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Moving from a startup to Adobe is a big change—but a good one.
It's not always easy to hear that the cool startup you're working for is about to be acquired by a big company. How will it affect your job? Will the culture be different? More rules and red tape?
Meet employees whose transition from startup culture to Adobe challenged their perceptions—and brought some unexpected and exciting opportunities.
Vice president of products, community and Behance • New York, New York
Acquisition: Behance
Seven years ago, Scott Belsky asked a small focus group a simple question: "Are you interested in a professional social network for creative people?"
"Every one of them said 'no,'" Scott says. "They said, 'We already have MySpace and Facebook.'" But then, they'd talk about the how hard it was to get exposure for their work.
"We were inspired by the frustration," Scott says. "We wanted to really empower creative careers." So he and his team started Behance, which is now the leading online platform for showcasing creative work, attracting millions of visitors who want to discover top talent.
In December 2012, Adobe acquired Behance and integrated it into its Creative Cloud offering. Scott says being acquired by Adobe gives Behance a chance to reach millions more creative minds and serve creative careers in new ways.
He attributes the success of the transition to Adobe's open culture and receptiveness to new ideas. "When someone like me says why don't we try something different, I'm not immediately shut out," he says. "On the contrary, people say 'Oh, that's interesting, let's try that.'"
Scott says he was also impressed by Adobe's warm welcome and commitment to working together through the acquisition process. "David Wadhwani, who runs the entire digital media business came to New York and met with every single member of our team," Scott says. "It blew my mind. He wanted to get a sense of who we are. That played no small role for everyone on our team."
Senior manager of client services • London, United Kingdom
Acquisition: Efficient Frontier
When Adobe acquired Efficient Frontier, Charlotte was in the maternity ward about to give birth to her first child. As a senior leader with a growing family and ambitious career aspirations, she wondered how the change would impact her.
"I was excited that our goals had come to fruition at Efficient Frontier," Charlotte says. "But I also wondered what this would mean for me, my family, and my team.'"
In the year since the acquisition, Charlotte's team has grown by 35 percent and her responsibilities now include overseeing both the United Kingdom and Northern Europe regions. "At Adobe, you don't have to take a step back after having a child," she says. "If anything, I see more opportunity."
For Charlotte that means more training and career development programs, and the chance to not only grow her career, but also develop her side of the online marketing business. "Previously we had a narrow discipline within a wider sphere of digital marketing," she says. "Now being a part of the bigger company with a track record of investing in a number of different companies, we have the opportunity to tackle online marketing in a more connected way. I'm excited to have the eyes and ears of a big consumer audience."
Adobe helps Charlotte maintain a healthy work-life balance through flexible hours and programs like the Adobe's Women Group, a networking and educational initiative that helps support and empower women in their careers.
"Adobe's key focus is to get more women in leadership positions," she says. "I aspire to be in a greater leadership role, and I find it inspiring that the company is proactive in enabling that."
Senior director of engineering • Basel, Switzerland
Acquisition: Day Software
Transitioning from a company of 200 to a company of more than 10,000 is bound to bring its share of challenges. When Adobe acquired Day Software, Jean-Michel was deliberate about acknowledging the reality with his team.
"We told the team that this was going to be a whole new level of communication and process, and they were going to have challenges. We said, 'Write them down and when the list is full, come to us.'"
What was surprising to Jean-Michel was that only a few people had issues. "Adobe did a great job of respecting what was great at Day Software," he says. "Not just the bits and pieces of the product, but also the people and the know-how in their brains."
Jean-Michel says Adobe inspires his team to push the envelope of innovation in digital marketing at Adobe. "We're on our way to helping marketers become more efficient," he says. "At Adobe, you can have evolutionary and revolutionary innovation side by side, and the pace seems to accelerate as we are allowed to interact with more customers. It feels like we are part of something that's changing everything."
John-Michel says his team's transition to Adobe was made smoother by the culture fit—one that encourages innovation, fairness, freedom, and creativity. "I've had zero attrition in the engineering department," he says. "My problem is that people work too much. I need to make sure they take vacations."
Software quality engineer lead • San Jose, California, USA
Acquisition: EchoSign
When Adobe acquired EchoSign, the industry-leading provider of digital signature software, Mamatha's close-knit team of three engineers was excited about the change. But as the quality assurance lead, Mamatha had a few lingering questions: Will the policies be more formal? Will there be delays in approvals? Will it take longer to get work done?
"We tripled in size when we joined the Adobe team, which meant more responsibility and challenge," she says. "But so far, the fears I had have not been realized."
Mamatha says she's enjoying the great benefits: popping into the Adobe gym at lunch, easy access to resources like laptops and devices for her team, and Adobe social activities like exercise challenges and tree planting with the Adobe Green Club.
"There are things that aren't available in the startup culture," she says. "The insurance, the $10,000 USD educational benefits, the ability to expand my social network—this culture is really perfect for me."


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Among U.S. Social Network Users, Smartphone Apps Trump the Mobile Web
That's according to Nielsen's latest numbers, at least. For U.S. users, more than a third of the time spent using social networking sites on PCs and mobile devices comes from app activity, the company said in a report published on Monday, besting by far the amount of user activity seen on mobile Web sites.
That's a big jump from the year previous. Total time spent using social networks via app is up to nearly 41 billion minutes yearly, the study said, close to seven times that of mobile Web activity.
This shouldn't come as a complete surprise by now. With the proliferation of subsidized smartphones invading the U.S. at a rapid pace, it has become easier and cheaper for people to access sites like Facebook, Twitter and the rapidly rising Pinterest apps via their mobile devices. Each iteration of Apple's iPhone has sold faster than the one previous, and are available on three out the four major U.S. carriers (and recent rumors suggest we could see the iPhone come to T-Mobile soon).
In the Android world, Samsung has sold millions of its Galaxy S handset series, and myriad hardware makers have brought Android devices to the market at relatively low prices.
PCs, too, aren't what they used to be. With the rise of smartphones and tablets comes the gradual waning of desktop usage. Hardware giants like HP and Dell have seen reduced forecasts in sales. And social network activity on desktops dipped nearly 7 percent from the year previous, according to Nielsen.
Facebook, still the leading most-used social app, has struggled to catch up with this trend over the past year. The company's new "mobile first" motto has played out internally, forcing Facebook to devote more engineering resources to developing the Facebook Android and iOS apps.
There has even been a retooling of the company's team structure in this vein; each separate product team is responsible for their mobile efforts, rather than just one team working on all mobile aspects of the site.
App performance has increased as a result. So, ultimately, Nielsen's findings suggest that the more attention paid to mobile will only serve to bolster user experience across social apps, therefore increasing engagement across the board.
Now, if only all these social networks could get the whole mobile monetization thing down, they'd really be set.

subset: commoncrawl


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We are pleased to announce you can stream directly to Ustream from the powerful Newtek Tricaster.
For those of you who don't know what a Tricaster is, let's just say it is the gold standard for high quality video production. It allows you to add tons of elements to your live broadcast like lower thirds, movies, audio, intros, powerpoint, chroma key etc.
Now anyone can have a high quality broadcast like the professionals. The Tricaster is very portable and great for on-site events. If you already have a Tricaster, you can download the latest patch from Newtek's website to get direct Ustream support.
The team from CBS Buzz Out Loud is using a Tricaster if you want a sample of the quality and power:


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Canadian McKay Win
I haven't received the certificate yet, but I have it on very good authority that "Canadian McKay, Please" won at the Creation Stargate convention recently held in Chicago (click for downloadable versions of the mv, links to the artists' websites, and lyrics). That makes me very happy, because Creation has just changed their fan music video rules so that you must pick up your winning certificate at the convention or forfeit it. Which means I'll be entering a lot fewer of their contests since I only attend 1-2 of their cons a year. Bummer, but a fun run while it lasted.
I've included the winning Rodney McKay video here for your enjoyment, eh.


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Keep Fairfax County Moving Forward – Donate Now or Become a Sustainer
Thanks to strong Democratic leadership, Fairfax County is the best place to live, work, and raise a family, with low unemployment, high-income jobs, low crime rate, and public schools that are consistently ranked among the best in the United States. Major companies like Volkswagen and Hilton are moving their headquarters to Fairfax County because of our great quality of life. Fairfax County is also a pioneer of the "Cool Counties Initiative" to reduce global warming emissions 80 percent by 2050, through energy efficiency, tree conservation, tele-work, green vehicles, green buildings, recycling and other cost effective policies that both save energy and save money. Your contribution to the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) will help elect Democrats so we can keep Fairfax County moving forward.
Become a Sustainer Today!
FCDC Sustainers are the backbone of our organization by making monthly or annual commitments to support the operations of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). FCDC has a headquarters office in the middle of the county and our Sustainers' contributions pay our rent, utilities and office supplies so we can help get Democrats elected. They literally "keep the lights on" here at FCDC HQ. Please become an FCDC Sustainer today.
You can be a Sustainer at any one of the following levels – Friend ($120/year, $10/month), Leadership Circle ($300/year, $25/month), Benefactor ($600/year, $50/month), Winner's Circle ($1,200/year, $100/month), or Champion ($2,000/year, $166/month).
What We Do at FCDC:
Virginia has elections every year and each year the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) registers new voters, organizes more than 230 precincts, protects peoples' Right to Vote, supplies campaigns with important resources, sponsors an internship program with dozens of young people, makes sure our voters know who is on the ballot, how they stand on the issues, where to vote, how to vote absentee, and we get our voters out to vote on Election Days. FCDC also has a headquarters office in the middle of the County and your contributions pay for the rent, utilities, and office supplies. FCDC has a professional Executive Director and your donations pay their salary. When funds are available we hire field organizers to recruit volunteers to help get Democrats elected. That's how we win. That's how we move Fairfax County forward and your contributions of time and money help make that happen.
Contribution Information:
Your contribution may be used in connection with federal elections and is subject to the limitations and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Federal law requires FCDC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, address, occupation, employer and location of employment for individuals who contribute $200 or more in a calendar year. Other contributions will be deposited into the FCDC non-federal account. State law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer of individuals whose contributions aggregate in excess of $100 in a calendar year. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.FCDC is a non profit political organization under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Payments to FCDC are treated as contributions.
|Paid for and authorized by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, www.fairfaxdemocrats.org,
not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.


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Hitting the ceiling - and punching through it
What happens when you have reached the limit of a system in terms of scaling up? All your CPU and memory slots are full and your spinning disks have been replaced with SSDs or RAM? You need to look elsewhere.
A farmer with a heavy cart can only increase the size of a single horse up to a point before resorting to multiple horses. In the same way, at some point, we have to stop trying to scale up an existing single server system and scale out to include many nodes.
This may seem like an obvious choice and, yes, we are talking about NoSQL solutions like (but absolutely not exclusively) Hadoop and MapReduce. The real challenge here is not finding or building the nodes, it is making the software run in parallel.
Sometimes the algorithmic solution will parallelise very easily; in other cases a complete redesign of the algorithms is required which in turn means a total rewrite of the code.
As an example of the former, think about a simple summation of values. The summation operation has two key properties in that it is associative (meaning that the individual elements can be operated on in any order) and it is commutative (the operations themselves can be performed in any order).
An operation that fulfils these two criteria can be run in parallel with little change in a shared nothing environment such as Hadoop and MapReduce. So there may be millions of values to be summed but they can be split into subsets which can be summed. Then the totals from these subsets can be summed and so on.
Now think about creating a top 10 sales report; here the problem is very different. The initial data set can be split into smaller sets and distributed around a cluster of nodes. The distribution key will need to be worked out beforehand so that any data that needs to be aggregated ends up at the same node (customer identifier for example) then each node can work out the top 10 customers from its own data set.
So far, so parallel. However, at some point these "local Top 10s" must be brought together as a single task to decide the actual Top 10. This final operation cannot be done in parallel and whether you have 10 nodes or 4,000 you will be using a single node out of your cluster to do this final reduce step. And, of course, we haven't even begun to think about complexities such as data skew.
Data mining can involve very complex algorithms to fully utilise a massively parallel processing system. An example of this is a collaborative filter (or recommendation engine), which requires a good knowledge of matrix manipulation and several Map and Reduce tasks chained together to perform the complete calculation in parallel. There are many good examples of this particular algorithm available on the internet, examples well worth researching if you want a detailed description.
Problems are relative, as are the solutions: improved running times, lower cost, trying to escape vendor lock-in, need for high-availability? The answer to these will depend.
No matter what, though, the days of just buying a faster server may be over for many of us and we must look at the hardware in conjunction with the software for a better future. ®
Mark Whitehorn is a consultant in databases, data analysis, data modeling, data warehousing and BI and holds chair of analytics at the University of Dundee where he teaches, conducts research and runs a masters programme in BI. Chris Hillman is principal data scientist in the international advanced analytics team at Teradata and studying part-time for a PhD in data science at the University of Dundee, applying big-data analytics to the data produced from experimentation into the human proteome.


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Arizona sheriff launches patrols outside schools
An Arizona sheriff has launched a plan to have as many as 500 armed volunteers patrol areas just outside schools in an effort to guard against school shootings.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office said Wednesday that the patrols were launched earlier this week at 59 schools in unincorporated areas of metro Phoenix and communities that pay his agency for police services.
Arpaio hopes to have as many as 400 posse volunteers and another 100 volunteers known as reserve deputies take part in the patrols, though they won't all be patrolling at the same time.
The sheriff says school shootings in Connecticut and elsewhere and last month's arrest of an Arizona student accused of planning an attack at her high school led to his decision to launch the patrols.


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Everyone hates having so many remote controls, but they are necessary accessories, right? How important is an accessory, anyway? If you have eleven remotes on your coffee table, then something to contain the mess is obviously important. But there's more to it than that. Believe it or not, some of the most innovative product developments in consumer electronics are being done for this couch potato device. There are remote controls that are programmed automatically over the Internet, remote controls that cost $6,000 and can automate your entire house, remote controls that look like Palm Pilots, remote controls for your Palm Pilot, remote controls for toddlers, and remote controls for Trekkies.
OK. Why?
Three reasons:
So, the remote control business is booming, and there are choices, choices, choices. First, lets define a few terms and concepts:
Universal � A universal remote should be able to control many devices from a wide variety of manufacturers. (I used to have a receiver that came with a remote that would control the receiver, plus any other A/V components from the same brand - and only the same brand. That's not a universal remote, that's a . . . I don't know what that is.)
Learning � A learning remote is an old remote that can be taught new tricks. This allows you to control more components from more obscure manufacturers or whatever new thing comes down the road in the future. Here's how it's usually done: put the remotes head to head, set the learning remote to learning mode, push the button on the new remote you want to be taught, push the button on the old remote you want to be learned, and watch the remotes' minds meld with each other.
Function vs. Task � This is the conceptual orientation of the remote (not that there's anything wrong with that). What this (really) means is whether the remote is designed to mimic each feature and function from other remotes, or can guide the user through specific tasks such as "watch a DVD." Most remotes are function-oriented, but more complex systems greatly benefit from task-oriented control. A talented function-oriented remote can often mimic task orientation to a limited extent by using macros. A macro is . . . .
Macros � A macro is a sequence of remote control commands that are triggered by pressing a single button. A macro to watch channel 28 might be as simple as "Turn TV on. Turn cable box on. Tune to channel 28." Macros can make complicated systems much more manageable. The problem with macros? Component state. No, not whether your TV comes from New Jersey, but what state the component is in. Is it already on? Off? Set to Video Input 3? If your TV is already on, our channel 28 macro might actually turn it off! We'll talk about the solution to this problem below.
Infrared vs. RF � A remote control talks to the hi-fi components using one of two technologies: infrared, or RF (radio frequency). Most remote controls use infrared. Infrared is light that is just beyond the visible, that is, above the red that we can see, and it is absorbed by physical objects, so there has to be a direct line of sight to the infrared receiver on the component. They also don't work well in direct sunlight, should you want to take your gear outside. Some remotes have infrared emitters powerful enough to bounce the signal around the room a bit, but without a system of infrared repeaters, you can't hide your gear in a closet, or wander into the next room with the remote and still use it to skip to the next song on your CD player. RF can be subject to interference from other devices using similar radio frequencies, and performance depends on the design of the device and the construction of your rooms, but, in general, it is are far more robust than infrared. RF is actually the same kind of energy as visible light (electromagnetic radiation), but it is longer wavelength and can pass through objects, such as walls. On the high end of the price spectrum, some touch-screen and touch-pad remote controls have RF capabilities: they send an RF signal to an RF receiver unit which you place with your equipment, which could be in a closet or another room. The receiver unit then relays the commands in infrared to the equipment using little emitters that you place right near the gear itself.
Inexpensive Replacement
If all you want to do is consolidate several remotes, an inexpensive universal model may be all you need. Leading brands include One4All, RCA, and Sony. They range from $10 to $60 depending on how many devices it can control. This is also the category where your remote might resemble a Star Trek phaser, a Star Wars light saber, a fishing rod, Harley Davidson gas tank, or Goofy's surf board. Or it can be designed just for toddlers, so they don't trash your main remote. Or it can just be a much better remote than what came with your stuff. RCA remotes have particularly nice ergonomics � pick one up in your hand, and you'll see what I mean.
Some general things to look for:
How does the new remote know what remote controls you want to replace? It comes loaded with codes for many - but not necessarily all - common components. This can work quite well if you own mainstream, name brand equipment.
Inexpensive Learning
An inexpensive replacement won't work if the built-in code library doesn't cover your equipment, or if you want to be covered in the future should you buy something new. High end components, no-name brands, projectors, PVRs, CD-R recorders, or digital audio gizmos are all good reasons to move to a learning remote.
These retail for $30 - $100. The Home Theater Master (shown here) is one of the more popular learning remotes; it's available at retail and often included as the stock remote with many niche brand components.
Static Touch-Screens
How many buttons can you fit on a small stick and still be able to press them? For many systems, it might not be as many as you need. Enter the touch-screen, where buttons can be reconfigured with different labels to perform different tasks depending on what device the remote is emulating. It works something like the AM and PM indicators on an LCD digital watch: they're there all the time, but only �light up� at the right time of day. Here, all the options for each button are there, but only �light up� when needed.
There are many choices, but the leader here is Sony, which has offered a series of squarish, two handed models that they have continued to improve over the years (shown to the right).
The downside to touch-screens? You have to look at the remote to choose the correct button. �Hard buttons� (regular, three-dimensional, physical buttons) can have different shapes and, with practice, can be used by feel without looking down. Some people hate touch-screens. Which brings us to . . . .
Touch-Screen Hybrids
These have more hard buttons, and smaller, less useful screens. The Sony is already something of a hybrid, and Philips is adding hard buttons as well to its runaway hit, the Pronto (more on the Pronto below).
Advanced Touch-Screens
One of the most interesting touch-screen remotes came from a collaboration between Microsoft and Harman Kardon, which provided easy programmability and the first task oriented design for the mass market. Unfortunately, it was both expensive and not as flexible as it could be, and has been surpassed by the Philips Pronto.
Feel hemmed in by pre-assigned buttons? The Pronto, with its associated PC editing software, lets you create your own buttons on the screen. The Pronto has garnered a huge following because it is completely flexible, and its files can be saved � and traded. An entire community of remote control programmers has sprung up to build/share/trade Pronto *.ccf files. Some just make it easier to customize your setup, some just make your setup look more attractive, and (as you might expect) there are far too many Star Trek communication themes to choose from.
The Pronto's near total flexibility allows you to create custom task-oriented operation, pages full of television station icons (have a satellite dish)? Never wonder which three digit number you need to watch the Home and Garden channel again, because there are pages of album cover art for your CD changer.
The PC connection provides more than just design flexibility. Remember the macro problem? We want to watch channel 28, but step one is to turn the TV on, which backfires if the TV is already on. One solution to the macro problem is to use discrete remote control codes. Many, but not all, components actually have separate remote control codes for different functions, even if the unit itself appears to only toggle between on/off or cycle through input modes. How do you find out whether your component has discrete codes? The best reference is to check http://www.remotecentral.com/, where a lot of kind strangers have figured this stuff out for you. This issue is so important that I would almost never buy a component � TV, projector, VCR, DVD player, PVR, anything � that didn't have discrete command codes. How do you input a discrete code if your original remote doesn't have a button for it? That's where the Pronto's PC connection comes in handy. ProntoEdit provides a field you can use to input remote control codes directly. Cut, paste, done.
Aside from their cost (a basic Pronto can set you back nearly $400), the other drawback to the Pronto is the investment you have to make to program it. The first Pronto models had no internal code library at all, essentially forcing you to teach it every command from every remote. A basic user interface was included, but to take reasonable advantage of the power of the unit, you needed to use the ProntoEdit program and design your setup from scratch (or download one from the Internet and customize it). Current Pronto models come with an extensive code library built in and can be quickly programmed for function-based operation. But if you want a task oriented remote or custom graphics, prepare to dedicate a few weekends. Mind you, this is like learning a graphics program, not a programming language � there's no actual programming, you just assign functions and put together macros, but it's still more effort than the non-enthusiast wants to expend.
Despite the monetary and time investments required, Philips has a hit on its hands. Prontos can be optioned with different amounts of memory, rechargeable batteries, RF expansion modules, and gorgeous color screens. The color models are really expensive, but provide much higher perceived resolution � it's very nice. The non-color versions are improving as well � Philips just announced the upcoming TSU3000 with a better screen, more hard buttons, and even better control over the interface.
Philips is also trying to extend their lead by offering their architecture � along with Intel, who makes the computer processor the new Prontos use � to other manufacturers to use (for a fee, of course).
The recipe for a good universal touch-screen remote includes a relatively slim case, a touch-screen, reasonable processing power, an infrared emitter, and PC connectivity. These ingredients can be found in virtually every PDA since the first Palm Pilot hit the market. It seems only natural that someone would put universal remote control software on a Palm. And they have. In fact, Many Sony Clio models now come preloaded with Universal remote software, the Compaq iPAQ H3900 series Pocket PC comes with Nevo technology from UEI, and Philips has announced ProntoLite software for the Palm platform.
While the basic ingredients may be the same, using a PDA to control your television has a few drawbacks. First, all the software I've looked at so far is only competitive with basic touch-screen remotes. They lack the flexibility found on a more advanced model like a Pronto. For example, you can control multiple devices, but not an unlimited number. Buttons can be moved around, but you can't create your own buttons from scratch. Therefore, you're locked into a device-specific philosophy, not the more flexible task orientation.
The software can and likely will improve with time. But there are other, more fundamental drawbacks. You need to have your PDA with you in order to use it. If it's out with you at a meeting, it can't also be back on the coffee table. Even if it does happen to be located in the same room as the A/V rack, you may be storing sensitive info on your PDA that you don't want all your couch denizens to have access to. Perhaps most damning, the infrared blaster on most PDAs isn't nearly as powerful as the emitter on a dedicated remote � depending on where your couch is located, it might not have the range. And what's the point of a remote if you have to get up?!
Internet Enabled
The dot-com era got a lot of people thinking big thoughts about how to use the power of the Internet to radically transform life on this planet. Choose toys for your niece based on an interactive age/interest picker. Offer two million book titles drop shipped to order. Provide if-then programming options for a simplified remote control and download channel listings.
Didn't hear about that last one? EToys is gone, Amazon.com has branched out into selling logistics services, and the folks at Easy Zapper Inc. have changed their names to Intrigue Technologies, Inc., but they do indeed still offer an Internet-enabled remote control. Their first effort, the $199 Harmony (shown here) had a bare minimum of buttons, and serious aspirations to control the most complicated systems with ease. Remember the macro problem again? One way to solve it is to use discrete codes (see the Pronto, above). Another solution is something called conditional macros � depending on circumstances, the macro will do different things. This functionality is usually only available on high end touch-screen pads for the custom installation market - and for good reason, it can get quite complicated. By putting the programming engine on the Internet, Intrigue Technologies brought the benefits to anyone with two C notes in their pocket.
Only it didn't work too well. Users were quickly frustrated by the programming process, and the lack of hard buttons. Sure, it was simple � too simple. In order to perform routine activities, users were made to do crazy button/menu contortions. Intrigue Technologies has been working to improve the programming process, and they just announced the latest version of the Harmony. Lo and behold, it has 35 hard buttons. Should be interesting.
Believe it or not, the Harmony is not the only Internet-enabled remote. Evolve's Guide Remote RD5000M looks like the handhelds rental car clerks use to check your car back into airports, and it sports a channel guide on its LCD screen. By syncing the remote up with the a PC with an Internet connection, you download the latest channel guide information into the remote. Unfortunately, the remote is otherwise undistinguished, and having a channel guide on your remote just isn't all that useful. If you have cable or satellite, you already have a TV guide channel, and if you're limited to over-the-air reception, you don't get enough channels to warrant a guide.
Touchscreen Pads, Keypads, and Integrated Control Systems
And, for the couch potato who has everything, I present control systems from Crestron, AMX, and other companies serving the boardroom and custom home installation market. One of Crestrons' goodies is shown here. A complete system typically starts in the $2,000 range, and can easily hit six figures for a state of the art installation, but you get what you pay for (and it is only as good as the installer who puts it in for you). First and foremost, you can't buy one directly, because a custom installer has to sell it to you. This means they program it for you and set it up. These systems combine all the advantages of advanced consumer touch-screens � total flexibility for task-based operation � combined with a larger color screen, and added system control capabilities. If your gear comes with RS232 support (a computer interface), it generally means external control has been designed in, and these systems can tap directly into that.
Let's go back to the macro problem one last time. To get around the pesky issue of determining a component's state, we've talked about using discrete codes � "on" or "off" in lieu of an "on/off" toggle, and conditional macros � basically a programming technique where you tell the macro "If you find this situation, do this. Otherwise, do this other thing." There is one other option: current sensing. There are modules that can sense electrically whether a piece of gear is on or off � no worries about discrete codes.
Most of these systems also offer RF capabilities combined with an infrared relay system so that you can store all your gear out of sight (for example, in a cabinet that blends nicely into your décor). This is the way to go for multi-room installations all the way up to whole-house automation, including HVAC (Heating, Vacuum, and Air Conditioning), lighting, and a distributed audio/video system.
Now get off your couch and hit the computer!
Want to test your memory? In a sophisticated home theater you may not only have to turn the projector on, but set the memory for the source after it's had time to boot up, turn on the video processor, and then after it's been on for long enough to respond, set the scan rate, default aspect ratio, calibrated color, contrast, brightness, and sharpness for the combination of source component and display device (it's not uncommon to have a projector and another monitor for casual viewing). Next, turn on the receiver/preamplifier, and select the input after the initial boot time. Amplifiers may need to be triggered to turn on after a delay to avoid pops or thumps from the preamplifier. But wait, there's more: don't you want the lights to dim to a preset level, and pull the drapes or shades to block external light, perhaps depending on the time of day? Then of course, you need to get the source turned on and playing . . . .
Some devices are �on� all the time � when they're �off� they're really in a �standby� mode. Effectively dealing with these issues requires the skill of an experienced installer. There are also sensors which can detect the state of a CRT via the electrical field, video sync sensors, and light sensors that you can place over the LEDs that light up on your component's display when it's on. Sometimes you're better off just leaving everything on all the time.
Most components from obscure manufacturers use "regular" infrared commands. As long as you have the original remote, you should be golden. There are exceptions:
Visit Avi's own website at http://www.greengart.com


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Revision as of 22:21, 6 July 2009
- 1 Photran FAQ
- 1.1 Usage Questions
- 1.1.1 How do I get Photran to work with my favorite compiler?
- 1.1.2 Photran is running out of memory (I'm getting java.lang.OutOfMemoryError).
- 1.1.3 When I create a project, I get the error "Error launching external scanner info generator (gcc -E ..."
- 1.1.4 I can't get Photran to run my program ("Launch failed no binaries" or some such error message).
- 1.1.5 When I run my Fortran program, it complains that it can't find a particular DLL.
- 1.1.6 I get 'Cannot run program "make": Launching failed'
- 1.1.7 When I open or focus an editor window, I get a java.lang.NullPointerException
- 1.2 Installation Questions
- 1.1 Usage Questions
Photran FAQ
Usage Questions
How do I get Photran to work with my favorite compiler?
- Photran does not call your compiler directly. It just invokes make and make calls your compiler. So, you need a makefile for your program. Photran has to know which compiler you are using so that it can parse the error messages, since different compilers use different formats for error messages. And we have a not-very-well-working feature (Managed Make) that is supposed to write a makefile for you automatically, which will be great when it works, but should be avoided at the moment. All the rest of Photran is completely independent of your compiler.
- If you don't know what a Makefile should look like, there's a tutorial from an introductory CS course at UIUC [1], or another from the University of Hawaii [2]... or you can read the entire manual for GNU make [3].
Photran is running out of memory (I'm getting java.lang.OutOfMemoryError).
- Under Linux, add -vmargs -Xmx512M to the end of the command line, i.e., launch Photran with a command like
/usr/local/bin/photran -vmargs -Xmx512M
- Under Windows, create a shortcut to Photran's "eclipse" executable. Right-click the shortcut, and choose Properties. In the box containing "eclipse.exe", add -vmargs -Xmx512M, so the entire line will read something like this:
"C:\Program Files\Photran\eclipse.exe" -vmargs -Xmx512M
- For what it's worth, all arguments following -vmargs are passed directly to the JVM; -Xmx512M is a request to make 512 MB of heap space available to Photran.
When I create a project, I get the error "Error launching external scanner info generator (gcc -E ..."
- Under Windows, you probably have a problem with your PATH; you should also make sure you have GCC, the GNU C compiler, installed (at least the gcc-core package if you are running Cygwin). Make sure you have followed the instructions here to install Cygwin and put it on your Windows PATH. Most Linux distributions include GCC, so if you are getting this error under Linux, you may need to explicitly install GCC.
I can't get Photran to run my program ("Launch failed no binaries" or some such error message).
- In the Project menu, select Preferences, and make sure that the correct Binary Parser is selected for your platform: PE for Windows, Elf for Linux, Mach for OS X.
- Your workspace path cannot have spaces in it. A workspace in C:\Documents and Settings\whoever\My Documents for example, will give this error.
- If you are using g95, it has some of its own eccentricities. Spaces in the g95 path have also caused problems. If your binary "can't find cygwin1.dll", see the next question...
When I run my Fortran program, it complains that it can't find a particular DLL.
- When Windows looks for DLLs, it checks the following:
- The directory from which the application loaded.
- The current directory.
- The system directory (e.g., C:\Windows\System32)
- The 16-bit system directory.
- The Windows directory (e.g., C:\Windows)
- The directories that are listed in the PATH environment variable.
- So, for example, if cygwin1.dll is not found, it needs to be copied into one of the above directories. (NOTE: Despite Microsoft's documentation, it seems that directories on the PATH are not always searched; put the DLL in your application directory or the System directory to be safe.)
- This information was obtained from Microsoft's documentation for the LoadLibrary system call [4].
I get 'Cannot run program "make": Launching failed'
- Do you have 'make' installed? Is it in your path?
- See the Photran installation instructions especially including how to set the PATH in Windows
When I open or focus an editor window, I get a java.lang.NullPointerException
- This is a bug in Photran [5]: it occurs whenever you open or alter a fortran source file using the Project Explorer view instead of the Fortran Projects view, which comes with the Fortran perspective. As a quick workaround, don't use the Project Explorer when Fortran projects are open.
- The bug has been fixed with April 29 build of Beta 4.0.5, which can be found here. Please note that you need Eclipse 3.4.2 and CDT 5.0 or above to get it working.
Installation Questions
None? :-)


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Two weeks after Microsoft abandoned its pursuit of Yahoo, a proxy fight launched by activist investor Carl Icahn has put Microsoft in the driver's seat.
Icahn wants Yahoo to reopen talks with Microsoft , saying the company's board had acted "irrationally" when it rejected Microsoft's $47.5 billion buyout offer.
Microsoft walked away from the deal earlier this month when Yahoo rejected its final offer of $33 a share, holding out for at least $37 a share.
"With Yahoo being pushed by shareholders to get back to the table, you would think it's just what Microsoft wanted," said Marc Weingarten, an attorney with Schulte Roth & Zabel.
For its part, Microsoft has declined to comment on Icahn's actions.
A company spokesman repeated the same message that its executives have said over the last two weeks: it had moved on.
Still, Icahn has opened the door for Microsoft to swoop in as white knight and buy Yahoo in a friendly deal without instigating the proxy battle it had threatened.
"Microsoft can come directly back to the Yahoo board and save them from the proxy contest, save them from all the criticism that they are getting," said Weingarten.
Microsoft's motivation for buying Yahoo -- to create an online advertising powerhouse to rival Google -- remains intact.
The alternatives of a build-from-within strategy and a piece-by-piece acquisition strategy could bring significant risk.
Mergers and acquisitions experts said it would be wise for Microsoft to lie low and see if pressure from Icahn and other activist investors will prompt Yahoo's board to turn to Microsoft with hat in hand.
"The whole strategy for Microsoft, in an M&A sense, was to say 'fine, we take our bat and ball and go home.' You don't want to say that and then be seen popping out of the house and looking down the block for your former playmates," said Marshall Sonenshine, Chairman of New York-based investment bank Sonenshine Partners.
"If they have any intention of coming back, they shouldn't say anything.
If they don't have any intention, then they have nothing to say," said Sonenshine, who sees the deal getting done at a price slightly above $33 a share.
Sonenshine said an eventual Microsoft-Yahoo deal may play out like News Corp's acquisition of Dow Jones.
The Bancroft family, which controlled Dow Jones, balked at News Corp's $5.6 billion bid, but the 65 percent premium proved too attractive for many family members to resist, especially after it eliminated the possibility of competing bids.
Similarly, shareholders may push Yahoo to accept Microsoft's $33-a-share bid, a 72 percent premium on Yahoo's share price before Microsoft went public with its hostile bid on Feb. 1, especially if no other viable offers emerge.
Shares of Yahoo fell below $23 after Microsoft pulled its offer.
Yahoo's two largest shareholders, Capital Research Management and Legg Mason, have signaled displeasure with how the company handled negotiations with Microsoft.
In a response to Icahn, Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock defended the board's actions and said it continues to "actively and expeditiously explore strategic alternatives."
"What's unusual about this is that the Yahoo board said, 'no, this is not good enough, and we're just going to go back to being a company.' The stock collapsed and that honked off a lot of shareholders," said Bob Profusek, head of the mergers and acquisitions practice at law firm Jones Day.
"Everybody is fixated on the Microsoft bid, but causing something else to happen that would create short-term shareholder value could also be a pay day for (Icahn)." Historically, companies targeted in a hostile takeover bid would issue a special dividend, a major share buyback or another measure to ease the blow from a fall in the share price if a deal collapsed, according to Profusek.


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Pyramids under the waters of Cuba were discovered by two scientists Paul Weinzweig and Pauline Zalitzki. They found the ruins of ancient buildings for about a mile below the sea and considered them to be Atlantis. Paulina found elsewhere in Cuba ancient descriptions and symbols that was identical to those on the waterfront structures below.
The two scientists used submarines to found tremendous pyramid structures (that remainds giza in Egypt), built of stones weighing hundreds of tons. They found sphinxes, stones that arranged like Stonehenge, and a written language engraved on the stones. Why it was not discovered before?
The U.S. government discovered the alleged place during the Cuban missile crisis in the sixties, Nuclear submarines cruising in the Gulf (in deep sea) met pyramid structures. They immediately shut down the site and took control of him and the objects,in order that it will not come to Russians hands.
A whistleblower from the army,that used to serve in Montego Bay told they are still working on the site and recover objects and instruments (including those who still work) since the 60s. This area in Cuba could not be over waterfront less than 10,000 years ago…
A very well preserved site. Our guess is that if the area of the Azores Platform were better explored, we would see more of these. There is an unconfirmed report of a city structure like this 250 miles south of the Azores according to Berlitz.


text:
Purse snatcher targets parents at schools
Rash of break-ins reported at dropoff times
A rash of car break-ins has parents thinking twice about what they leave in their car at drop-off and pickup time at school.
Second-graders Drew and Josh were getting a ride home after school from their mother, Jackie Dahlgren, who raced inside to get them and left her purse on the front seat.
"I sometimes even leave my car running because it's cold," Dahlgren said. "I might think twice about doing that now."
"A vehicle was broken into -- a window was smashed, and a purse was taken," Waukesha County Sheriff's Office Detective Jack Kopatich said. "Within a short time after, the credit cards that were stolen were actually being used."
Authorities are investigating four cases at Woodside Elementary and Maple Elementary in Sussex and two places in Oconomowoc.
Kopatich said the same man was caught on surveillance video at each crime scene, and law enforcement knows him.
"He is actively wanted on violation of parole. I believe he's wanted on parole for fraud," Kopatich said. "His name is Calvin Walker, born in 1976. We believe he resides on the north side of Milwaukee."
Kopatich said Walker goes by a number of names.
"From what I could count, at least 18 different aliases," Kopatich said.
The school district has sent a note to parents. Anyone with information about the investigation should contact the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office.


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Connected Campus
Flexible layout configurations make ACC Liverpool a unique experience in Europe. A tiered auditorium, break-out rooms, exhibition centre and an event arena can be split, joined and arranged in countless ways. At ACC Liverpool the space fits you, not the other way around.
The Liverpool event campus features a trio of inter-connected purpose built venues and on-site hotels.
Upper Level Rooms and Auditorium
The Upper Level of the Convention Centre is ACC Liverpool's home of conferencing. Here you will find a range of rooms which can be configured in many different ways. Room 3, which can be divided in half, features spectacular views across the Mersey, and black out screens if the sun is low in the sky. The auditorium is central to the centre, with its 1,350 theatre-style seats, impressive stage, and even more impressive revolving drums. These two areas can be rotated 180 degrees and used for 250-seat lectures, or closed off to make the main auditorium smaller. It's a brilliantly flexible yet effective facility.
Lower Level - Multi-Purpose Hall 2
Hall 2, our versatile multi-purpose event and exhibition space, is on the lower level of the convention centre. It measures 3,725m² and is ideal for banqueting functions and exhibitions. There is ample space for 1,800 dinner guests seated banquet style, 2,990 for theatre-style conference seating, or 1,400 for a cabaret arrangement. Hall 2 is fully carpeted and can be sub-divided to create soundproof walls in hall seminar rooms.
Facts & Figures
Lower Level capacities chart
Hall 2 and Arena Floor
By using the connecting lower Galleria, it is possible to extend exhibitions in Hall 2 into the arena's 3,400m² open floor area. This gives a total exhibition floor space of 7,125m². Like Hall 2, the arena has ground floor access with use of ACC Liverpool's loading bay. Wi-Fi is available throughout.
Exhibition Centre Liverpool
In September 2015, ACC Liverpool doubled its event space with the arrival of Exhibition Centre Liverpool, an 8,100m² purpose-built exhibition centre and integrated 4-star Pullman Liverpool hotel. This new development, which is interconnected with ACC Liverpool's existing conference facilities, provides a space of your own in a city you'll love.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Hi! Everybody. Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Hi! Everybody. Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Making Friends View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message soo-yonJoined: 09 Jul 2003Posts: 1 Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 4:30 am Post subject: Hi! Everybody. Hi! My name is Su-yeon from Korea. I'm 17 years old and a high school girl. I like playing the piano. How about you? I've wanted to have a pen pal. Will you be my friend? I really hope to get your mail soon. well, that's it for now. Take care. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Making Friends All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


text:
Saturday, 1 October 2016
October 01, 2016 at 02:22PM
Killer night guys! Massive thanks to Despite Eviction for letting us share the stage!
September 30, 2016 at 10:51PM
Despite Eviction know how to launch a CD!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
October 07, 2020 at 11:07AM
You changed the way guitar will be played forever. The incredible legacy you leave behind will live on through the millions your gift will ...
We still have a few tickets left for Festival Allsorts next weekend. It is the perfect opportunity to sample an incredible amount of Canberr...
Huge thank you to all who came out on Friday night! We made a few bucks to help train a dog that will bring people an incredible amount of j...
Will be an absolute honour to share the stage with these guys! Tickets are on sale now, so hit us up and we'll get one out to you. Going...


text:
04 May
Comments Off on Advice for the Class of 2019
Advice for the Class of 2019
In exactly twelve days, Jade Hanley and Emily DiBiase will become graduating members of the Class of 2015. As the students who have brought you Knight Life for the past few semesters, Jade and Emily wanted to share some of their advice with the Class of 2019 before they become official alumnae of the College.
On Opening Day
Jade: Don't stress out on moving in with "strangers" because these people quickly become your Mount family. I'm still friends with my first roommates! Opening Day is a good time to get to know each other. This is also a crucial time to set up schedules. You should always know your roommate's schedule (like when they wake up in the morning). Also, don't be afraid to set up a cleaning schedule right away! It's better now in a definitive format than later when dust bunnies are taking over.
Emily: Opening Day will be one of the most stressful and yet absolutely wonderful days of your life. The people who you meet today will be your classmates, co-workers, and best friends for the next four years and beyond. Make this a day to reinvent yourself and be whoever you want to be in a brand-new place! Also, go to the Club Fair on Opening night; getting involved on campus will make the Mount seem like your home in no time. Continue Reading


text:
Minecraft Xbox 360 update 8 hopes to deliver 40 fixes this week
Eighth free update to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition aiming to arrive in January, provided it gets through Microsoft's certification process.
The eighth update to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is aiming to to live on consoles before the end of January, according to a tweet by developer 4J Studios, but that the team needs "to wait and see how it does in Cert Testing."
Chief amongst the additions are a suite of crash fixes, some tweaks to Love Mode and making Blazes now drop Glowstone Dust alongside Blaze Rods. The full patch notes are below.
4J Studios previously said The End, an alternate plane of the Minecraft world which features floating islands and is the homeworld of the Endermen, would feature in TU8 but this has now been pushed back to TU9.
The full list of updates in TU8 of Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition:
- Fix for random crash on Kick Player.
- Fix for a random crash on loading the tutorial.
- Fix for freeze when writing on a sign as an autosave starts.
- Fix for crash when attempting to enter an online enabled game session after losing connection to the Xbox LIVE service.
- Performance improvement for the Enchantment interface.
- Fix to display a message when monsters are nearby on trying to sleep in a bed.
- Fix for an issue causing blocks to reappear after being destroyed when the server is busy.
- Fix for Experience Orbs being invisible for a period of time when created.
- Fix to force a Nether Fortress, Blaze Spawner and Nether Wart to always be present in the Nether for a newly created world.
- Fix for autosave not working when the host has gone into an idle state.
- Fix to increase the spawn rate for Mooshrooms.
- Change to make Blazes drop Glowstone Dust as well as Blaze Rods.
- Fix to player experience level display in two player vertical splitscreen mode.
- Fix for Quick Move not being possible while holding something in the cursor.
- Fix for armor position on Bad Santa when sat down.
- Changed Download Content menu to Minecraft Store.
- New photo frames for avatar items in the Minecraft Store.
- Fix for Magma Cube hit boxes.
- Added an Awkward Potion to the Potions page in the Creative Menu.
- Fix to show the aura of enchanted items for other players in an online game.
- Fix for tools enchanted with Unbreaking occasionally repairing themselves.
- Changes to improve breeding Love Mode status is now network synchronised, and animals react more correctly if spawn limits are reached when breeding.
- Fix for issue with Take Half in the Brewing Stand interface.
- Fix to allow the map to be displayed when the player has turned off Display Hand.
- Fix for potion effects being removed after using the Nether Portal.
- Fix to stop the item in hand being changed when traveling to/from the Nether.
- Fix for Compass not pointing to the original spawn point after having been in The Nether.
- Fix to allow players to be able to eat food even if they are not allowed to build and mine.
- Fix to allow client players to toggle Custom Skin Animation.
- Fix for player gamertag border color being wrong after a respawn/dimension change.
- Fix for issue in splitscreen where it was possible to craft items without a player having the resources required.
- Fix to remove the Love Mode tooltip when animals are unable to enter Love Mode.
- Change to moderator option description in the Host and Player Options.
- Fix for the submerged edge of the world emitting a faint light.
- Fix for lighting issue with mobs in water.
- Fix to stop food being removed when feeding animals in Creative Mode.
- Fix to stop Bones being removed when taming wolves in Creative Mode.
- Change to make baby wolves tame when born.
- Fix for Blaze Rods not being identified as fuel for a furnace.
- Fix for issue with sky lighting values making bedrock layer fully lit.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot


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The Justia Lawyer Directory is a listing of lawyers, legal aid organizations, and pro bono legal service organizations. Whether you were injured, are accused of a crime, or are merely engaging in everyday affairs that affect your legal rights or property, an attorney can help you resolve problems or prevent new ones from arising.
Here are just a few situations where you might want to seek the advice of an attorney:
- You were injured in a car or truck accident
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Use Justia to research and compare Anthony attorneys so that you can make an informed decision when you hire your counsel.
It is important to research an attorney before hiring him or her. Be sure to evaluate an attorney's experience (types of cases handled, prior results obtained, etc.). Although prior results are not indicative of the likelihood of success in your case, they can help you make an informed decision.
Also worth serious consideration is the attorney's location, particularly if you will be traveling to visit him or her for consultations.
Finally, research an attorney to see whether he or she has ever been subject to discipline. Although disciplinary actions do not necessarily impact the attorney's competence to handle your case, they may affect your decision whether to hire.
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Home > Clothing & Accessories > Men > Accessories > Bow Ties & Neckties > Unisex Casual Necktie Skinny Slim Narrow Neck Tie - Solid Dark Navy Blue
Product Details
This is a standard length skinny neck tie in fashionable style, which is 57 inch long and 2 inch wide at the bottom. Great for both boys and girls.
- Color: Solid dark navy blue
- Material: Polyester
- Length: Approx. 57 inch (145cm)
- Width (At The Widest Point): Approx. 2 inch (5cm)
- Feels good with the high-quality material, soft and smooth
- One of a kind of vibrant shine, makes it stand out and makes you noticed
- Trendy and gorgeous, young people's favorite
Package Includes:
- 1 x Necktie
Keywords: Neck tie, skinny, slim, narrow, unisex, solid dark navy blue
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text:
Obama, Mich. Dems make final right-to-work push
Democrats pushed Monday to stall the right-to-work proposals sailing through the Michigan Legislature, and President Barack Obama used an appearance at a suburban Detroit engine plant to blast the GOP-led efforts to limit union powers.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and Michigan Democrats in the U.S. House met with Gov. Rick Snyder Monday morning in Detroit and urged him to veto the legislation, which could get final passage as early as Tuesday when the Legislature reconvenes. Levin said Snyder pledged to "seriously consider" the group's requests, including their demand for a statewide referendum on the issue.
Obama added his voice to the cause during an appearance at a plant in Redford, mocking the "right to work" label supporters have used to describe the efforts to prohibit requiring non-union employees to financially support unions at the workplace.
"These so-called right-to-work laws, they don't have anything to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics," Obama said. "What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money."
The Michigan measures have sailed through the legislative process since Thursday, when the state House and Senate introduced and swiftly approved them. Snyder has previously said he would sign the legislation, which still needs additional votes because the versions approved last week by the two chambers were slightly different.
Supporters say right to work would bring more jobs to Michigan and give workers freedom, but opponents say it's intended to weaken unions and drive down wages and benefits in the state.
Lansing authorities were bracing for an onslaught of protesters Tuesday. They increased police presence and planned road closings and parking restrictions around the Capitol.
Obama was greeted by Snyder as well as Democratic members of Michigan's congressional delegation before heading to the engine plant Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Michigan House Democratic leaders gathered at the Capitol and called for more debate on the committee level before final passage. Democrats acknowledged there was little they could do to stop the fast-moving legislation in the waning days of the session but vowed to vote down other legislation as a form of protest, including one that helps to finance a downtown Detroit project featuring a new home for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.
"For them to try to rush (the Detroit project) through in lame-duck (session) is every bit as unacceptable as any other policy initiatives they are trying to rush through," said state Rep. Tim Greimel, an Auburn Hills Democrat who is the incoming minority leader. "We've got to take a stand and say, `Look, we need to have a deliberative process.'"
Ari Adler, spokesman for Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger, issued statements dismissing the comments of both congressional and state Democratic leaders. He chided those in Washington for "trying to tell Republicans in Michigan to slow down and not do our job in Lansing while they fail to resolve the nation's fiscal cliff crisis or even approve a budget." Adler also said right-to-work policies have "been debated for decades, and we've been talking about it in the state House for the past two years."
"I find it laughable that House Democrats are suggesting the process is the problem and not the policy," he said. "We will have two suns rise over the state Capitol before House Democrats would consider supporting labor reforms that put the rights of Michigan workers ahead of the demands of powerful union bosses."


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Report ranks states on pedestrian deaths
Report ranks states on pedestrian fatalities
Pedestrians, beware: 351 residents were killed while walking the state's roads from 2003 to 2012, making it the 27th worst state for pedestrian safety, according to a new report.
Fairfield County ranked third in the state behind Hartford and New Haven counties in pedestrian deaths, but first in people killed while walking along major roadways.
The report, Dangerous by Design 2014, was released by the National Complete Streets Coalition, which urges transportation planners and engineers to design streets with all users in mind.
"What (the report) really does is call attention to the fact that most of our roads are designed for cars and high-speed traffic," said Jen Millea, communications director for AARP Connecticut. "We need to reinvest in designing our roads for everyone."
The AARP is a co-sponsor of the report.
The Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford area had 75 pedestrian deaths during the period covered by the report.
In Milford, Kevin and Brenda Tanski died after being struck by a vehicle while walking along Bridgeport Avenue following a February 2013 blizzard near their home in Milford's Devon section.
More InformationTo read the the full report on pedestrian fatalities in Connecticut, go to bit.ly/1ocuhqO
Six pedestrians were killed in Bridgeport since 2010, including 4-year-old Jayden Szabo, who was struck by a pickup truck on Boston Avenue in Bridgeport while walking his grandfather and uncle in December 2012.
"Last year, Mayor Bill Finch and the Police Department launched a campaign to make our streets safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists alike," said Brett Broesder, the Bridgeport mayor's spokesman. "As part of the campaign, Bridgeport's Police Department is enhancing its ability to crack down on drivers who speed in areas with high pedestrian and bicyclist traffic by purchasing additional speed trailers and radar guns, which were paid for by federal funds. The campaign continues, and bolstering pedestrian -- as well as bicyclist and motorist -- safety is an issue that both Mayor Finch and the Police Department remain committed to."
Last year, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign called for changes on Route 1, which includes North and Boston avenues in Bridgeport, because of the 11 pedestrian deaths on that route from 2010 to 2012. Pedestrians were injured in 152 crashes on Route 1 in Fairfield County during that period.
The AARP has taken a particular interest in the safety of walkers because senior citizens account for one of every five pedestrian fatalities. In Connecticut, adults 65 and older accounted for 28 percent of those killed in pedestrian accidents from 2003 to 2010.
The silver lining for Connecticut residents is the state is far from the most dangerous place for walkers. The worst state was Florida, with 5,189 pedestrian fatalities from 2003 to 2012, and a pedestrian danger index of 168.6. The index was calculated based on the share of local commuters who walk to work, and the past five years of data on pedestrian fatalities. The higher the index, the more dangerous the state is for walkers.
Connecticut's pedestrian danger index is 35, while the national average is 52.2.
Vermont was ranked as the safest, with a pedestrian danger index of 13.
The report contains overviews on each state and pedestrian dangers. In Connecticut, more than half of pedestrian accidents happened on arterial roads, which are often "designed and operated to maximize the speed of automotive traffic and not for pedestrian safety and comfort, despite running through places where people need and want to walk."
About 35 percent of fatalities from 2003 to 2012 happen on roads with a speed limit of 40 mph or higher. Only 0.3 percent of pedestrian deaths happened on streets with a speed limit of 20 mph or lower.
Connecticut has been making strides to encourage drivers to be mindful of non-motorists using the roads. This week, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law a bill that would fine any driver who "fails to exercise reasonable care and causes the serious physical injury or death of a vulnerable user of a public way" up to $1,000. These "vulnerable users" include walkers, highway workers and those in wheelchairs.
The law will provide balanced punishment for drivers who hit pedestrians, said Joe Cutrufo, Connecticut advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. He said penalties for such accidents have been either relatively small fines or long prison sentences.
Staff writer Daniel Tepfer contributed to this report.


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With less than two weeks to go before Watchmen opens, anticipation for the movie is at fever pitch... which only makes us wonder what will happen if the movie isn't what everyone is waiting for.
Don't get me wrong; I don't actually want the movie to fail, and actually expect it not to, at least in the short term. If nothing else, the ridiculous success of The Dark Knight has definitively proven that a mainstream audience exists for what, for want of a better term, could be called "Arthouse Superhero" movies (Something that had been hinted at before; I tend to think of Tim Burton's Batman Returns and Sam Raimi's last two Spider-Man movies - in particular Spider-Man 3, with its jazz interludes and weird uneven tone - as earlier examples of superhero auteurism), and Watchmen's intense, endless marketing campaign is definitely aiming for that level of gravity, with mentions of a "visionary director" adapting "the most celebrated graphic novel of all time." What I'm worried about, though, is what the marketing isn't saying, and what effect that could have on the Arthouse Superhero genre moving forward.
From what we've seen of Watchmen so far - and I write this as someone who hasn't seen the movie, although I've talked to people who have - we know that they're trying to be faithful to the look of the book, at least; the trailers show glossy CGI-massaged scenes that we recognize from Dave Gibbons' original drawings, and many comparisons have been made between movie stills and comic panels. It seems, at times, that this is the drive of the entire marketing for the movie: Look how much it resembles the comic! Look at how much detail we have copied over, even down to the dedication on the Comedian's gun! The trailers, in fact, are much less about the story of the film than a collection of fan-familiar images meant to make the faithful fans get excited with recognition and warm with the glow of nostalgia. But the problem with that is, in many ways, the visuals are the least important thing about Watchmen the book.
For all of the claims that Watchmen the book was unfilmable, very few of them centered around the kind of special effects needed to make us believe a man could explode and then re-create himself as a glowing blue naked go (In fact, shitty special effects may even have been more in tune with the arch-knowingness of the original book that both acknowledged and transcended its pulpy, ridiculous roots). No, what would make Watchmen unfilmable - and what the trailers and the arcade game-style web extras and the released scenes with too much slow-mo and the black and white portraits od actors and everything we've seen from the film so far have failed to show us is in evidence in the movie - is the deftness of Alan Moore's writing, which manages to balance a formal exploration of the comic medium with a complex, flawed humanity that looks "behind the hood" of the characters to make them into real people who would look ridiculous in those outfits... and not as Batman Begins-esque as the movie's Nite Owl. Of these two things, one is literally impossible to translate to another medium, and the other would seem to be nearly impossible to fit within a three-hour movie, no matter what you may feel about Zack Snyder's talents as a director.
I can't help but feel that it's this potential misdirection - that the truly important elements of Watchmen the book have been ignored or lost, and instead we're seeing the movie being sold on how much it looks like the comic - that will be the downfall of the movie, ultimately. It strikes me as foolish to try and promote the movie to fans on how faithful it is visually, when the heart of the book will be missing, and to non-fans, the mainstream audience that made Dark Knight such a massive hit, the faithfulness will have no meaning without the original context; all they're seeing are a bunch of colorful characters and explosions and being told it's a big deal.
It's that mainstream audience that all of the hype should have been geared towards; the very idea of a Watchmen movie would be enough to anger and excite the hardcore fanbase in and of itself, and while all of the promotional pandering has been welcomed, it won't change the final outcome, which is that Watchmen the movie will almost definitely disappoint them. That's not a comment on the quality of the final movie, but on the expectations those fans have for it; after almost a year of hype and previewed footage and interviews and seeing the Owlship at San Diego Comic-Con, there is almost no way in the world that any movie can live up to the one that they've created in their minds (A movie that will, undoubtedly, include the squid at the end). You can almost taste the backlash now. Better to have spent the time, and the money, selling everyone else on the movie, and hope that they understand and embrace whatever it turns out to be.
And what happens if it DOES fail? In one sense, very little; more mainstream superhero movies like Thor and Avengers will most likely be unaffected in terms of box office, although they may find more snark thrown their way by critics stung by wanting to fall for Watchmen more than they actually did, perhaps. I think that, if audiences don't love the movie to Dark Knight levels, then that won't affect their desire to see Robert Downey Jr. wisecrack his way through another 90 minutes while wearing armor; they may not even see any real connection between the two movies. But what I'm worried about is what it'll mean for movies that aren't summer blockbusters based on well-known comic book franchises. Will The Dark Knight start to be looked at, not as a sign of things to come, but a fluke that shows that audiences only really want to watch self-important superheroes when they grew up with them? Will movie producers shy away from projects that aim for epic grandeur and high budgets, because Watchmen suggests that that kind of thing scares people away? Will Billy Crudup's career survive?
Okay, maybe I don't really care about that last one so much. Sorry, Billy.
There's a lot resting on the success of Watchmen, I think; not just Fox's ability to point at Warners and laugh and say that they were right in the first place to pass on the project (and then, you know, sue just in case), but in a strange sense, it's managed - through force of marketing as much as anything - to become the First Post-Dark Knight-Era Important Superhero Movie. If it succeeds, then the door may be open to more and more ambitious science fiction movies (whether based on comics or not). But if it fails, then maybe we'll end up with a movie industry that thinks that Transformers and X-Men Origins: Wolverine is all that genre movies should aspire to... And that's a much greater tragedy than losing a giant alien squid for your climax.


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National Geoscience Bibliography
The new information infrastructure in the field of the Earth sciences is based on utilization of the data for the Registry of Information on the Results of Scientific and Research Work (abbreviated RIV in Czech) and other publication activities of geo-scientific organizations. Interconnection of the earlier separate databases offers the user a uniform interface for retrieving information. The National Geoscience Bibliography is based on the project of science and research that was supported by the Ministry of Environment.


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End of Another Successful Academic Year
May 19, 2004
To Fellow Columbians,
As we approach commencement and the end of the formal academic year, I want to update you on several areas of importance for the University. Since this is such a busy time for all of us, I will cover only the highlights of the significant developments in which so many of you played a crucial role. All of us can take pride in these many accomplishments.
I'm pleased to say that we finish the year in excellent financial shape. Weathering the recession much more soundly than other universities, Columbia continues to receive the highest ratings from both Moody's Investor Services and Standards & Poor's, two companies that evaluate the credit worthiness of institutional borrowers. We have become increasingly careful about the use of debt and continue to pursue balanced operating budgets even in the face of growing needs for increased support for faculty, students, and staff. Last year we significantly reduced administration expenditures in response to New York City and national economic challenges.
The result of everyone's hard work at Columbia is clear. Sponsored research attained by our faculty this year has grown by almost six percent, and Columbia's Investment Management Company is on its way to producing a year of stronger investment performance. All this has been accomplished while we have been tightening expenditures. As the economic climate appears to be brightening, I want to take this moment to thank you for your patience and sacrifice.
We have just had a remarkable reminder of how much the vitality of our academic enterprise derives from the involvement of alumni and friends. Last week, Trustee Gerry Lenfest ('58 Law) confirmed a $15 million gift from the Lenfest Foundation to the Earth Institute at Columbia. Gerry is an exemplary alumnus who has, literally, already helped build Columbia with a $15 million gift for the recent construction of Lenfest Hall, a student residence for the Law School. His new gift reaffirms his commitment to the University's future and helps set the stage for our next Capital Campaign.
With the help of many of you and many members of the community, we have embarked on a major initiative to acquire space sufficient to serve the University's academic needs for several generations.
As many of you know, we hope to purchase approximately 18 acres of property in Manhattanville in West Harlem for a new campus that will be fully integrated into the City's urban framework. With our partners, Renzo Piano Building Workshops and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, two of the world's foremost architectural firms, the University seeks to transform an oft-overlooked parcel of northern Manhattan-from warehouses and parking lots to retail stores, science labs, studio and performance space, and classrooms. Our design and construction of the proposed facilities, stretching from 125th to 133rd streets, will deliver an estimated $4 billion of economic stimulus to New York's economy and yield a net increase for the area of 9,000 jobs.
For more than a year, we have engaged in continuous dialogue about these plans with community boards and organizations, as well as with faculty and student groups. We continue to hold meetings with elected officials and leaders in the area. Our goal over the next year is to deepen and expand these numerous collaborations with our existing community partners. My strong belief is that the community's values and goals are consistent with those of Columbia. Over the next 18 months, we plan to identify a set of arrangements that allow for Columbia to grow in a manner consistent with the long-term health of the neighborhood.
The 21st century discoveries in the life sciences and all related fields promise to be revolutionary in scale and among the greatest achievements of our time. Columbia must be at the forefront of those explorations, as it has been and continues to be in other natural sciences. Integrating previously distinct academic disciplines will ensure that information and perspectives are directed in a coordinated approach to common questions and challenges, some of which affect nothing less than matters of life and death.
I have appointed a senior faculty panel to begin planning science expansion and enrichment at Columbia in the years ahead. We must proceed with building a new facility in the Northwest corner of the Morningside campus to house the sciences. And, building on Columbia's long-term leadership in neurology and the neurosciences, we have begun the creation of a Neuroscience Institute whose focus will be on basic neuroscience research and its relationship to clinical investigations of neural diseases. As we look to the future, we envision the Institute as the foundation on which we develop a larger program that will foster innovative interactions between experts in the neurosciences and other complementary fields. These combined basic and clinical efforts will form a University-wide initiative reaching beyond the biomedical community to include faculty in physics, chemistry, psychology, anthropology, philosophy and the social sciences.
The emerging prospects for and concerns about the extraordinary developments of modern globalization require us to reassess how we deploy our resources and academic focus. Columbia's world-renowned faculty, our schools, regional centers, and institutes already, of course, are engaged in addressing issues of the moment. At the Mailman School of Public Health, for example, faculty members are helping stem the spread of transnational infectious diseases--including last year's SARS epidemic--through research and public health training. The Earth Institute's Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development continues to forge ties between Earth scientists and social scientists to create new approaches to sustainable development in resource-poor countries. With senior faculty members from the Business School and SIPA, we participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos this past January. Our presence was intended to underscore the role Columbia should and will play in addressing the many complex factors that affect global societies.
Much more, however, needs to be done for us to adapt to these rapid world changes. It is clear we have entered a new era, and universities should be ready to play the distinctive role only we can perform. In particular, we need new programs to better serve our increasing international student base and more research and teaching on global issues (trade, international institutions, poverty, environment). Last fall, I created a task force on globalization. Over the course of our first six meetings, we have explored changes in our academic attentions and in our curriculum. I hope to provide a report with recommendations this coming academic term.
We end the year at the halfway mark of our 250th anniversary celebration. Last October, the University welcomed several thousand alumni and friends back to campus for a week of events. We have continued the celebration throughout the year with a series of intellectual colloquia to highlight our rich heritage as well as address critical contemporary issues.
Symposia have included a celebration of the seminal turning point in education and the idea of social justice in this country--the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education--featuring a keynote address by former President Bill Clinton. Last week's Brain and Mind symposium took a comprehensive look at what we understand, and might come to know, about the human brain. The Earth's Future: Taming the Climate brought Governor George Pataki to campus to lead discussions on climate change. At last fall's Fred Friendly Seminar on liberty and security in the age of terrorism, several First Amendment scholars, civil liberties experts, and law enforcement officials considered the dilemmas of rights and security in the post-September 11th world.
Last September, I asked a small committee of faculty to explore the principles that guide academic freedom and freedom of speech on our campus. These issues have been particularly controversial at Columbia over the past few years, and we should expect that to continue. I believe we should never act to discipline or penalize faculty for statements made as citizens participating in discussion and debate on public issues. This view, however, is intensely contested by those who believe that the university may sanction faculty who damage the university by their statements.
Another issue involves the classroom. Does that principle protect a professor who retaliates against or penalizes students who fail to share the professor's political views? I believe it does not. I asked the committee to reflect on what principles should guide us in dealing with such issues; it was not charged with investigating particular departments, faculty, or classes. The committee recently reported back to me saying they agreed with these interpretations of academic freedom and that our procedures for the exercise of speech on campus are sound. The committee also told me that, in the course of their discussions of these issues on campus, they did not find any evidence of systematic bias in our classrooms.
We will continue to review University policies and guidelines as part of our steadfast commitment to the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect at Columbia.
We applaud the tremendous accomplishments of our superb faculty members, students, and alumni. This year, five Columbia University professors were elected to the National Academy of Sciences and five additional faculty members were appointed to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering elected our engineering dean, Zvi Galil, to its membership board. Additionally, three Columbians were elected members of The American Philosophical Society.
Columbia now boasts a roster of 70 Nobel Prize winners. Four members of our community--the Earth Institute's Pedro Sanchez, School of the Arts' Sarah Sze, GSAS alumnus Anders Winroth and Barnard's alumna Lydia Davis--were among 24 individuals awarded MacArthur Fellowships last semester.
We continue to make key appointments that solidify our leadership across many disciplines. George Lewis, Pace Jazz & American Music Professor from the University of California, will greatly strengthen both our Center for Jazz Studies and Institute for Research in African-American Studies. With prominent historian Robin Kelley's appointment last July, we now have one of the strongest interdisciplinary African-American studies programs in the nation.
We also recruited renowned oceanographer Peter Keleman to be the Stork Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences. David Reichman, coming to us from Harvard, is one of the most distinguished young chemists in the country. We welcome mathematicians Hubert Bray from MIT and Eric Urban from the University of Paris
At the professional schools we have all benefited from the first year of leadership by Nick Lemann, Dean of the Journalism School. I am also pleased that Glenn Hubbard, former head of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisors, is joining us as the new dean of our Business School. In addition, we have recruited two leading scientists from Bell Labs, Ismail Noyan and Michael Weinstein, to the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Applied Physics and Math.
As you know, we now refer to Columbia's uptown campus as Columbia University Medical Center, which more accurately reflects its identity and mission. We also welcome James Rothman, Ph.D., one of the world's leading cell biologists, to help establish a new Center for Chemical Biology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S). Dr. Rothman also joins the faculty as a professor in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics.
As part of our anniversary celebration and in order to build our connections to alumni and friends, I have spent significant time this year meeting with graduates throughout the United States and abroad.
With several faculty members, I traveled to Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong in April for a series of C250 alumni events, to meet with government officials, and to explore increased cooperation with educational institutions throughout Asia.
Finally, on a personal note, I would like you all to know that Jean and I moved into Columbia University's presidential residence at 60 Morningside Drive in March of this semester. Before our arrival, Columbia University's Trustees approved the restoration of the 100-year-old landmark. Now that we are in The House and Jean has her studio in West Harlem, we are beginning to feel settled. We are pleased to be on the campus and we look forward to welcoming all of you to our new home over the coming months. Best wishes for a safe and creative summer.
Lee C. Bollinger


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"Hey, Watch This!"
From the "Oregonian" newspaper, Friday, June 8, a real-life (er,death) example of the classic trailer-trash boast:
Todd Poller, 45, was apparently drinking with friends when he yelled, "Hey, watch this," grabbed a 5 inch perch from the creek and dropped it headfirst into his mouth. The fish became lodged in Poller's throat and he choked to death.
Ed Nieubuurt


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The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a settlement and made two charges in three separate fraud cases over the past week.
California Scheme
In the first of the cases, the SEC announced on April 9 that it had settled a case against Benedict Van, a San Jose, Calif., man who had fraudulently raised nearly $7 million from investors for an IPO in two companies that he claimed would become the "next Google." Van had promised those investors that they would receive "millions in quick returns" when he took public two Silicon Valley web-based startups, hereUare Inc. and eCity Inc. He fraudulently presented himself as a venture capitalist to prospective investors, primarily in their homes in Sacramento and Stockton, Calif., and also falsely claimed that he had retained Goldman Sachs as an advisor for the IPO.
In fact, the SEC said in a statement, Van had "no plans to take the companies public and relied solely on investor funds to stay in business." When those investor funds ran out by the end of 2008, Van was forced to shut down operations.
The moral of the story, said Marc Fagel, director of the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office, is that "Investors should be wary of pitches promising IPO riches from companies with minimal operations and track records."
The SEC said Van, hereUare and eCity agreed to settle the charges against them without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations and have consented to permanent injunctions. Van also consented to a court order that permanently bars him from serving as a public company officer or director, and hereUare consented to an administrative proceeding order deregistering its stock with the SEC.
While the judgment in Federal District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco ordered Van to pay civil penalties and to "disgorge his ill-gotten gains," the SEC waived any financial payment against Van based, the Commission said, on his "demonstrated inability to pay."
Market Manipulation
In the second fraud case, in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the SEC charged a China-based company, AutoChina Intl. Ltd., and 11 individuals with conducting a market manipulation scheme that was meant to fraudulently create a "liquid and active market" for AutoChina's stock, which traded on Nasdaq until October 2011 under the ticker AUTC (since its delisting then, the stock has traded on OTC Link under the ticker AUTCF.PK).
The complaint, part of an ongoing investigation, charges that beginning in late 2010, the defendants' scheme artificially raised trading volume in AUTC, "enhancing the company's ability to get much-needed financing."
Further, the SEC complaint says that beginning in late 2010, the"defendants and others opened 26 brokerage accounts at E*Trade Financial," depositing more than $60 million into those accounts over four months, despite that the size of the deposits to the accounts, and the volume of their trading, "was well beyond what [the defendants'] self-described means (as set out on their E*Trade Account applications) would indicate was possible for them."
Using those accounts, through the same computer network and in some instances "even the same computer," the defendants allegedly "bought and sold millions of shares of AutoChina stock from October 2010 through February 2012," the complaint said. "They traded only in AutoChina stock."
The scheme worked; average daily trading balance of AUTC rose from about 18,000 shares per day in that time period to 139,000 shares per day in the period, and the SEC says that nearly 70% of that trading volume came from the defendants in the case.
The SEC said it has been assisted in its ongoing investigation by FINRA and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.
Florida Fraud
In the third fraud case, on April 6 the SEC charged George Elia, who the commission called an "investment manager" who most recently lived in Oakland Park, Fla., but who the SEC now believes to be living in Cyprus, and his firm, International Consultants & Investment Group Ltd. Corp., with fraudulently raising $11 million from investors by "falsely claiming annual returns as high as 26%." Elia is accused of transferring more than $2.5 million of those funds to two other entities he controlled, Elia Realty, Inc., and 212 Entertainment Club, Inc.
The SEC said Elia told investors that he had "extensive experience" in day trading stocks and ETFs, but his trading "resulted in losses or only marginal gains, and the quarterly account statements he sent to clients overstated their returns."
According to the SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Elia typically pitched prospective investors over meals at expensive restaurants in and around Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The SEC said his clients typically came to him through word-of-mouth referrals among friends and relatives, and that a "significant number of the victims of his scheme were members of the gay community in Wilton Manors, Fla."
In a parallel criminal case, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced that Elia was indicted on April 5 on one count of wire fraud.
The SEC's complaint charges that Elia and ICIG violated antifraud provisions of U.S. securities laws and that Elia aided and abetted violations by the firms. As part of the ongoing investigation, the SEC is seeking permanent injunctions against Elia and ICIG, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus pre-judgment interest, and civil penalties.