With a brand mission—"Fewer, better things"—that speaks directly to the prevailing consumer mindset and a carefully curated assortment of pebbly leather bags and accessories, divine alpaca scarves, and perfectly tailored wardrobe essentials, San Francisco-based Cuyana is quickly becoming a go-to label for fashionable women everywhere. Even its colors seem to hit just the right note (how to choose from elegant tan, rich navy, and eye-catching cobalt?).
As beautifully tailored as the brand's clean, confident, feminine aesthetic, Cuyana's offices and showroom in San Francisco's Union Square house a young, ethical business buzzing with optimistic energy. We chatted with co-founders Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah about everything from their muse to how they're setting out to refashion the fashion world.
The company's showroom, which is open for drop-in shoppers, was outfitted by Lauren Nelson Design.
One of the brand's signature tote bags on display.
What in your background led you to create Cuyana?
Karla: I grew up in Ecuador, and given the financial conditions there, it's really a culture of having fewer, better things. For me, moving to the U.S. was quite a shock. Anything of good quality was really expensive. And I realized that people were buying things without knowing the story behind how they were made—even though people often love to know those stories. Cuyana was born from seeing the lack of quality in the things we tend to buy here.
Shilpa: My family is Indian, and when we would go back to India, I noticed how differently we shopped there [versus in the U.S.]. Great attention was paid to the stitching, to the craftsmanship. I felt some emptiness in the products we were buying in the U.S. They didn't have that emphasis on quality and didn't carry as much meaning. And that was, I felt, a story that needed to be created and told.
Understated shelving and a neutral palette draw the customers' eyes to the gorgeous merchandise: bags in perfectly proportioned shapes and sizes, small leather accessories, cashmere goodies, and well-cut wardrobe staples.
Covetable alpaca scarfs are displayed alongside colorful leather pouches, which happen to be the perfect fold-over clutches.
At what point in your careers did your paths first cross?
Karla: I'd moved to the U.S. for college and then worked in banking. But I missed working more creatively and wanted to make more of an impact on the bottom of the pyramid, so I moved to California to get an MBA at Stanford. That's where Shilpa and I became friends, when she was sitting in on a class during a tour—it was very serendipitous.
Shilpa: My background is in computer science and design. I worked as an interaction designer for 10 years in-house at Disney and then was a consultant for an agency doing mobile and tablet experiences. The one thing that frustrated me was that I wasn't getting to do the full customer journey—getting products to market and telling the stories surrounding them. I went to get my MBA at Berkeley to get a business background and learn how to put products to market.
Karla: After my MBA, I worked at Apple to learn e-commerce. Once I was ready to start Cuyana, the first person I thought of was Shilpa. We needed the perfect trifecta of business, technology, and creative design, and I think both of us have those three things from different angles. And the two of us working together has been really, really wonderful from day one.
In the Cuyana store, a pair of Eames lounge chairs and a Tulip table make a strong case for "fewer, better" pieces.
One of the leather pouches against soft camel-tone cashmere.
Pebble leather and chic monogramming meet to create the perfect tote. Cuyana offers personalization on most of its leather goods.
We needed the perfect trifecta of business, technology, and creative design, and I think both of us have those three things from different angles.
In the main office area, leather sling chairs from Blu Dot sit over a hide rug, while the row of desks gets plenty of natural light. Making a statement on the wall is a wooden artwork by local San Francisco artist Aleksandra Zee.
What did the early days of Cuyana look like?
Karla: Our office was my living room, with stuff all over my kitchen table. You couldn't walk for all the boxes. We had a summer intern who helped with shipping. We spent the first couple of years building the supply chain—finding suppliers who'd been left behind by luxury brands when those brands had taken their business to China to produce things at a lower cost. It was really behind the scenes—we sold to friends and friends of friends, but we didn't spend anything on marketing.
Clearly the materials you use are incredible. How do you source the leather, for example?
Karla: Yes, it's all about where the material is the best—our cotton comes from Turkey, our alpaca from Peru, our straw from Ecuador. For the leather, we work with family-owned suppliers in Italy and Argentina who have generations of expertise in the craftsmanship of leather goods. We went to these countries and suppliers specifically, not only because of their expertise in craftsmanship but also because these countries are where the raw materials are the best. By working with the best leather and the best leather craftsmen end to end in the same country, we are able to provide an extraordinary quality. Our leather pieces—whether pebbled, smooth, or Saffiano—are all incredibly durable yet lightweight and only grow more beautiful with age.
During a trip to Scotland, Karla and Shilpa learned about the 30-plus processes required to make each cashmere piece. They took the photographs hanging on the wall to document the steps.
We spent the first couple of years building the supply chain—finding suppliers who'd been left behind by luxury brands when those brands had taken their business to China to produce things at a lower cost.
How do you manage to keep your prices relatively low while working with such luxurious materials?
Karla: We will purchase the highest-quality materials no matter what, we pay our employees fairly, we make sure the working conditions are excellent—we don't achieve those prices through cutting any of those things. We achieve them by working directly with our factories instead of through brokers. We're very smart about optimizing materials—we'll choose very few types of leathers and use them throughout our designs, rather than having lots of scraps. And our biggest money saver is that we sell directly to our customers, so we avoid the wholesale markup. Our goal is not to make the cheapest products available but to price our products in the cheapest way possible.
How does the design process typically unfold?
Karla: Well, first, a lot of work goes into deciding what are the essentials that Cuyana can provide. Our designers sketch out and build a design, and we spend a lot of time thinking through the choices. We always have an inspiration and a muse we're designing toward. This fall it was the 1970 film Love Story. Our wool coat takes inspiration from the coat Ali MacGraw wears in the movie. It's a clean design—there aren't even buttons—but it has a collar that makes it elegant no matter what you're wearing underneath. And it's double-faced [two fabrics sewn together], so it's heavy and you feel like a million dollars when you wear it.
Karla and Shilpa have fallen for the minty green of the company's kitchen cabinets—rumor has it the color will make an appearance in their spring collections. The kitchen is stocked with everything from Nespresso machines to almond milk.
Was there a big debut moment for Cuyana?
Karla: We made our big splash in 2013. Everything was orchestrated to open at the same time: the online shop, the San Francisco store. That's when we moved into a real office and hired our first official employee. Now we're about 30 people.
How would you describe the culture in your offices?
Karla: It's definitely a culture of hard work, but there's a family atmosphere. We hire very smart people who have very big hearts—that means that people care about each other, and a lot of the relationships extend outside work.
Shilpa: There's a magical midpoint in the day that we love, when instead of taking meetings in a conference room, people get up and take them at the lunch table. There are great conversations happening around working lunches.
Karla: If we've had a really intense period, someone will call a wine o'clock in the kitchen around 5 or 6 p.m. And then Fridays we gather to celebrate new employees and birthdays.
Karla and Shilpa were smitten with a French metallic fabric, but it was too expensive to use as upholstery—so they wrapped a piece of it around canvas to create the artwork that now hangs over an eating nook.
What's the division between your roles?
Karla: My role is recruiting, financing, running the business, being the CEO. Then the other part: overseeing products and aspects of our brand, like the photography. So on a typical day, I'm interviewing potential hires, meeting with teams, having one-on-ones with managers of different teams, meeting investors.
Shilpa: I'm the CXO [chief experience officer], overseeing the digital experience for the customer. That spans the site's visual design from the user interface to every step of the e-commerce flow. I manage a digital products team comprised of engineers, visual designers, e-commerce site managers, photographers, retouchers, and others.
Do you have morning rituals to keep you energized and productive enough to handle all of this?
Karla: I wake up at 5:45 or 6 a.m. That's when I have morning coffee and work until 8:30 a.m. I have back-to-back meetings all day, so that morning time is my time for emails, logistical things, designing what I want to accomplish for the day.
Shilpa: My husband's a doctor, so I have this idea of morning rounds—I check email, look at our daily metrics to get a feel for how everything is doing. I read every email that comes into "info@"—it's a qualitative feel that tells me what's happening, what our customers are thinking. I do the same thing with social media channels. And then I check on our team, to make sure everyone has no roadblocks to what they need to get done.
Shilpa (seated) and Karla (standing) in their offices.
What's been the most satisfying for you to see as your company's grown?
Shilpa: Seeing our pieces on the street all the time. We used to text each other when we spotted one; it was news! Now we see it all the time. We feel the buzz every day.
Shilpa: And it's so cool to see our social impact growing. We started our Lean Closet program in 2013, which encourages women to not only buy better products, and therefore need fewer of them, but also to give back products they're not using. They get a Cuyana credit, and we donate the items they send to people in need. That clothing now goes to H.E.A.R.T. [Helping Release Abuse Related Trauma] in L.A., which helps women who've survived abuse start fresh. Having fewer, better things isn't just a tagline for us; it informs everything we do and how we want to impact the larger world.
Having fewer, better things isn't just a tagline for us; it informs everything we do and how we want to impact the larger world.


President Trump's speech on tax reform was good but it is unlikely that his current efforts will do much to make tax reform happen.
Tax reform is possible but first, Trump needs to get out of the way and let Congress get to work.
Tax reform isn't likely to get done this year but sometime in 2018.
It is most unlikely that President Trump's current efforts will do much to move tax reform forward and into law.
Trump's speech on tax reform this week was good but it was too little too late. Had the president given this speech in March or April, perhaps it would have been better received and seen as helpful. However, at this point, seven-plus months into his administration with some history in our rear-view mirrors, more is expected. We need details!
So far, the administration has only produced for the public limited details on a single page regarding tax reform. It's really remarkable that a key campaign issue like tax reform has been given such short shrift. Tax reform can help fuel-inject the economic engine of our democracy. The mere possibility that tax reform could happen has buoyed markets with some bubblicious euphoria (although that seems to be waning now). Suffice it to say, the president and his administration should have done much more.
The president doesn't seem to care much what's actually contained in tax reform. In Missouri, he said that he hopes Congress doesn't disappoint him by not passing tax reform and that if the senator from Missouri (Democrat Claire McCaskill) doesn't support tax reform, she should be voted out of office. The president appears that he will not only support whatever Congress approves, but campaign against those who don't support this sight unseen mystical legislation.
Like it or not, at this point, Trump is only a bit player on tax reform. The Hill may humor him, but that's about all. I won't go through the list, but among the matters that have depreciated the president's ability to lead include the Russia investigation, his Charlottesville remarks, position reversals and bully and bellicose behavior. To top it off, much of the president's angry antagonism is directed at members—even the leaders—of his own Republican Party in the House and Senate who will be called upon to do things like, for example, vote upon tax reform!
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and their staffs have been working behind the scenes with the committees of jurisdiction on tax reform (the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee). They have obviously discussed more than is on the single page the administration has released.
Secretary Mnuchin told CNBC that some sort of "blueprint" with additional details may become available soon. That's fine, but it will only take them so far. When your principle—in this case the president—has few gut-guiding policy positions and hair-trigger tweeting digits, members of his administration can't truly negotiate the nitty gritty or make things done deals. They are crippled on negotiating critical policy matters.
If the president lets the leaders in Congress do this as best they can, there's still some hope that tax reform could eventually become a reality.
I worked on Capitol Hill for many years, including for the Senate Majority Leader (Democrat Tom Daschle of South Dakota). He successfully worked to pass a lot of legislation collaborating with Republicans on the Hill and with Republican President George W. Bush. Senator Daschle would often ask staff, "How do we get to YES?" Contrary to what the president espoused as a candidate and in his book, negotiating on Capitol Hill is not about the art of the deal, but about the art of the possible. It requires both conviction and true temperament. The president appears to have neither. He's proven to be a dreadful Dealmaker in Chief. He's both wishy and washy, and one never knows when his spin cycle will be engaged, potentially producing some heavy load agitation to those on the Hill. He's not good at getting to YES.
Many of us would like to see tax reform, including middle class tax cuts, succeed (certainly not just corporate tax cuts).
The president's mission and mantra on tax reform should be: 1) Get outta the way; 2) Continue to charge your staff with supporting the efforts on the Hill; and 3) Don't mess things up.
If the president lets the leaders in Congress do this as best they can, there's still some hope that tax reform could eventually become a reality. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) are good at gathering votes, despite what the president says and tweets about them. In fact, any such initiative would have a greater chance of becoming law if at least some Democrats supported the measure. Laws are almost always better when policy has migrated to the middle.
Secretary Mnuchin told CNBC that he expects tax reform to be done this year. I suppose it is good he is so positive, but I think that is unlikely. Nevertheless, it's still possible that something good and genuine tax reform could be achieved in the first half of 2018 (before the rhetoric gets really raunchy and rough as part of next year's mid-term election campaigns).
Let's hope fulsome tax reform does come to pass. I wish everyone involved a lot of luck. It would be good for individuals and for corporations, good for our economy and good our country as a whole.


text:
2 ODOT employees and a vendor accused in kickback scheme
By Leila Atassi, cleveland.com
Marvin Fong/Plain Dealer
ODOT employees William Werman, left, and Joseph Jedrzejek, shield their faces from cameras at their arraignment in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
CLEVELAND — Two employees with the Ohio Department of Transportation and a vendor accused of participating in an elaborate scheme involving kickbacks, bid rigging and contract steering, were arraigned Friday on corruption charges.
ODOT storekeeper Joseph Jedrzejek, 37, of Garfield Heights, was charged in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court with theft. William Werman, 57, an ODOT auto mechanic from Garfield Heights, was charged with having an unlawful interest in a public contract. And vendor Jeffrey Bauer, 42, of Willougby Hills, was charged with attempted tampering and bribery.
Prosecutors say Bauer participated in many of the infamous Lake Erie fishing excursions -- during which vendors entertained managers from ODOT's District 12 office in Garfield Heights and traded sex with strippers for government contracts.
All three pleaded not guilty, and their cases were assigned to Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Ann Sutula. They are scheduled to be back in court for a hearing Wednesday. Each defendant could face prison time and be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in restitution, if convicted.
The three men were set to appear in court Thursday along with six other defendants. However, the appearances had to be postponed because the Clerk of Court's office had not finished processing the vast amount of paperwork involved with the charges, said Assistant County Prosecutor Paul Soucie.
The other defendants will be arraigned later this month.
The charges are in connection with an Ohio inspector general's report released last October. The report, following an 18-month investigation, described decade-long practices of bid-rigging and fraud that may have cost the state millions. Vendors plied high-ranking local ODOT officials with cash, vacations and sex with strippers in return for state contracts.
Prosecutor Bill Mason said the three defendants arraigned Friday represent the first wave of charges stemming from the investigation. He said he expects several dozen more indictments in the near future.
Jedrzejek, Werman and Bauer were not major targets in the investigation. But the three defendants are cooperating to help narrow down the key players and are expected to take responsibility for their own role in the scheme, investigators said Friday.
Jedrzejek billed the department at least 82 times for work commissioned to an outside company that he owned, investigators said. In many cases, his company -- which offered services such as upholstering the seats of vehicles and applying protective coating to the undercarriage of trucks -- never performed the work it was paid for. The state will request Jedrzejek be ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
Werman, a mechanic for ODOT, orchestrated a similar scam, but actually rendered the services, investigators said. The state will ask that he be forced to repay the $31,000 profit he made on the jobs.
Both Jedrzejek and Werman were fired or resigned from ODOT.
Bauer owned two companies -- Great Lakes Mechanical and Bauer Mechanical, both of which specialized in heavy machinery and tools. Bauer used Great Lakes Mechanical as a shell company to submit false bids on contracts the ODOT managers promised to other companies -- the agency had to consider multiple bids before picking a contracor. In exchange the managers steered future contracts toward Bauer Mechanical, investigators said.
Soucie declined to comment on whether others at the top of the ODOT chain of command have been implicated in the scheme, which he described as so complex it is best explained in graphs and flow charts. But he said the investigation unearthed a pattern of corrupt business practices within the organization akin to running a criminal enterprise.
"People have been falsifying bids for a long time," Soucie said. "That's nothing new. But what's different about this case is the incredible lengths they went to in order to cover it up. They sometimes used several shell companies, computers to falsify invoices and create letterhead. When you look at a flow chart of how this all fit together, there are so many lines going in so many directions -- I've never seen anything like it."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Shipping Fireworks can be confusing. We want to satisfy, you, our customer while staying within the local, state, and federal shipping guidelines for fireworks.
We ship to all states except the following.
CA, DE, HI, MD, NJ, NV, NY, OR, RI, VT, and Washington D.C.
-Connecticut Customers may only order fountains, novelties, and accessories.
-We cannot ship to APO/FPO or P.O. Boxes.
-We do not ship outside the USA.
Currently we are not able ship internationally.
Retail: Any order under $500 is a flat shipping fee of $85. Any order above $500 is free shipping.
Residential Delivery: if you choose to have the common carrier deliver to your home there is a $35 additional fee. So if your order is under $500 and you choose residential delivery your total shipping fee is $50 plus $35. If your order is above $500 and you choose residential delivery then your shipping fee is $35.
Wholesale: All wholesale orders are a flat $300 shipping charge.
Our minimum is $300 on retail orders.
To ship fireworks we must use common carriers and that usually takes 4-7 business days. Any orders placed June 25th or later may not arrive by the 4th of July.
How is common carrier shipping different from Fed Ex or USPS shipping?
Common carriers will call you to schedule a delivery window and you must be present to sign for your merchandise. They will never leave the merchandise without having someone present to accept the merchandise. Common carriers prefer to deliver directly to a business, but will do residential delivery. The driver usually only has specialty or heavier items on their truck. Many times these deliveries are made in a 26' box truck or a semi.


When you look and feel good, you do good!
Hello! Since you've made it to this website you already know that my name is Brigitte Goudz (pronounced as GOODZ.. yes I have heard every joke in the book). I am currently 23 years old and live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am first generation American-Ukrainian and can speak both English and Russian. Since both my parents came here from Ukraine, I was taught at a very young age what drive and ambition could do to succeed in life. I am a full time student that manages to juggle this sport with academics and a part time job.
Get exclusive information on Brigitte's latest events and products.


Austrian Embassy Commercial Section – the official foreign trade promotion organisation for Austria consisting of a network of more than 100 offices in 70 countries – uniquely positioned to consult and guide. That's got to be good.
When the Austrian Embassy Commercial Section looked to outsource their payroll they wanted to use a flexible service provider with whom they already had an established relationship – someone they could rely and trust. With the added benefit of having Austrian speaking employees and specialists in assisting companies cross border expansion, Goodwille seemed like the sensible choice.
With a UK based team of six employees, Goodwille have processed the payroll for the Austrian Embassy Commercial Section since January 2014. Outsourcing their payroll administration has helped ensure the salary calculations are done efficiently and accurately, so their employees are paid on time, everytime.
Our payroll software which is integrated with HMRC ensures the employee's tax codes are always up-to-date and our online tool, ePayslips, provides employees secure online access to their payslips, 24/7.


Meet my daughter Yates and her BFF Ciara. In this picture they are dressed up to go Trick or Treat last Halloween. Like most best friends, they spend the night at each other's houses, they giggle at things this mom doesn't get, they have cute catch phrases they say simultaneously and they finish each other's sentences.
They are 9 years old.
As most 9 year olds, they have been taught in school all about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, but they do not understand how his death in the city of Memphis ripped this place apart. Nor should they. They deserve to live in a community that embraces them and all its children.
Instead, they live in a community that created two school systems that represent the best and the worst of those who live in the city and those who live in the county.
Of course, often one's view of what is best depends on your address in Shelby County.
Born in Methodist Central Hospital. Reared in Central Gardens. Educated first in a small Episcopal school down the street from my house and a graduate of Memphis Central High School.
Although my address today is in Germantown, when people ask where I am from I say Memphis. Not Germantown, not Shelby County, Memphis. And I love Memphis.
My daughter and her best friend attend a Shelby County School. They love their school. It has wonderful teachers, a strong administrative staff, lots of activities and highly involved parents. It's the kind of school I wish for all students in the community.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a school like ours and they should.
We have an opportunity today to do what is best for all the children by working together for the future. No one has all the answers so set aside your fears and listen.
To those in the county, Memphis is not a scary place to be feared. Crime exists in every metropolitan area, not just Memphis. You are missing out on the cool funky vibe of Memphis and the best and warmest people if you've never been inside the loop. There are children there who need your attention and time.
To those in the City, many who live in the suburbs are transplants to this area. When they moved here, they trusted a real estate agent to put them in a nice home with good schools. And like a good real estate agent, they put them in the county because it's an easy sell. So give them a break, they have never had the opportunity to really know Memphis. Show them why this city is referred to as the City of Good Abode.
There has never been a better opportunity to embrace all our children. Let's use this time not to tear each other down with hateful words and misplaced assumptions but to get to know one another and find the best in all of us to help our children. Because they don't know our history, they don't know state law, and they don't really care.
They deserve our best. Let's give it to them.
Wonderful story and insight – thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Martha. I really appreciate your comment.
Nicely written Alys. I really have high hopes for the outcome. As an MCS parent, I shouldn't have to sleep outside the BOE to get my children into a great elementary school. All 122 of them should be great and filled with superior teachers, dynamic administrators and supported by the families and communities around them. I want the best education for my children and I want them to grow up in a city like Memphis where leaders and contributors are being formed in those very schools. All the children of Memphis and Shelby County are our children. We should all want the very best for them.
I'm with you Seth! Thanks for your comment.
Bless you. I'm a Memphian who started out at Raleigh-Egypt, went private, then finished up out of state. Unlike most Memphians, moving away cemented my desire to be in this city- I couldn't wait to get back. Now, my son is in first grade in MCS. I love his school, I love my city.
Thank you for your perspective- it makes me absolutely crazy when people assume that everyone in the county is racist- I've been repeating your transplant/realtor story to everyone who will listen. We will either rise together or fall together, one or the other. It seems to me that it's our choice to make.
Thanks so much Melissa. I am really hopeful for the future.
Very well written and aptly titled. I wish we could see more through the eyes of our children. My own state of New Jersey is in a educational uproar. I am left to wonder if anything that is being done is in the best interest of the children. I bet you have a great community that will one day turn out great folks who will fight to preserve it just as you are today!!
Thanks Lori! I didn't think this would mean much to anyone outside of Memphis. While I am sad you are facing similar issues, I am grateful that what I wrote touched you.
I am working on a FB group for County residents who support consolidation. My friend Katy Leopard, who is involved with FUSE, has said that this would be helpful (I'm a member of FUSE also). Can you correspond with me at the email above and let me know if you would join and send to 10 friends? Thanks!
Thanks Alison, I have joined FUSE and am glad to see a specific group for county residents as well. I'll be glad to share the group with my friends. The more information people have access to the better.


Microchip Technology has announced a free C++ compiler with unlimited code generation capabilities: MPLAB XC32++ Compiler (Free version), which supports all their 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers. The compiler enables designers to develop and re-use C++ or mixed C/C++ projects in the MPLAB XC32 environment and makes all of Microchip's C language extensions available. It is compatible with most C++98 and C++2003 ANSI standards. The compiler also includes Dinkumware standard C, C++ and template libraries.
The free version of the MPLAB XC32++ Compiler is available for download now. It has no time or memory limits, and it can be used in commercial applications. Users who need best-in-class optimisation or a network server license can opt for one of the paid versions: MPLAB XC32++ PRO Workstation Licence or MPLAB XC32++ PRO Network Server Licence. Existing licensees of Microchip's MPLAB XC32 compilers can add the XC32++ option at an additional charge.


text:
Louder Astounding sounds, amazing music
Prog 100 is on sale today!
Vote In The 2019 Progressive Music Awards
Frank Zappa hologram tour lineup revealed
By Scott Munro (Prog) 2018-02-06T10:20:00.360Z Prog
Ahmet Zappa promises a "mind-melting" Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa hologram tour, as live lineup is revealed
(Image credit: Getty)
The lineup for the upcoming Frank Zappa hologram tour has been revealed.
The possibility of a live run of shows featuring Zappa, who died in 1993, first came to light in September last year.
Co-trustee of the Zappa Family Trust, Ahmet Zappa, has now confirmed the shows will run under the Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa tour banner and will feature a core lineup of Ray White, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin and Joe "Vaultmeister" Travers.
Guests appearing live will include Steve Vai, Warren Cuccurullo, Ian Underwood, Vinnie Colaiuta, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Arthur Barrow and Ed Mann. Further artists will be announced in due course.
Ahmet Zappa says: "As a futurist, and hologram enthusiast, Frank fearlessly broke through boundary after boundary as an artist and in honouring his indomitable spirit, we're about to do it again, 25 years after his passing.
"This mind-melting show we're putting together celebrates the music, often surreal imagery and humour synonymous with Frank. We will be pushing the limits of what anyone has seen holographically on stage before in a live venue."
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He adds: "Circumstances, objects, places and subject matter from Frank's songs and imagination will be brought to life for the first time on stage. We are anthropomorphising Frank's music, so his own hand drawn illustrations, classic imagery from his album artwork and characters from his songs can all interact and perform on stage.
"And let's not forget, Frank himself will be rocking his fans, alongside his bandmates like nobody's business.
"My father and I actively discussed 3D and 'holography' and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of his The Real Frank Zappa Book to this subject.
"This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago."
While dates have still to be finalised, the shows will feature never-before-seen Zappa performance footage from the early 70s, with production company Eyellusion working closely with the Zappa Family Trust.
When the possibility of a Zappa hologram tour was first touted, it drew an angry response from fans.
Adrian Belew, who was initially mentioned as one of the musicians who would take part, later issued a statement stating that he wouldn't be involved in a "caustic and divisive" tour.
Frank Zappa – A guide to his best albums
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Hey Nathan, thank you! We can't wait to see the kitchen, but meanwhile we'll settle for that shot of your feet. Don't hurt yourself taking photos for Retro Renovation, now!
Converses are sooo hip these days!
I love chucks, but I'm also a huge fan of my hi-top reproduction PF Flyers. Scored them on sale, they're all leather and SOOOO cool.
Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my 2 year old grandson wearing black Converse hi-tops. I'm so out of touch; the last time I remember seeing those was on the 1965 high school basketball team (though I'm not sure those were Converse)!!!


MacAndrews which was established in 1770 dissapeared from the shipping scene on 1 April marking a long association as part of the UK shipping industry. The demise of MacAndrews GmBH followed the merger by French owners CMA CGM into a single brand through their subsidiary Containerships.
The historic company of MacAndrews Line can trace its origins to its founder William McAndrew from Elgin, Scotland. At just 18 year's old, he traded in importing fruit from Spain, Portugal and the Azores. This led offices to be opened in London and Liverpool.
MacAndrews operations included calls to Ireland that continue through Containerships in the provision of Intra-European transport. Of the Irish ports Containerships call to Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
Among the network of routes from Ireland is the Portugal Service linking the Iberian nation with the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and the Netherlands. This is a two-loop weekly door-to-door multimodal service linking the ports of Liverpool, Dublin, Setúbal, Leixoes, Dunkirk, Rotterdam and Tilbury.
A trio of containerships, each with a 803TEU nominal capacity operate the service among them MV Ranger (pictured above) in Dublin Port at DSG's lo-lo terminal. Also note yesterday's related stories.
The integration of MacAndrews into Containerships will allow for the creation of a tailored intra-regional service, in what CMA CGM Group desrcibe as a "Customer Centricity" strategy. To service Containerships 26 maritime services and 8 inland services there is a fleet of 32 vessels and 700 trucks.


Hong Kong Sanghai Banking Corp.
Banks, like most businesses in todayÆs ôglobal economyö are faced with a customer community that has before it many choices with respect to how it can choose to conduct its banking business and relationships. Technology leverage is utilized by the banking industry to help in the achievement of competitive advantage. As such, banks invest heavily in information technology such that their customers can enjoy a ôvalue-addedö experience as well as ôcutting-edgeö service (ôDBS and virtual banking,ö 2003).
Generally speaking, customers whether individuals or businesses, view banks as providers of a unique service. As such, creating an environment that incorporates and practices a ôsense of caringö will always be an important element in the banking environment. From a general survey of the literature available, it appears that The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) has followed most of its major competitors in making this a priority. HSBC is considered a ôlocalö bank and has the distinction of being the first bank in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to absorb overseas investment. Today it stands within the PRC as the bank with the largest number of foreign investors and the highest proportion of foreign ownership shares (Xuan, 2002).
Given the myriad of choices available to consumers today, the issue of customer service and customer management is probably more important than ever before within the banking community. Customer service quality implies consistently anticipating and satisfying the needs and wants of the customer.
Bank service quality is deteriorating.
There is an increased demand for ôadd-onö value to the service(s) provided by the bank.


Co-author of Kingdom Woman, Chrystal partnered with her dad, Tony Evans, empowering women to live out their full potential through God's power. She has been featured on radio programs such as Focus on the Family, Everyday Relationships, and Faith Radio Mornings. She currently writes for the Encouragement for Today devotions and regularly shares on her blog posts and podcasts.
Chrystal's most prized title, however, is COO (Chief Operating Officer) of the Hurst household outside of Dallas, Texas. As a homeschooling mother of five, she seeks to love well kids from college to kindergarten Chrystal enjoys sharing her life with a gentle giant named Jessie who had no idea what he was getting into when he asked her to marry him, bless his heart.
Position yourself to hear from God.
Respond appropriately to His call.
Find your way out of perfectionist thinking.
Release unrealistic expectations for yourself and others.
Enter into a life of balance and joy.
Rest in the Lord for His provision of power to do all that He's called you to do.
Recharge your heart and your head for the life you live everyday.
Renew or redefine your priorities based on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Recognize obstacles designed to block your progress.
Resist voices of distraction that are vying for your attention.
Pinpoint strategies for overcoming hindrances to your journey.
Receive God's readily available redeeming grace.
Walk with Jesus in difficult places.
Experience transformational change to live passionately for God's glory.
Learn more about inviting Chrystal to your event!


text:
from robber import expect
from robber.explanation import Explanation
from robber.matchers.base import Base

class ExceptionMatcher(Base):
    """
    expect(lambda: call_something(with_some_params)).to.throw(any_exception)
    """

    @property
    def raised(self):
        try:
            return self._raised
        except AttributeError:
            if not callable(self.actual):
                raise TypeError('{actual} is not callable'.format(actual=self.actual))

            try:
                self.actual()
            except BaseException as raised:
                self._raised = raised
                return self._raised

    def matches(self):
        return isinstance(self.raised, self.expected)

    @property
    def verb(self):
        return 'be raised'

    @property
    def explanation(self):
        if self.raised:
            got = self.raised.__class__.__name__
        else:
            got = 'nothing'

        return Explanation(self.expected.__name__, self.is_negative, self.verb, other=got)

class ExactExceptionMatcher(ExceptionMatcher):
    """
    expect(lambda: call_something(with_some_params)).to.throw_exactly(any_exception)
    """

    def matches(self):
        return type(self.raised) == self.expected

    @property
    def verb(self):
        return 'be exactly raised'

expect.register('throw', ExceptionMatcher)
expect.register('throw_exactly', ExactExceptionMatcher)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Clearwire has today launched their new USB dongle called the Clear Altas Stick. Which has been been created to provide users with instant 4G connectivity without the need to install extra software or set it up.
The new dongle has been designed to enable almost any computer or device equipped with a USB port to access 4G mobile broadband in cities with CLEAR coverage.
The Clear Altas Stick USB dongle is manufactured by Ubee Interactive and is now available to purchase for around $50 and supports most operating systems, including: Windows (7/Vista/XP), Mac OSX, Linux, Android and Chrome.


Gents 6mm palladium and 9k yellow gold wedding ring.
This ring is set in palladium and 9k yellow gold.
The ring has a width of 6mm.
A thick line made of palladium runs down the centre of this ring which mainly consists of yellow gold.
Price shown is for a 6mm wide band in palladium and 9k yellow gold.
Categories: Superb collection of men's wedding rings, Wedding rings from Commins & Co in Ireland.Tags: gents palladium and yellow gold wedding ring, gents wedding ring, wedding ring.


Failed faxes are, unfortunately, unavoidable. The system will show any failed faxes at the top right of the Schedule page, along with a brief failure message. The system will also send a notification via email to the email address on file for the user who sent the fax.
Generally, unless the error message indicates an invalid fax number or similar, you would first try resending the fax. To do this, click on the fax to open it, and then click on the Resend option at the top.
If the fax fails again, you can try calling the receiving fax number on your phone to check if it is a valid fax number (you hear a fax tone when you call, not a phone tree, "number not in service" message, busy signal, etc.).
If you hear a fax tone when you call, it may be worth trying to resend again if the original error messages were busy signals or similar.
Or, you may want to call the office you are trying to send the fax to, to confirm that you have the correct fax number and there are no issues with the receiving fax machine.
If you continue to be unable to send the fax, after several retries and confirming the fax number by calling it and by calling the office you are sending to, you may contact support@md-hq.com, detailing the steps you have taken, so that a ticket can be filed with the fax carrier.
Sometimes ad-blockers, ad-on's or pop-up blockers can interfere with outgoing faxes. Check to make sure ad-blockers such as uBlock are not interfering with the successful sending of your faxes.


text:
For customers in Finland
For customers in Finland » Services » Funding » Reporting
Instructions on how to report a project's content and costs
Check the reporting schedule from the funding decision and make a report in the online service.
Companies' R&D project reporting has been simplified
Business Finland's reporting service has been reformed, and, in addition to de minimis projects, companies' research and development projects will be reported with a new service from November 10, 2022 onwards.
Only one event is opened for each reporting period in the online service, and both the project content and costs are specified in the same report. This allows you to avoid situations where the second part of the reporting is inadvertently not delivered, for example.
Always submit all attachments, including the salary specification, through the service. To ensure the preservation of salary secrecy, the salary specification cannot be downloaded to be read in the online service.
In the online service you get more instructions on how to fill in the report.
Reporting on your project
Report any changes to Business Finland
Discuss changes to the reporting schedule in advance with your project contact person. Apply for a change in the project in the online service.
Submit the report through the online service
The accountable project leader reports on the progress of and the costs incurred for the project through the online service. The auditor or cost statement contact person confirms the costs incurred for the project.
Business Finland pays out the funding
Business Finland pays out the funding on the basis of the funding report. The funding is to be paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within three weeks, to large enterprises within two months and to research organizations within three months of receipt of the report.
What funding did you receive? See the detailed instructions
Production incentive for AV industry
Finnish companies report in the online service
The accountable project leader sends a report by the due date in Business Finland's online service.
Appendices to the report
A cost breakdown attached to the application also acts as a breakdown of costs as part of the reporting. Maintain the table throughout the duration of the project and always submit it as an appendix to the updated cost statement.
Remember also to submit auditor's report as part of each cost statement.
Working time monitoring reports and related salary specifications (template Y4) are only required if you receive, in parallel with the production incentive for the audiovisual industry, other funding from Business Finland for which the funding terms and conditions require working time monitoring.
Foreign beneficiaries report with a form
Foreign beneficiaries cannot log in through the Suomi.fi service, so they cannot report in the online service.
A foreign beneficiary always has a production coordinator company to assist them, which is responsible for the procurement of services, monitoring costs and also for its own reporting:
The Finnish production coordinator manages project accounting and maintains the cost breakdown for the project.
The production coordinator sends the beneficiary a cost breakdown and an invoice for the costs incurred during the reporting period.
The foreign beneficiary pays the production coordinator's invoice.
The foreign beneficiary completes the report and sends it to the production coordinator.
The production coordinator commissions an audit report on all production costs from an external auditor.
The production coordinator sends by secured email the beneficiary's report and its appendices (cost breakdown and auditor's report).
Business Finland pays out the production incentive to the foreign beneficiary provided that the report with its cost statement, the cost breakdown and the auditor's audit report have been submitted to Business Finland within the specified time frame.
The final report also includes follow-up questions used to analyze the broader results and impacts of the project.
Read more about the funding terms and conditions
Read more about eligible costs and reporting details in the funding terms and conditions. Finnish companies will find the funding terms and conditions of their project in the online service.
Go to the online service
Energy aid
Submit the report in the online service
Report the progress of and costs incurred for the project in the online service. A report and cost statement can be prepared in the online service by several persons, but not at the same time. However, the company's project report and cost statement can only be sent by the accountable project leader.
Appendices to the cost statement
Submit a salary specification (Y4) as an appendix to the cost statement.
In addition, submit the auditor's report as part of the final cost statement. In exceptional cases, it may be compensated by proofs of purchase; please read about this in more detail in the funding terms and conditions.
Payment of funding
The funding can be paid once the report and cost statement have been submitted within the deadline and approved by Business Finland. The last installment of the granted funding is always paid after the submission of the final report and cost statement. This is to avoid unnecessary retrieval of funding in situations where not all the estimated eligible costs materialize.
Funding payment conditions and reporting differ from one another in investment and investigation projects
In investment projects, each report/statement must be accompanied by an opinion on the project's progress. In addition, an account of the total funding for the project must be provided. The final report in an investment project must be accompanied by the energy aid assessment form 'Assessment of the impact of energy aid'.
In investigation projects, Business Finland discloses the information on the investigation project listed below to Motiva Oy once the beneficiary has consented to said disclosure upon accepting the funding decision. Motiva Oy issues an opinion to Business Finland on the content and scope of the report.
Read more about eligible costs and reporting details in the funding terms and conditions. You will find the funding terms and conditions of your project in the online service.
Exhibition Explorer
The report can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information in the online service. However, simultaneous editing is not possible. The report can be submitted only by the accountable project leader.
The contact person for cost statements (financial administration person, for example the accountant) confirms the costs with their attestation.
Eligible costs are only purchased services, and no salary costs are accepted for the project.
As a rule, all costs must be incurred during the duration of the project, but trade fair registration and reservation costs can be accepted even if the costs are incurred before the application is submitted.
Funding for business development in disruptive circumstances
Please read the instruction on page Instructions for the beneficiary.
Group Explorer
Because the Group Explorer project involves a group of companies, the final reports are processed at the same time. Therefore, different final reports must be submitted to Business Finland as simultaneously as possible. The assessment of the reports takes account of the project and the objectives set for it as well as how well the cooperation between the companies has been realized.
The report can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information in the online service. Simultaneous editing is however not possible. The report can be submitted only by the accountable project leader.
Of the salary paid to a person for the total working time, the beneficiary can declare the share paid for the hours worked for the project. Salary costs are not accepted in projects for which the funding decision was made before 2023.
On the basis of the project plan and billing, BF can accept expert service costs incurred by the project as purchased services.
Purchased services are declared excluding VAT.
Only purchases from within the same group are eligible as purchases from group and associated companies. If the project involves procurements from group companies, please read: Purchases from group and associated companies.
Software, cloud services, travel expenses, and materials and supplies required for the project are included in the deferred installment of other costs, up to 20% of the total sum of salaries and purchased services
Talent Explorer
Only salary costs can be accepted for the project.
Important project of common European interest (IPCEI) on batteries
Submit the report and cost statement in the online service. They can be sent to Business Finland by the accountable project leader.
In addition to the report to be submitted in the online service, provide Business Finland with sufficient information for reporting to the EU Commission. You can receive further information from your project contact person.
In addition, submit the auditor's report as part of the final cost statement.
Salaries and indirect personnel costs
Each person working for the project must record the time that they allocate to the project on an hourly basis. Working time monitoring also applies to persons who are paid trade income. The cost statement is appended with a salary specification (Y4).
A percentage of the salaries paid for effective working hours that have been approved for the project and laid out in the project cost estimate (max. 50%) can be accepted as indirect personnel costs.
Purchased services that comply with the project plan and funding terms and conditions can be accepted as project costs.
Innovation clusters
The accountable project leader reports the progress and costs of the project in accordance with the agreed reporting schedule. The report can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information in the online service. Simultaneous editing is however not possible. The report can be submitted only by the accountable project leader.
Salary specification (Y4) is submitted as an appendix to the report every time that the salaries are reported. As part of the final cost statement, the auditor's report must also be submitted.
Eligible project costs in investment aid and operational aid are the salaries of personnel directly participating in and assisting with the activities in question. Salaries are reported in accordance with the funding terms and conditions and the instructions for the salary specification (Y4).
Purchased services directly related to the cluster organization's activities provided for in the project plan can be accepted as project costs. Eligible costs in investment aid also include costs related to investments in intangible assets. Intangible assets refer to patents, licenses, other intellectual property rights and know-how.
Eligible costs in investment aid are the purchase costs of tangible assets provided for in the project plan. Tangible assets refer to land areas, buildings, plants, and machinery and equipment. In the cost estimate, the purchase costs of tangible assets are declared under the item Machinery and equipment purchases. The funder may accept as direct project costs those purchase costs of tangible assets that are primarily used for the project. If such a tangible asset is also used for other purposes, the purchase cost is accepted to the extent that the asset is used in the project. Rental costs of buildings, machinery and equipment that are mainly used in the project are eligible in so far as they are used in the project.
If the project involves purchases from associated companies, please see the instructions.
Read more about purchases from associated companies
If your project is part of the Sustainable Growth Program for Finland (RRF), read more:
If the beneficiary is a contracting entity within the meaning of section 5 of the Procurement Act that purchases goods or services for its project, Business Finland must, in accordance with the RRF Regulation, collect certain information about the supplier of the services or goods (contractor) related to the project of the contracting entity and its possible subcontractors. With the form below, you can provide information about the organization supplying the goods or services (i.e., the contractor) and the contractor's subcontractors in connection with reporting.
The information on contractors and subcontractors is collected from suppliers of services and goods directly related to the project (material and equipment costs, equipment purchases, purchased services, and other costs). You do not need to submit the form for the suppliers of support services related to indirect personnel or overhead costs (e.g., administrative services) or of travel-related services, or if only salaries are reported as direct costs during the reporting period.
Business Finland checks the information of the actual owners and beneficiaries of the contractors directly from the information service maintained by PRH. Upon request, the beneficiary must also provide Business Finland with the first and last names as well as the dates of birth of the beneficial owners of the contractors, unless they are available in the Trade Register. In order to avoid additional information requests, the beneficiary must remind the contractor to submit a notification of beneficial owners as required by the Act on Preventing Money Laundering and notify the Trade Register of changed beneficiary information (PRH-Trade Register-Notification of beneficial owners).
Form for reporting contractor and subcontractor information
Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (1397/2016)
RRF Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility)
Innovation voucher, funding decisions until 31.12.2021
Projects for which a funding decision has been made before 2022 will be reported in accordance with this guideline:
Submit the final report in the online service no later than four months after the expiry of the decision.
Only a purchased service compliant with the funding decision is accepted as an eligible cost for the project. No salary costs are accepted for the project
Ensure that you have also submitted the decision acceptance notification and paid the service provider a self-financing share of EUR 1,000 + VAT.
The service provider sends an invoice to Business Finland. If the value of the service is less than EUR 4,000, the invoiced amount must not exceed the value of the service. Instructions for delivering the invoice can be found on the Business Finland website.
Business Finland simultaneously checks the final report and the invoice sent by the service provider and pays out the funding as per the invoice directly to the service provider once Business Finland has approved the report.
Innovation Voucher, funding decisions from 1.1.2022
From the beginning of 2022, funding terms and conditions for the de minimis funding will apply to the innovation voucher and projects will be reported in accordance with the de minimis conditions.
Make a final report in the online service no later than four months after the decision expires.
Make sure you also submit a notice of acceptance of the decision.
In the final report, the beneficiary must be able to present the results of the project. Attach a report from the service provider, a measurement report or a picture of the prototype to the report.
Only the purchase service in accordance with the financing decision will be accepted as a cost for the project. A copy of the invoice and proof of payment are required as an attachment.
If the price of the purchased service is lower than the grant amount mentioned in the funding decision, the cost statement must be in accordance with the realized price (VAT 0%).
Before submitting a report, please make sure that
if your company has a tax debt, a payment arrangement has been agreed with the Tax Administration
your company has no arrears of previous Tekes or Business Finland loans, foreclosure debts, payment defaults or other unpaid financial obligations
Business Finland checks the final report and the cost statement at the same time. Once Business Finland has approved the report, the payment will be made to the beneficiary.
Public research funding
The person authorized for the project can submit the report and cost statement in the online service. The accountable project leader must ensure that the progress of the project is reported as required in the funding terms and conditions.
Beneficiaries other than governmental agencies and institutions must submit a salary specification as an appendix to the cost statement every time that salaries are declared. As a salary specification, template T4 is used, unless agreed otherwise.
Beneficiaries other than governmental agencies and institutions must provide an auditor's report in conjunction with the final report if the total cost estimate approved in the project's funding decision exceeds EUR 500,000.
In the case of projects other than Co-Creation projects, the first project report must have the minutes of the steering group's initial meeting appended to it. The minutes of the meeting must state that the steering group has confirmed a project plan, cost estimate and funding plan in accordance with the funding decision. The minutes of the meeting must also specify the composition of the steering group.
Reporting deadlines
The progress of a public research project is reported to Business Finland 2-3 times a year.
In funding decisions made after 1.1.2022, projects are reported twice a year according to the following schedule:
Reporting period January 1–June 30, reporting deadline August 31
Reporting period July 1–December 31, reporting deadline February 28
After the end of the reporting period, the beneficiary has two months to submit an interim report. There are no changes to the final reporting; the deadline is four months from the end date of the project.
For projects that received a funding decision by December 31, 2021, the reporting schedule will remain as set out in the funding decision and the project's applicable funding terms. The Innovation Funding Agency Business Finland recommends that research organizations skip the voluntary May reporting during the transition period between the schedules.
In Co-Creation projects, only the final report is submitted, with a deadline of four months from the end date of the project.
Please read also notification over Reporting schedule for public research in funding decisions from January 1, 2022
Salary costs for effective working hours can be accepted for the project. Each person working directly for the project must keep a record of the project-related working time accurate to at least within one hour. Hours spent working on a project must be reported for the actual days on which the work was done, based on the actual hours worked. The employee's supervisor or other person for whom the task belongs according to the procedure must confirm the reported hours at least once a month.
The public research organization must comply with the Act on Public Contracts. See the instruction The Act on Public Contracts, EU State aid instruments and funding granted by Business Finland.
The costs are reported in their appropriate row of the cost statement as prescribed by the beneficiary's accounting practice.
Business Finland pays the funding within approximately three months of the receipt of the report and cost statement.
Funding development activities of public actors
The accountable project leader must ensure that the progress of the project is reported as required in the funding terms and conditions. The accountable leader may submit the report and cost statement.
In connection with the final report and the final cost statement, the auditor's report is submitted. If the invoiced and paid costs incurred by the audit are not included in the project costs confirmed by the auditor, copies of the invoice of the audit costs and receipt/bank statement must be submitted to Business Finland.
The costs declared for the project must be
incurred during the duration of the project
in the Beneficiary's accounts
net amounts.
The costs that have been initially approved on the basis of the interim report must also be included in the final report. The funder gives its final approval of the costs only after it has received the auditor's report.
Salaries and working time monitoring
Salary costs for effective working hours can be accepted for the project. Each person working directly for the project must keep a record of the project-related working time accurate to at least within one hour. Persons to whom the Working Hours Act does not apply or who do not have specified working hours must keep records both of hours worked on the project and of total working hours. Working time monitoring also applies to persons who are paid trade income.
Hours spent working on a project must be reported for the actual days on which the work was done, based on the actual hours worked. The employee's supervisor or other person for whom the task belongs according to the procedure must confirm the reported hours at least once a month.
Salaries are reported on salary specification template Y4.
Procurements to be made for the project must comply with the project plan and the funding terms and conditions. Ensure that the purchase invoice always includes a clear description of the purchased services so that it is easy to see in the reporting that the purchase belongs to the project. If the invoice also has other business purchases, the product or service purchased for the project must be clearly distinguishable from other purchases on the invoice.
If the project involves procurements from associated companies, please read: Purchases from group and associated companies. Accounting for purchases from associated companies uses the same indirect personnel cost and overhead multipliers as the beneficiary does.
Public actors must always comply with the Act on Public Contracts. Please refer to The Act on Public Contracts, EU State aid instruments and funding granted by Business Finland.
The funding decision contains the indirect personnel cost and overhead multipliers accepted for the project that are also used in reporting. The indirect personnel cost multiplier does not exceed 50% and the overhead multiplier 20%.
Growth engine, competition
Submit the report for the Growth Engine competition phase in the online service. No cost statement is submitted.
The report describes the company's finances and project implementation, and summarizes project results.
The report is accompanied by the completed document Growth Engines reporting.
Growth engine, startup aid
The accountable project leader reports the progress and costs of the project in accordance with the agreed reporting schedule. The report can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information in the online service. Simultaneous editing is however not possible.
The report can be submitted only by the accountable project leader.
The report describes the company's finances, compares the project implementation with the set objectives and contains changes to the plan if any.
Salary specification (Y4) every time that salaries are declared
A project-specific general ledger for project costs, and if there are many pages, also
A Hilma notice if the procurement has been tendered as a public procurement
If there are purchases from associated companies, declared purchases from associated companies: one compiled pdf file per associated company
As part of the final cost statement, an auditor's report must also be submitted.
Costs that are necessary for the implementation of the project can be accepted as direct costs of the project. Costs that are incurred by the project and are eligible in accordance with the funding terms and conditions are declared on an accrual basis and on a cash basis.
All project costs, except for salary and indirect personnel costs, are entered under either category "Purchases". Whether the costs are internal market purchases or other purchases is determined depending on the invoicing country.
Purchases from associated companies or companies belonging to the same group can be accepted, but purchases from foreign companies must be specifically stipulated in the decision. The associated and group companies must provide their own separate cost statements and auditor's reports. Read more about purchases from associated companies.
All paid salaries are declared under "Total salaries" in the salary specification; bonuses, etc. paid to the person must be the company's established practice. The hours worked for the project are reported as working time based on the working time monitoring. The maximum working time allocated to the project is 11 months per year.
Investment aid for Circular economy
Each person working for the project must record the time that they allocate to the project on an hourly basis. Working time monitoring also applies to persons who are paid trade income. Salaries are reported on salary specification template Y4.
In investment projects, eligible costs based on the project plan and invoicing are:
planning and construction costs of telecommunications networks and other similar networks
purchase costs of licenses necessary for the construction or use of the networks
planning and labor costs of the construction, repair or expansion of a structure or building
costs of construction supervision
costs of deployment and of the training of operating staff required for deployment
purchase costs of intellectual property rights
costs arising from project auditing.
Rental costs of equipment necessary for the investment may also be approved under Purchased services.
The invoices must specify the product or service purchased for the project and the project identifier. Business Finland does not accept the allocation of purchases for a project as a percentage of the total sum of a purchase invoice, for example.
No overheads are accepted.
Also report the income received
If, during the project or immediately after it has ended, the beneficiary receives income obtained through costs reported to Business Finland, it must report such income to the Funder no later than in the final report. Such income may be generated when the investment is deployed, for example. If such income is substantial, the Funder has the right not to accept the costs allocated to commercial operations or deduct the income from the costs.
Innovation aid for shipbuilding
As part of each report, submit a cost statement or an extract from the general ledger regarding the costs of the innovative parts of activities mentioned in the project plan.
The salaries of the innovative part of each activity to be funded must be based on the monitoring of the working hours of the persons working for the project. Upon request, the beneficiary must provide a specification of the persons who have been involved in the innovative part.
Purchased service costs can be accepted in accordance with the project plan and cost estimate, and the funding terms and conditions.
Funding for material audit
Motiva Oy's audit
Business Finland provides the funding decision and the necessary appendices to Motiva Oy. In the funding decision, Motiva Oy will see the contact details of the project contact person to be contacted.
Before the final cost statement, submit the audit report to Motiva Oy; you will find instructions for submittal on the Material Audit page.
Appendices to the final cost statement
The costs are confirmed by the contact person for the cost statement, and the contact person's attestation is sent as an appendix to the final cost statement.
As part of the final cost statement, also submit the report on the project's results and opportunities for their utilization, approved by Motiva Oy.
Only services purchased from third parties and the company's own salary costs, but not equipment purchases, rents and depreciation, can be declared as direct project costs. Purchases are accepted on the basis of the project plan and invoicing.
Purchased services are itemized in connection with reporting, but declared as one instalment.
Remember that principally only procurements and work ordered after the application was submitted may be approved for the project. However, if a procurement included in the project has been ordered before submitting the funding application, the relevant order or agreement must include a cancellation clause whereby the realization of the order or agreement is made contingent on the funding application being accepted. If there is no such cancellation clause, then such a procurement will not constitute an acceptable cost.
Services purchased from associated companies are not eligible costs.
The project may be eligible for a deferred installment of other costs: a maximum of 20% of the total cost of purchased services. These other costs include, for example, the beneficiary's own working, travel, material and supplies costs. These costs need not be reported separately, nor do they need to be included in the beneficiary's project accounting.
Funding for Young Innovative Companies
Do the reporting in the online service; the cost accounting and report are submitted separately. The report and cost statement can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information. Report the company's finances, compare the project implementation with the set objectives and mention changes to the plan if any. During the accounting period, declare the accumulated eligible project costs on an accrual basis and on a cash basis.
The accountable leader sends the report once it is complete.
For more information, please read the separate material Project implementation and reporting.
Submit the project-specific general ledger for the costs as an appendix to the cost statement, and if there are many pages, also the project-specific income statement
Alternatively, you can use receipt-specific itemization (N6)
Salary specification Y4
A Hilma notice if the procurement has been tendered as a public procurement. If it is not desirable or possible to tender the procurement, Business Finland pays up to 50% of the procurement costs
If services have been purchased from a company belonging to the same group, accounting for purchases from associated companies must be provided
At the end of each period, an auditor's report must be submitted, also for the group company.
The working time can be estimated as a percentage of the total working time. Hourly working time monitoring is required only if the company has other Business Finland projects at the same time. In these cases, all participants in the project must keep hourly working time records at least for the overlapping hours worked for the projects.
Under "Total salaries" in the salary specification, all paid salaries including holiday pay are declared. Bonuses, etc. paid to the person must be the company's established practice. The hours worked for the project are reported as working time.
All project costs, excluding salary and indirect personnel costs, are entered under one of the two Purchases cost categories: "Purchases from internal market" or "Purchases from outside internal market". Whether the costs are internal market purchases or other purchases depends on the invoicing country.
Purchases from companies belonging to the same group can be accepted only if they are subject to a specific condition in the funding decision. For the group companies, their respective cost statements and auditor's reports must be provided; please refer to Purchases from group and associated companies. The costs of services purchased from other associated companies are not eligible.
Overheads
In YIC projects, overheads are not declared using a deferred overhead multiplier, but necessary rental, equipment, telephone and similar expenses can be accepted as direct project costs.
Tempo funding
In the report, answer the following questions
Have the objectives listed in the decision been achieved?
If the objectives have not been achieved, explain the key reasons for it and what else you are doing to achieve the objectives.
Was the project implemented according to the plan and cost estimate?
Was the project work performed in accordance with the project plan? If not, explain the deviations.
What are your future plans after the project?
When declaring costs
Ensure that the special condition concerning costs, if any, in the decision has been fulfilled.
Compare the actual hours worked with the project plan estimate and report any deviations.
Note that although no hourly working time monitoring for the project is required, the beneficiary must be able to demonstrate who has worked for the project and what total salaries subject to withholding tax were paid to them during the project.
Specify the purchased services, but declare them as a single item.
Submit as an appendix to the report the cost statement contact person's attestation in which a person in financial management, for example, an accountant attests that the incurred costs comply with the funding terms and conditions.
Of the salary paid to a person for the total working time, the beneficiary can declare the share paid for the hours worked for the project.
Software, cloud services, travel expenses, and materials and supplies required for the project are included in the deferred installment of other costs, up to 20% of the total sum of salaries and purchased services.
Tempo project cost monitoring
Please refer to the separate instructions on how to monitor costs of a Tempo project.
Read the instructions
Research infrastructure funding
Provide a description attached to the first interim report of how the project accounting and working time monitoring are arranged. The purpose of the description is to ensure that the project accounting and working time monitoring meet the requirements of the funding terms and conditions.
When declaring costs, check whether the funding decision includes a specific provision on costs.
Start preparing the final report well in advance and also reserve time for the auditor: the auditor checks the project costs and accounting, and the auditor's report is appended to the final cost statement. Separate instructions for audit are available on the Auditors' page.
Declare all costs incurred in the project as they are provided for in the project plan and funding terms and conditions. The costs that have been initially approved on the basis of the interim report must also be included in the final report. Business Finland gives its final approval of the costs only after it has received the auditor's report.
The eligible costs for the project are those incurred during the validity period of the funding decision. Check the validity period from the funding decision. The invoice may be dated after the duration of the project, as long as the cost has been incurred during the project on an accrual basis. Only the costs incurred from the auditor's report can be accepted, even if they were incurred after the duration of the project. If the billed and paid costs incurred by the audit are not included in the project costs confirmed by the auditor, copies of the invoice of the audit costs and receipt/bank statement must be submitted as an appendix the cost statement.
The costs must be paid when they are declared to Business Finland. Exchange rates on the date of payment are applied to invoices submitted in a foreign currency. Costs are accepted excluding VAT. A purchase invoice must indicate what part of it is allocated to the project.
Each person working for the project must record the time that they allocate to the project on an hourly basis. Hours spent working on the project must be reported for the days when the actual work has been performed. The salary is paid to an employee for total hours worked in the company, of which hours worked on the project are declared to Business Finland on the basis of the working time monitoring.
In addition to reporting the hours worked for the project, working time monitoring must cover total working hours for individuals who do not fall within the scope of the Working Hours Act or who do not have a specified working time. The accountable project leader or the employee's supervisor must approve the working hours at least on a monthly basis. The approval must be entered in the monitoring system.
When you declare salaries, always append to the report the salary specification (Y4) with all the columns filled.
Working time monitoring
Instruction and examples of how to record working hours (in Finnish)
Example of working time monitoring with Excel (in Finnish)
Indirect personnel costs and overheads
Business Finland accepts a maximum of 50% of the salaries paid for effective working hours that have been approved for the project and laid out in the project cost estimate.
Business Finland accepts as overheads a percentage of the project-related salaries and indirect personnel costs as laid out in the project cost estimate.
Purchased services and the act on public contracts
The costs to be declared in the cost statement, for example, most significant purchased services and equipment procurements are specified in the content report.
Purchased services directly related to the activities provided for in the project plan can be accepted as project costs. Eligible costs in investment aid also include costs related to investments in intangible assets. Intangible assets refer to patents, licenses, other intellectual property rights and know-how. Services purchased from third parties can be accepted in accordance with the project plan and invoicing.
Rental costs of buildings, machinery and equipment that are mainly used in the project are eligible in so far as they are used in the project.
SaaS/cloud service purchases are declared as Machinery and equipment rental costs.
The rental costs equivalent to the purchase costs of fixed assets that have arisen over the duration of the project are eligible up to the value of equivalent purchase costs. Other rental costs, such as administration, financing, insurance, repair and other similar costs, are not eligible costs. If the above costs cannot be itemized, a maximum of 50 per cent of the total rental cost to the project are eligible as project costs.
Ensure that the purchase invoice always includes a clear description of the purchased services so that it is easy to see in the reporting that the purchase belongs to the project. If the invoice also has other business purchases, the product or service purchased for the project must be clearly distinguishable from other purchases on the invoice.
Instruction and examples of how to record procurements (in Finnish)
Machinery and equipment procurements and depreciation (in Finnish)
Procurements, EU State aid instruments and Business Finland funding
If services have been purchased from an associated company, provide a statement for purchases from associated companies as an appendix to the cost statement so that the templates for one associated company constitute one pdf file.
Companies' research and development activities
R&D projects will be reported with the new service starting from November 10
Business Finland's reporting service has been reformed, and from November 10, 2022 onwards projects will be reported on the renewed service. For each reporting period, only one transaction is opened in the online service and the costs are reported on one tab of the report.
You will find more instructions in the online service
The accountable project leader reports the progress and costs of the project in accordance with the agreed reporting schedule. The report can be modified by all persons authorized to view the project information in the online service. Simultaneous editing is however not possible. The report can be submitted only by the accountable project leader and the person with the right to sign the company name.
When reporting, check whether the funding decision includes a specific provision on costs.
Start preparing the final report well in advance. The final report also includes follow-up questions used to analyze the broader results and impacts of the project. Also reserve time for the auditor: the auditor checks the project costs and accounting, and the auditor's report is appended to the final report. Separate instructions for audit are available on the Auditors' page.
Report all costs incurred in the project as they are provided for in the project plan and funding terms and conditions. The costs that have been initially approved on the basis of the interim report must also be included in the final report. The Business Finland gives its final approval of the costs only after it has received the auditor's report.
The last installment of the granted funding is always paid after the submission of the final report. This is to avoid unnecessary retrieval of funding in situations where not all the estimated eligible costs materialize.
The eligible costs for the project are those incurred during the validity period of the funding decision. Check the validity period from the funding decision. The invoice may be dated after the duration of the project, as long as the cost has been incurred during the project on an accrual basis. Only the costs incurred from the auditor's report can be accepted, even if they were incurred after the duration of the project.
When you report salaries, always append to the report the salary specification (Y4) with all the columns filled.
Specify the reported costs, for example, most significant purchased services and equipment procurements, in the content fields of the report.
If services have been purchased from an associated company, provide a statement for purchases from associated companies as an appendix to the report so that the templates for one associated company constitute one pdf file.
Cost monitoring
Forms and attachments
Project changes
Annexes to the RRF project reporting
If you have received funding for your project from the RRF program, the forms below may also be needed as an attachment to the report.
If your organization is a procurement entity as referred to in the Procurement Act, report the information of potential contractors and subcontractors using the form Notification of contractor and subcontractor information.
Notification of contractor and subcontractor information
Notification of a foreign contractor or subcontractor to be filled in by a foreign contractor
The annual working time is monitored in projects that have received funding in the following RRF funding calls: RRF – 5G/6G, AI-, Quantum Development Environments, RRF – Innovation infrastructures or RRF – Key sectors and leading companies' partnership projects. Fill out the Notification of Researchers' annual working hours as an attachment to the report.
Notification of Researchers' annual working hours
You can find contact persons in the online service
If you have questions about project implementation, please contact the financial expert appointed for your project.
If you have questions about project accounting and cost monitoring, please contact the financial auditor appointed for your project.
If you have other questions about the project, please contact the funding coordinator appointed for your project.
to payment
Substantial deterioration in the beneficiary's financial position in relation to the anticipated trend, disruptions in payments, such as outstanding tax debts and arrears on Business Finland loans, will prevent the payment of funding. If a payment plan for outstanding tax debts has been drawn up with the Tax Administration, they will not prevent the payment of funding.
Another obstacle to payment may be that the company has negative equity and the register entry required by law has not been made.


Each pool is manufactured from UV resistant, high-density polyethylene and incorporates a marginal plant shelf. Its Ideal for small to medium sized fish. 15 year guarantee.
Great pond delivered in 24 hrs!
Great pond and good value.
Lovely big pond with shelves. Sturdy construction. Great value.
Just finished planting and putting in the fish today. Great addition to our garden.
The pond arrived promptly as was as described. it is now installed and waiting for the rain to stop to put the surround in and finish it off with plants.
it is is good size garden pond.delivery was on time but garden site did not informed me the delivery time and date.i am not happy with that.the quality of this product i can tell only by long run.
Very pleased with pond, good quality, & very quick service.
Lovely large pond,good quality, and delivered quickly. Would recommend this pond.
Is there an 'escape' slope for any small wild life that might fall in?


Alternatives to the Ford Expedition come mainly from the American heartland.
The Chevrolet Tahoe remains a delightfully old-school approach to truck-based SUVs, with a big, brawny V-8 and nearly as much space.
The nearly identical GMC Yukon challenges the Expedition on capability, but exceeds all but the Platinum trim on luxury.
The Toyota Sequoia, with a range-topping model costing under $70,000, is a more affordable choice.
With the bones from the ultra-rugged Nissan Patrol, the Nissan Armada offers genuine off-road capability.
If price is less of a concern, take a close look at the fabulous Lincoln Navigator, an Expedition with all its surfaces brought to a fine sheen, with even finer materials applied.


A USA Duathlon sanction race consisting of a 5K run, 18 mile bike, 5k run. The Iron Pig Festival is held at the Fayetteville Executive Airport, therefore the run course is flat and fast! The bike course is on scenic Hwy 71S with rolling terrain.
The Bike Time Trail is sanctioned by USA Cycling and consists of a 17 mile course on Hwy 71 S. Known as the "race of truth" cyclists test themselves against the clock. Several categories with a non-aero equipment category as well. In 2017 the race became a Junior Devo Race series.
Great way to kick off your season! Great race for a beginner yet challenging enough for a seasoned pro!
The start/finish line and transition area are located in the parking lots in front of the Drake Airport main terminal.
5K & 1 Fun Run - both duathlon 5K run courses are the same.
Transition Area - one single transition area in parking lot which is located in front of airport terminal building.
18 Mile Duathlon Bike - an out and back course on Hwy 71. Participants will proceed south on Hwy 71 to Woolsey Road and then return to Drake Airport and the transition area. The bike course has less than 300 feet elevation gain.
17 Mile Bike TT - an out and back course on Hwy 71. Participants will proceed south on Hwy 71 to Woolsey Road and then return to Drake Airport. Finish line is located approximately one-half mile south of the main entrance to the airport. The bike course has less than 300 feet elevation gain. The start/finish line and transition area are located in the parking lots in front of the Drake Airport main terminal.
• Located only 5 miles from downtown Fayetteville on Hwy 71.
• The airport terminal is where packet / timing chip pickup is located.
• Event parking is located next to the Transition Area.