect combination of yellow and white light to produce flash-lit shots that capture the real tones of your subjects. For An Even More Glamorous You ZenFone 2 Deluxe's Beautification mode makes you or your subjects even better looking before your eyes. Just let ZenFone 2 Deluxe balance facial features, soften complexions and remove skin blemishes to create flawless photos — and all in real time! Auto Mode Super Resolution Night Mode HDR Mode Low Light Mode Beautification Mode Auto Mode Super Resolution Night Mode HDR Mode Low Light Mode Beautification Mode Photo taken with Auto Mode Photo taken with Super Resolution Photo taken with Night Mode Photo taken with HDR Mode Photo taken with Low Light Mode Photo taken with Beautification Mode Next 60% Charged in 39 Mins Learn more about Fast Charging


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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6-8 strips bacon
2 hands full broccoli florets
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/2 lemon
fresh parley (optional)
Full recipe from : yummly.co
Preheat oven to 400F.
Salt and pepper chicken breasts.
Wrap bacon strips around chicken breasts and add to a cast iron skillet or other oven proof dish (ceramic or oven-proof glass dish).
But broccoli florets around chicken breasts making sure every floret touches the ground.
Put in the oven for 30-ish minutes (4.5min/oz).
Turn on broiler and broil until bacon is crispy and golden (3-5 minutes).
Carefully take out of the oven (skillet will be hot hot hot hot) and let rest for 8-10 minutes before serving and cutting into the breast.
Add creme fraiche and juice of half a lemon to juices in the skillet and use a small spoon or spatula to mix in well.
Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and lemon zest if desired.


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KDE Packages
|An explanation of KDE package groups and meta-packages.
|Related articles
Since KDE SC 4.3, separate (split) packages for each application are provided. This article describes the concepts of groups and meta-packages.
1 Terminology
- module
- The KDE software compilation source code is organized into several categories called modules. Examples include kdebase, kdeutils etc. The KDE project releases one source archive per module. See the Coordinator List for more details.
- package group
- A package group is simply a group of packages. Pacman is able to select multiple packages by their group(s) during installation or removal.
- meta-package
- A meta-package is an empty package which just connects several packages by using dependencies.
2 Using Package groups
There are groups for each KDE module, such as kdebase, kdeutils etc. Installing a package group will install all packages that belong to that module at the time of the installation. For instance, to install all packages that are part of a module such as kdebase or kdeutils in the current release, use:
# pacman -S kdebase kdeutils ...
In addition to this, there is a kde group which includes all these groups. Installing the kde package group will effectively install the current KDE software compilation release in its entirety:
# pacman -S kde
2.1 Why use groups?
2.1.1 Advantages
- Using groups makes it easier to install or remove a set of packages. This allows you to use a single command (like above) to install or remove all packages in a module.
- There is no hard dependency between a group and its packages. This means that there is no reason to have all member packages in a group installed. You may freely remove member packages that belong to a group without touching other member packages of the same group.
2.1.2 Disadvantages
- Pacman will not install any new packages that may be added to a group at a later date. For instance, if the next release of the KDE software compilation includes new applications in one of more modules, these new applications will not be automatically installed when you upgrade your system. You will have to manually install these new packages. To overcome this, use meta-packages (see next section).
2.2 Who is it for?
Install package groups if you only want some modules of the current KDE software compilation release. Groups are also useful for those users who only want to retain some packages from a group, while opting to remove the others.
3 Using Meta-Packages
Just like groups, there are meta-packages for each KDE module, such as kde-meta-kdebase, kde-meta-kdeutils etc. Installing these meta-packages will install or upgrade all packages that belong to the module. If new applications are added to the module in a future release, they will automatically be installed when you upgrade your system. To install a specific module such as kdebase or kdeutils using meta-packages, use:
# pacman -S kde-meta-kdebase kde-meta-kdeutils ...
In addition to this, there is a kde-meta group that includes all these meta-packages. Installing the kde-meta group will install the entire KDE software compilation:
# pacman -S kde-meta
3.1 Why use meta-packages?
3.1.1 Advantages
- Like package groups, meta-packages make it easy to install and maintain a set of packages. This allows you to use a single command (like above) to install all packages in a module.
- Use of meta-packages ensures that pacman will install any new member packages automatically when you upgrade your system. This emulates the behavior of the monolithic set of packages that were used before KDE SC 4.3.
3.1.2 Disadvantages
- Meta-packages have a hard dependency on all the member packages that are part of it. This means that you cannot freely remove member packages that are part of a meta-package without removing the meta-package first. For example, if you installed kde-meta-kdebase and would now like to remove a member package such as, kdebase-kwrite, you will first need to remove the meta-package before removing the member package:
# pacman -R kde-meta-kdebase # pacman -R kdebase-kwrite
Doing this will not remove other member packages in the kde-meta-kdebase meta-package, but it will also no longer automatically add new packages in that module (possibly from the next release) when you upgrade the system using pacman -Syu. You may re-install kde-meta-kdebase meta-package at any time to return to the monolithic package behavior.
If you installed the kde-meta package, you can remove all meta-packages at once by using:
# pacman -R kde-meta
This will only remove the meta-packages and not the actual member packages.
3.2 Who is it for?
Use meta-packages if you desire to install the entire KDE software compilation or one or more of its modules in its entirety. This ensures a smooth upgrade path by automatically adding new split packages from subsequent releases.
4 Listing the member packages
To get a complete list of KDE applications use
pacman -Sg kde
Get a list of all meta packages:
pacman -Sg kde-meta
Get a list of all KDE module groups:
for i in $(pacman -Sqg kde-meta); do echo ${i#kde-meta-};done
Get a list of all KDE packages and their module group:
for i in $(pacman -Sqg kde-meta); do pacman -Sg ${i#kde-meta-};done


text:
Wild Lose 4-1 At Toronto
The Minnesota Wild lost 4-1 at Toronto Thursday night. Minnesota has lost 15 of their last 17 and is 22-18-7 overall. Nick Johnson scored the lone Wild goal after they fell behind 4-0 in the 3rd period. Niklas Backstrom had 29 saves for the Wild. Minnesota was outshot 33-21 by Toronto.
The Wild have 51 points and are 1 point back of Colorado for 8th place in the Western Conference. Minnesota will play at home against Dallas Saturday night at 8pm, pregame on AM 1390-the Fan at 7:35.


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LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA — We've taken a diverse crew of Wired staffers up here into the mountains to test a bunch of winter gear. Some of us are die-hard shredders, and a few of us haven't slid down a slope since the Clinton administration.
This being the first full day of the trip, everyone was a little rusty. But after couple of early-morning muscle cramps, the team really came together by the end of the day. Well, sort of.
You should always start the season gingerly, testing the legs with a gentle run or two. Instead, some of the more excitable advanced riders (in this case, Robbie) talked the entire crew into riding Squaw's Emigrant chair lift. Photographer Ariel Zambelich and videographer Mike Ruocco hadn't been on the slopes for years (10 and 14, respectively). They clearly needed a green run to get the legs working properly.
Robbie served up a blue run.
It didn't help that the weather has been less than ideal. Over the past few days, Tahoe has seen warm days, cold nights, and plenty of rain and fog, all of which has created some icy conditions. The runs at the top of the mountain were groomed, but ice is still ice. It's a pain to ride on, and an even bigger pain when you fall. At least the fog burned away mid-morning and left us in full sun for the whole afternoon.
Ariel had some trouble getting her muscles to move in ways they hadn't felt in a decade, but by the end of the afternoon, she was riding about half as well as she did back in the day, by her own estimation. Mike Ruocco slowly picked his way down the first few runs and improved greatly after that. He skied when he was a kid and couldn't recollect how well he rode then, so we'll just assume he's now better than he's ever been.
Reviews editor Michael Calore, on the other hand, took the smarter route. He signed up for a full-day snowboarding lesson. By the end of the afternoon, he was all smiles — probably because he hadn't been dragged up a lift he had no business being on. Michael liked his lesson so much, he made a video of his experience.
Fortunately, the snow gods punished Gadget Lab writer Robbie for putting his team members in danger. He reached into his pocket while on a chair lift in order to grab a granola bar, and when he pulled his hand out, his three-day lift ticket floated away. Just like that, he was having a bad time. The relatively short lift ride to the top of the mountain became excruciatingly long as the wind began to pick up, and Robbie wondered if he could get a new ticket or if he'd have to purchase another three-day lift pass. He returned to the spot where the lift ticket was lost, and stared at the ground. It's tough going when you're trying to locate a tiny white card in a field of snow.
He did end up finding his ticket, and he even got a fun tree run out of it. So everything worked out, and all it took was a slight anxiety attack and some really intense staring. "It's a Wired Winter Miracle," Robbie said.
Nobody else lost anything from their pockets. Well, with reviews contributor Billy Brown, it was difficult to figure where he kept anything because he changed clothes at least three times. Billy called in heaps of gear, so much of it that his corner of the condo looks like a board shop. He's trying to test so much stuff over these three days that he has to change not only boards, but also jackets, helmets, goggles and mid-layers multiple times per day. That's great for a fashion show, but not so much when the rest of your crew uses visual cues to find each other on the mountain. Karissa was easy to spot in her bright neon yellow pants. Same with Jim and his electric orange Mammut jacket. Ariel's defining garment was a weird orange backpack that resembled a tiny keg.
Billy, on the other hand, was the man of a thousand outfits and we never had any idea where he was until he came skidding to a stop next to us. Who knows what he's wearing tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be another series of day-glo outfits.
We've also been using GroupMe to communicate with each other while we're exploring different parts of the resort. The group texting service is a great way to chat with a dozen people all at once, and we've been using it primarily to arrange meeting spots on the mountain. It would probably be twice as useful if the cell service was more plentiful up here, and if people actually stayed in one spot for more than three minutes.
The allure of riding the white stuff was too much for some of the crew, most notably photo editor Jim Merithew, who never keeps stationary for long. The typical GroupMe thread involved somebody asking where everyone was. Jim would reply and say he was at the top of a lift. If it took longer than five minutes to get to the top of said lift, Jim would no longer be there.
"I don't get to the mountain very often, and all this standing around staring at my phone is driving me nuts," he complained later.
Eventually we'd just run into each other out of happenstance. And Jim has a point — that's preferable to checking our smartphones every 30 seconds. That all worked out. Well, except for at the end of the day when we accidentally left Karissa on the mountain and headed back to our rooms.
Half an hour later, she chimed in on GroupMe: "Where everyone at? …It's cool, I can hang. I don't need you guys."
All photos: Ariel Zambelich and Jim Merithew/WiredGo Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


text: This biographical TV miniseries tracks members of the famed Motown group, The Temptations, faithfully following their rise to fame and the subsequent downhill race in a chronological coverage spanning 40 years. In 1958, when Detroit high-schoolers harmonize on street corners to meet girls, Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield) finds his mom Haze (Tina Lifford) supports his singing but not his stepfather Edgar (Harold Surratt). When Williams brings together his group The Siberians -- with Franklin (D.B. Woodside) and Al Bryant (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) -- producer Johnnie Mae Matthews (Vanessa Bell Calloway) records the group as Otis Williams and the Distants. They perform with The Primes, including Kendricks (Terron Brooks) and Paul Williams (Christian Payton), and The Primettes (later The Supremes). When group members merge as The Elgins, Berry Gordy (Obba Babatunde) begins grooming the group. The name is changed to The Temptations, and a 1963 New Year's Eve altercation results in David Ruffin (Leon) replacing Bryant. The Motortown Revue is launched, and Smokey Robinson (Erik Michael Tristan) teams with Norman Whitfield (Mel Jackson) to compose/produce My Girl and Ain't Too Proud to Beg. As Ruffin becomes hooked on coke, Gordy moves to intro The Temptations to white record-buyers. In part two, Dennis Edwards (Charles Ley) replaces Ruffin, and after Paul Williams' suicide and some members leave the group, the act is dropped by Motown, later returning for a reunion tour and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This four-hour miniseries premiered November 1 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi


text:
The case of a brazen art theft from a Pebble Beach home -- which would be the second-biggest art heist ever, if it actually happened -- has disolved into public finger-pointing between the cops and the victims-turned-suspects.
Police say they've been manipulated by the owners of the collection, A. Benjamin Amadio and Ralph Kennaugh. According to police, there is no evidence that the art collection ever existed, there is no evidence of a break-in at the Pebble Beach house, and Amadio and Kennaugh have been uncooperative with the investigation.
For their part, Amadio and Kennaugh say that the police botched the investigation. They say police took four days to take fingerprints -- an accusation the police deny -- and that witnesses have seen the paintings and a provenance proving ownership. They plan to release this evidence at a press conference on Friday.
"We think the sheriff's office reeks of corruption and incompetence," Amadio said.
The evidence includes a list of all the stolen paintings and photos of the paintings, as well as the witnesses who say the collection, an attorney for the owners said.
Commander Mike Richards said the sheriff's department is still investigating the theft, but is also investigating other possibilitiies -- including that the reported theft is a hoax. Amadio and Kennaugh are now suspects, he said.Watch Richards' Raw News Conference
The 16-piece collection, which included works by Jackson Pollock, Miro, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, was stolen on Sept. 25, according to Kennaugh and Amadio. The last appraisal of the collection valued the works at $27 million, but Amadio contends that the art could worth as much as $80 million.
"We feel manipulated," Richards said Tuesday. "The bottom line is, this is a simple investigation. It can be made a lot easier with the cooperation of the victims. We've been blocked the entire way on this thing."
Richards added that the department has asked Amadio and Kennaugh to take a polygraph test. Amadio said that it won't happen, and that the Sheriff's Department is "without evidence attacking our character."
Both Amadio, an entrepreneur, and Kennaugh, a former Harvard medical professor, are originally from Boston.


text:
Registrations are being accepted through March 5 for the annual Northern Minnesota Safety Conference.
The conference, which is designed to benefit anyone looking to develop and improve their knowledge of contemporary safety issues, will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 19, in the Family Life Center of Bemidji's Evangelical Convenant Church.
Registration for the event is $75, which include refreshments, lunch and participant materials.
Business owners, those in management and employees will find break-out sessions that have information to improve safety knowledge of company, department or individual.
This year's keynote address will be given by Tom Culross, vice president for environment, health and safety at ConAgra Foods. His presentation will focus on challenging conventional wisdom about safety professionals.
Representatives from OSHA will present on global harmonization of hazard classifications and universally compatible labeling systems. The presentation will include a free resource guide which includes materials and guidance for offering training on global standards in a participant's place of business.
Attendees will hear regulatory updates from OSHA and other regulatory agencies, will learn how to improve employee performance and will have potential for reduced insurance and liability costs. There will also be breakout sessions offering information specific to individual areas of interest and access to vendors offering safety-related products and services.
Door prizes will be available for attendees, including drawings for free attendance to the 2013 Minnesota Safety and Health Conference, held May 14-16 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
To register for the conference online, visit the course offerings section at optivation.org.
The Northern Minnesota Safety Conference is presented by Bemidji State University, Optivation, Minnesota Safety Council and Northern Minnesota Safety Council. Additional support is provided by Otter Tail Power Company, Choice Therapy, Knife River Materials, LambWeston / RDO Frozen, Norboard and Northcentral Door Company. Participating vendors include 3M Company, High Voltage Electric, SAfety Training Compliance, Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry (OSHA), Twins Ports Testing, Viking Industries North, Walman Optical, Essilor Prescriptions and Safety Eyewear, Med Compass, Twin City Optical, and Bemidji Woolen Mills (Red Wing Shoes).
For more information about the conference contact Optivation at (218) 755-4900 or firstname.lastname@example.com
• Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals


text:
There's been a storm brewing in Lansing for months. On one front are senators who would like to create what critics say is immunity for doctors in medical malpractice cases. On the other front are legislators who want doctors who have committed medical malpractice to face tougher sanctions.
Yesterday afternoon, the first winds started to blow into town as four bills were introduced. The bills, Senate Bill 1115, Senate Bill 1116, Senate Bill 1117, and Senate Bill 1118, would do a number of things, starting with limiting non-economic damages (and including the loss of household and other services in those non-economic damages).
"Talk about a Republican war on women. Who usually provides those household services?" said plaintiff's attorney Marc Lipton.
The bills also would create a hard cap on damages, and protect physicians from litigation if the alleged malpractice was "the exercise of professional judgment. … [A] person exercises professional judgment if the person acts with a reasonable and good-faith belief that the person's conduct is both well founded in medicine and in the best interests of the patient."


text:
Years ago when I was a broke college student subsisting on ramen noodles and off-brand cereal, I used to fantasize that someday, when I had a good job, I would be able to afford to eat incredibly healthily. I planned to buy fresh vegetables every week, belong to a fabulous gym, employ a personal trainer and get regular massages.
But today I still get sticker shock when I go to the grocery store. That's why I was so skeptical when a USDA study released a few months ago asserted that healthy foods are actually cheaper than the heavily processed stuff. These findings are based on the fact that the old method prioritized price per calorie, giving low-cost junk food an edge over fresh veggies. But, the report said, "When measured on the basis of edible weight or average portion size, grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy foods are less expensive than most protein foods and foods high in saturated fat, added sugars, and/or sodium." Translation: now there's really no excuse not to eat healthier.
(MORE: Why Families Who Eat Together Are Healthier)
However, it's one thing to understand that grains and legumes are a cheaper source of protein than free-range chicken; it's quite another to try to get my meat-loving husband to have rice and beans for dinner every night. Similarly, gym memberships and personal trainers can be a big monthly expense, but they might be worth it if the only thing you'd do at home with your treadmill or dumbbells is occasionally wipe the dust off of them.
Getting into shape — and staying that way — can save you some serious cash in the long run. Lifestyle changes can help stave off diabetes as well as joint replacement and other big medical expenses. So, with those motivators in mind, here are few tips to help minimize the cash you spend on the road to being active and healthy:
Prioritize your monthly budget. Sitting down and writing a budget that accounts for fixed and discretionary expenses is an important step for anyone who wants to be in control of their finances. Yet it can be difficult to decide what discretionary expenses are appropriate — especially if there isn't much left over after paying the bills. It should be a conscious process: you need to figure out what is most important to you and then make some tradeoffs.
For example, my friend Tracy hired a personal trainer, which strained her budget. She dropped the service, but became unmotivated to exercise on her own. I suggested she continue to work with the trainer while cutting down on eating out and also wait to go shopping until after she dropped to her desired pant size — both of which helped motivate her towards her weight-loss goal. If you can't have it all at once, invest in what makes you feel best.
(SPECIAL: Tips For A Fitter Summer)
Plan ahead and eat in. My mother worked outside the home when I was growing up and always planned a week's worth of meals so we could do all the grocery shopping at once. We also do this in my household now, and this kind of planning not only saves me time, but also cuts down on us throwing out unused food. Thinking ahead makes it easier to budget in pricier selections, like fresh fish or more expensive cuts of meat, and also makes it less tempting to eat out, which can come with a high price tag — and calorie count.
Comparison shop. If you like working out at a gym but want to save money, shop around. If the gym memberships in your area are too pricey, explore options at your workplace, local schools or community centers, which often offer free or low-cost activities. Browse the Internet to see if there are group sports activities, like hiking, biking or running that you may join for free or a nominal cost.
And if you think you'd use them, consider at-home strength training or yoga DVDs.
(MORE: NYC's Trans Fat Ban Worked: Fast-Food Diners Are Eating Healthier)
So remember: if you find yourself struggling to slim down and stay motivated from beach season to beach season, it doesn't have to be expensive to make healthy choices, as long as you're willing to put in a little time and effort. By prioritizing, planning ahead and making smart choices, you can maintain your physical and financial well-being.
De Baca is vice president of wealth strategies at Ameriprise Financial.


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What do you do when you have a bowl full of Hershey Kisses that you bought for your husband during the holidays (Christmas and Valentines) that seems to be never ending? In fact they seem to be mating and multiplying like rabbits.
You make these scrumptious cookies, that's what!
I wanted to make blossom cookies using the kisses but the only recipes I seemed to find were for peanut butter blossoms. If you have been reading long, you know that I don't like chocolate and peanut butter together, so those were out. I wanted to make snickerdoodle blossoms but couldn't find a recipe so I adapted a recipe from Land O' Lakes that was similar to what I was looking for. I subbed the almond extract for vanilla and rolled them in cinnamon sugar for a snickerdoodle-esque cookie and topped them with milk chocolate kisses.
Buttery, cinnamony, sugary, chocolatey. These were delish!
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 48 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped*
Heat oven to 375°F.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla extract and salt; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over them while they're still warm. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes 4-5 dozen.
NOTE: *I used a small ice cream scoop and was able to make 60 cookies-- 12 more than the recipe states. score! Make sure you have a few extra kisses on hand when making these.
Also, be sure to allow these to cool completely before stacking them. The cookies may be cool, but the kisses may be melty in the center and you want them to stay pretty and blossom-y.
Look boobies!