* August 1, 2012 *

One of my Sims prepping a meal. I don't have a screenshot of my most recently played game. I missed another call this morning, a standby with our brush truck for McKinney. What's with all the early morning (for me) calls? Then I step out & we get toned out AGAIN to standby for a possible structure fire in Princeton. I get back just in time to hear the disregard. Dad's birthday Friday!

1st drive-through ATM opens in China (2007):

On this day in 2007, Citibank opens China's first drive-through automated teller machine (ATM) at the Upper East Side Central Plaza in Beijing.

Like those of drive-through restaurants and drive-in movies, the origins of drive-through banking can be traced to the United States. Some sources say that Hillcrest State Bank opened the first drive-through bank in Dallas, Texas, in 1938; others claim the honor belongs to the Exchange National Bank of Chicago in 1946. The trend reached its height in the post-World War II boom era of the late 1950s. Today, nearly all major banks in the United States offer some type of drive-through option, from regular teller service to 24-hour ATMs.

Drive-through banking, like other developments in automobile-centered culture, caught on a bit later in the rest of the world. Switzerland, for example, didn't get its first drive-through bank until 1962, when Credit Suisse--then known as Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA)--opened a branch in downtown Zurich featuring eight glass pavilions with drive-through banking services. Though popular at first, the branch faltered in the 1970s, when traffic problems in the city center made fewer people willing to do their banking from their cars. SKA closed the drive-through in 1983.

In December 2006, five years after joining the World Trade Organization, China opened its retail banking sector to foreign competition. Under the new regulations Citibank became one of four foreign banks--along with HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of East Asia--approved to provide banking services using the Chinese currency, renminbi. (Often abbreviated as RMB, renminbi literally means "people's money.") The agreement had been signed in the fall of 2006, and by early December Citi had already opened 70 regular ATMs across the Chinese mainland. 

Initially, the Citibank drive-through ATM that opened in Beijing in August 2007 was available only to holders of bank cards issued abroad, as foreign banks were not yet allowed to issue their own cards in China. Other banks soon hopped on the drive-through banking bandwagon in China, including China Construction Bank, which opened the first drive-through ATM in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in May 2008.

12 months is not the same as cash. If I walk into a store with cash up-front, I'll get a better deal than you will. It's called bargaining, & that doesn't happen when you just sign up for their deal.

Check the label before you buy. Avoid items that are dry clean only or hand wash only to save time & money. 

Pitch your tent away from trees on a flat, even spot when camping.

Shibboleth:

1: A catchword or slogan. 2: A widely held belief or truism. 3: A custom or usage regarded as distinctive of a particular group.

Almost all the shibboleths of Washington conventional wisdom took a hit in Tuesday's voting.

The Bible's Book of Judges (12:4-6) tells the story of the Ephraimites, who, after they were routed by the Gileadite army, tried to retreat by sneaking across a ford of the Jordan River that was held by their enemy. The Gileadites, wary of the ploy, asked every soldier who tried to cross if he was an Ephraimite. When the soldier said "no," he was asked to say shibboleth (which means "stream" in Hebrew). Gileadites pronounced the word "shibboleth," but Ephramites said "sibboleth." Anyone who left out the initial "sh" was killed on the spot. When English-speakers 1st borrowed "shibboleth," they used it to mean "test phrase," but it has since acquired additional meanings.

Steinway Metronome:

Steinway & Sons, maker of the world’s finest pianos for more than 150 years and a name that is synonymous with excellence in music, has created a full-featured digital metronome for the 21st century musician. Whether you’re a performing artist, music teacher, or music student, this app ensures that you have a fully functional metronome wherever you go.
With Steinway's Metronome, you can dial in the tempo of the piece you're practicing, or just tap along to let the app find it. Customize the time signature, visual indicator, and sound options to your own preferences. You can even change the app's interface based on your personal taste – or to match the wood finish of your instrument. Best of all, it's free!
FEATURES
* Clear, accurate time-keeping
* Displays the correct musical term for the current tempo
* "Tap" mode lets you find the tempo of a piece by tapping along
* Works in both portrait and landscape modes
* Dealer Finder lets you find the exclusive Steinway dealer in your area
* Customizability:
* 9 time signature settings: 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8.
* 8 wood finishes available: African Cherry Makore, Cherry, East Indian Rosewood, Kewazinga Bubinga, Macassar Ebony, Mahogany, Santos Rosewood, and Walnut
* Interface Sounds switch
* Visual indicator settings: flash on all beats, downbeats, or none. 

What Hollywood leading man provided the voice of the cartoon bee in TV ads for Nasonex allergy medication?

What was the legal capacity of the bar featured in the TV sitcom Cheers?

75.

Which composer lived 1st?

A. Mozart

B. Tchaikovsky

C. Beethoven

ACB. Mozart lived from 1756-1791, a tragically short life for such a towering talent. The Italian composer Rossini called him "the only musician who had as much knowledge as genius, & as much genius as knowledge." Well said.

Which of these are New England states?

Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Vermont, Maryland.

You were recently invited to lunch with a business associate. You arrived before he did & had the restaurant staff seat you. Should you have waited for your host?

In business settings, it's best to wait for the host in the lobby of waiting area rather than at the table. That will allow him to take the lead when he arrives. If you're the host, wait for your guest in the lobby rather than at the table, if you can. However, if the restaurant is filling up & the staff tells you that you need to be seated in order to hold your table, it's okay to do so. This applies whether you're the guest or the host. For a social meeting with friends, it's fine to be seated if you arrive 1st - regardless of how full the restaurant is getting.